How can Canadians develop a sustainable economy and a sustainable way of life?

Question

Sustainability means to make a living and to live without compromising the future for our children and grandchildren. Can we find a way for Canadians to live sustainably?

Watch a video of Dr. Suzuki asking this question to the Yahoo! Canada Answers community: http://ca.video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid…

For more information about sustainability, and the Nature Challenge, visit the David Suzuki Foundation's web site at: www.davidsuzuki.org.

Yahoo! Answers Canada staff note: This is the real David Suzuki!

Additional Details

Read the Yahoo! Canada Answers blog for more information about our exclusive interview with Dr. Suzuki:

http://ca.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-OaJuSk…

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I look at the stuff that is being produced. Way too much junk. Using up resources and energy just to create the stuff that is not really needed. Everything has become a use once and throw the entire thing away and get another. This applies to computers. This applies to automobiles. Instead of fixing the broken part, the manufacturers want you to buy a whole car. That is horrendous waste. Same applies to a computer, washing machine, refrigerator.
Our needs are being created and oversupplied. I don't need a 56" TV. If I can't see a 19", I must be blind.

Cars are not built by the customers, they are designed and built by the manufacturers in their colors, their engines, their idea of fuel economy, etc.

And so it goes with everything else.

In moderation is the way it should go. And build products that can be totally recycled back into the manufacturing end.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

This answer was personally chosen by Dr. David Suzuki himself.

Thanks for your response. Planned obsolescence is a pet peeve of mine, too:

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/about_us/Dr_D…

Answer 2

canada is already doin good. unlike greedy americans, (like me) sadly

Answer 3

i think simply put, we must all be very thoughtful in any of our actions....imagine howmany better choices would be made about our present and future if we were all more thoughtful in our lives and the lives that we touch and the lives that will follow ours. thank you for this opportunity to have my small say.

Answer 4

Eating less red meat and supporting alternative forms of energy sources. The opening up of quarries and use of recycled wood for smaller, better insulated houses. Banning offshore oil development, uranium-mining, clearcuts and nuclear energy. Trying to stop slash-and-burn agriculture in parts of Africa, Indonesia and Brazil. Ethanol-based fuel.

Answer 5

Canada needs to stop selling our natural resources to our neighbors to the south at bargain basement prices. Greedy companies are harvesting all our resources to sell as quickly as they can to maximize profits in the short term.
Canada has more than enough resources to sustain our population for hundreds of years, and with the advancements made in the scientific community (ie hybrid vehicles and recycling initiatives) we could possibly go on forever.
The undeniable truth about putting harsher restrictions on our exports/imports is that we may experience a crash in our economy, but after the initial shock, we would rebound, and it would be a phenomenal boost.
Canada no more needs America than we need greasy fast food chains and gas guzzling SUV's.

Answer 6

I've tried for 2 years to find out why Alberta lakes are receeding dramatically. Water is disapearing nomatter what snow or rain fall we experience each year.
I've questioned local and provincial governments but have learned nothing that is believable.
I have now learned, from a newspaper artical, that the receeding lakes are due to the underground streams being diverted by oil companies.
Local Governments have a set protocal for oil companies to follow when laying oil pipes across the Province. However, the Provincial Government can override these protocals and do so regulary. Hence, the Oil companies don't drill under natural streams to lay the pipe lines; they go right through or over the stream and disrupt it's natural course which is to feed into local lakes! Picture this happening to every stream from Calgary to Fort McMurray and think about the natural consequence to our previously full and beautiful lakes.
Lakes we used to visit on week-ends with our families to fish and swim in clear water. Now the water is dangerous to enter and the fish are long gone. I could cry thinking about what has, and is still happening today and I can do nothing to stop it!
So, to answer the question. We can live well and take care of our environment too if only Governments would stand up to the oil companies and say: "we don't need your money to live happy lives in Canada. We need government to follow the rules and to stop selling out our natural land resourses because it is not pleasing the tax payers at all.
Do Governments receive a "payback" from the oil companies? I don't know but I sincerely hope not but if not; what is the problem?
Sorry to end my answere with a question.
cheers to all those seeking this answer.

I am a Canadian.

Answer 7

I think Canadians should make the environment an issue at voting time. Too many politicians promise lots and deliver little. Is it because when they get in power they come under the influence of big companies? Make them accountable. Start at home. Live a green oriented life. Recycle religiously. Shop where you can buy less packaging such as farmers markets. Also, this helps local farmers who then can make a living on their farms and not need to sell to developers. At the supermarket buy paper made from recycled products. And when you are in the market for a car, buy one made in Canada that is fuel efficient. Do we all need an SUV?

Answer 8

My thoughts? WATER! So many pour good water down the drain without thinking about it!! It concerns me, that so many menial issues are in the news and little of conservation!
Don't leave the tap running! Don't flush when there is just P! Don't pour chemicals down the drain!
Take care of our water people!! Our future generations will thank us for it!

Answer 9

I SO agree with everything you said on your video. Those are my thoughts exactly. It's time for a new and innovative way of thinking and living.

