The space where art and environmentalism collide is a space where hearts become inspired. In the art project titled 1,000 Flyers, anyone can participate and add a contribution to the art piece, giving an opportunity for others to learn and become aware of an important environmental issue, while having a personal and meaningful interactive experience. 

“1,000 Flyers is an ongoing participatory eco-art project drawing attention to threats to bird populations worldwide. There are currently over 1,400 bird species at risk of extinction globally, and this project honours and memorializes them through the intentional folding of paper cranes for each of these species,” shared Jessica Marion Barr, the founder of this project, who notes that the number of species has increased by more than 100 since the project was started nine years ago.

“There are currently over 1,400 bird species at risk of extinction globally, and this project honours and memorializes them through the intentional folding of paper cranes for each of these species,”

“Participants are asked to select an at-risk bird species from a list provided by the artist and then, in the spirit of the Japanese tradition of senbazuru (the folding of 1,000 paper cranes to aid in the healing of someone who is ill), to fold an origami crane as a prayer for the healing and survival of this species,” Barr explained.

1,000 Flyers at the Urban Forests & Political Ecologies Conference, Hart House, Toronto (2013). Credit: Vincent Luk

“The title of the project is a play on words – ‘flyers’ refers to the birds as well as to the material from which we make the origami; instead of traditional origami paper, we use junk mail – the flyers that appear unbidden on our doorsteps, and whose existence speaks to the threats to bird and other living populations worldwide: consumerism, factory farming, deforestation, pollution, and on and on.”

1,000 Flyers at the Urban Forests & Political Ecologies Conference, Hart House, Toronto (2013). Credit: Vincent Luk

Not only is the message of the art environmentally conscious, but the material that it is made of contributes to the same message. Upcycled paper is a more sustainable option that also, as Barr explained, comments on the nature of consumer culture, tying in the awareness of the threats of the birds as an integrated part of the art itself.

“Participants label their creations with their chosen species’ name and then add them to the growing ‘flock’ of 1,000 Flyers. When the project is complete and all threatened species on the list (from the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, see www.iucnredlist.org/) have been commemorated, the piece will be displayed as a unified installation, hopefully outdoors in a tree, tying the project literally and metaphorically to existing bird habitat.”

1,000 Flyers installation at Lady Eaton College, Trent University, 2020. Credit: Alyssa Diatel

The most recent participatory installation of 1,000 Flyers occurred in March 2020 just prior to pandemic lockdowns, at Trent University’s Lady Eaton College, where the project was hosted as a part of the college’s annual Marjory Seeley Women in Leadership event. However, as an ongoing and interactive project, participants are always welcome to contribute and pay their own respects to this growing memorial for endangered birds. 

1,000 Flyers at the Urban Forests & Political Ecologies Conference, Hart House, Toronto (2013). Credit: Vincent Luk

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The United Nations SDGs // Source: UN

The SDGs, adopted in 2015, outline seventeen interconnected goals that acknowledge that efforts to end poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health, education, reduce inequality and tackle the challenges of climate change. Assessment of the first five years of SDGs implementation suggest that the world is off track to realize the set objectives by the 2030 target. Meanwhile, extreme weather events, wildfires and related environmental challenges, particularly, over the past few decades necessitate accelerated action if a planetary catastrophe is to be avoided. Given these ongoing and persistent challenges, the UN in September 2019 called on all sectors of society (global, national, local and individuals) to mobilize for a ‘Decade of Action’ on the SDGs. This call emphasizes the need for cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration in the implementation of the SDGs with a call for faster and more ambitious responses to stimulate environmental, social and economic transformation. Maintaining focus on the SDGs implies a holistic approach to development that focuses not only on the wellbeing of humans but also safeguards the planet upon which human lives depend. Actions to accelerate progress on the SDGs are even more urgent now because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which threatens to derail SDGs implementation.

Non-state actors, specifically community-based organizations promoting conservation, are relevant stakeholders with activities that contribute to the objectives of the SDGs. Organizations promoting sustainable development present an opportunity to pursue a path of green recovery from the negative impacts on the economy and the planet.

Community-based organizations reflect a change in focus from these top-down approaches to the bottom-up, where local goals tend to focus on regaining autonomy and control over natural resources and improving social and economic wellbeing. Community-based programs are generally based on the premise that local people have greater interest in the sustainable use of natural resource than outside actors, and thus can be more cognizant of the intricacies of local ecological processes and practices. While it is important not to essentialize or homogenize ideas of ‘community’ and ‘conservation’ without regard for local contexts, finding innovative solutions to complex environmental and development issues often requires outside expertise and training in collaboration with local knowledge. In this way, community-based organizations can help to ensure a holistic and cautioned approach to development. This approach is unique in that it often considers differing worldviews that may reflect alternative definitions of conservation and development, local systems of land tenure, and the gendered divisions of labour in economic activities, to ensure that rural communities really do benefit from these initiatives. Community-based approaches highlight the importance of local context and agency, and that there is no one size fits all approach to achieving SDG objectives.

