Home ›

The Planetizen News Brief - 10/8/09

8 October 2009 - 3:00pm
Smart City Radio

The Planetizen News Brief is a weekly rundown of some of the most interesting and important news and issues of the past week.

The Planetizen News Brief airs every week on the nationally-syndicated radio program "Smart City", which is broadcast in cities across the U.S. Learn more about Smart City and listen to archived shows.

Full Transcript

On the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, there’s a new invasive species wreaking havoc on the sensitive tropical environment. But it’s not a voracious tree beetle or some stowaway fungus- it’s people. A recent article from the New York Times looks at the rising population of humans on the Galapagos Islands, and how they are creating a very negative impact on the environment. The population of humans has skyrocketed over the last decade, doubling to 30,000 people total, an increase linked to the expansion of the tourism industry on the islands. But now, with so many people, the finches Charles Darwin studied in the 1800s are pecking at food scraps in the huge garbage dumps of waste created by humans. To fight what environmentalists are calling a devastating impact on the Galapagos, the government of Ecuador has begun kicking people off of the islands. Over the last year they’ve removed 1,000 Ecuadorians from the islands, and more expulsions are expected to follow. But among those being kicked off the islands, the move by the government is a slap in the face. The majority of them are poor and had simply followed jobs out to the Galapagos, where they saw an opportunity to create a living for themselves. But now they’re being told that the environment of the islands is more important than their wellbeing. Though many say they plan to stay on the islands, the government is expected to crack down on the growing population and bring this invasive species down to a more sustainable level.

Meanwhile, in the United States, there’s another blight on the landscape that people are trying to fight. This time, it’s empty storefronts. The economic recession has caused many small businesses to go under, and this is especially true in America’s small towns. But as a recent article from Time discusses, locals are not letting these empty stores sit idle. One real estate development company reports that it has branched out to try to find new tenants – any tenants – to take over and occupy these unused spaces. From health clinics to auction houses to art galleries and soundstages, former storefronts are finding new lives during this recession. But it’s not just what’s going into these buildings. Some storefronts are simply being used for their street-facing walls, where window space and even entire facades are being leased to advertisers. Though a billboard or an auction house may not be the best replacement for a corner store that’s been run out of business, it seems that beggars can’t be choosers in this poor economy.

Stories discussed in this week's Planetizen News Brief

»
Bookmark and Share
“
Maybe we should blame Thomas Jefferson. He was the godfather of the urban sprawl racket in America.
”