It's a matter of education firstly. We have so many immigrants to this country as of late, and especially in big cities. People who come from countries where communism and/or war reigns are just happy to be here, living in a free country where they can prosper. But unfortunately, many haven't come to realize the greatness of where they are, and they mistreat and disrespect this great land. My parents and others took great pride in helping build this country and I don't like to see how it's eroding.

Most immigrants these days lack the love and compassion for this country, which is now their home, and they disrespect thier surroundings. I see garbage and paint cans etc. dumped anywhere people think they can get away with it. People pour oil and gasoline down the street sewers.

THIS IS OUR DRINKING WATER PEOPLE!!!!

It's atrocious.

I say this about recent immigrants (not meaning disrespect as we are all immigrants to this country!) because I dont sense the respect for this great country Canada, which was there before but just seems to be eroding as the decades go by. People always took pride in building this nation, but society has become so narcisistic. There is more segregation and division and intolerance as years go by. You would think the opposite would be true by now.

We are like no other nation and hold great respect throughout the world and we have the capacity to be world leaders and set an example for others to live by. We have the most precious resources in the world right here--water, and we must not let other nations overtake us and take this away from us. Instead we must become loyal to this great land, and be innovative and leave behind a legacy our kids will be proud of us for.

People have to realize, as you said on your video, that once our resources are gone, they are GONE...they aren't going to magically re-appear from nowhere. Our population on this planet has pretty well reached its sustainable peak, and unless we alter our ways of living IMMENSELY, we're going to see anarchy and chaos on this planet within the next 100 years.

We must totally re-invent ourselves as a new society for a future that can sustain us for centuries to come.

Let's look at where we are at.

Childhood cancer is on the rise (believe me I know my child had cancer) and one in four children suffer with asthma (that are diagnosed that is) and with all the steroids, hormones, and antibiotics we are feeding cattle, pigs and chickens, it's affecting our immune systems and taking a terrible toll on our physical health.

An environmental group recently gathered a random sampling of blood samples from local politicians for media impact. All of them were found to have over 50 known toxins and carcinogenics in their blood.

Our produce, as well, is being tampered with in genetic ways to create bigger, better, drought or bug resistant varieties, and we have no idea what effects, if any, these will have on our health either.

And the biggy, toxic emissions into the air we breathe...that HAS to be our greatest priority. Our air is toxic and is slowly killing us.

Pollution has increased over 25 percent since the 90s in Canada. This is horribly unnacceptable. The USA is greatly responsible for much of this too (COAL!) and such dirty fuel must be replaced.

When I was a child a "bad air day" was when the pollution hit 15. 30 was considered dangerously high. We hit 61 the other day and nobody so much as blinked.

We all have to do our part if we want this planet, and us, to survive.

Firstly, I think many of us in urban areas are all capable of growing much of our own produce and we should try. We need to teach these basics to our children, in the schools, especially in the cities before it becomes a lost art.

I also think people need to LIVE where they WORK, and should.

Future communities should be built with walking and cycling in mind and businesses should be consulted and encouraged to open up near these communities, and clean, affordable public transit should commute workers to specific locations where businesses can all be grouped together specifically for local communities.

Municipal governments are cramming people into cities like sardines, forcing them to live outside the city where it's cheaper, and forcing them to cram highways and pollute the environment. All the while they are approving condos and townhouses in any piece of city land that comes up, overburdening sewer systems and water treatment plants and causing further pollutions to our lakes. Frankly once people have to live stacked on top of one another, it's time to consider relocating, not reaching for the heavens. That's my philosophy.

I say it's time to move away from all these trends of the past, move away from the cities and decongest; provide subsidies to those willing to do so and tax cuts to businesses willing to relocate. This current mentality we live in of worshipping the almight dollar and working for nothing but to pay bills, and stressing just to make a living to get by, while the rich get richer and the poor poorer, must change. We have to get back to a more level way of living and live in a more natural and healthy environment and re-learn the basics.

Education should be a right everyone is entitled to, even beyond the current grade 12. Certain professions which benefit society should be encouraged and funded that way we ensure we have enough doctors, nurses, teachers, dentists, professions that benefit society.

Our health system won't be able to handle the overload of sick people, and the majority of this burden can be placed directly onto environment and food consumption or "lifestyle" as its more commonly referred to, but lifestyle is greatly imposed upon us by our environment and way of life.

We only have our 5 Great Lakes in North America. We must do everything to protect this great wealth we possess. We only have two resources which we can't live without on this planet, air and fresh water. Life cannot be sustained without these.

It should be a crime, literally, not to do everything in our powers to protect these, and polluters should be shut down, not just given a slap on the hand.

I'm willing to give up my car! Are you?

I can vouch that my kids would happily ride their bikes to school, as would I enjoy riding mine around the city, if it was safe and feasible to do so.

With traffic being a hazard onto itself never mind pedestrians this is not possible.

Auto makers themselves must create vehicles that are clean and that get a lot more mileage out of the fuel sources they DO use. I saw a video on youtube regarding magnetic vehicles...that's the kind of thinking we need, new and innovative.