Bamboo provides a prime example of a resource that has been increasingly promoted as contributing to sustainable futures, as it is sought-after in diverse industries of the growing global “green economy” as an alternative to timber due to its fast-growing and structurally durable properties. Bamboo is considered a resource that—when grown and harvested following sustainable management practices—can achieve positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Ecosystem services provided by bamboo include carbon storage and sequestration, soil and water regulation, and biodiversity conservation.

Bamboo forest // Source: Unsplash

In many bamboo habitat countries, the resource plays an important role in cultural heritage and provides socio-economic benefits through supplementary income for the rural poor. Due to these components, bamboo is promoted to contribute to at least seven of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including: no poverty (SDG 1); affordable and clean energy (SDG 7); sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); responsible consumption and production (SDG 12); climate action (SDG 13); life on land (SDG 15); and partnerships for the SDG goals (SDG 17).

Credit: Tamara L. Britton and Eunice A. Annan-Aggrey

Community-based bamboo development projects are taking place all over the world, ranging from bamboo charcoal projects as an economically viable alternative to wood charcoal in Madagascar; community-based bamboo nurseries in the Philippines; bamboo disaster relief building projects, construction and bamboo management training programs in Ecuador and Nicaragua; community-based bamboo processing factories in China; and community-based management of natural bamboo forests in Laos.

Due to small budgets, community-based projects like these often cannot compete with the wide scale promotion and ambitious claims made by larger-scale development initiatives. However, in practice, many community-based programs often have a greater long-term impact on community wellbeing and autonomy. Thus, there is a research gap to be addressed on the contribution of smaller-scale grassroots conservation movements and researchers from Global South countries regarding SDG objectives.  

Credit: Tamara L. Britton and Eunice A. Annan-Aggrey

In a post-pandemic world, if SDG targets are to be met amidst an increasingly uncertain economic future, it is crucial that conservation and development projects invest in building resilient communities through agroecological solutions and strengthening environmental stewardship to ensure that the rural poor are not completely dependent on external markets for their livelihoods.

The UN Decade of Action is a clarion call for an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to keep the wheels of development turning.

The SDGs include an ambitious target to combat climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities of the economic systems upon which development is hinged. Thus, the need for integrated development that encompasses socio-economic and environmental progress is relevant now more than ever. The UN Decade of Action is a clarion call for an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to keep the wheels of development turning. Community-based organizations are rising to the task. Indeed, integrated solutions and green alternatives chart a course that holds optimism for a greener, more inclusive future.

This article is part of our March 2021 Western Student Editorial Series – a series that showcases the works of students in the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability program. Read more articles from this series here!

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Human activities have thrusted our planet into a climate emergency. This calls for an urgent need for adaptation—adjusting our natural and human systems to minimize climate hazards, exploit climate opportunities, and mitigate—the conscious actions to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and to remove existing GHGs through improving carbon sinks. Climate change is real, and the consequences are vivid. From the melting polar caps of Alaska all the way to Kiribati’s dissipating beaches, climate change stymies our livelihoods and heightens vulnerability to environmental hazards. So, why is there even the existence of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)? According to their official website, “the IPCC was created to provide policymakers on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options,” (IPCC, 2020). Some of the solutions often floated around by this and other giant institutions include constructing greenhouses to support agricultural food systems in drylands, building reservoirs to collect excess runoff, and providing crop insurance to tackle crop failure. In their “infinite” wisdom, these bureaucrats placed a caveat that we should adopt these strategies in ways that support the national, regional, and local contexts. Interesting, huh? But with the lenses of reality on, how can Kiribati people, who have almost nothing, adapt to their rising sea levels and dissipating coastline, build reservoirs to tackle flooding, and provide farmland insurance for farmers whose farmlands turned into water bodies overnight?

Even though there is a lot of attention to tackle climate change, Nature-based Solutions (NBS)—using traditional and naturally producing resources to mitigate environmental hazards—have been side-lined for technocratic solutions, and sometimes retrogressive—climate wise—technological innovations. Moreover, much of these current approaches are usually bogged down in faulty rhetoric. For instance, everyone wants a better environment, at the same time, also wanting the comfort of owning a luxury and eco-unfriendly car.  Who takes the buses then? It cannot work that way; you must pick your poison! In retrospect, Greta Thunberg was precisely correct when she called economic growth ‘a fairytale.’ The questions that remain unanswered are: why are we so ever focused on the use of artificial methodologies in reverting the world to a more natural state? Would it not help to use a nature-based approach instead? For instance, in the illustration of Megan Leslie—President, and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada, the need for NBS could not be more apparent:

“If you think about the increasing floods we are seeing, for example, concrete culverts and breakwaters can only handle so much water. Silver maple can absorb 220 liters of water [an hour]! If we replace all this concrete with natural infrastructure, with green infrastructure, firstly, it can handle the floods. Secondly, it’s resilient… it bounces back.” –Megan Leslie

