Destiny's Green Hornet's Nest
Syracuse New Times
Tom Kahley
July 25th, 2007
Dik Cool, founder of the Syracuse Cultural Workers, believes touting green, as in environmentally conscious, is the sexy, trendy thing to do. Still, many politicians and business leaders who talk a green streak don?t necessarily practice what they preach.
One of his examples is the Pyramid Companies, planners and designers of Destiny USA, who recently announced that the entire mall expansion will be built with biodiesel-fueled construction vehicles. At the June 19 press conference announcing Destiny?s exclusive use of biodiesel, Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll announced that this endeavor ?creates a path to a green and sustainable future for the city of Syracuse.?
?Greenwash,? said Cool, using a common term for labeling politicians when they window-dress an issue as being earth-friendly, even though it clearly isn?t. ?By its very definition, a huge mall, with its enormous volume of both cooled and warmed air, is not earth-friendly no matter how much biodiesel is used to build it,? stated Cool. ?The first thing you need to do to be green, is conserve. Expanding to become one of the biggest malls in the world is just about the farthest thing from being green possible.?
Cool acknowledged that the use of biodiesel is far more beneficial to the earth than fossil fuels and agreed that it helps the economy because it is manufactured domestically, but noted it?s in early development and not yet maximized for optimal performance. Biodiesel is fuel derived from biological sources (such as vegetable oils), and can be used in any standard diesel engine, no modifications necessary. It is free of sulfur and aromatics, eliminating the odor created by burning diesel. It is biodegradable, nontoxic and produces about 60 percent fewer carbon monoxide emissions than petroleum-based diesel.
Cool also noted that the biodiesel being used for this expansion is delivered from Tennessee, to the tune of 10,000 gallons a month for the next six to eight months, with trucks running on the standard petroleum-based Middle Eastern-imported diesel fuel, which he said ?defeats the whole purpose? of the project.
Since the mall expansion has finally become a reality, Destiny does deserve credit for opting to use biodiesel instead of petroleum-based diesel to go ?green? with what they?ve got. ?Destiny is taking a comprehensive and global approach to build in an environmentally friendly way,? said Destiny spokesman David Aitken. ?This is a research and demonstration project to promote and market new technologies so we can all live better lives.?
He added that Centro?s busiest routes provide direct access to Carousel Center and for the future, the Destiny planning team is a large proponent of a monorail to Destiny to provide a fun, safe and environmentally friendly way for people to travel to the mall from the airport as well as downtown Syracuse.
At the same press conference, County Executive Nicholas J. Pirro stated that ?beyond the substantial increase in job and economic activity created by the project itself, Destiny is fulfilling its promise to be a living laboratory for environmentally responsible technologies and processes.?
Cool instead believes the city should subsidize existing or start-up, locally owned neighborhood businesses to the same extent it is subsidizing the mall expansion. ?No matter how much biodiesel is used to build the mall, the hundreds of thousands of tourists they plan to attract to this ?expanded mall,? as well as the locals, still have to drive to the mall using oil-burning automobiles,? he said. ?If more neighborhood stores that were in walking distance for every member of the community were given the same enthusiasm and funds Destiny USA is getting, there would be less oil used and more money would stay in Syracuse, instead of going to the corporations that will inhabit the newly expanded super-mall.? The living laboratory Pirro talked about would instead be subsidized neighborhood businesses.
Howie Hawkins, perennial political candidate who runs on Syracuse?s Green Party platform, echoed Cool?s sentiments. ?I?ve got nothing against biodiesel, just the way it is used,? Hawkins said. ?If the mall actually goes forward, they should put up a public transport system right alongside of it. Biodiesel is only a small part of a sustainable future; looking beyond the completion of the mall at the grand scheme of things for the entire city of Syracuse should be more important than how the mall is constructed.?
They both agree that just because one portion of the project is considered green doesn?t make the whole project environmentally sound. Paving existing greenspace to create parking lots isn?t exactly earth-friendly. Also, after the expansion is completed, Syracuse will be booming with tourists who will likely drive long distances to get here.
That is, if they do actually come, about which Hawkins is doubtful. ?{Destiny godfather Bob} Congel and Driscoll are out of their minds. They just don?t get it,? he said. ?How many people do they actually think will come to this mall? They?re promoting Destiny like it will be bigger than Vegas, but there are a good number of stores vacant or on their way out in Carousel as we speak.?