There is plenty that can be done. All we need is politicians and leaders with VISION and the desire to do so, and not just collect a hefty paycheck and be concerned with getting re-elected. Bu we all must do our part too. We can all make difference, one drop at a time, we can fill the bucket indeed.

Sadly, not enough people care enough to feel they can make a difference or enough to demand and support a leader with those incentives. This is where education comes into play, and where the media can help by doing something really powerful and potent with thier power. We need to educate our children who will soon inherit all these woes and education must change to incorporate all this.

We just seem to live as prisoners to the almighty dollar these days, but money isn't going to buy us what we need to survive.

Somehow, we have to be able to live so that our focus is truly on what is essential, but we're unable to do so, without losing the roof over our head and the shirt on our backs.

So how do we find a way out of this mess?

I think we must create new experimental communities, make it work there, and then pass on the blueprints.

People, corporations and others who partake in creating this healthy, energy efficient, environmentally friendly way of living and working, will be pioneers in creating a new and positive world for the future.

And I agree with everything you said "MyDogAtticus"...globalization is a farce, shop local and shop Canadian wherever possible! :~) Scary how much "Made In China" stuff we buy in this country. They own half of Canada as it is.

Someone else mentioned an excellent idea which I'm sure would be accepted by many - TELECOMMUTE.

Many jobs could be done from home. I for one work from home. Just THINK how much pollution could be spared if we shorted our work week and were able to work from home, even if it were to be 1 or 2 days a week.

Food for thought people.

Answer 10

Before I begin, please understand that this is my opinion as an observer of the world events taking place around me. I mean no disrespect to anyone involved in any specific industry which I have spoken about. I am only expressing my opinion in a legitimate and direct yet sensible manner. I am not an extremist; I am only a revolutionary speaking the truth.

The events of our time are the direct product of the systematic and mathematical laws that govern the universe. Everything happens for a reason in direct correlation with these laws, whether it be riding a bike to the store or the state of the current political economy. Understanding these laws and utilizing the gifts given to us by the 'creator' (or whatever you believe) is the fundamental factor in evolution; this involves the evolution of the human but also to the evolution of his society and its governing political system.

Unfortunately, Canadians have been blinded so much by american culture, influence, and propaganda that we are on the same crashing plane as the USA. Or better yet, maybe we should call it a sinking oil tanker. That would make much more sence metaphorically because that is the root problem of all the horsehoofs and poppycock going on. The bottom line is you have been lied to. So, in order for Canadians to develop a sustainable economic practice, they must first understand and realize that the current system is a lie, it is obsolete, and it inevitably must fall before the human civilization destroys itself and we start back at page one of the evolutionary cycle.

In order to understand economic sustainability and how we can develop more effective practices, we must first understand how the current system in place is ineffective. To be sustainable, you have to be economic. To be economic, you have to create a working system which can maintain adequate infrastructure systems while juggling the constant demand for everyday needs and of course 'consumer commodities'. The oil industry is no longer economic, simply because there is too much demand. Demand has risen so much for oil and petroleum based products that it is no wonder america has to start wars to protect their ongoing economic interests, which currently sound something like 'consume as much as possible, exploit the rest of the world, and worry about the effects later'. I believe it would take 3 planets of resource for everyone on earth to live in our lavish north american lifestyle, which we as North Americans so commonly take for granted anyway.

Now, when you talk about being sustainable, I believe there are several ways our oil based economy is failing us everyday. Sure, oil provides us with hundreds of useful consumer products. However, it has not been speculated for its environmental damage, meaning we do not know the actual effects of taking oil out of the ground. This is not yet fact, nor am I an expert in geology, but think of it this way. Crude oil is a natural lubricant. If you take that lubricant out of the ground, would you not be increasing friction on the tectonic plates? Furthermore, if CO2 emissions are depleting the ozone layer, and CO2 emissions are still rising, would that not mean that small asteroids or meteors will more easily penetrate the ozone layer and come into contact with the surface of the planet? That would mean our brilliant human race is already in danger of extinction. We'd better start exploring the space-time barrier real quick and time-travelling to other solar systems if we would even expect to survive as a race. But who cares anyway right? As long as a few billion dollars can be made by rich elitists until it inevitably ends it's okay?

That was just the oil industry. Lets talk about economic sustainability and the food industry. I'm not much for statistics, but i would guess close to 80% of North Americans are living with some sort of disease. The medical industry, or the 'doctor' might tell you that your disease is curable, incurable, or you may need to take some pharmaceutical drug to ease pain, swelling, or inflammation. Really, the food and medical industries are both lies, and if you ate a proper diet free of preservatives, heated oils, refined grains and sugars, pesticides, etc etc you sure wouldn't be going to see the doctor as much. Again, american influence has everything to do with this subject. There are certain biofeedback technologies found worldwide, specifically China, which can systematically eliminate pathogens, parasites, worms etc from the body. You obtain these pathogens from eating junk foods, simple carbs, and meats which are filled with toxins along with not washing your hands before you eat. Corporate america doesnt want you to know about it and they will do everything in their power to stop you from reaching a higher state of 'well being'. They just want you to drink cola, watch TV, and work your 9 to 5 job. That's all you are told you slave now get to work. Anything to make them dollars right? Therefore, in order for Canadians to develop a more sustainable economy, they must build a brick wall across the Canada-USA border and completely alienate themselves from corporate america (only joking). I hope you see where i am going with this though, because this really is no joke.

