Urban Ecology and Social Justice

1. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Dr. John P. Sullivan Boston College High School

2. Urban Ecology and Social Justice The City and its People • US Census Bureau: a densely populated area of more than 2500 people.1 • A reasonable ecological definition: an area • where a relatively dense congregation of people • causes the built environment to dominate.2 What is “urban?”

3. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Our cities are OUR ecosystems

4. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Our cities are OUR ecosystems

5. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Our cities are OUR ecosystems 72% of Americans live in an urban environment3 It’s our habitat It’s where we find our niche It’s where we give and receive feedback Here we can find: Evolution, predation, camouflage, r-selected growth, k-selected growth, biogeochemical cycles . . . In short, IT’S ALL NATURAL

6. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Did Sull Just Say the City and Nature are the Same Thing? Of course! Life abounds everywhere and to survive, it must interact!

7. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Behold – the apex predator in his natural habitat!

8. Urban Ecology and Social Justice But humans destroy habitat! That’s not natural! Are you sure?

9. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Like any other ecosystem, the urban environment operates as a series of “feedback loops.” Input: 1629, Col. Graves founds Charlestown Feedback: ? No fresh water in Charlestown, one spring across the river Response: 1630, Boston Is founded and becomes “The Hub.”

10. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Like any other ecosystem, the urban environment operates as a series of “feedback loops.” Input: Since the last ice age The Shawmut Peninsula Has been shaped like this  Response: Beacon St. Feedback: Terrible smell and mosquito infestation @ State House Response: The Back Bay

11. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Like any other ecosystem, the urban environment operates as a series of “feedback loops.” The Legend of Nix’s Mate

12. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Score! If we’re just animals doing what animals do, we can relax! We’re just doing what comes naturally! • God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Gen 1:26) • We are fully animal, participating fully in ecosystems as primates, • mammals, chordates, animals. Yet we are also existentially different – • posessing free will. • “Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the • cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the • ground.“ (Gen 1:26) • God has given us special responsibility for all of creation.

13. Urban Ecology and Social Justice • Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more. (Lk 12:48) • All of humanity has been given much (free will, dominion). What is demanded of us?

14. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. (Mt 25:40) This passage is about people – what does it have to do with ecology? We and our environment are inseparable. What happens to the environment takes a disproportionate toll on “the least of these brothers”

15. Urban Ecology and Social Justice What happens to the environment takes a disproportionate toll on “the least of these brothers” This is the moral imperative of urban environmental justice.

16. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Back to Feedback: Linking Power, Poverty and Environment. Input: Potato famine in Ireland Response: Move to Boston Feedback: Bostonians feel threatened by Catholics Response: Convent burned down while firefighters watched. Response: Boston College and Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Where? New land!

17. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Linking Power, Poverty and Environment Today Take My Trash: I’ll pay you back with asthma.

18. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Linking Power, Poverty and Environment Today Take My Trash: I’ll pay you back with asthma.

19. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Linking Power, Poverty and Environment Today Take My Trash: I’ll pay you back with asthma.

20. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Linking Power, Poverty and Environment Today Take My Trash: I’ll pay you back with asthma.

21. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Linking Power, Poverty and Environment Today Take My Trash: I’ll pay you back with asthma. Roxbury Jamaica Plain

22. Urban Ecology and Social Justice What to Do? Community Organizing

23. Urban Ecology and Social Justice What to Do? Education!

24. Urban Ecology and Social Justice Sullivan, J. (2008). The use of photographs to portray urban ecosystems in six introductory environmental science texts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 45(9), 1003-1020. U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). Statistical abstract of the United States. Retrieved April 9, 2006, from http: / /www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf.