Sustainable urbanism analysis

Citizen Coffee, a sustainable approach of the business in Rouen

Analysis of the movie : The Corporation

I've just seen the movie, and according to me the movie is built around several different key point and themes that usually come back throughout the film. The first would be the lying attitude which always come back as a reminder in the movie, followed by the waste of products either during the production or the sales process, then the power abuse and totalitarism dimension that can be found in these companies and finally the alienation theme linked with the medical, anti-social and anti-human behaviour.

Afterwards, the movie is (from my point f view) very well separated in different parts or "chapters". Each one with a different and specific approach of a central subject explains a very interesting and somehow surprising (the implication of IBM in the Holocaust, or the creation of Fanta by The CoCa Cola Company in order to keep selling during the German-Nazi period) part of corporation's history.

The analysis of the previous points quoted before:

-The lying attitude : The movie emphasizes a lot on the fact that corporations are always lying either to their employees or to their customers from their own values to their product's composition. We can quote the exemple of this CEO talking of his company's values comparing it to an eagle with all this majesty and forward vision... and as soon as the scene is shot his first reaction is "Ok enough bullshit for today guys". The lying attitude regarding product may reach the most important point when the film maker talks about Monsanto and all what's in their product and the danger represented by the use of these chemical-domestics-facilities.

-The Wasting Behaviour : throughout the whole movie, images are showing a lot of waste that is presented as necessary in the general process. If the market wants to get a certain break event point to reach in term of prices and productions, companies have to adapt themselves and to throw away some still good products. This is strictly linked with the over production and over consumption behaviour showed along the movie which creates many troubles either on human development or on nature cycles (pollution for instance)

-The power abuse/ Totalitarism: the power abuse of companies is reminded all along the movie as the direction or when the film maker is talking lobbies and their influences on political decisions. The huge Capital they may afford gives companies a free access to a lot of things not related to their basics activities... including corruption. The comparaison is sometimes really strong imaged when some corporations are associated with the Nazi's regime.

-The medical dimension of the documentary: maybe the most interesting dimension in term of analysis in this context.  The film's maker compares customers as alienated people who are finally made to consume, buy more and invest themselves into the overconsumption process which is a kind of vicious circle shared between earning more money aiming to consume and invest more. 

On companies side: the film maker analyses the situation as if companies were schizophrenics oscillating between a good avenant behaviour and on the other hand as a machine only interested by profits, low production costs and product placements. Companies are often described as entities acting with a anti-social and senseless behaviour regarding human interactions. 

The medical theme is something which is also very present all along the movie from both sides (corporations & customers).

There are a load of other key points that may be analysed in this movie (important ones such as President Roosevelt attitude with companies fo example) but I thought it was more interesting to take only the main guidelines that are regularly present in the movie. I partially agree with all these statements because I think that this is an hydra with several heads and several way of thinking. We couldn't live without these corporations, and when we look further we may also have some good example of sustainable behaviours from these corporations. From my point of view the problem is : the bigger you are , the more power you get, the more you may abuse of the system AND the less authorities would do something. Authorities control most of the time small coporation to make example but these guys are maybe the most respectful of the whole process.

To me the best would be to control corporations in their sustainable efforts proofs. "You want to act sustainable ? ok great for you, great for me, great for everyone, I'll bear you, but prove me that you are not only selling words to newspaper"

As soon as some companies may invest themselves in the good part of a sustainable process, and would be considered for this, I think that could have a positive influence on other companies. The control of these action may be the possible solutions.
Furthermore some companies could change their attitudes by observing what's may be going on on the market (especially corporations that already had troubles linked with sustainability).

Cars conception: passing beyond normas and rules.

Segolène Royal, the french ecology's secretary is putting to the light the non respect of antipollution rules stated by the European commission. As the commission has validated the new way of testing cars regarding their greenhouse gases rejection, the french secretary is highlighting the fact that the random way of testing  is inefficient regarding the situation. Some constructor put their cars on sale while their rejections are overcoming from 5 to 10 times the authorized level of emissions.

The french secretary denounce the major influence of car's lobbies in this context and their possible implication on "easy going" tests. 

The goernment announced the creation of a special commission aiming to re-test constructor's car after EU studies as a confirmation assessment. Wolkswagen, BMW, Volvo but also Renault and french constructors are targeted by this cost full set up (500 000 euros).

The french secretary to ecology : Segolene Royal

Paris develloping free access scooters

Paris was famous for beiing one of the first city in the world proposing as a free access both cars (electric of course) and bikes as known as Autolib' and Velib'. The new project, which is about to be launched next summer, wiil be same system adapted with scooters. 20 years old at least is compulsory to have the access to this service as the legal capacity to drive a motorbike of this size (driver license, BSR etc....).

This system aims to reduce the number of privates scooters in Paris and like this to reduce a good part of the polluting systems. These scooters are going to be based on an electrical use of course in order to complete traffic facilitation and sustainable development.