Death sure seems to be a thriving industry in the USA. And if you aren't dead, well, you are dying. Everywhere you look people are dying from colon cancer, aids, heart attacks, alzheimers disease, mesothelioma (from asbestos, which i believe to be another lie) and other lung related disorders etc etc. Don't worry though, there is a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry ready to 'ease' your pain. The only problem is that pharmaceutical drugs dont eliminate the root cause of the problem. As I stated earlier, most of these conditions are preventable given that you make the right choices in your lifestyle and diet. However, there is a sector of the economy which you have no control over, and that is the government. Whether you believe your vote counts or not, who had the final say in who was to be elected president in the last presidential election? Did you have a vote in the implementation of the patriot act, or sending troops to Iraq? Republican or Democrat, its all lies.

Enough said about how the system is ineffective. I could write pages upon pages about how inefficient our current system is. If we really want to become more economically sustainable, we are going to have to change the system altogether instead of trying to solve the problems that it has already created (poverty, starvation, crack cocaine, oil dependency, depleting ozone layer, slavery, world wars, diseases and eventually death, etc).
I believe that sustainability is achievable, but the current system will not allow it because of the money involved. Remember, it is all about money to corporate america. So what can we do to achieve economic sustainability? It would require an economic revolution.

Before we start discussing revolution, you first need to understand that you have been lied to and brainwashed. Nothing is as it seems these days, and every event in politics has an economic motive which is usually "get money". One of the biggest lies and controversial issues that has been going on in the last two hundred years is known as the WAR ON DRUGS. This war, mostly funded by american elitists, use media propaganda to the extremes to create a dilusional reality behind the truth of most drugs. This involves several industries, specifically the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the medical industry. The oil and textile industries are also involved. If you are american, you have probably been made to think that crack cocaine is an epedemic, marijuana gives you the munchies, and methamphetamines destroy families. While there are some truths behind these lies which you have been 'taught', there is an underlying side to all drugs which you have been blinded from. Let me discuss just a few common drugs and how they affect every part of american culture.

First, let's discuss Coca, Cocaine, and the Coca leaf. Coca has been around for thousands of years and was cultivated by several cultures for its stimulating effects on the body, not to mention its high nutritional value. However in our modern society of cutthroat capitalists and crack smoking swindlers, coca's reputation has been rather controversial. It's prohibition since it was made illegal has killed more people worldwide than the amount that die from cocaine overdose in the USA yearly. So, we took a great antioxidant and turned it into a purely destructive substance (cocaine hydrochloride) and then waste taxpayers money to control it. If there was no prohibition, it would not cost $80 to $100 dollars a gram street value. Now some would say that you would then have a country full of drug addicts. I do not believe this to be true. If you regulate but not eliminate prohibition while keeping the public educated on the subject, there wouldn't be a drug addict. Simply put, a drug addict is a mathematical product of the environment that they are subject to. They are a product of the system and its failure to address its problems. So why isn't the problem really being adressed? Either way, the economy is still being stimulated by drug profits. This is where baking soda comes into play. Cocaine can be made a freebase when heated with water and mixed with baking soda. The result is a smokable rock of cocaine and baking soda. This increases the dealers profits by at least 200%. The more a drug dealer makes, the more he is going to spend, therefore drug dealers are directly responsible for economic growth, not to mention the growth of whole seperate entities of the consumer market i.e. rap music, hip hop clothes, jewlery, etc etc etc. What is even more ironic is that rap music is the closest thing to revolution to date. As I stated before, I am a revolutionary. Tupac was a revolutionary. Several other rap artists are revolutionaries because they are at least standing up and speaking on the subject. On another note, it is stereotypical and wrong to say that a young black male living in the projects is more likely to use cocaine than a young white male raised in a wealthy family. They both come across it knowing it is illegal, possibly knowing that it is damaging to the human body but they do it anyway. So where is the line to be drawn now? People are going to do it, regardless of whether or not it is illegal. Draw the line where you want to, but just remember you have been disinformed and brainwashed on the full nature of this gift given to man from God, Ala, the creator, or whoever you believe in.

Lets talk about opium. This is another one of the worst abused drugs in american society. You have the heroin underground which like the cocaine underground and is mostly a negative influence (other than economic growth, if you call that positive). However, it is more recently being abused by healthcare and pharmaceutical industries as well. Opium is broken down into several different drugs; heroin, codeine, morhphine, and most recently oxycodone. You may have heard a few stories about how the medical industry used Oxycodone on patients for minor to major injuries and the user would become addicted. You will probably never hear anything in the news about it again because propaganda has made it that way. When we get down to the bottom line, Opium is extremely useful especially in medical applications, however it has been exploited by corporate america and is now just another legal street drug with a trade name.

