How big a problem is the pollution caused by cities?
Cities use 70 percent of the world’s energy and related resources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions. They also consume more than 80 percent of the agricultural products and timber harvested in rural areas. But it’s the consumption oriented lifestyle of residents, not cities themselves, that leads to pollution. Interestingly, people who live in city centers tend to use fewer resources and generate less waste than their suburban neighbors. A resident of New York, for example, produces about a third the greenhouse gas emissions of a resident of a more spread-out city like Denver. Is discouraging the growth of cities an option? No. With more than half of their GDP coming from cities , the economic future of most developing countries will be determined by the productivity of these burgeoning urban populations. There is also an increasing recognition of the benefits of urbanization on poverty reduction. Moreover, cities can help provide a lifesty