In the beginning, the access will be available every day of the week from 7AM to 1 AM, period that may be extended to further hours or to a day/night availability. The system is going to be based on a free application, a scooter is going to be charged 2 € for every 15 minutes rental.

Ecological Compensation, the great debate

In France, a law on diversity is usually  in place aiming to regulate the destruction of natural spaces and reserves for animals.This project aims to replace by equivalence the green space loss resulting from infrastructure's construction (highway, factories, buildings...) Experts criticizes poor results of this program (the original law text was redacted in 1976) and its low effects on the real plan.

On the other hand, this critic from restoration experts sounds like a joke for industrials and big projects managers who are building  and investing these infrastructures. Their projects are usually retarded by this ecological compensation.
Moreover, project plans are usually submitted to these experts for an approbation which is necessary  to get before getting the work on.

Sustainability and mass construction are still on a relationship mainly led by struggle.

Sustainable energies and investors services

 France: one of the best student on its energetic transition

Within the move after the COP 21 summit in Paris, the french government put on a program with different laws in order to operate a "transition in the energy consumption and development".
Regarding futur infrastructures, investors are more and more turning their funds to sustainable ones. The government is providing financial helps and "discounts" for any company investing in this sector.

The Junker plan insures different risks linked with this risky development, regarding those related to the possible non-profitability installations.

In france, the government notices that this state of consciousness is nowadays more and more considerated by inhabitants and citizens themselves, beyond the public promotions around the subject.

New Dehli : oxygen emergency

 

A good example of the pollution level in New Delhi 

On the subject of merging the urbanization & sustainable development, we can observe a strong issue in developing countries. These economies are now (in majority) doing their industrial revolution. Unfortunately threats linked with this development are really painful and dangerous for the local population sustainability.

In New Delhi the pollution rate has reached a point 10 times higher the level usually authorized by the World Health Organization. Oxygen filters, masks and purificatory-systems, are now things that you can see everywhere in the Indian capital. Some measures have already been taken by the government  on the alternated traffic or to reduce major polluting activities around the city area.

But the problem is that Indian's don't respect those measures on a long term scale. Regarding the alternate traffic (and shared cars), it way work for one time, but everyone finally wants his own car. Another problem is the government inability to propose long term measures in order to face these big troubles that are appealed to become a medical crisis in future years.

Urbanization & Sustainability : a possible merge ?

"La coulée Verte" in Paris

We are now living in the 21st  century. The city's era, at a time where the unique characterized latin word still understandable is megalopolis, and where a "Hub" doesn't mean your cousin but a big airport. A mix between sustainability and urbanization seems to be really impossible when we think about details. Urbanization is synonym of concrete jungle, metro,  traffic jams and horrible affluence everywhere at any time, of natural genocide and reduced green spaces. It's true that building and developing a city may be the most unsustainable thing to do but a certain "joint venture" is still possible.

Building "green lungs" between skyscrapers was one of the main goal of the previous New York mayor Michael Bloomberg with his high line project which has been a success. In paris "la coulée verte" welcomes every week thousands of tourists or local inhabitant coming to enjoy a special way of visiting paris thru a green mile.

Finally, in Mexico, city with the reputation of a high level of pollution el "Bosque de Chapultepec" helps the city and its inhabitants to breath somehow. The adaptability of cities can be relatively easy when it's well thought and well established.

General view of the "Bosque de Chapultepec" a true lung in Mexico City

The world going more & more unsustainable

It's official.... The Oxfam institutes gave its final results for 2015 and its 2016's forecasts. By the end of the new year 1% of the world population will own more than 50% of the global wealth. The world's economy has now reached a point where we can't even explain if if the actual situation is a cause or a consequence of the globalization process. Riches getting richer and poor getting further and further in poverty.

 This is a kind of vicious circle where it is impossible to determine if developed are needy because of the production objectives (so they need low developed countries with low salaries to produce) or if developing countries need more because of their situation. The problem also includes the non sustainable development regarding pollution and the slow country development due to rules fixed by developed countries. Developing countries can't industrialize their economy and develop their project.

The situation seems to be inextricable.

Lyon: The Chemical Valley looking for a new Job.

 

The chemical Valley before its re-orientation: Pimary oil working companies

In the Lyon's Region, the chemical valley is a space which used to be dedicated to the work on chemical researches and experiences. Between 2012 and 2016 300 millions euros were invested in the whole period. The exploitation is now changing from petrochemical studies to sustainable development and environmental investments. The biomass concept is honoured in this case and many investments are dedicated to linked projects. 60 Ha of industrial fields are re-considered by the government.

Gaya: Entering a new Era

The French energizing company Engie, is now working on a new big project launching. This project is named Gaya and is working on the second generation of biomass's concept development. The basis investment is reaching the non negligible sum of 57 millions euros, the aim of the project is finally  to recycle industrial rejections by treating Methane on a gasification process.  The use of biotechnologies such as bio-methane, as domestics gases is more and more spread in Europe. Raphael Schoentgen, the program director is now seeking for a new use of these methods without engaging forest and agricultural actors