Finally, let me discuss the one of the most controversial plants in the history of mankind. Cannabis sativa has been bashed by the corporate america for years. As more liberalization is starting to occur in some of the states, small amounts of people are becoming open-minded to marijuana and hemp. However, it is still prevalent that censorship and propaganda are being used at a federal level to disinform the public. Let's discuss why this is still taking place. First, cannabis sativa is an environmentally friendly plant that has the ability to clean up soils that were once filled with toxic or heavy metals. Its root systems dig deep into the ground making the land strong and fertile. Something like one acre of hemp 'ore' produces the equivalent to about 4 acres of tree 'ore' or the raw unrefined product. It also produces close to four times as much oxygen as one acre of fresh forest. Male cannabis sativa, also known as hemp, has an astonishing number of industrial and commercial uses. Fibers from the hemp stalk can be used to make almost every consumer product such as paper, furniture, fireproof and waterproof board, carpet, shoes, clothes, etc etc. Whole houses could be made from hemp stalk and hemp fiber. Hemp seed and hempseed oil can also be used in a variety of consumer applications, such as cosmetics, cleansing agents, lubricants, cooking oils, and as a pure miracle food. Hempseed contains large amounts of amino acids which are easily digested by the body. It contains large amounts of essential fatty acids and is packed full of energy. Hempseed oil can even be extracted, refined, and used as a biodiesel which creates far less carbon emissions than our typical gasoline. Henry Ford's first production model T was a diesel combusting engine which he used hempseed oil to power. Is it not ironic that Ford explained there would be a revolution if people understood the monetary system? This is exactly why no one really understands the monetary system, the federal reserve system, or the american government. This is why you are not taught these things in school, at least not here in Canada and the United States. Lets not even touch on the subject of female cannabis sativa and the great medicinal properties it holds, as well as the psychoactive effects on a person's conscious and subconscious mind. However, through personal experience I will say that marijuana has made me a more positive thinker, a more creative person, and is much healthier recreationally than a line of cocaine or even a beer or shot of whiskey. Is it that simple, that by using the scientific power of nature, that we could overcome not only the social problems facing our society but the inevitable ending of human existence altogether? If not, we had all better be researching that space-time barrier, because the government sure isnt going to tell you how to time travel.

So, whether you believe it or not, the events that take place in our time are the direct product of the physical laws that govern the universe. Much to our oblivious demise, we have been blinded from the real truths. World wars, the gulf war, 9/11, the war in Iraq, all lies. They are implementations of fear to create a society of elitists and slaves; exploitation of drugs and oil will keep the elite rich and the poor flat broke. Developing a sustainable economy takes interdependence on a worldwide level. Until people start to open their eyes and wake up to the realities facing not only Canada, but the whole planet, a revolution will never likely occur. Revolution takes understanding on everyone's part, and with revolution will come a sustainable, efficient, and credible economic system unburdened by government-elitist demoralization.

Answer 11

I think companies have to stop outsourcing so much just so they can make gazillions of dollars (the money won't be there when they die!). If we stop importing so much stuff that could conceivably be made here, we would have more employment, and the satisfaction of buying locally-made stuff. But consumers also have to be willing to buy slightly more expensive products to help the environment and to help local economies.

Answer 12

I have written this answer before and it always get deleted as being not an answer.

I believe that the first thing that has to be distinghished is what is so - and what is there so as to not be working on top of something - a blank canvass is best.

And, what i think is there, is that there is no community committment to what you are asking, people are just not committed to that

they are committed to sex, food, getting new Iphones and that is what our life on earth has devolved to.

The question "WHO ARE YOU"? needs to be asked more, and, until it is, the space is filled up with inauthenticity and no new thinking will happen that allows for your question to bring something great foreward.

Source(s):

probably I am influenced by the work and thinking of werner erhard

Answer 13

I would like to say Thank-You Mr. Suzuki for caring so much about our country and trying to make every Canadian aware of what they have and take for granted.
Each Canadian should be given a certain amount of resources to use each year, if they exceed it they pay greatly out of their pockets. We need to educate our children in their early years as this future is there's.
Canada is a great and wondrous Country which I am grateful to have been born in. I never take it for granted and always do my best to keep it the best country in the world to live in.

Answer 14

First of all, Canada should not be selling our resources to other countries, why not keep it in Canada? Newfoundland is the poorest province because of this. Secondly, make better uses of these resources..don't over do things. The lands are being dried up faster and next thing we'll have none to grow our crops on. Stop all these big commercial farms and allow every family to grow their own like years ago, that way we can have real food and not the gm kind. Same goes for the animals, let them be raised the natural way, not be pumped full drugs and not be fed their own kind. People will be healthier for it. And it's also time to cut down on the number of vehicles on the roads, too many of them out there.

Answer 15

Get back to the land. Forget the SUVs, the malls, MTV and all the rest of that crap. There was no internet when I was growing up (I'm 48); I relied on my imagination for entertainment when I was a child and I've had my writing published. It's a great tool, for sure, but our kids are all hooked on it now. We need to refocus on what we have here as a nation and stop selling out to the Ameicans.

