Youth Action Coalition

Theme parks can attract tourists to a city. These are pictures of Tivoli Gardens right in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the centerpiece of Copenhagen and if you are going to Copenhagen, this is a must see. You can get in for free to see events and stroll the beautiful gardens. The gardens also include a themepark. To ride the rides in the theme park you by tickets for each ride or an all-day armband which are not that expensive compared to the nearest theme park to San Jose, Great America. I have been to Tivoli and it is a lot of fun and has everything a good old theme park should have, for it is the oldest theme park in Europe. Maybe San Jose should build a beautiful public garden and theme park that would be itself a destination for tourists.

I was just reading San Jose mayor Chuck Reed’s green vision. One of the things that caught my eye was the idea of “Clean Technology.” This would include solar technology, alternative fuel, new transportation, efficient lighting and energy monitoring systems. Apparently, local companies have already taken big steps to achieve these goals, but I think these things need to manifest themselves more in daily life. Essentially, each individual would have a “green” life, further contributing to the idea of a green community. The question is, how can the city motivate every person to cooperate?

here are some interesting pictures i took around san francisco. the cube, however, is the orange county children’s discovery museum. This is adding on to Peter’s blog about having a distinct architectural wonder for san jose. Do these spark any ideas? (the bart is random but hey its public transpo!)

This is something I just learned. Its very interesting. Check it out and tell me what you think. I read about it online. It’s a great way of conserving energy.

 It reduces the cost of getting rid of your garbage, especially when you pay by the bag. It reduces the stink in your garbage bags. With all that wet stuff gone, your trash is lighter and less putrid. Reduces global warming. Food decomposing in the landfill produces methane, a supercharged greenhouse gas; in your backyard compost bin it doesn’t. Saves space for longer-lived landfills. Produces great soil amendment for your garden. Returns nutrients to the soil such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, iron and boron. When added to the soil compost helps promote root development, enhances retention of water and nutrients, and makes the soil easier to cultivate. Reduces rainfall run-off, decreases water evaporation from the soil, and helps to control weeds.

Last year, SF finalized a ban on plastic bags in grocery stores and pharmacies…will San Jose take the same route? How effective will this really be? And finally, if and when will San Jose place a ban on both plastic AND paper bags?

Here’s an article I co-wrote for the opinion section of my school’s newspaper. (Although it seems to advocate the use of paper bags, I’d like to elucidate the fact that CLOTH BAGS ARE THE WAY TO GO!)

The next time you go to a grocery store, you may have one less decision to make. “Paper or plastic,” a question that we’re so accustomed to hearing, may soon be an utterance of the past.

San Jose city officials are considering a ban on plastic bags in all major grocery stores. The question now is how much of an effect this decision will actually have on the environment and the lives of residents.

The ban has drawn concerns from plastic bag advocates who believe that people will become more careless with recycling.

However, such a ban has good intentions and many benefits. For example, paper bags are more environmentally sound than plastic bags. They can decompose and the materials derived from the process can be used in products such as fertilizer. Plastic bags, on the other hand, are made from petroleum and are usually thrown into landfills where they take thousands of years to break down, all the while emitting harmful chemicals into the environment.

There are organizations, such as the Association of Post Consumer Plastic Recyclers, that acquire, reprocess and sell the byproduct of post-consumer plastics in several countries, but post-consumer paper recycling is better for the environment. According to www.worldcentric.org, producing recycled paper products causes 74 percent less air pollution 35 percent less water pollution than producing recycled plastic ones. It saves old-growth trees, forest eco-systems, native habitat and biodiversity.

Because plastic comes from oil, producing plastic bags also requires oil drilling. Not only is this an environmental concern, but it also is an economic and social issue since oil is quickly being depleted. Manufacturing plastic bags also requires electricity generated by nuclear fission, a process that releases harmful radioactive waste that often cannot be disposed.

A more effective option would be the use of cloth bags that customers could reuse. This seems like a lofty goal, but over time it could be achieved. However, presently the use of paper bags is the most viable option.

Both paper and plastic bags have harmful effects, but the use of paper bags is a safer environmental practice. The ban of plastic in San Jose could positively affect our world, so even if the proposition isn’t put into effect, consumers should make an effort to lessen their plastic use. Next time you’re asked “paper or plastic,” do the environment a favor and choose paper.

And lastly, check out this video about “green” construction (I couldn’t figure out how to embed it): Commercial builders catch \”green\” fever

Enjoy.

In every big city there is some famous place or structure that attracts thousands of tourists everyday. If you went on vactaion and said “I went to Paris” people would say “cool”, or “what was it like!” Now assume you didn’t live in Silicon Valley, if you said “I went to San Jose for vacation” they might say “where is that” or “what is there to see there?” San Jose should have a centerpiece of some kind. Something that would attract tourists from around the world and not just people on bussiness. Here are some examples of centerpieces…

• Paris  -  Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triumph
• San Fransisco  -  Golden Gate Bridge
• Los Angles  -  Hollywood Sign
• New York  -  Empire State Building, Times Square, Statue of Liberty
• Chicago – Sears Tower
• London -  Big Ben, Buckingham Palace
• Seattle  -  Space Neddle
• Rome  – Colosseum, Vatican
• Beijing - Forbidden City
• Washington D.C. -  The White House, Washington Mounument

If San Jose did have a centerpiece what should it be? (Note- It can’t be a tall tower like in New York because of earthquakes and the nearby airport.)

The invisible workers are the bases of our society but how many people actually know who they are, who takes the time to know the guy who mows your lawn? who actually knows the name of the hundreds of workers who made the freeway bridges or the buildings, or how much sweet a worker transpires when he picks the fruit you are about to eat? Think about who makes our comfort happen, think about it!!!

• What’s your definition of a green city?
• What more do you think people can do to help our city?
• What do you think city officials can do to have city progress?
• How do you see big cities implementing things? What can this city do?