Sustainable Communities and Climate Change

Littoral et vie 2002Littoral et vie 2002

Did you know that…

..if the world’s population consumed water ..if the world’s population consumed water and energy resources, as well as food and and energy resources, as well as food and other products at the same rate as North other products at the same rate as North Americans do, we would need…4 or 5 Americans do, we would need…4 or 5 more Earths to support the entire more Earths to support the entire population.population.

A sustainable community…

……is one which offers quality of life to its is one which offers quality of life to its residents, a rich civic life and lives in residents, a rich civic life and lives in harmony with the environmentharmony with the environment

Sustainable and livable communities

Sustainable Sustainable communitiescommunities: will : will last and prosperlast and prosper

Livable or healthyLivable or healthy: : better quality of life better quality of life for humans and all for humans and all other beingsother beings

A community will be more sustainable if it is well thought out at different levels… Social:Social: people people

attached to each other, attached to each other, that support each other that support each other and participate in and participate in public decisionspublic decisions

Environmental:Environmental: healthy and stable healthy and stable ecosystems and ecosystems and resources available for resources available for the long termthe long term

A community will be more sustainable if it is well thought out at different levels… HealthHealth: basic needs of : basic needs of

people are met, low stress people are met, low stress level, high level of health, level, high level of health, access to a variety of access to a variety of experiences, resources and experiences, resources and contacts in the communitycontacts in the community

EconomicEconomic: varied : varied economic resources, economic resources, innovation in commercial innovation in commercial and industrial operations and industrial operations and self-sufficiencyand self-sufficiency

A community will be more sustainable if it is well thought out at different levels… CulturalCultural: the : the

architecture and architecture and events demonstrate events demonstrate a connection with a connection with the past and with the past and with the natural the natural surroundingssurroundings

Connections between sustainable communities and climate change

Plan a town or a village where everything is close together : services, workplace, houses…

Benefits : Less automobile Less automobile

circulation = less COcirculation = less CO22

People can meet Better People can meet Better social cohesion = better social cohesion = better capacity to work together capacity to work together in the event of extreme in the event of extreme situationssituations

Economic?Economic?

Citizens carpool or use public transportation

Better social Better social interconnectionsinterconnections

Less COLess CO22

Environmental?Environmental?

Healthy ecosystems and richness of the biodiversity

Better resistance to Better resistance to extreme events, freezing, extreme events, freezing, thawing, storms and thawing, storms and change in precipitationschange in precipitations

Economic?Economic?

Sustainable forestry: selective cutting, selection of species, replantation of indigenous species…

Fewer forest fires Fewer forest fires and defoliating and defoliating insectsinsects

Better carbon Better carbon sequestration sequestration

Cultural?Cultural?

Sustainable agriculture

Crop diversification and Crop diversification and rotation, irrigation, rotation, irrigation, increase of organic increase of organic material in the soil, material in the soil, avoiding fertilizer and avoiding fertilizer and chemical pesticides…chemical pesticides…

Better resistance to Better resistance to droughts droughts

Better carbon Better carbon sequestrationsequestration

Health?Health?

Steps to take to increase the health of citizens

Security in town, Security in town, incentives to do physical incentives to do physical activity, to eat better activity, to eat better (opening of healthy food (opening of healthy food restaurants…)restaurants…)

People will be more People will be more resistant to heat or cold resistant to heat or cold waves, invasion of waves, invasion of tropical virus…tropical virus…

Social?Social?

Diversified economy: not centered on a unique resource

If the resource If the resource disappears or is disappears or is reduced with climate reduced with climate change, the change, the community can still community can still survivesurvive

Social?Social?

Plant trees and indigenous plants (for example alongside roads)

People become aware People become aware of the natural elements of the natural elements in their community in their community and they identify and they identify themselves to these themselves to these elements (better elements (better protection)protection)

Climate change?Climate change?

Avoid urban sprawl Compact communities

Lower taxes because there Lower taxes because there is less infrastructure is less infrastructure (pipes, cables, roads)(pipes, cables, roads)

Better water and air Better water and air quality quality

Citizens are less isolatedCitizens are less isolated Less COLess CO22

Social?Social?

Citizens exchange or reuse objects or resources

Less methane Less methane produced by landfillsproduced by landfills

Social?Social? Economic?Economic? Climate change?Climate change?

Foresee slower circulation on roads with speed bumps, curves… in the town centre

Social?Social? Environmental?Environmental? Climate change?Climate change?

Plant vegetable gardens and fruit trees in town

Health?Health? Environmental?Environmental? Social?Social? Climate change?Climate change?

Rehabilitation of streams, forests…

Social?Social? Environmental?Environmental? Economic?Economic? Climate change?Climate change?

Do sustainable communities exist?

Yes, there are communities that have Yes, there are communities that have initiated actions to reduce their ecological initiated actions to reduce their ecological footprint on Earth - in the USA, Spain, footprint on Earth - in the USA, Spain, Canada, Scandinavian countries, etc.Canada, Scandinavian countries, etc.

Why improve the community ?

For :For : The economyThe economy Social cohesionSocial cohesion HealthHealth Cultural lifeCultural life The health of ecosystemsThe health of ecosystems Climate changeClimate change

It is up to each community to decide in which direction they want to take their development!

What strikes you as important about sustainable communities?