Friday, March 13, 2009

The Healthy People Community

You’ll have to excuse me for the title of this blog. I’m lacking creativity at the moment. So let me explain what I mean by a so called healthy people community. Often times you see people, especially in Victoria, exercising in groups or pairs, whether it be biking, running, walking, going to the gym, etc. These people all have one thing in common and that is that they are trying to improve or maintain their health.

These people not only share these activities, but also eating habits and general lifestyles tend to be quite similar. It almost seems to me that there really is a community of these people. They share the same respect for each other even if they do not know one another and always seem to understand each other. Engaging the community could also become easy through word of mouth from say one runner to the next. Not only could this so called community help with engagement, but they generally have adopted more environmentally friendly lifetstyles. These are usually the type of people you would find biking, running or even walking to work.

Engaging the Community Through Mass Media

A community is never easily defined. Would it be possible to consider fans of a particular show, magazine or radio station a community? Why not?! I recently picked up a fresh copy of the Monday Magazine and quickly realized how this Magazine is not only targeted at people such as myself, but also those who are into any style of music, theatre, film, art etc.

So if there are so many different types of people that are targeted through this one particular magazine then this type of media could easily be used for engaging the community. Another benefit of such engagement is that you would get a response from a good representation of the community as a whole. Another possibility is through television and radio advertisements. Since so much of people’s time is spent listening to the radio or watching tv in a given day why not use these resources as a method of engaging these people.

Is sustainability a revolution?

Can the sustainability movement be considered a revolution? Yes. An excerpt from the book The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait of a Paradigm Shift, describes three main points of the sustainability movement as genesis, critical mass and diffusion. Furthermore, it discusses the five characteristics of the sustainable revolution as: similar intentions and objectives, large and diverse, a range of issues, decentralized leadership and oppositional and alternative actions. This essay will discuss and defend the three main points.

In this article the beginning of the sustainability revolution is said to have occurred at a United Nations Conference that was held in 1972. The result of this conference was a report that outlined ways of protecting the earth’s ecosystems “while taking into consideration the economic and social justice concerns” (A. R. Edwards, 2005). Keeping this in mind, people all over the world are still defining ways of becoming more sustainable, which would suggest that the sustainability revolution may still be developing and not yet fully underway. Thus, the sustainability movement is still in the early stages of a revolution.

In 1992 the Earth Summit brought sustainability to the world’s attention. The world wide use of computers and the internet were also significant landmarks of the sustainability revolution. People of all origins were able to access information on sustainability. From this they were able to form groups and organizations where they brought forth their thoughts and ideas. Ideas are the bases of creation. Each day new sustainable ideas are brought forth which are leading us along the path of a very sustainable future.
Diffusion

Here the author notes that the sustainability movement began in the United States and some European countries, but states that “it has yet to become a pervasive mainstream phenomenon” (A. R. Edwards, 2005). The author speaks of developing countries and describes their efforts to use renewable energy resources such as extracting methane from animal waste. This may demonstrate that sustainable practices are becoming a global affair, however, in some cases it is noted that these practices only came about for economic reasons. This is a clear example that although society may be moving towards a more sustainable future, it may not be due to a passion for the environment. The key point here is that developing countries are also doing their part and recognizing ways of being more sustainable.

A revolution can begin with an overall change of thought and new ideas. Globally countries are becoming more aware of what sustainability means and what part they can play in becoming more sustainable. This may still only be the beginning, however, a revolution needs to start somewhere at sometime. Everywhere you go in the world you see more and more actions being taken in order to sustain our planet, environment, resources etc. The evidence not only exists within individuals actions, but also the actions of society and the world as a whole. For something to create change, in ideas and actions, on such a large scale it must certainly be defined as a revolution!

Please see the following bookfor the article that was used for the information included in this blog.
Edwards, A. R. (2005). The sustainability revolution: Portrait of a paradigm shift. Gabriola, B.C.: New Society Publishers.

The Disconnect from Place

Economism has such a profound effect on the university academy that it creates a physical and intellectual detachment from its place. A better understanding of this topic can arrive from a better understanding of place, what it is and what it involves. A definition of economism is provided as a means of describing its correlation to the detachment of the university academy from its place.

Place is a term that is not easily defined. In this context places are not only actual locations, but more so the “products of human decisions” (Gruenewald, 2003). This is held true in all situations, places exist for a reason and places left to the wild exist and remain that way for a reason as well. Places exist because economy influences individuals and society as a whole by creating the belief that certain things are needed or not needed. For example we believe that we need cars so therefore car manufacturing plants are built, car dealerships are built, etc.

In the text Plant U, economism is defined by Marcus Ford as the idea “that future wars could be avoided if the economic interests of individuals replaced the interests of particular nations. Economism would be the route to both peace and prosperity” (Ford, 2005). In university, learning is most commonly focused on interests on a national or international level as economics can play a part in all subjects in a distinguished manner. This creates detachment of place.

