The Greening of Youngstown

The Rust Belt has not traditionally been a region devoted to living green. Ironically, now that we are experiencing depopulation, we can reverse deforestation. Our rivers have been turned radioactive from cooling our steel, and now we can pursue biotechnologies that hold promise of their renewal. Demolished houses can be replaced with parks and trees. Abandoned roads are returned to nature, and less heat is trapped in our cities.

Last Saturday, eighteen volunteers from the Youngstown area joined with Campbell residents to clean up the historic Youngstown Sheet & Tube Workers' Housing. Built around 1918, this was the first pre-fabricated concrete real estate in the world. Since the Campbell Works shuttered thirty years ago this month, the houses have slowly been abandoned and grown over.

Sincere thanks to Paul, Alicia, Phil, Heather, Brooke, John, JR, Jessica, Julie, Rochelle, Deb, Maggie, Janis, Mike, Jaci, Boston and Ridley for your time, energy, physical strength and complete immunity to all kinds of revolting things encountered in dark staircases!

Recently, I shared news about GreenEnergyTV. Here's a video about collecting rainwater and the many effects it can have, including saving on your water bill and even conserving tax dollars. Tim Sokoloff and Iron Soup, Inc. are taking this approach to conservation in the Campbell Works' Housing.

Come to the Wick Park Pavilion on Saturday, September 15 at 9am for "Tree Planting for Everybody". This is a community reforestation project by Treez Please, a group I'm very excited about. Check out the sod furniture they'll be planting in pocket parks around the city.

Treez Please acquires empty lots in the city that we landscape with trees and other palntings to create pocket parks in previously marginal spaces. In addition, the organization works with homeowners to help them to select, plan, and care for street trees.

Trees Please seeks tax-deductible contributions of lien-free city land, maintenance equipment, and selected kinds of plant material. For more information, please contact debraweaver2000 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

I love their motto, too, "Let's grow Youngstown!" Indeed!