Answer 16

It is very difficult with the rising taxes constantly and the rise in price of daycare and the lack of elderly residents which means you are the care giver and cannot go out to work and it is another mouth to feed not counting all the safty measures you have to install in your house...i.e. bath rails, higher toilet seat. It means cutting back on all expenditures and sticking to a strict budget. Also for grocery shopping only buy what is on the list. Don't be sucked in by all the goodies they put on display in the isles. A movie today with the treats for 2 adults and 2 children is a $50.00 night. Even if you leave the children at home you have to pay a babysitter. Thus again we have to stay home, rent a movie and make your own popcorn.

Source(s):

Experience been there done that as they say.

Answer 17

I feel so angry and frustrated.

As a poor single parent I try to do what ever I can. As a visual artist, I do what ever I can and am trying to do more.

I have come to believe we have to make at the changes as convenient and time efficient as possible. As cheep as possible also. That is what is boils down to for a significant number of people.

Another thing that would make a huge difference is leveling the playing field by legislating serious change with real consequences. If it takes me an hour to get to work because I catch the train and someone else...my competitor...half and hour because they drove their gas guzzler...and I have to pay my bills... it makes it a lot tougher choice to go green. People tend to choose the short term reality over the long term. I don't agree with this, but I see it happening all the time and I personally feel a huge amount of pressure on me to comply to the short term choices available to me because I am poor!

We underestimate our consumer power too! When boycotting it starts to work people tend to quit in stead of continuing safegaurding the outcome. There are people who bet on us giving up you know!. This time we can't quit!

There are heaps of us trying to buy green products but the suppliers don't keep up with demand. Where is the blockage? The advertizers? The marketing people? The government? The suppliers fears?I think all of it!!!!! It is holding us back. Some people give up too easily and move on to other products. We are more ready for this than we are given credit for though. What we lack is courage right now. The courgage to vote!

Please everyone vote Green Party! So what if it doesn't work out, we can get them out again. Lord knows we in Canada know how to get rid of goverments!! Except in Alberta of course, we are pathetic loosers with our heads in the sand right to the end arn't we?!

So what do we have to loose?Oil money? The east gets its oil from over seas now. Canada is one of the few countries that does not have oil reserves. Everything goes to the US by law if there is trouble. Thanks Mulrooney.

The argument about Alberta suffering will come true because our provincial government has refused to fully support renewable energy and a sustainable green economy. It is our own fault for letting the oil, gas and coal boys run things. They 'have' been running things don't delude yourselves. There are plenty of people here in Alberta who can go green but they are not getting the support from our government.

The Clagary expert on energy that was invited to speak in front of a government committee was told to leave by the Conservative Party chair when he didn't like what he was hearing. The 'rules' said he could stay and be heard. Everyone except the conservative members stayed to hear him! Oh! one conservative did stay, wonder why?

These people are and have been steadily over the years entrentching a non-renewable resource market economy. They have instilled 'false' fears in people. Even their way of answering questions or not answering questions is incredulously evasive!

The things that are being done right now are unbelievable and yet they have the 'speak' and the slick planning to cover their butts with bread crumbs.

They are using our military and the RCMPat so many levels. Emotional manipulation is their game boy!

Imagine the slap in the face the main parties would get if we all voted Green Party. The Greens are in the mid range politically! An alternative to the Liberals? Hmmm. We need to do this! A massive wakeup call!

Please vote Green party and lets be more gutsy people. We are acting like a bunch of sheep or chickens or something. We are most certainly being herded towards something as if we were animlals!!!!!!! I find this all pretty damn offensive and you should too!

Lets sore like eagles people! Not American eagles....golden eagles!!!!!!!!!!! Because green is golden and we are Canadians not Americans!

Peace! Re-green the world! Love you!

Jamie

Answer 18

There are numerous ways to accomplish our challange but adding much more significance to individual effort is a key element. People have to feel that their efforts to reduce greenhouse gases is every bit as important as government efforts. We all need to challange ourselves to reduce our fuel consumption in every area. Use of cars and air conditioners can easily be reduced by 25% by each family. Heating costs can be reduced by 25% just by wearing warmer clothes inside during the winter while turning the thermostat down 5-10 degrees less then we do now. If every individual would do their part we could more then surpass government efforts today as well as save ourselves huge amounts of cash.

Answer 19

I honestly think it should start with taxes.Canadians pay way too much taxes as it is.It will be smart to lower them in a way that will pay to be green and healthy.I was pleased to see that next year Canadians can claim up to $500 for fitness activities.May they should be able to claim amount for hybrid cars,per bucket recycling,no taxes on organic products,amount for extra activities that benefit children developments,allowance for green/healthy eating(organic can be expensive).At the end they will be healthier,smarter with more money/less stress and greener

Answer 20

I think it would require a total collapse of the oil economy, and that is both unlikely to happen soon and would be a disaster in its own right. Without the petroleum we do not have enough resources to maintain our present population. It is not just about fuel. Oil makes our fertilizer, our medicine, our roads our clothing, and on and on. There is not anything that can replace it and let us sustain our present population.
This is only about Canada, I would not like to think about the effects on the rest of the world which is even worse off than we are.

