We all remember the pictures of massive pieces of steelwork being removed from the site of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks. Greenopolis highlights the fate of 24 tons of that material, recycled for use in the USS New York, the Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship. Rarely have I heard the process of recycling (admittedly, on a grand scale) described in such deeply felt terms.

“It was a spiritual moment for everybody there,” Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said. He remembered that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the “hair on my neck stood up. It had a big meaning to it for all of us. They knocked us down. They can’t keep us down. We’re going to be back,” said Chavers.