Where Faith And The City invited me to write a guest column on the physical and social environments, I welcome this opportunity. These two are closely related and both are important issues for the Atlanta metropolitan area.
When we hear the word "environment", most of us think that the natural or physical environment - the mountains, farmland, and the coast, for example. But we also live in a social environment - the human society. Social environment that exists in the wider environment and natural in a relationship of interdependence with it.
Similarly, when we hear the word "pollution", usually in the context of the environment - air pollution, water and soil, for example. Remember issues like toxic waste, global warming and endangered species. However, pollution is also a problem in our social environment. In the Atlanta area and nationally, our social environment - the healthier in many ways that others around the world - often contaminated. Much of how the land is contaminated with toxic waste problems like poverty, crime, unemployment, ignorance and hatred can contaminate our communities.
So there are two environments in which we live and two that pollute us. Are linked in many ways that clearly recognize today, and I think that otherwise we will discover in the coming years. For example, we know that economic demand, a factor in the social environment is leading to the depletion of tropical forests in the Amazon region. The result of economic demand in this case, the physical effects of the global environment.
Of course, social conditions closer to home also affect our natural environment. For example, consider how the concerns about racial tensions, public education and crime can lead people to travel within the city limits to the outer edges of a metropolitan area. When this movement creates "sprawl" - a major problem in our community greater Atlanta - the result is increased traffic congestion. A byproduct of this traffic, emissions of the now 2.8 million vehicles in urban areas pollute the air we breathe, from downtown to suburban subdivisions. The issue comes full circle back to the social environment, considering that heavy traffic and long commutes can also contribute to health problems and increased stress.
Although this example is useful, it can often oversimplify the problem. In fact, there are many causes of pollution of the physical and social. This example reminds us that often contaminate both the environment without fully recognizing the consequences, or have an impact on each other.
It also reminds us that our society hangs together - the city of Atlanta for the counties of Barrow, Pickens, Spalding, Carroll and - together with communities and beyond. We are bound by the natural environment we all share - air, water and soil. And we're together in the social environment we share - our regional economy and our citizens who travel daily in all national courts.
We should be together I think by realizing that we are a community do - that just as we need for regional cooperation to protect the physical, we must work together in excess of the limits of our jurisdiction cities and counties to solve our social environment. Only then can we address the many challenges and opportunities facing us all that our region continues to prosper and strengthen the common good of our larger regional and small communities that hug.
When we hear the word "environment", most of us think that the natural or physical environment - the mountains, farmland, and the coast, for example. But we also live in a social environment - the human society. Social environment that exists in the wider environment and natural in a relationship of interdependence with it.
Similarly, when we hear the word "pollution", usually in the context of the environment - air pollution, water and soil, for example. Remember issues like toxic waste, global warming and endangered species. However, pollution is also a problem in our social environment. In the Atlanta area and nationally, our social environment - the healthier in many ways that others around the world - often contaminated. Much of how the land is contaminated with toxic waste problems like poverty, crime, unemployment, ignorance and hatred can contaminate our communities.
So there are two environments in which we live and two that pollute us. Are linked in many ways that clearly recognize today, and I think that otherwise we will discover in the coming years. For example, we know that economic demand, a factor in the social environment is leading to the depletion of tropical forests in the Amazon region. The result of economic demand in this case, the physical effects of the global environment.
Of course, social conditions closer to home also affect our natural environment. For example, consider how the concerns about racial tensions, public education and crime can lead people to travel within the city limits to the outer edges of a metropolitan area. When this movement creates "sprawl" - a major problem in our community greater Atlanta - the result is increased traffic congestion. A byproduct of this traffic, emissions of the now 2.8 million vehicles in urban areas pollute the air we breathe, from downtown to suburban subdivisions. The issue comes full circle back to the social environment, considering that heavy traffic and long commutes can also contribute to health problems and increased stress.
Although this example is useful, it can often oversimplify the problem. In fact, there are many causes of pollution of the physical and social. This example reminds us that often contaminate both the environment without fully recognizing the consequences, or have an impact on each other.
It also reminds us that our society hangs together - the city of Atlanta for the counties of Barrow, Pickens, Spalding, Carroll and - together with communities and beyond. We are bound by the natural environment we all share - air, water and soil. And we're together in the social environment we share - our regional economy and our citizens who travel daily in all national courts.
We should be together I think by realizing that we are a community do - that just as we need for regional cooperation to protect the physical, we must work together in excess of the limits of our jurisdiction cities and counties to solve our social environment. Only then can we address the many challenges and opportunities facing us all that our region continues to prosper and strengthen the common good of our larger regional and small communities that hug.
