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City not worthy of conservation designation

Neal Rockett
Friday November 30, 2001

Editor: 

Kristin Miller hopes to report next year to a sustainable development conference “that Berkeley is an emerging world leader in demonstrating truly innovative and progressive measures that will begin balancing our built environment with natural systems.” 

This raises two questions: 

• Why are Berkeley’s parks fully saturated at the end of dry season (are we supporting an endangered mushroom)? 

• Why are Berkeley’s trucks equipped with V8 engines (do the increased emissions from these gas guzzling trucks support some local fauna)? 

The only commitment I’ve seen Berkeley make to a balanced built environment is the installation of fluorescent street lights along one block of Telegraph Avenue (a skeptic may argue that this was a promotional event for Phillips, a British manufacturer.) 

I suppose Ms. Miller could report Berkeley’s yearly closure of one access road to Tilden Park on behalf of our toads. Every journey begins with a single step, right? 

Good luck, Kristin. 

 

Neal Rockett 

Berkeley