NBS have emerged as cost-effective mitigation and adaptation strategies that simultaneously provide socio-ecological and economic benefits while boosting resilience among people. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), NBS involves the intentional use of nature for sustainably managing ecosystems and tackling socio-environmental challenges. The nature-based solutions are rooted in the oxymoronic ideals of going back to move forward, looking into naturally occurring solutions that can be humanly instigated and controlled to increase resiliency and fight climate change. These suggestions are topical as they are relevant and include reimagining green housing, utilizing natural resources for construction and plant growth to fight climate change. NBS to climate change emphasizes harnessing the myriad potentiality of nature to reduce GHGs while also adapting to climate-related stresses such as human health, food and water insecurity. NBS to climate change is considered a win-win approach. We get to protect, restore, and sustain our ecosystem while efficiently addressing an existential threat. Further, NBS can be adopted in both rural and urban settings—an attribute which makes NBS more practical and comprehensive.

Rural areas

Although climate change is omnipresent, there are differences in the intensity of these impacts because of two factors: (1) your location in the world and (2), the level of disposable resources with wealth at its core. Sadly, folks in the Global South or the developing worlds, are particularly more affected by climate change due to their heavy dependence on natural resources from which they derive their livelihoods, and their limited availability to adapt to the changing environmental conditions. As dire as these conditions may be, they are also being exacerbated by prevailing adaptation strategies. For example, to stimulate agriculture, the current use of high-nitrogen-fertilizers over time makes the land progressively barren while leaching nitrous oxide into the drainage system and polluting vital drinking water sources for millions of people. With NBS, however, simple practices like mulching (yes, good old mulching), could prove essential for revitalizing smallholder farmlands through soil moisture conservation and sustainably improving soil fertility. Typically, mulching involves collecting and applying decomposing organic matter (e.g. sawdust, wood, grass, food scraps) over arable lands’ topsoil. The best part is that mulching materials are free and readily available. This process could solve the triple problem of utilizing food waste, soil infertility, and improving biodiversity.

A smallholder farming household practicing mulching // Source: Bryan Waters

Another NBS that could be employed in these areas is the utilization of bamboo grass. Bamboo (Subfamily: Bambusoideae) is a fast-growing, drought-resistant grass. It can be the best crop that can grow in some environments. This ancient grass serves many purposes. In fact, there is evidence of its utility in building construction, making furniture, serving as windbreaks, and where native, could even be planted around your luxurious million-dollar home as a living privacy screen (you know, against those shady neighbors). In other words, bamboo is the gift that keeps on giving and there is something in it for everyone. As climate change continues to wreak havoc globally, substituting bamboo in place of plastic in privacy screens or in place of destroying mature Mahogany trees from the rainforest (which take 25 years to grow) are great strides toward reductions in carbon footprint. The bamboo plant thus serves as a stylish, classy, and sustainable alternative. As we begin to care for and incorporate bamboo use in our daily lives, we will also be indirectly preserving biodiversity since it serves as the main diet and habitat for some of the world’s cutest animals.

Locals putting bamboo to use // Source: Panos Pictures/Felix Features

Urban areas

Urban centers or cities are characteristic of high-density infrastructure—roads, bridges, airports, residential and commercial buildings, etc. Many cities like New York and Toronto, struggle with creating and developing spaces for nature. But with a switch to NBS, vegetation can be used to cover the walls or roofs of buildings in urban centers. Green roofs and walls have numerous benefits to the ecosystem and human health. Some of these benefits include insulation provision (thus reducing energy consumption), absorbing rainwater (potential to reduce floods), minimizing the urban heat island effects, and serving as carbon sinks. Green roofs and walls make urban settings aesthetically pleasing as well, which could reduce the stress associated with these busy, noisy, and chaotic systems. Roofs absorb rainwater and can cool the tops of buildings, thereby creating milder microclimatic conditions. The concept of green roofs has taken shape in some cities including Toronto, which in 2009 was the first city to promulgate a bylaw that regulates and governs the construction of green roofs.

 Green walling in urban structures // Source: WikiCommons

Green roofing in urban settings // Source: Urbanscape

Overall, NBS provide sustainable toolkits for adapting and mitigating climate change; they are available and accessible to people in all socio-economic classes. NBS is part of existing ways of life and requires minimal special initiatives to implement. They are cheaper to implement, good for the environment, utilize indigenous knowledge, and are often community based. This also leads to empowerment, which makes implementation and sustainability more feasible. Combating climate change is imperative in every dimension—politically, economically, and morally, because it embodies our collective attempt at saving the lives and livelihoods of billions of people.

This article is part of our March 2021 Western Student Editorial Series – a series that showcases the works of students in the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability program. Read more articles from this series here!

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Alternatives Journal (A\J) has been independently publishing intelligent, informed, and inspiring environmental journalism since 1971. Back then, we were founded with the purpose of and commitment to helping environmental literacy grow in Canada, and now we’re in 2021 – our 50th year. What better time than now to launch a new website and spruce up our online editorial platform to continue fuelling our fire for publishing stories, inspiring action, and engaging with millions of Canadians, each and every day.

