Its Okay to be Green, Just Not Too Green
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA 
on 09.18.08
Image source: Getty Images
A blind, elderly New Jersey resident recently found himself in front of a judge. His crime: ::New Jersey Star Ledger">composting. The problem: residents with a vision of what a "clean" neighborhood should look like are not thrilled with the smell and mess of a compost pile and yard garden, reports the New Jersey Star Ledger. When cities are trying to reach their Kyoto-like emission reduction goals, how do they balance deed-restrictions and voter happiness, with sustainability projects (housing, composting, traffic), that don't fit under normal codes.
Solar panels routinely run up against HOAs, artificial lawns don't fit in and non-traditional housing structures are a pipe dream in many areas and don't even mention dumpster diving. Even on a national scale, offshore wind-turbines are having trouble because of the perception that they will tarnish a perfect view. As activities become more mainstream and are embraced by the media, its easier to win approval. But, if we need to act, and act now to turn this sinking ship around, can we wait for public approval or do we just act now, ask questions later?
"The irony is that these are the people trying to do the right thing, and the people criticizing them are probably getting (chemicals) which put more toxins on their lawn into the environment than a golf course," says Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club.
So, how do we balance having an odor free yard with setting differences aside for the common good? How do we balance one neighbor not wanting to "look at solar panels" versus our need for energy independence and someone willing to front the money to buy that independence through solar? One of the worst parts is that it pits neighbor against neighbor, involving hefty court fees and delaying solutions. Does giving neighbors a head-up about future plans help to grease the wheels?
Cities like Philadelphia and Detroit are embracing ideas like community gardens, as they struggle to reinvent themselves after the closure of many factories and mills leaving the city with thousands of abandoned properties. Another way is to ensure that if citizens are going green, then the products they use are at least doing what they are supposed to. Canadian courts now are cracking down on companies that make green claims, but don't follow through in practice. This way, when products are used, and maybe make the neighborhood a little "different", they at least provide the advertised benefits.
Does installing community gardens provide a stronger support network for the community? If installing them makes the neighborhood messy, will the stronger sense of community keep the area from being run-down? Will we just have to get over what we think a community is "supposed to look like" and some day look back on all of this and wonder why we ever worried in the first place, kind of like letting women wear pants to work?
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Anyone who questions the benefits of community gardens should check out the East Dallas and Live Oak Community Gardens in central Dallas, TX. They provide the refugees that farm them with a supply of traditional food, a bit of extra income and the peace of mind of having a space for something familiar in an unfamiliar enviroment. Not only that, but the gardeners allow the rest of the community to experience new plants and foods that we can't find at the local supermarkets.
http://gardendallas.org/
However, I guess if you're narrow minded enough, you can look past the lush greenery and beautiful flowers to see "run-down" fencing and trellising built from "trash" wood. And if that's what you see, I'm sure that you would find a Starbucks much more attractive...
Instead of spending time and money complaining about and prosecuting this man for his yard, why not get together and offer to help him build and maintain a less odorous composting system?
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Sorry update to the article: The case was eventually dropped as an anonymous donor purchased a compost bin. But in future cases, not sure that there are enough anonymous donors to keep all compost bins out of sight.
I've had compost piles most of my life and I've never really noticed a smell other than the smell of soil (humus I guess). Do you have a stinky compost pile? I hope and pray that I don't end up in a cookie cutter neighborhood where people complain about 'non-traditional' yards. I have nightmares (really) of battles with neighbors over gardens, compost, solar-heaters, and a lack of chemicals... Done right gardens and compost are beautiful things but some neighborhoods seem to only want highly manicured, resource heavy lawn. If you end up in court can you make the argument that your neighbors chemicals are poisoning the nice organic produce you're growing in your yard?
Ultimately civility and diplomacy are probably the best path. Failing that be sure to eat your fresh delicious produce outside to insight jealously.
Neighborhood associations that get in the way should be required to pay money to compensate owners whose activities are barred. If you can't have a compost heap, then they have to pay you an extra $500 a year so you can get organic vegetables at the store.
Also, these neighborhood associations can lose their authority. After all, if the covenant says everyone paints their house white, but one person gets away with painting their house green for a certain amount of time, the association's power to regulate all house colors becomes null and void.
Boy, this hits close to home. We are absolutely going to need to get over the idea that communities should be cookie-cutter suburban blah and that the growth of plants can be beautiful, even if they're not deluged with chemicals and trimmed to specifications.
Ask the city to have a compost pile..and then city can sell the compost back to the people. to cover the cost..
It's the Garden state after all-- they should be able to
find a garden no..
Irony-- New Jersey is aka armpit of america...
NIMBY is probably the biggest force holding back adoption of green technologies and lifestyles.
Everyone says they're for the environment, right up to the point where THEY are the ones who may suffer some small inconvenience. Or worse, an imagined hit to their property values.
Of course, even environmentalists have their own cultists who believe anything done by human beings is evil, and subscribe to the BANANA theory. (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything)
"New Jersey is aka armpit of america..."
I resent that. If NJ is geographically the armpit, then Long Island is the armpit hair and Manhattan is some kind of skintag.
The Statue of Liberty is in NJ by the way. NJ is a great state. We may have some high property taxes, but that's only because everyone wants to live here -- highest population density in the country. Besides, it sure as hell beats out about 40-45 other states in this country.
Anyway, the compost event took place in Cliffside Park in Bergen country which is about 50/50 Republican / Democrat. So in a time when people associate being green with the Democratic party, you're bound to get some hard core cons directing their insatiable hate toward some unfortunate blind guy just trying to do his part. He's an easy target. Cons are cowardly bullies. That's the way things work. I'll never understand it, but I have to accept it because it's a reality.
The Republicans have turned being green into a Democratic issue. So you're bound to get these hard core, foam-at-the-mouth cons(ervatives) that will oppose anything and everything that can possibly be associated with the Democratic party or liberalism or the progressive movement or whatever. It's disgusting behavior, but that's the state of things. These cons have a lot of hate and they will direct it anywhere they can.
If being green is progressive, then being anti-green is conservative. That's the way they look at it. To me, being green is independent of political ideology. It's a human issue, not a political issue. But when you live in a society that must get things done through politics, EVERYTHING becomes a political issue. That's probably the biggest roadblock that I can think of to the green movement.
If you plan to do ANYTHING that might not mesh the cookie cutter / assosiation image of things, don't live there. I would never move to that type of neighborhood, because too many people there are going to find something they don't like about you, and will have the ability to disturb your peace.
After moving to a better neighborhood, you should still respect your neighbors. Odors do offend people. Try to keep your compost area far away for where it might bother others. Offering your neighbor some tomatoes as a peace offering for an unactractive garden is always a good idea. You can also take steps to make it look nicer. Adding some marigolds around the perimeter will make it pretty, and keep rabbits out. Painting rain barrels to match your siding is easy and inexpensive. Don't give your neighbors too much grief for not being green. If you hassle them, they're going to be more likely to hassle you.
There is often just a lack of neighbor-smoothing skills that people should try to work on. After all, if your neighbor complains about your compost heap, you can probably make trouble for him parking more than one truck in his driveway,or ATVs on a trailer or adult kids parking overnight in the street. These things are often banned in suburbia but people do them anyway.
Let your neighbor know that you have a right to exhibit disapproval of their lifestyle too!