I also know how this works, and convert surface mines into different land uses. My background is in land reclamation, and now I cover other environmental and engineering disciplines that feed into the broader restoration/conversion process. I’m no slouch when it comes to changing landscapes and land uses.
I don’t believe the items I’ve listed are trivial, and the point of bringing them up was to explain that there are barriers that prevent conversions like this from happening on a broader scale, and to address the original question.
It is good that you want to convert stuff. Yes we should start now. However it all boils down to risk-reward for investors, and right now (justified or not) they precieve conversion as unpalatable for the most part. Why convert or build a green shopping centre from scratch when the one I already paid xxx for is making me tons of money? If it were easy and/or profitable these things would be springing up like vape shops when they first came out.
Fair enough, though I’d like to be clearer about where I’m coming from, I think. When it comes to these projects there’s always a bunch of people who act like someone saying “wouldn’t this be neat?” hasn’t thought of these things or would otherwise think of them as something you could do over a weekend. Like, we know that it will take effort and there’s already so much effort going into objectively wrong, but familiar, projects that we can divert to doing good things. So when someone busts in trying to discourage these projects it’s kinda frustrating. We used to destroy whole neighbourhoods for god-awful highways but a little work to make a community greenspace is always “way too hard”. And while some of your points were at least factual when you said “trees take time to grow” I really had to wonder a) how stupid you think I am and b) how stupid you might be.
To address your last point how often has profit really been a terribly good motivator when it takes longer than twenty minutes to see a return even if that return is guaranteed and far greater? I see the private sector constantly doing extremely stupid things because the people who have all the money usually didn’t earn it and all too often think of themselves as geniuses who shouldn’t be questioned so bad ideas happen all the time. Highway expansions, for example, have a fucking terrible return on investment, at most only barely helping for a year, yet they’re always the go-to. Another golden example is how every single fucking time a pedestrian street is proposed the business owners get pissed off and every single time it happens anyway they actually end up making more money because of it. Just because something is or isn’t happening isn’t a super great indicator for how good an idea it is.
There’s also the point to make that if the landowners can’t be responsible with it then maybe we should do something about that. I’m not saying we need to do away with private business entirely but things paid for with taxes don’t need to be profitable but they do need to provide real value and that’s kinda awesome. Projects like this improve the lives of everyone living nearby and do real good for the people living there which can have immense indirect economic value. A golden example would be USPS, a service which serves everyone and doesn’t avoid or gouge “non-profitable areas” like a private mail service would(and don’t get me started on the theft that is the brokerage fee). Here in Canada the CBC makes sure that people all over the country have access to news and culture even when it doesn’t make them money because that’s important to us as human beings.
I really had to wonder a) how stupid you think I am and b) how stupid you might be.
I have not called you stupid once, or been uncivil with you while explaining my point of view, yet you continue to be snippy with me. I can peel the flesh off a dozer operator with my word choices, and have done so in the past, but it doesn’t help with discussion and only serves to cause the person you’re talking to to dig their heels in further.
In this regard, I’m done talking about this topic, but I wanted to say that I get your points about people shooting down this topic. I also agree with you that we need to SUBSTANTIALLY re-evaluate our societal priorities, and not take a capitalist view on just about everything.
I don’t have the tools or the knowledge to make a societal change like this, in a world of propaganda, so I’m sticking in my lane and talking about what I do know and the roadblocks that stop a solar punk society from happening. I’m technically strong, but I really suck on the social side, other than knowing that engagement must happen.
Saying it feels like you’re insulting me or otherwise talking down is not the same as saying you did use a specific word. You aren’t the victim here and I’m not saying that I am but if you react like that to someone giving you feedback well, yea, maybe it’s best this discussion is ended.
And yes, for your last bit thank you for coming to that understanding, it is appreciated to hear.
I also know how this works, and convert surface mines into different land uses. My background is in land reclamation, and now I cover other environmental and engineering disciplines that feed into the broader restoration/conversion process. I’m no slouch when it comes to changing landscapes and land uses.
I don’t believe the items I’ve listed are trivial, and the point of bringing them up was to explain that there are barriers that prevent conversions like this from happening on a broader scale, and to address the original question.
It is good that you want to convert stuff. Yes we should start now. However it all boils down to risk-reward for investors, and right now (justified or not) they precieve conversion as unpalatable for the most part. Why convert or build a green shopping centre from scratch when the one I already paid xxx for is making me tons of money? If it were easy and/or profitable these things would be springing up like vape shops when they first came out.
Fair enough, though I’d like to be clearer about where I’m coming from, I think. When it comes to these projects there’s always a bunch of people who act like someone saying “wouldn’t this be neat?” hasn’t thought of these things or would otherwise think of them as something you could do over a weekend. Like, we know that it will take effort and there’s already so much effort going into objectively wrong, but familiar, projects that we can divert to doing good things. So when someone busts in trying to discourage these projects it’s kinda frustrating. We used to destroy whole neighbourhoods for god-awful highways but a little work to make a community greenspace is always “way too hard”. And while some of your points were at least factual when you said “trees take time to grow” I really had to wonder a) how stupid you think I am and b) how stupid you might be.
To address your last point how often has profit really been a terribly good motivator when it takes longer than twenty minutes to see a return even if that return is guaranteed and far greater? I see the private sector constantly doing extremely stupid things because the people who have all the money usually didn’t earn it and all too often think of themselves as geniuses who shouldn’t be questioned so bad ideas happen all the time. Highway expansions, for example, have a fucking terrible return on investment, at most only barely helping for a year, yet they’re always the go-to. Another golden example is how every single fucking time a pedestrian street is proposed the business owners get pissed off and every single time it happens anyway they actually end up making more money because of it. Just because something is or isn’t happening isn’t a super great indicator for how good an idea it is.
There’s also the point to make that if the landowners can’t be responsible with it then maybe we should do something about that. I’m not saying we need to do away with private business entirely but things paid for with taxes don’t need to be profitable but they do need to provide real value and that’s kinda awesome. Projects like this improve the lives of everyone living nearby and do real good for the people living there which can have immense indirect economic value. A golden example would be USPS, a service which serves everyone and doesn’t avoid or gouge “non-profitable areas” like a private mail service would(and don’t get me started on the theft that is the brokerage fee). Here in Canada the CBC makes sure that people all over the country have access to news and culture even when it doesn’t make them money because that’s important to us as human beings.
I have not called you stupid once, or been uncivil with you while explaining my point of view, yet you continue to be snippy with me. I can peel the flesh off a dozer operator with my word choices, and have done so in the past, but it doesn’t help with discussion and only serves to cause the person you’re talking to to dig their heels in further.
In this regard, I’m done talking about this topic, but I wanted to say that I get your points about people shooting down this topic. I also agree with you that we need to SUBSTANTIALLY re-evaluate our societal priorities, and not take a capitalist view on just about everything.
I don’t have the tools or the knowledge to make a societal change like this, in a world of propaganda, so I’m sticking in my lane and talking about what I do know and the roadblocks that stop a solar punk society from happening. I’m technically strong, but I really suck on the social side, other than knowing that engagement must happen.
Saying it feels like you’re insulting me or otherwise talking down is not the same as saying you did use a specific word. You aren’t the victim here and I’m not saying that I am but if you react like that to someone giving you feedback well, yea, maybe it’s best this discussion is ended.
And yes, for your last bit thank you for coming to that understanding, it is appreciated to hear.
Please stay civil when talking to others, see Code of Conduct