Looking back through our 50 years, we have had many incredible achievements and partnerships, a few big changes, and countless amazing contributions. As Canada’s only national environmental media charity, we’ve always welcomed change and innovation with open arms through the decades. Back in the late 80s, when the typesetting printing process was transitioning to desktop publishing, our few staff members at the time were dedicated to evolving A/J with the changing times. Similarly, when digital publishing and online platforms became available, A/J was first in line to jump on the bandwagon of change. Yet, throughout all our growth and advancements, our core mission has remained – to provide reliable insight on environmental topics, to inspire and empower positive action, and to create new bonds and partnerships in the environmental community and enhance existing ones.

We are so proud to be a living, breathing example of the continuing evolution of storytelling. As a leader in Canadian environmental journalism, we continue to be on the leading edge of digital strategies and we are committed to telling stories in the latest and greatest ways to reach as many people as we can. We continue to grow and evolve, build new relationships and foster old ones, and connect environmental conversations across Canada – all because we believe that environmental journalism and communication is needed at the centre of the environmental movement. We need environmental communication to bridge gaps, uplift voices, and empower people. 

In this day and age, our stories are becoming increasingly important to tell. We hope this new online editorial platform provides an enhancement of our storytelling capacities. As always, we will continue striving to present the stories and solutions because the solutions exist and we’re here to share them.

The post A Letter from the Chair appeared first on A\J.

Alternatives Journal (A\J) has been independently publishing intelligent, informed, and inspiring environmental journalism since 1971. Back then, we were founded with the purpose of and commitment to helping environmental literacy grow in Canada, and now we’re in 2021 – our 50th year. What better time than now to launch a new website and spruce up our online editorial platform to continue fuelling our fire for publishing stories, inspiring action, and engaging with millions of Canadians, each and every day.

Looking back through our 50 years, we have had many incredible achievements and partnerships, a few big changes, and countless amazing contributions. As Canada’s only national environmental media charity, we’ve always welcomed change and innovation with open arms through the decades. Back in the late 80s, when the typesetting printing process was transitioning to desktop publishing, our few staff members at the time were dedicated to evolving A/J with the changing times. Similarly, when digital publishing and online platforms became available, A/J was first in line to jump on the bandwagon of change. Yet, throughout all our growth and advancements, our core mission has remained – to provide reliable insight on environmental topics, to inspire and empower positive action, and to create new bonds and partnerships in the environmental community and enhance existing ones.

We are so proud to be a living, breathing example of the continuing evolution of storytelling. As a leader in Canadian environmental journalism, we continue to be on the leading edge of digital strategies and we are committed to telling stories in the latest and greatest ways to reach as many people as we can. We continue to grow and evolve, build new relationships and foster old ones, and connect environmental conversations across Canada – all because we believe that environmental journalism and communication is needed at the centre of the environmental movement. We need environmental communication to bridge gaps, uplift voices, and empower people. 

In this day and age, our stories are becoming increasingly important to tell. We hope this new online editorial platform provides an enhancement of our storytelling capacities. As always, we will continue striving to present the stories and solutions because the solutions exist and we’re here to share them.

The post A Letter from the Chair appeared first on A\J.

What is a Walkable City?

Paul Hawken’s book, Drawdown, defines walkable cities to include areas where there are safe pedestrian crossings, mass transit connectivity, walkways that are well lit, wide and tree lined, along with a density of homes, workplaces and other spaces. 

Walkable villages, communities, towns and cities have existed since the dawn of time. However, since the invention of the wheel and industrialization, modern urban planning and lifestyle has demanded that more people use some form of transportation to get from one point to another in their daily routines. The use of bicycles, private vehicles and public transit have become necessary to get to jobs, schools, groceries and run errands. Due to this, the distance between people and businesses continues to increase simultaneously with development.

However, decreasing the distance between where people live and where they need to get to on a daily basis without the need for cars and heavy dependence on public transit can greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, improve mental and physical health and increase human interaction. 

Proper planning and safety are of high importance when promoting a walkable city, as expressed by experts Kristen Agnello, representative from the Canadian Institute of Planners and Dr. Jill Grant, Professor Emeritus, School of Planning, Dalhousie University. Dr. Grant noted that if people are not confident that a physical space is safe and free from crime or violence and even the fear of disease that is being experienced with COVID-19, then people will not go out to walk. Agnello said that safety is impacted by the social and cultural legacy of a city and sometimes the reputation of a city impacts its walkability.

Factors that Promote Walkability

Agnello emphasized that knowing who you are designing for in a city is what makes the difference. If you design a city to encourage the movement of cars, then that’s what you’ll get -the same applies for walkability. To design for walkability Agnello said that walkability is not just encouraged through the implementation of wide sidewalks with curb cuts but also places that are safe and harassment-free. As well as, welcoming for everybody regardless of their socio-spatial factors including race, gender, age, ability and their income. Dr. Grant and Agnello also alluded to the physical elements that promote walkability which included wide, clear pathways (around 1.5 – 3m wide) without tripping elements that are optimal for people with disabilities (wheelchair and cane-safe) and strollers. It also gives space for people to pass each other comfortably.

