Green Policies Backfire Against the Coronavirus

I had my next post outlined in my head when I read this piece in today's Wall Street Journal by a couple of podcasters that says the same thing only better:

We really knew there was a crisis when San Francisco, which 13 years ago banned single-use plastic bags in grocery stores, would now prohibit reusable bags as part of its effort to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus.

Plastic-bag bans aren’t the only “green” policy that has been found wanting in the real world of a pandemic. For decades environmentalists have hectored us to get out of our cars and crowd into subways and buses. “From Amsterdam to Tempe, Arizona, more and more cities are finding that eliminating cars from their streets makes people happier and healthier,” Fast Company reported in January, noting with satisfaction that in one Helsinki neighborhood, “none of the new apartments come with parking.”

You can’t have a car-free community without high-density housing, so environmentalists have promoted apartment living and a war on suburban “sprawl.” But now those living in dense apartment buildings risk their lives by walking out the door into common spaces and shared surfaces, even before they reach the crowded, densely populated streets below. Suburban families, by contrast, are often able to maintain community connections even while socially distancing and are more likely to have additional room for their children to roam while out of school.

Environmentalists talk a lot about “externalities,” the unintended consequences of economic decisions. The pandemic is a reminder that policy decisions have externalities too.

Mr. McAleer and Ms. McElhinney host the podcast “The Ann & Phelim Scoop.”

The question is will we learn anything from the COVID-19 onslaught?  Let’s face it, this will not be the last pandemic.  We’ve had H1N1, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Russian Flu, Spanish Flu and the regular flu that mutates every year, so the vaccine manufacturers are half-guessing each year.   More than one person has said to me “Face it, we will look like Manhattan in 20 years.”  Well maybe, but maybe not.  Now is the time to tell Sen. Scott Weiner—the enemy of single-family zoning—and the YIMBYS to take a hike.

Comments

[Joe]

No problem. Next up is what level of exposure/infection constitutes herd immunity for this virus. Today's Chronicle piece says 40% or so, but the County health director's statement says 80-90%. Like everything else, we'll figure this out in due course.

Today's WSJ has an article that says the 49ers losing the Super Bowl and NOT having a giant parade in early February was really lucky for us. The UCSF team was setting up an isolation clinic during the game......

[Barking Dog]

Just as scary, is the release of inmates from our jails/prisons.
Was talking to my cousin in Texas tonight and his grandson is getting released solely because of Covid. Self admitted by my cousin; his grandson is a bad human being, with zero remorse and will 100% be back in jail soon. Probably for something worse than what he is in there now for. He knows in his heart, someone will get hurt with his release.

[hollyroller@gmail.com]

That is a very personal comment Joe.
Thank you.
I have read that @ 50% of inmates quartered at the San Francisco County Jail,(located @ Sneath Lane, San Bruno, CA.) will be released in the next two weeks. Where do they go?

Anyway, if you have never seen this Prison(surrounded by Million Dollar Homes) has been used in Movies, as well as Farming Skills.
Nevertheless, it is an Ominous Structure.
PS
This Prison is within 100 yards of Skyline College.
Check it out.

[Joe]

In answer to the "Are they going to cut the grass in our parks?" question, this just came in from the City:

The Parks Division maintains over 20 acres of grass. Since the first Shelter-in-Place Order went into effect on March 16, City staff has refrained from performing regular lawn maintenance. Grass has since grown to a length that will be harmful to the health of the turf if it isn’t mowed. If the grass grows any longer, staff will be forced to remove too much of the leaf surface, which would result in irreparable damage to the turf. Removing more than one third of the grass will prevent photosynthesis and can kill the grass. Ultimately, the City would have to spend more time and money to reseed and restore the grass to playing condition. Without mowing, the fields would need to remain closed to the public.

Furthermore, the mowers used by City staff are not equipped to handle turf that is excessively tall. Tall grass can damage the gears, pulleys, and belts of the City's mowing equipment, which in turn would require costly maintenance and downtime. Lastly, once the lawn exceeds four inches, the irrigation heads are blocked. As we enter the dry season, the irrigation system wouldn’t work as intended and the grass would die.