In the short film The Ancient Sea Gardens, archeologist Don Mitchell finds himself in the Broken Archipelago examining shorelines that are composed of large boulders. Being an archeologist he turns to his academic experience in hopes of some answers as to how these were formed. After rigorous searching he learns from locals that the shorelines are not only manmade, but an aboriginal way of harvesting clams. A lady interviewed in the movie speaks of the detachment of the university academy from the real world explaining that not all answers to life are taught in schools and a good understanding of the history and origins of places can sometimes teach more.
This here is an excellent example of how the university can physically and intellectually detach itself from its place.

Not all things in the wild are naturally occurring. Attention should be addressed to who originally occupied the land and how did it become what it is now. The place has become detached from its origins because in order to sustain the economy the needs of individuals need to be met, but the place that surrounds us is ignored. Medical students do not learn of naturally occurring remedies, but rather learn of mass produced pharmaceuticals as forms of remedies. If the university academy supports knowledge of the mass produced pharmaceuticals then they are supporting the economy by ensuring they are continuously used.

Community Based Social Marketing

Using Community Based Social Marketing to implement new environmental programs in a community can be very helpful. This technique is particularly helpful in bringing about change in a community’s behavior. Community Based Social Marketing includes key points such as identifying barriers and benefits to establishing limits on the use of pesticides, behavior change tools that can be used, piloting the plan in a part of the community and evaluation of its impacts.
To begin, identification of potential barriers and benefits of the program need to be outlined. This is achieved through research of the community of interest. Types of barriers include internal and external, which need to be addressed and resolved. Once barriers have been addressed then the benefits of such change can be defined and more easily appreciated by the community. These barriers and benefits can be outlined through surveying the community.
The next step in a CBSM is establishing a behavioral change within the community. This is what will ensure that the process is a success. Ensuring that the members of the community are committed to the cause can develop behavioral change. Sometimes the most effective way of developing this commitment is through personal contact and communication with the community. Having people walk door to door within the community and personally teaching people of the benefits of implementing the project could help to gain their commitment.
To ensure the project will be a success a pilot project needs to be implemented. Through doing this, new barriers may be outlined and eradicated. This also allows for the identification of new strategies that can help in the development and implementation of the new program. It also encourages more commitment from community members once they are able to see that their positive contributions can really make a difference.
Evaluation of the program’s success is one of the final steps. This includes the evaluation of the community’s commitment to the program. This can be done through observation of people’s activities and through surveys.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Urban Containment Boundaries

Urban containment boundaries are zones within a town or city that define where the urban areas end and the rural areas begin. These areas help city officials define zoning areas within a city. As these zoning lines are official they also help to prevent urban sprawl and protect the agricultural lands surrounding the urban centre. The Municipality of Saanich is one example of a community that has adopted this idea into their official plans.

This subject is highly interesting and can lead to let one wonder what other benefits it could pose on such a community. Many people are found moving away from urban areas into rural areas, especially in British Columbia. Urban areas are becoming too condensed and are too often spreading into rural areas, causing harm to the local food markets. Hopefully more communities will learn by the example of Saanich and others who have taken up this idea and implement urban containment boundaries into their plans.

More information on the Municipality of Saanich and Urban Containment Boundaries can be found at www.gov.saanich.bc.ca

Monday, February 9, 2009

Partners in Project Green

Those of us who are from Ontario are likely aware of the ever so large industrial zone that surrounds the city of Toronto. It’s certainly nothing to bat an eye at, but it exists because we are all human and want things. While the area may remain an eye sore, businesses within the industrial zone of the Pearson International Airport are beginning to change. Someone finally came up with an idea to not only keep their organization’s competitive edge, but give them are better sense of responsibility within the community.

“Partners in Project Green is a growing community of businesses working together to green their bottom line by creating an internationally-recognized 'eco-business zone' around Toronto Pearson” (GTAA Partners in Project Green). This project allows organizations to adopt more sustainable business practices. This means that businesses will become more aware of their impacts on the environment and what they can do to cut back on their negative effects. It also brings a new competitive edge to the business world as these industries are now able to boast about their green initiatives and how they set them apart from the rest.

Given that the industrial zone around the Pearson International Airport is quite large and includes many businesses and organizations, this could only prove to benefit those living outside of that community. Since the world of business is so competitive, this could inspire other businesses to do their part and show their community what they can do for them.

For more information on this organization and a list of their partners they have recruited visit their website at
www.partnersinprojectgreem.com . So far their partners include mostly local municipalities as well as other local businesses such as Molson who just signed on late 2008.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

This past Sunday I made a trip to the University of Victoria in hopes of getting some work done since my computer is down and not working. I arrived at the library and logged on to the internet to realize that the discussion forums I needed to work on had just about nothing posted on them, making that a waste of time. Since I also have a statistics final this Friday I only assumed it would be best if I got busy practicing it and making my cheat sheet that our teacher has so wonderfully allowed us. To add to my successful trip I soon realized I didn’t have what I needed to work on that either. After stewing around for a few minutes attempting to have any good purpose for being there I finally gave up and walked to the bus station.

