Creating Sustainable Communities: How Ecological Principles can Assist Community Planning

Presented by Geraline Blijleven and Leon de Vreede

April 22^nd, 2008 at the Lunenburg Library

Notes from Session (edited) - Thanks to Susan Bullis for typing up the notes from the flip chart

• Leon and Geraline introduced us the Natural Step framework- “the Funnel”, For more information on The Natural Step, see http://www.naturalstep.ca , click on ‘read more’ for basic principles.

A – Awareness – what does sustainability mean? The group came up with:

• Stagnation? Status Quo (X)
• Balance – stability
• Provide for generations to come
• Future use / production of resources
• Live within our “BUDGET”
• Generate the things we need now without compromising future
• Jobs / children / schools HERE
• Not just a “Buzz word”(X)
• Self – sufficient / have access to what communities need to be vital
• “Thriving” – not beyond means, but healthy
• Opposite of anthropocentric – respecting life forms

Natural Step definition:

 The Four System Conditions

In the sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing:

1. concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth's crust,
2. concentrations of substances produced by society,
3. degradation by physical means and, in that society...
4. people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.

B – Baseline- what do we have now? How sustainable is our community?

Positives

• Community strong
• Energy sources – wind / wood
• Food – tradition of gardening (local) but not perfect (markets)
• Cultural life – lots for older folks
• Children’s programming / services
• Transportation (in town can walk most places)
• Talk of transit service
• Two idle free zones in Mahone Bay (should be more)
• Coastal conservation
• New businesses moving in / young people coming back
• Technology – people can work from anywhere
• Lots of skilled people around here
• Farmers Markets
• Job opportunities
• Outdoor classroom / gardening – Rosemarie Bradley

Negatives

• Not enough jobs
• Housing – commodification
• Cultural life – not much for young people
• Transportation (car dependent outside of town)
• Fishery decline
• Water issues
• Loss of schools / industry / service

C – Compelling Visions

• Education
• Food security
• New employment
• Energy Security - solar / wind
• Alternative trade
• Protecting biodiversity
• Peace / Justice
• Cleaner water
• Fixing inequities
• Policy / regulation change
• Improving democracy
• Taxation – incentive for creating / avoiding change

D – Down to Action

• Basic subsistence
• Gather people – innovative ideas
• Work in existing structure
• Change ideas
• Spend dollars in ways that support sustainable future (local)
• Voice in government
• Political leadership / incentives
• Education
• Leadership from the people (us)
• Municipal elections – take part
• Feedback loops
• Acting in ways that we believe

Example of Using the Natural Step Framework:

Take an item from the ‘compelling vision’, eg wind energy, apply the four system conditions from the Natural Step definition.