Urban Ecology Australia
By David Munn
John Ruskin described architecture as the art which so disposes and adorns the edifices raised by man, for whatsoever uses, that the sight of them may contribute to his mental health, power, and pleasures.
Looking at the towering metal and glass tombstones that form the centre of most modern cities, it appears that these aims have been forgotten. But it is not just our mental health that is threatened by the cities in which we live; they also threaten the health of the planet.
Environmental threats of the extinction of species from global warming are directly linked to the nature of our cities.
Our sprawling suburbs and centralised business districts and industrial areas make us dependent on the private car. It has been estimated that between 500 and 1000 trees would have to be planted to soak up the carbon dioxide produced by one car in its lifetime.
Add to this the native species killed off as the outer edges of our cities encroach on their natural habitats, the huge amounts of non-renewable energy used to heat and cool our poorly designed houses, and the escalating cost in money and energy of maintaining our extensive infrastructure, and it becomes clear that the fundamental nature of our cities must change if we are to reach the goal of a sustainable society.
Urban Ecology Australia is a non-profit organisation which hopes to address these problems by educating the community about the need for an ecological rebuilding of our cities.
Urban Ecology Australia will host the Second International Ecological City Conference in Adelaide, April 16-19. The conference will bring together leading environmentalists, planners, architects, visionaries and activists from India, eastern Europe, Nigeria, the Middle East, the Americas and western Europe. The conference will be an accessible and exciting event with something to interest anyone who lives in a city.
Living in an ecologically designed city, or Ecopolis, according to Paul Downton, convener of Urban Ecology Australia, would bring us closer to each other and to nature. Community gardens, for growing food, filtering pollution, providing windbreaks and sheltering streets, would be a feature of Ecopolis. Buying or renting a house, office, workshop or farm would not just be a real estate deal; it would mean becoming part of a healthy living organism.
Social justice is also a major concern for Urban Ecology. Our cities will never be healthy as long as energy-efficient housing is available only to the wealthy, and the threat of poverty and unemployment force many of us to work in unecological industries. The enormous task of rebuilding our cities could provide far more jobs than would be lost by ending environmentally destructive development. For more information, contact Urban Ecology Australia, PO Box 3040, Adelaide SA 5000; phone (08) 379 1984 or (08) 410 0142, fax (08) 379 1984 or (08) 410 0142 (phone first).