Regarding other elements, Agnello stated that art incorporated into the architectural design such as on street walls and buildings, as well as, art installations on streets are important. Similarly, someone’s walk is made more interesting, comfortable and walkability is promoted when small pocket parks with seating near architecture exist and when spaces have a sense of enclosure, such as when tree canopies are incorporated into the surrounding space. Dr. Grant said that greenspaces, paths near water and other picturesque elements encourage walkability as well. She also mentioned that connectivity and predictability of pathways such as a route without dead-ends or one that brings someone back to their starting point can also encourage more walking.

Weather and the seasons also play a big factor in enticing the public to walk. Dr. Grant noted that an example includes heated sidewalks being installed in Scandinavia which promotes walkability in the winter. Shading from trees is also important, especially during the summer. Agnello brought up the point of the temporal aspect of a day where foot traffic varies and suggested that good lighting at night is important for providing a sense of safety.

While the focus is usually on people needing somewhere to walk to, emphasis should also be placed on where people need to walk from. Having housing closer to a destination like stores, jobs, school and places for recreation and other services similar to that of a compact community can promote walkability. Agnello pointed out that having a mix of commercial and residential land use is critical. She also said that while walking is vital, a city with mixed land uses and modes of vehicles such bicycles, transit and pedestrians is important since not everyone can walk for long periods of time. An inclusive environment is promoted with rest points where people can meet new individuals, converse or simply observe the surroundings. Having transit within 10 minute walk nodes is also convenient.

Promoting a walkable city comes with benefits which include physical and mental health, community cohesion and economic gain. Health benefits from exercise and walking can have positive impacts on cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. Mental health benefits would be on the rise especially for seniors who may be isolated and confined to their homes with little human interaction. Walking will help with community cohesion as it promotes more public interaction. Economically, walking makes it easier for you to make purchases from shops along your route compared to if you were driving.

The success of the city being walkable can be obtained when community engagement is considered in the process as the public will be able to make decision-makers aware of factors that are important in the planning process. Dr. Grant mentioned that people have always been interested in trails, bike-ways and other infrastructure for walking and hiking. Ensuring that greenspace and recreational activity are incorporated into walkable spaces will promote walking as a norm. More information on this can be found in the following article on greenways and greenbelts.

The Present, Past and Future of Walkable Cities 

Cities like Vancouver, Montreal and Banff have small pockets of walkable areas. Agnello said Banff particularly did a great job in the design and functionality of the streetscape making it simple for a small tourist town by having great signage, scramble intersections allowing for efficient crossing and having a mix of different conditions in the sidewalk. Dr. Grant mentioned that the size of the city also impacts walkability and its efficiency increases in areas with small –scale streets such as in Kingston and Halifax.

In the past, cities were set up differently from what we see today. During the time of urban planning and development’s guru, Jane Jacobs, in her book, ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities’ she wrote about sidewalks and its relationship with safety and for children’s play, parks, neighbourhoods, diversification and densification for lively cities. According to Dr. Grant, Jane Jacobs focused on making cities more mixed use and interactive. Agnello stated that Jacobs sheds light on the fact that cities have an impact on us but we need to understand that everyone has a right to exist and benefit from a space but in order to have an equitable walkable city this factor must be addressed. 

Car-dominant cities can transition into being more walkable cities if governments and municipalities find walkability measures, measure those parameters and monitor them over time. Agnello said that it is also important for the policies, designs and plans of cities to be scrutinized for exclusionary language (e.g. in terms of diversity and equity) and also for preferential treatment of vehicles (e.g. excessive parking requirements especially heritage buildings). She also stated that we need to be cognizant of the fact that policies in one area may affect the walkability of a community in another location since it was not necessarily tailored to that particular time or place.

In modern society Walk Scores are available for places (see table). The closer the walk score is to 100, the easier it is to walk to get errands done. In the “Walking the Walk” study by CEO’s for Cities, it was seen that a one point increase in a Walk Score can increase property value in a variety of housing markets by US$500 to US$3,000. Despite this price varying with location, this shows that having walkable cities not only benefit the physical health of residents and the nearby businesses they patronize, but also help the real estate market.

Walkability of a city promotes improvement in mental and physical health, as well as, stimulates the local economy. It can be observed that cities are seen as more walkable if the architecture and landscape are appealing. However walkability of a city works best when the planning, designing and implementation of infrastructure are considered from an inclusive lens. 

Want more stories like this? This article is featured in our next issue, Getting There: The Ecosystem of Human Movement. Check out the next issue for more!

References

Cortright, J. (2009, August). Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Home Values in U.S. Cities [PDF]. Impresa Inc.