Going to the bus station I saw something that made the trip all worthwhile. An idea for a blog topic. While waiting for the bus to arrive I was standing just outside of the UVic bookstore and saw that they have a sort of newspaper stand where they have numerous papers available to the students. Some different papers I noticed were the Cinecenta paper that listed upcoming shows to be played at the on campus theatre with a bit more general information regarding on campus film news and what have you. There was also a couple newspapers tailored to students in such programs as business and general newspapers for everyone. They also had a newspaper that gets produced from their radio station that operates on campus.

I knew that a university that size would obviously have a newspaper, but to have so many based on different topics was pretty impressive. A sure fire way to get the student community involved. Then I thought about Royal Roads and how we don’t even have a newspaper or letter of any kind. I also thought about the “promises” given by the candidates running for student council president. A common promise from all of them was a newsletter/newspaper or radio station to get students involved and to ensure that students had a way to keep up to date with what was happening on campus. As of yet I have seen no progress towards any of these ideas, nor have I seen the elected president drop by the Environmental program to talk to us and see if we had any concerns or ideas. Realizing we have elected class representatives to address such things, the president is still the president and was elected to “represent” the student body. This led me to think about the RRU student community.

It seems that each cohort this year has decided to stick to their own. I wonder what we could possibly learn from simply sticking to talking and hanging out with the people we see every day in our program. I also begin to wonder why there is such a disconnect between each program and I realized that it’s because we have nothing to relate to each other. If we had even one newsletter for the school, perhaps we would be able to get students from every cohort together working, getting to know each other and meeting new friends. The possibilities are endless as we have nothing, but to gain from each other’s knowledge.

Perhaps the next step would be to bring these topics up with our student council president. To find out what he has done so far to help out the student body in general. To find out what progress he’s made towards this newsletter or if that was simply a ploy to get the position.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Downtown Communities

I'm going to start off this blog by saying that I hope that this doesn't come off as just a bunch of my thoughts scrambled together.

I want to talk about downtown communities. Not any certain city in particular, but just simply downtown of any city. Perhaps I have just thought of this most recently as I'm living in a downtown "community" for the first time.

We have been speaking in my sustainability class about measuring how sustainable a community is. I find that downtown of any city is a strange place to consider a community and here is why. When you think of any downtown, think of the people you see there when you're walking through. You see people of all walks of life. You see people of all different races. Of all different ages. Of all different interests. Mostly I believe this is because downtown has a lot to offer to everyone from shops, restaurants, offices, shelters,churches, clubs, libraries and schools to name a few.

The downtown of any city is the perfect mix of everything the city or town has to offer. So how could you measure how sustainable a downtown community is when it has so much. Perhaps it needs to be measured in a smaller scale.

I think of where I live and I can hardly consider it a community for many reasons I won't bother to discuss. However I think of my building alone and start to wonder how my building couldn't be considered a community all on its own. How can anyone really define a community when there are so many communities of all kinds, everywhere. If I were to measure how sustainable my community (i.e. downtown) is compared to all of Victoria. I would be that you would see results that vary greatly. Especially given how cities measure their sustainability.

Unfortunately that's all I have for now and I'm hoping that I can shine a little more light on this and make some more sense of it!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Heritage Building Conservation

Most tourism sites for the City of Victoria, BC list the same things; good restaurants, nice hotels, fun activities and beautiful sites to see. When deciding if Victoria was really the right place for me there was something I noticed that immediately stole my heart. You might notice that these sites have a tendency to boast about Victoria’s abundance of heritage architecture. Rightly so. In my opinion.

Not long after moving here I noticed that Victoria, in fact, does have a lot of heritage architecture. Living in the downtown area I see lots of old architecture, but I have also seen something that’s not always common in other cities. In downtown Victoria there are two buildings in particular that have caught my attention. These buildings are old heritage buildings that are being rebuilt on the inside while the old exterior of the building is being maintained the way it is.

The preservation and construction of these buildings is funded by the Victoria Civic Heritage Trust which was established in 1989. This organization was established with a mission of promoting heritage preservation. They do this by sharing some of the cost of restoring the building through grant programs. There is another organization that funds the preservation of heritage houses through the same system. This organization is the Victoria Heritage Foundation.

Since land development has such detrimental effects on the environment this is possibly one of the best solutions, given that the buildings are available and suitable for the project in mind. In a sense it’s like these buildings are being recycled. Preserving them not only maintains their beauty, but saves yet another block of land from being developed on. Less building materials are needed as well which prevents the need for more consumption. This is one act of sustainability that I have noticed within my community. It is not often noticed, but these companies should be praised for their efforts to sustain what already exists.

For more information on the two organizations named above please see
www.heritagevictoria.org

Heritage Organizations. (n.d.). Victoria civic heritage trust and Victoria heritage foundation. Retrieved January 13, 2008 from
www.heritagevictoria.org