Comments on: Freegans in the ‘Hood http://sustainableflatbush.org/2007/10/25/freegans-in-the-hood/ Promoting sustainable living in our Brooklyn neighborhood. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:52:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: anne http://sustainableflatbush.org/2007/10/25/freegans-in-the-hood/#comment-1277 anne Tue, 30 Oct 2007 05:43:19 +0000 http://sustainableflatbush.org/?p=170#comment-1277 Hi Randi, thanks for your comment! I too was introduced to fear-free biking in Europe, but it took me many years to brave the streets of NYC. I am constantly frustrated by the biking conditions here, yet somehow maintain the dream that they can and will improve. The new Department of Transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, bikes to work herself and has visited other cities in the world to learn from their best practices (a huge improvement over her predecessor from our perspective), so there is change in the air! I've heard great things about the 9th avenue path but haven't made it over there yet. As for the freegans, I'm happy to see them out on the bleeding edge of anti-consumerism. Their ranks may never swell into the millions, but if they manage to get me or you or your students to rethink our values and priorities and make more sustainable choices in life, that is doing a lot. Thanks again for reading! Hi Randi, thanks for your comment!

I too was introduced to fear-free biking in Europe, but it took me many years to brave the streets of NYC. I am constantly frustrated by the biking conditions here, yet somehow maintain the dream that they can and will improve. The new Department of Transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, bikes to work herself and has visited other cities in the world to learn from their best practices (a huge improvement over her predecessor from our perspective), so there is change in the air! I’ve heard great things about the 9th avenue path but haven’t made it over there yet.

As for the freegans, I’m happy to see them out on the bleeding edge of anti-consumerism. Their ranks may never swell into the millions, but if they manage to get me or you or your students to rethink our values and priorities and make more sustainable choices in life, that is doing a lot.

Thanks again for reading!

]]> By: Randi Cecchine http://sustainableflatbush.org/2007/10/25/freegans-in-the-hood/#comment-1254 Randi Cecchine Sat, 27 Oct 2007 15:12:53 +0000 http://sustainableflatbush.org/?p=170#comment-1254 Great Blog! Thanks for your comments to my comments on Rejin Ley's blog http://urbanbotany.blogspot.com/ I love "The Gleaners And I" and have showed it to many of my hyper-consumer students at the College of Staten Island. In their writing they often express the 'ew' factor- but ALWAYS express how the film makes them feel more appreciative and aware of what they have, that seems to arrive to them so easily. Journalists always look for the 'hook' in a story, so the 'ew' factor, or the lifestyle stuff will always lure them... this is why i love Agnes Varda and documentary film so much because over time we can meet characters in much richer, more complex ways than newspapers give us. I can't wait to ride my bike on Flatbush's bike paths in the next few years! I spent the summer in Amsterdam and learned the joy of fear-free biking. Coming back here and getting on my bike I realized the level of anxiety that pumps stress hormones through my body and negatively affects my health as I ride on potholed streets and on bike paths that cars like to park in. But things ARE getting better! 9th avenue's new bike path below 23rd street is amazing! Thanks again for all your great work, Randi Cecchine, http://www.randicecchine.com Great Blog!

Thanks for your comments to my comments on Rejin Ley’s blog http://urbanbotany.blogspot.com/

I love “The Gleaners And I” and have showed it to many of my hyper-consumer students at the College of Staten Island. In their writing they often express the ‘ew’ factor- but ALWAYS express how the film makes them feel more appreciative and aware of what they have, that seems to arrive to them so easily. Journalists always look for the ‘hook’ in a story, so the ‘ew’ factor, or the lifestyle stuff will always lure them… this is why i love Agnes Varda and documentary film so much because over time we can meet characters in much richer, more complex ways than newspapers give us.

I can’t wait to ride my bike on Flatbush’s bike paths in the next few years!

I spent the summer in Amsterdam and learned the joy of fear-free biking. Coming back here and getting on my bike I realized the level of anxiety that pumps stress hormones through my body and negatively affects my health as I ride on potholed streets and on bike paths that cars like to park in. But things ARE getting better! 9th avenue’s new bike path below 23rd street is amazing!

Thanks again for all your great work,

Randi Cecchine,
http://www.randicecchine.com

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