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It’s 2019 and people are becoming more aware of the seriousness of the climate crisis and more importantly, the part we as nations, communities and humans play in addressing it. In recent years, a large number of communites in Canada have been developing sustainable energy plans. For instance, Oxford County, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia are committed to achieving 100% renewable energy sources by 2050. Vancouver is also aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% below 2007 levels. The cities of Guelph and Markham are going Net Zero Carbon by 2050. So, what about the community I live in, the Region of Waterloo?  

In 2013, local organizations and community members of the Waterloo region collaborated with the Sustainable Waterloo region, Reep Green solutions and the Region of Waterloo to develope the Climate Action Plan. This was done in order to join a nation-wide effort to reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada. Cities across Canada are decreasing their total GHG emissions to reach a community reduction target. The Region of Waterloo is aiming to reduce its GHG emissions by 6% from 2010 levels by 2020. 

According to Ken Seiling, a former (and the longest sitting) Chair for Waterloo Region, 6% was the chosen target because Climate Action Waterloo Region (ClimateActionWR) believes it is realistic and achievable. There are many important projects in the community that can help us reach this goal, which will mean reducing GHG emissions by 842,000 tonnes by 2020. To visualize this, just 1 tonne of GHG is equivalent to the area of an average two-storey three bedroom house.

Between 2010 and 2015 alone, ClimateActionWR has stated a 5.2% reduction in GHG emissions, which is equivalent to 235,935 tonnes of CO2 emissions or 58,000 cars removed from the roads.

I wanted to know more about where the target stands currently, what the region has been doing to reduce emissions and achieve its targets, and how all the organizations involved work together.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to sit down with Tova Davidson, the Executive Director for Sustainable Waterloo Region, and Samantha Tremmel, the Interim Plan Manager for ClimateActionWR.  

Tova Davidson

What does Sustainable Waterloo Region have to do with the ClimateActionWR? I wondered. “Climate Action Waterloo Region is a programme Sustainable Waterloo Region and Reep Green Solutions run together,” explains Ms. Davidson. It collaborates with local organizations, community members and municipalities to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. She also adds that “Part of their [Climate Action WR’s] job is to support and promote other organizations in the work they are doing to reduce emissions. They do this through conversation, policies and connections to the community.” The 6% reduction by 2020 is not Climate Action WR’s only target. They have a long term “80 by 50” target too, which simply means reaching an 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050. 

So, how has the city been working to achieve the 6% target? In Waterloo, the 2015 emissions breakdown shows that the transportation sector is the largest emitter of CO2 at 49%, followed by industrial, commercial, and institutional work places at 27%, our homes at 18%, agriculture at 5% and waste management at 1%. Ms. Davidson mentions that the transport sector is a major focus for the Waterloo Region because it carries the largest footprint. 

Uptown Waterloo. Image Credit: Explore Waterloo Region

Actions taken to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector include an initiative called the Community Access Bikeshare (CAB). CAB is a project designed to provide affordable public access to bicycles to get to meetings or run errands, as well as a way to encourage exercise. Kitchener-Waterloo currently has nine bikeshare locations. Similarly, another initiative is the community carshare, a way for households to own fewer vehicles and for the city to provide hybrid taxis that reduce fuel consumption, save money and lower GHG emissions. Lime, a transportation company who has placed electric scooters around the University of Waterloo campus and Waterloo Park, is also supported and promoted by ClimateActionWR. “It’s an interesting project and a decarbonization and pilot programme,” says Ms. Davidson. The ION light rail, which I greatly appreciate for its clean design and air conditioning this hot summer, is also a part of the initiative to reduce GHG emissions. The ION light rail only started its operation this June, but with the operation of fourteen electric, zero emission trains, some of the standard public buses have been taken off the roads. 

An initiative taken by the waste management industries include the green bins, as over 50% of household waste by weight is organic and can be used as compost. When not properly disposed of, organic waste creates a potent GHG called methane during decomposition. Between 2010 and 2014, over 11,000 tonnes of GHG has been reduced by Waterloo Region residents using the green bins.

Lastly, for our workplaces, one initiative that’s been taken up is implementing green building standards. The municipality provides initiatives for developers to voluntarily adopt more sustainable building standards or energy efficient designs. These incentives may be reduced development charges, permitting additional floor area, or an expedited review process for buildings that meet higher construction and performance standards. Other workplace initiatives include LED street light retrofits, which are expected to reduce GHG emissions by 920 tonnes per year.      

Other programs Sustainable Waterloo Region run include the ‘Regional Sustainability Initiative’. “It’s a target setting program for businesses, and we work with municipalities, schools, individual organizations and independent businesses to help them measure their carbon footprint. We set a target over a ten year period and we work to meet that target,” says Ms. Davidson. 

The evolv1 building located in the David Johnson Research and Technology Park, Waterloo, is Canada’s first zero carbon building, according to its developers The Cora Group. The building is also a part of the work Sustainable Waterloo Region is doing, and their office is in the evolv1 building. “Right now, we are working on not only scaling this building and getting other people to understand what happens in evolv1, but also on the culture of sustainability in terms of ‘how do we get people to see themselves as sustainability actors and behave in a way we need them to?’”

