Reflections on Advocacy Writing

The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Inc. (CACLV) is an advocacy group who works to reduce poverty and improve equality for all in the Lehigh Valley/Allentown area. One of the ways they do this is through a combination of environmental initiatives. They believe that environmental sustainability can be achieved with an anti-poverty agenda. They speak out for those who are unable to and advocate for inclusive treatment beyond just environmental action. Having an organization that advocates for equality among a wide range of groups, whether economically, racially, or any other number of demographics creates a stronger community in an area. By doing this CACLV hopes to make the Lehigh Valley an inclusive area with equality for all.
For information on specific programs from CACLV, visit their annual program report.

Transportation Programming and Smart Growth

Allentown, Pennsylvania's transportation network focuses on developing to meet the new preferences in transportation with changing demographics, development, and travel patterns over time. The goal is to grow sustainably while improving ease of travel for citizens. The transportation improvement program prioritizes technical evaluation and economic impact. (LVPC). This improvement is to take place while keeping in mind safety, system maintenance, mobility and congestion management, partnerships and shared contribution, and support of the region and performance over time (LVPC). Keeping these ideas in mind, Allentown's infrastructure will help improve the area for residents, commuters, and visitors alike. Many other projects are being implemented as well to improve more than just vehicular transportation. Projects include expanding bicycle and pedestrian paths while increasing parking and vehicle flow. New street layouts are being proposed to increase the combination of transportation in Allentown.

Source: Downtown Allentown: Development and Urban Design Plan

For more information on specific projects, visit the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission website
For more information on development and urban design, visit the City of Allentown website

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is essentially the fair treatment of people, regardless of economic or social status, race or nationality, and other demographics in regard to environmental problems. Historically, minorities have been marginalized when it comes to environmental actions. It is often simpler for organizations to take advantage of these minorities because they often do not have the power to fight back. By moving something such as a toxic waste dump to these areas, the problem is " not in my backyard" and therefore deemed to be acceptable. Oftentimes these people are unable to defend their homes for fear of losing jobs. This can be seen in coal minors who deal with toxic sludge or lung diseases because they are reliant on the coal industry for their income. These marginalized groups are unfairly treated simply because they have no other option and can be taken advantage of. Environmental justice seeks to remove this inequality and give everyone fair access to a safe and enjoyable environment.

An Inconvenient Truth

When watching an Inconvenient Truth for the second time, I was shocked by the continued prevalence of the issues discussed in the film. Climate films like an Inconvenient Truth, despite being well known, still reach a small audience. Many of the people who watch these films already understand the atrocity that is climate change, as opposed to introducing the concept to naysayers. This creates a problem for tackling climate change. The issues Al Gore covers are still part of the climate debate going on today and little progress has been made. The debate is too heavily centered around politics which prevents anything from being accomplished. Rather than recognizing the systemic problems affecting climate change, it is overshadowed by economic interests. Despite these problems, the film still provides relevant insights to the climate debate whether or not progress is being made.


Source: David, L., Bender, L., & Burns, S. Z. (Producers), & Guggenheim, D. (Director).
(2006). An Inconvenient Truth [Motion Picture]. United States: Paramount Classics.

Urbanization and Sustainability

Currently, about 94% of all Icelanders live in urban settings (UN World Urbanization Prospects Report). These urban settings are divided into a few main cities. Iceland's capital city, Reykjavik, is the country's most urbanized city with nearly 120,000 people residing there which accounts for about 40% of their population. Because the majority of people live in urban settings, this gives Iceland the opportunity to target sustainable growth and development in their urban areas. In Reykjavik, geothermal energy is the main source of energy. This powers the buildings, heats houses, and even powers greenhouses which provide food for the city (Blue and Green Tomorrow). Despite their geothermal energy production, transportation is a problem for the country. Car ownership is among the highest per capita in the world because the public transportation infrastructure is not well developed (Forbes). This is also due to the poor layout among cities in the country. It is not easy to travel from one city to another even though the country is not that large. This leads to increased CO2 emissions. According to 2010 data from the Environment Agency of Iceland, road vehicles are only second to industrial processes in terms of emissions from CO2. Currently, Iceland is working to target and reduce these emissions from vehicles as well as incorporating nature into urban planning.

Source: Environment Agency of Iceland

Food Security in Iceland

Due to Iceland's geography, Icelanders rely on imports for their main sustenance. Over the years Iceland has grown to become increasingly more reliant on imports. This includes the importation of pre-made foodstuffs or ingredients used in domestic production. Regardless, this makes Iceland susceptible to changes in supply and demand globally. This means food security could be at risk if economic recessions, global conflict, or changes to importation laws occur. Most food is held in the private sector and therefore if one of these aforementioned scenarios was to occur, this could be detrimental to the health of lower class households.

For more information on Iceland's food security risk, read "Food Security in Iceland" by Orri Jóhannsson, M.A. International Relations,ECPR, Reykjavik, August 2011