Optimism is a political act. Those who benefit from the status quo are perfectly happy for us to think nothing is going to get any better. In fact, these days, cynicism is obedience. Alex Steffen More Quotes by Alex Steffen More Quotes From Alex Steffen Deep walkability describes a city that is built in such a way that you can move from one area to another on foot, on bicycle, on transit and have an experience that remains a pleasant one, that you feel you are welcome not just in the neighborhood but moving between neighborhoods. Alex Steffen cities feet moving Urban retrofitting: creating different sorts of spaces and uses out of places that are already there. Alex Steffen creating motivation inspiration We get so little news about the developing world that we often forget that there are literally millions of people out there struggling to change things to be fairer, freer, more democratic, less corrupt. Alex Steffen news struggle people To be young and aware is to know you’re being lied to; to know that a bright green future is possible; to know that we can reimagine the world, rebuild our cities, redesign our lives, retool our factories, distribute innovation and creativity and all live in a world that is not only better than the alternative, but much better than the world we have now. Alex Steffen innovation creativity cities Clean air and water, a diversity of animal and plant species, soil and mineral resources, and predictable weather are annuities that will pay dividends for as long as the human race survives – and may even extend our stay on Earth. Alex Steffen race air animal Cities generate most of the global economy, and most of its energy use, resource demands and climate emissions. How we build cities over the next decades will largely determine whether we can deliver a bright green future. Alex Steffen climate energy cities I think there's a gigantic generation gap in terms of how people understand the Internet and how much they think technology is an important factor in social change. Alex Steffen technology people thinking You don't change the world by hiding in the woods, wearing a hair shirt, or buying indulgences in the form of 'Save the Earth' bumper stickers. You do it by articulating a vision for the future and pursuing it with all the ingenuity humanity can muster. Alex Steffen humanity hair inspirational It's not just enough to survive. We've got to make something better than what we've got. Alex Steffen something-better enough Carbon zero simply means that the emissions you are releasing either are zero or balance out to zero. Alex Steffen balance zero mean There is no such thing as garbage, just useful stuff in the wrong place. Alex Steffen garbage stuff By looking at climate change as a clean energy generation problem, we're setting ourselves up not to solve it. Alex Steffen climate generations energy We have to craft new political realities, not only in places like India, Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, but here at home as well. Another world is possible. Alex Steffen political home reality The denser places get, the lower the amount of energy people use to get around it. Alex Steffen energy use people Cities are responsible for the vast majority of the creation of the economy. They're also places into which we pour the vast majority of resources, the vast majority of energy and the places where a huge percentage of the decisions about how systems are built and how products designed, etc., happen. Alex Steffen energy decision cities For most people, using the Internet broadens their sense of who 'we' is and actually ends up leaving us in a place of greater compassion and understanding. It leaves us more connected to a larger group of people and more at one with a lot more people in our community. Alex Steffen community compassion people I think we're going to start to see a new model of civic advocacy where people get together once in a while to protest, but it's more about an ongoing, sustained engagement in issues, networks and communities about which people care. Alex Steffen issues people thinking If mass media, social isolation in the suburbs, alienating workplaces and long car commutes create a bunker mentality, the Internet does the opposite. Alex Steffen media opposites long There's no law of physics that says we have to be an unsustainable society - in fact, quite the opposite. The planet's ready to work with us if we're ready to think differently, but we do have to make that jump and start to do things in new ways. Alex Steffen law opposites thinking By fundamentally changing how we design the places and systems that enable our daily lives, we can slash emissions way beyond the immediate carbon savings - because our own personal emissions are just the tip of a vast iceberg of energy and resources consumed far from our view. Alex Steffen design energy views