All the partner organizations of Sustainable Waterloo Region are always hiring for various paid and volunteer positions posted on their website and social media accounts

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, the book is far from a leisure read. And not having read Dale’s first book, I was unfamiliar with her personal history, which she weaves throughout the book. It took time to appreciate how deftly she integrates personal disclosures with the current hurdles facing environmental policy and cultural change across Canada.

Each paragraph is tightly packed with case studies, anecdotes and allusions, with Dale often leaving the reader to unpack each connection to build a fuller picture in their mind. As such, post-secondary students to “lifer Environmentalists,” as she calls them, would read Edging Forward in completely differently ways and find value all the same.

Depending on your familiarity with the subject, Edging Forward is either a primer or a pit-stop. There are so many layered ideas contained within its pages that, at times, its messaging comes off as rushed or hurried. Though I don’t agree with all Dale suggested in the book, I do appreciate that her hurried pace is purposeful. It’s the kind of book that appears meant to entice readers into taking action rather than bog them down in the details.  

Depending on your familiarity with the subject, Edging Forward is either a primer or a pit-stop.

Yet the details are at-hand in the supporting material, reams of them in the endnotes and a corresponding website, all of which are organized in a masterful way. In these resources, the eco-conscience Canadian can find information and tools to assist them in however they are advocating for sustainable change in their community.

I was excited to dive into Edging Forward with its promise of weaving the “power of stories” into imperatives to drive sustainable development across the country. But while I appreciate that each chapter began with allusion, not all tied together as effectively as intended. Dale bravely shares her own personal story in what it took to overcome her own life’s hurdles; here I believe Dale is showcasing how a single human can become an agent of change despite grappling with despair. That acknowledging and acting on one’s agency in their own life is the same exercise (perhaps on a different scale) as it is to move an entire community to act on behalf of the environment.

Despite this, can Edging Forward shift environmental discussions and practice in Canada or around the world? Perhaps not. The book did not read to me as though Dale was trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to sustainability in Canada; rather, given political climates at home and abroad that fail to grasp the magnitude of the global challenges we face as a species, I think she was simply trying to keep those wheels moving forward.

Which is noble enough in itself.

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In 2016, the magazine TakePart reported that 26 billion pounds (11,800,000 tonnes) of textile is tossed into US landfills each year. You might donate clothing in hopes that someone will re-love it, but according to the 2015 film The True Cost, only 10 percent of clothes that people donate get sold. One of the most important practices in closing the loop of the fashion industry is buying donated items, which is why innovative upcycling companies are bringing new life to second-hand fabric.

At the 2017 Hillside Festival, I interviewed the founders of two upcycling businesses, The Upcyclists and Fred&Bean, and they shared varied perspectives on upcycling values. Katie McLellan and Catherine Butchart, the co-founders of The Upcyclists, see upcycling as a uniquely artistic endeavor. Katie crafts wall collages, or as she calls them “wallages,” using the quirks of fabric to create specific effects, such as the fade in jeans becoming clouds that fade into a blue sky. Katie explains that she is moved by the worn and torn fabrics, which can share more stories than something that is brand new. Co-founder Catherine contributes by creating edgy patched clothing, bracelets out of old bike tires, chokers using the hems of pants, and adorable car fresheners out of leftover fabric from her upcycled mitten collection.

Kat Palmer, the founder of Fred&Bean, focuses on reworking her fabric with functional flair. She creates beach vests out of thrifted towels and swim underwear out of reworked swim fabric, the latter of which I can verify as incredibly comfortable since I picked up a pair to wear at the lake during the festival! She explains that clothing should be made to serve you and be of value to your life, not to merely make a sale. Fred&Bean also hosted a DIY booth at Hillside because Kat believes that if more individuals feel comfortable working with fabric, it will be easier to manage material waste. She insightfully explained, “In this life, there’s red tape around almost everything, but fabric is a bit of a free-for-all. There’s so much fabric that it becomes a problem to manage, but it has also become a resource without red tape around it. It’s a resource like water, air or soil.”

Whether fabric is recreated for aesthetic value or functional lovability, I discovered that there are so many ways to “spin straw into gold” as Katie described it. Whatever the purpose, the fabric these makers touch is given new life with a new home, much less shabby than a landfill.

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For one thing, it has ambitious goals to hit top benchmarks for net-positive commercial construction. The building, with about 115 square feet on three floors, is expected to generate more energy than it uses, treat wastewater onsite, harvest rainwater and naturally purify its indoor air. 

It’s not every day that a building plan seeks input from an associate professor in community psychology. But then again, this is not an everyday building.

For one thing, it has ambitious goals to hit top benchmarks for net-positive commercial construction. The building, with about 115 square feet on three floors, is expected to generate more energy than it uses, treat wastewater onsite, harvest rainwater and naturally purify its indoor air. 

