Concrete Jungle: New York City and Our Last Best Hope for a Sustainable Future
If they are to survive, cities need healthy chunks of the worldÕs ecosystems to persist; yet cities, like parasites, grow and prosper by local destruction of these very ecosystems. In this absorbing and wide-ranging book, Eldredge and Horenstein use New York City as a microcosm to explore both the positive and the negative sides of the relationship between cities, the environment, and the future of global biodiversity. They illuminate the mass of contradictions that cities present in embodying the best and the worst of human existence. The authors demonstrate that, though cities have voracious appetites for resources such as food and water, they also represent the last hope for conserving healthy remnants of the worldÕs ecosystems and species. With their concentration of human beings, cities bring together centers of learning, research, government, finance, and mediaÑinstitutions that increasingly play active roles in solving environmental problems.
Some of the topics covered in Concrete Jungle: --The geological history of the New York region, including remnant glacial features visible today --The early days of urbanization on Manhattan Island, focusing on the history of Central Park, Collect Pond, and Manhattan Square --The history of early railway lines and the development of New YorkÕs iconic subway system --The problem of producing enough safe drinking water for an ever-expanding population --Prominent civic institutions, including universities, museums, and zoos |
Contents
The Urban Saga and the New York
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1 |
Forest Primeval
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28 |
Landscape Transformed
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65 |
Growth of the Concrete Jungle
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107 |
Fouling and Cleaning the Nest
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131 |
Invasion and Survival
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160 |
Other editions - View all
Concrete Jungle: New York City and Our Last Best Hope for a Sustainable Future Niles Eldredge,Sidney Horenstein No preview available - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
agriculture American Museum animals Avenue became began bridge Bronx Brooklyn building built called Canal Central Park century city’s close Collect completed connected conservation construction continue course created Creek Department early East East River ecosystems efforts entire environmental feet fields Figure forest gardens global green ground grow Harlem High Hill housing Hudson Hudson River human hundred important institutions Island land landscape later least Line living located look major Manhattan million Museum of Natural native Natural History numbers once opened original Photograph by Sidney plants political pollution Pond population Queens reach region remains restoration result River rock ships side Sidney Horenstein southern species Square Staten Island Street supply thousand tigers tion trees United West York City York’s