We could do much to make it better though. Getting rid of long distance commuting would be a step in the right direction. Grounding 80% of flying would be another. There is no need for the vast majority of plane flights. Returning to local consumption of local production. Yes. It might be that these things will be forced on us by increasing scarcity of oil resources. I do not hold out a lot of hope though.

Answer 21

Mandatory recycling of all waste, whether it be from household to industrial. Too much is still going to land fill. Manufacturers should be held accountable to produce packaging of goods using 100% recyclable materials. People are just too lazy to sort out their own garbage. I live in a test area which has been recycling kitchen waste for over five years now. I have cut my waste down by atleast half. I just wish my neighbours would do the same.

Answer 22

Hey, David
Canada is an amazing Country and I think we have done an excellent job sustaining our environment. We recyle ; reuse, we love our outdoors. I think we have made everyone aware especially kids in school and my children are always after me to use the 'green' box for garbage ..so I think Canadians are on top when it comes to the Environment, now lets talk about the issue of some Asian countries they do not know how to take care of the planet. Especially immigrants of Chinese heritage, the Chinese district has the most unclean supermarkets and garbage around... and as a matter of fact they do not know how to respect and Clean in Canada our standards are high so why not try to make an effort, especially in the large Cities.

Answer 23

Can we even develop a sustainable economy in Canada? Canadians will have to accept a lifestyle that is so radically different from what they have come to expect, that it is almost unthinkable.

How do we measure a sustainable lifestyle, and how do we measure a sustainable economy? What elements do we put in the balance to begin deciding what has to stay and what has to go? Who gets to decide?

Dr. Suzuki is bang on when he compares the roots of the words ecology and economy. How can one not be struck by the fact that we continue to do things backwards and at our own peril?

As a species, we are primarily parasites, and as our global population continues to grow, it is clear that our host, the planet, will no longer be able to sustain all of us. We are beginning to reach the end, because our environment is out of balance, there is no stasis. Global warming is just one symptom of a much deeper economic and social disease.

In Canada, we are extremely lucky. We are one of the few nations on earth that could truly have a sustainable economy. We are one of the few nations on earth where a person can still live from the land, and enjoy a reasonable standard of living. We have it all, and yet we choose not to use what the land has to offer.

I’m not sure what the official number is, but I think the number of Canadians who live in what are classified as urban centres is now somewhere around 80%. We are concentrated into tiny little areas where everything has to come from a store and we spend hours commuting back and forth in our cars. We have become a nation of consumers who produce very little of substance, but consume a great deal.

As Canadians we pay lip service to wanting to protect the environment, but we do very little about actually protecting it. Point in case is the oil sands development in NE Alberta. I would wager that very few Canadians are even aware of the wholesale destruction that is taking place in our own backyard. (Go to Google Earth and have a look.) And for what? So we can continue to prolong our north American obsession with fossil fuels and make a few bucks.

A few years ago, Dr. Suzuki, you canoed down the Athabasca River as part of an awareness campaign about destruction of the Boreal Forest. On your trip, you would have passed, and maybe even had a chance to look at, the mouth of the Firebag River. I hope you did, for one, because it is one of the crown jewels of western Canadian canoing, and secondly, because it probably won’t be there in 20 years. Why? Because CNRL, a resource company that proudly calls it’s oil extraction process the “Firebag Project” is likely going to drain every ounce of groundwater out of the Firebag basin in order to fuel it’s underground extraction process. That way we can have more oil and gas for our SUV’s that are less fuel efficient than vehicles 30 years ago.

Right now on this planet, we are moving towards a model of governance that will put control of our lives in the hands of large trans-global corporations. Our elected governments and the bureaucrats they employ, are cheerfully steaming towards the brink as they offload control of what crosses our borders, enters our food chain, and enters our minds to people whose only responsibility is to “shareholders” and their corporate bean counters. The GM’s, Exxon’s, LG’s, and other global corporations, while promising to improve our lives, will ultimately be the death of our planet. We are happy to go along for the ride.

The promise of globalism, (to improve living conditions by eliminating trade barriers and spreading the wealth) is nothing short of a big fat lie. The interest of global corporations is in themselves – they are independent colonies of parasites who stick to themselves. It will be the death of our planet, and like global warming, most people in their day to day lives don’t seem to care.

How do we change from being a parasites species, to becoming a species that is in symbioses to its environment? I don’t think we can in today’s political and economic climate. Even if we were moderately successful in North America, what about the rest of the planet?

When change does come, and it will, it will be cataclysmic. Then and only then, if we survive, will humans be forced to change.

A leopard cannot change it's spots.

Answer 24

continue on what we are doing and improve on it. i am a canadian living in london and have travelled through europe and canada is doing a way better job than ALL the countries i have been to.