When it opens in 2018, the Waterloo, Ontario, building will not only house multiple tenants with aligned values, but it will also include an innovation hub, with an incubator supporting green economy and clean-tech concepts for startups, corporate partners and academia.

But the building, with a working title of Centre for Sustainability Excellence, is also unusual for its intriguing collaborations. The project leader is Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR), which has a proven record in helping local organizations convert sustainability interest into action. 

SWR’s partners for the project include The Cora Group (developer), David Johnston Research + Technology Park at the University of Waterloo (the landowner) and EY Canada, which will be an anchor tenant. 

The planning process stretches beyond boardrooms. SWR believes many high-performance buildings don’t live up to their potential because the people-factor is not adequately considered in reaching performance targets through design and operation. So “citizens” connected to this building – everyone from the landlord to the tenants and even those just passing through – will play an important role. 

And that’s where Dr. Manuel Riemer comes in. Riemer, Associate Professor of Community Psychology and the Director of the Centre for Community Research, Learning and Action at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, has a leading role in this project, engaging the building’s “citizens” in the sustainability strategy from start to finish. Additional research, including focus groups and surveys with prospective tenants and people working in the surrounding area, will also target key concerns and help tailor strategies to fit within existing organizational and social structures. 

In other words, SWR not only envisions a building that will achieve ambitious performance targets, but also a behavioural model that supports a sense of belonging through authentic interactions between people of different backgrounds, skill sets and experience. 

Along the way, SWR will consider how pride of place, values alignment, individual action and measureable results contribute to an overall sense of belonging. When people’s values align, it brings them together as a community.

This, in turn, feeds into SWR’s belief that sustainability is more achievable when people – both individuals and organizations – care about the collective well-being of the building, its surroundings and its other citizens. By building trusting, mutually beneficial relationships, each party “owns” the project.  

Finding tenants who buy into the project’s collective values is an important part of the process. And early collaboration facilitates shared experience and seeds the cultural structure on which SWR’s goals are dependent. EY Canada is the perfect fit as an anchor tenant. Company officials have been working with SWR for years to reduce their environmental impact and have been heavily involved in planning the new building. 

The vision for an innovation hub takes shared values and purposes to a new level, creating a sustainability ecosystem where people can pursue environmental innovation and research either independently or as part of a larger organization. Plans call for a 20,000-square-foot incubator plus a collaborative space that includes various types of workspaces and a 3,500-square-foot event space.

The research going into the overall plans for the building won’t stop once tenants move in and the innovation hub is active. As well as developing recommendations for building management, SWR will work with Riemer to explore how lasting sustainability habits are built.

The World Green Building Council reports that employees who work in buildings that prioritize both physical and psychological well-being are more productive. The same report states that sustainability happens at the “sweet spot” of good design, good technology and good behaviour. For the SWR project, the “good behavior” will come from engaged citizens who contribute to a positive, connected community. 

“Individual well-being is not really just about individuals,” Riemer explains. “It requires group well-being, and to understand what that is, we must also consider the context of the situation. For [this building] to be sustainable, we need to find a way to achieve individual and group well-being.”

As Tova Davidson, Executive Director at Sustainable Waterloo Region, says: “Change starts with people. When people realize that they have the power to change the world, amazing things can happen, and we want the people in this building to feel that empowerment.” 

As for the building itself, plans include a solar wall covering most of the south face of the building; a three-storey green wall and performance displays prominent in the atrium; solar panels covering the entire roof and a significant portion of the parking lot; permeable paving for hard surfaces; and green roofs.

To demonstrate its environmental impact, metrics will be tracked and shared publicly. With every action made, citizens contribute to the sustainability of the building, and measureable results will allow them to take ownership for their actions. 

The building’s location in the David Johnston Research + Technology Park, part of the University of Waterloo’s North Campus, is also significant. This park, which has nine buildings housing more than 75 companies, has already created a community of belonging, which will be used as a strong foundation for the SWR project. 

The park joined SWR’s Regional Carbon Initiative program in 2014 with a 40-per-cent greenhous gas reduction target across multiple buildings and multiple tenants. This commitment was set thanks to a cross-company green team, something that had never been done in the Regional Carbon Initiative. This is the same type of inter-organizational collaboration that the new building is striving to produce.

Carol Stewart, Business Development Manager of the R+T Park, says she is pleased that the building will be part of the R+T Park. “It strongly aligns with our environmental and cultural values and will be a great addition to the community we have created here.” 

Sustainability is more attainable when people feel like they belong to a larger community. To make a real change, people have to alter their behaviour and habits, and there has to be innovation in the environmental sector.

Creating a strong sense of belonging in an environmentally forward community may start with SWR’s plans for this new building, but it doesn’t end there. It doesn’t end with Waterloo Region or Canada. It ends when everyone realizes that their actions are part of something much bigger, and that individuals play an important role in creating a shift in our society and for a more sustainable world.

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