Answer 25

It is vital for the earth health as well as humans to find a sustainable, greener, renewable way of life .

Each individual has the power to eliminate waste by buying in bulk rather than individually packaged items. Its the law of numbers 2x2 people have a less cause and effect than 4x4 people and so on. On a large scale it iwouldn't take away from those wanting to make an income but rather by putting pressure on industry to have the concerns of the earth and its people as a marketing tool and having them come up with alternatives to this growing concern would be encouraging to consumers wishing to buy such products.

Subsidizing individual and family farming would encourage us to have viable and affordable organic food that is available to all regardless of income. The availability of organic food where I live is quite limited and most of it comes from the States and is quite costly.

Converting to renewable energy sources rather than non-renewable energy sources which by the way is one of the greatest offenders of greenhouse gases.

In time converting cars to run on ethanol would be a great advantage, its biodegradable, doesn't omit greenhouse gases and the ashes can be composted into fertilizer for soil. Its a complete circle of life.

Converting from one source to another is sustainable. It is adding alternative businesses which can tap into a growing market of people who are concerned with this issue.

We can not completely get rid of the necessity of non-renewable energy sources but we need to stop abusing it and over-using it. Eventually we will be forced to make these changes anyway so why not start now.

The benefits far exceeds the costs. Quite possibly children will be able to breathe better and less may be inflicted with asthma. Diabetes, children with food allergies, etc.. is on the increase. Having an economical choice to offer our children organic non-chemical or hormone induced foods as well as encouraging children to walk or bike is an absolute must. Too many parents drive their children to school and yet it is such a short walking distance. This lazy way of thinking has to stop, we are all responsible for the condition we have placed the earth and ourselves in. The costs alone to human life and illnesses should be more than ample reason for making these changes.

Answer 26

People need to be educated; more people should visit your site.:)

Sadly, a lot of people just don't care about matters like this...especially in my area.

Some people throw their household garbage (including items that could be recycled) down by the riverbank where our waterbirds and other creatures live.

A neighbour of ours has two young boys and not only does she not recycle, she adopted one cat who she left outdoors...you guessed it....now there are six feral cats living behind our building and of course the neighbour is feeding them. I don't think people with that sort of a mentality can be educated, more's the pity.

Her kids are going to have to inherit the cesspool that will be their planet....hopefully I will have 'moved on' by the time those kids are my age.

Answer 27

There is no easy answer to this question. We all have to look at our own lives and see what choices we have made and the effect that they have on the environment. What are we willing to sacrifice to in our own lives to reduce this environmental impact. We have all been informed of the easy things we can do, i.e. turning lights off when not using them, don't leave the water running when brushing your teeth etc. etc. Our parents drilled this stuff into our heads as we were growing up, They are simple things we can do if we could just remember to do them. I am enjoying your commercials about changing light bulbs and getting rid of extra fridges. My kids are talking about them and this reinforces the messages we are trying to drill into their heads.
I agree with making purchase decisions based on the environmental impact they will have. However it is not economically feasible to replace all these items immediately, so we will have to continue to live with the bad choices we have made in the past until we can afford to make better choices. With that in mind, I feel that governments need to invest in research & development for technologies that are using renewable resources. Also they need to provide better incentives to consumers when they invest hard earned resources in goods and services. I feel that consumers really want to do the right thing, however, we also need all the information in order to make the correct informed decisions.

Answer 28

"Enough, for everyone, for ever." If we adopt that mentality, and stop assuming that without action, it's fact, we just might be around a little longer! It sounds crazy, but it won't be long before there are wars over things like water, clean air, and non-contaminated land. We have enough, for everyone. We just have to start sharing, and respecting that it's not 'forever' yet.

Answer 29

Canada and its people should not let our government sell us out to the US and Mexico with the creation of the North American Union.

If this clandestine agenda comes to fruition There will not be much left to sustain.

First we stay sovereign then we sustain.

Source(s):

http://canadianactionparty.ca/home.html

Answer 30

desire less, acquire less, require less.

paraphrasing Wynton Marsalis:
you have all these people (musicians) who each have an agenda, and wish to express something. They come together, and through mindful listening and negotiation, the group comes to harmonise the disparate expressions.

this is the heart of music. this is the heart of jazz. this is how we're meant to come together to fix all that we've neglected for so long.

--
and some other thoughts:
stop eating animal-based products
stop buying plastic
avoid everything to do with the automobile industry as much as possible
share what you have
be prepared to make room for 1 more

use manual technology over energy-dependent - why use a leaf blower when a rake works fine? too much work for one person? hire two. or three. have them share their rakes.

take care of yourself, your family, your intimates, friends, acquaintances, community, city and culture, and they, in turn, will take care of you.

Source(s):

theabysmal.wordpress.com

Answer 31

I'm 54 and i simply realized that having 2 cars in the family is a waste of money. I cycle to work now 11km. I'm amazed how everyone is so addicted to their cars. 90% of the cars have one driver. Canadians if they don't think they are addicted to the car, ,just look how much you are paying to sit in a traffic jam with your AC on!