Making the Case for Environmental Sustainability
by David Martineau

Living sustainably within our environmental means will shape how we develop, work, play and survive on the landscapes of the future.

On June 29, 2006, the 6,525,082,885th person was born. Just seven years ago, October 1999, world population was an even 6 billion. Despite some signs of slowing, the net population of the planet still increases by over 74 million people each year. That's 2.38 people every second. The United Nations predicts world population will reach between 8.9 and 9.3 billion by 2050.

In terms of numbers, the Earth appears capable of supporting our growing population. For the short term, technological improvements and efficiency in the way humans move and communicate have bought us time. Population growth becomes far less sustainable when combined with other factors, such as global economic expansion. Economies are rapidly expanding in developing countries all over the world. In the U.S., there is one car for every 1.4 people -- 27,000 cars roll off production lines every day. The City of Spokane burns 325,000 gallons of gasoline every day. Despite conservation measures, fuel economy and efficiency standards, all major non-renewable resources (natural gas, coal, and oil) saw large increases in total consumption from 1970 to 2000.

It is clear from the preponderance of scientific evidence that our planet can no longer sustain the human enterprise at current levels. Excessive population growth combined with an increasingly global economic system based upon the expansion model for its survival is not sustainable on a finite planet. Together, these two factors have taken their toll on biodiversity, climate patterns, renewable and non-renewable resources, clean air and watersheds, agricultural lands, and arguably the quality of life for many people around the world. A quarter of the world's species will be extinct by 2050, according to a study published this spring in the journal Conservation Biology. The extinction is blamed largely on human-induced climate change.

Scientists claim the Earth is getting hotter, the oceans are more acidic, storms are more dangerous, and forests continue to be cleared at an unsustainable rate. We continue to subsidize environmentally harmful industries and activities. We reward people for having more children through pro-natal tax policies. Russia's Vladimir Putin recently proposed to pay couples to produce more children to offset that country's declining population, a decline in part due to aging, but largely due to premature deaths owing to unhealthy lifestyles and alcohol abuse. As the size of our houses, vehicles, and bellies get bigger, so does our deep denial in acknowledging the profound ramifications of our unsustainable lifestyle. Wackernagel and Rees, using the Ecological Footprint concept, argue that if global standards of living were raised to U.S. consumption levels, we would need two additional Earths to meet our needs.

The challenge for environmental sustainability may be daunting, but it will be necessary for us to come to terms with. One of the first things we can do as a society is to develop more awareness about the effects of our activities on the world around us. Scientists talk about the need for a paradigm shift towards a whole new way of living. That's easier said than done, but it will be essential. In coming months, The North Columbia Monthly will continue its series on sustainability. Some articles will focus on broad concepts, while others will offer small steps for individuals to consider that can help make the transition toward a more just and sustainable society.

Suggestions for Further Reading

Here are some excellent sources for further study in environmental sustainability.

Respected Yale School of Forestry Professor James Gustave Speth wrote Red Sky at Morning in 2004. He discusses the underlying causes of global environmental deterioration, proposes solutions and seeks to explain why national governments have so far been ineffective in protecting the Earth's environment.

Jared Diamond's important 2005 book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed examines the historical circumstances leading to the collapse of past civilizations. He contends we are not helpless to change and, in fact, there are many things we can do increase our chances of survival.

An interesting and fun book to read, Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees, 1996, helps regular people like you and me understand the concept of our individual ecological impact on the planet. They also host a website that allows you to answer a set of questions to measure your own "ecological footprint."

Finally, the Worldwatch Institute publishes the annual State of the World, which contains research articles from experts across many fields of disciplines. It's described as a yearbook of the planet's vital signs. The 2006 edition is now available through their website http://www.worldwatch.org/.

David Martineau studied sustainability and environmental planning in the Urban and Regional Planning program at Eastern Washington University.

Self-Propelled Between Kettle Falls and Colville
by Steve Schott (November 2005)

The first phase of the Regional Non-Motorized Transportation Project (RNMTP) is now underway. Specific planning has begun for a safe, convenient and scenic trail for pedestrians, bicycles, skates, skis, and snowshoes between Kettle Falls and Colville. This work is a culmination of three years of preparation and organization to address the woeful lack of appropriate opportunities for non-motorized travel and recreation in our areas.

Jackie Blankenship is in charge of the project. She is a VISTA volunteer and is sponsored by the Tri-County Economic Development District. Blankenship grew up in this area and understands the need for and value of a proper system of non-motorized trails, "I'm thrilled to be part of a project that will have a lasting effect on my community. Once the trail is complete, residents will finally have a place to walk, bike and skate without having to look over their shoulders for motorized traffic."

The pathway between Kettle Falls and Colville is the first segment in a system of trails that many would like to see connecting the communities of Stevens County and extend north to the Canadian border, south to Spokane County, and east to west from Sherman Pass to the Pend Oreille River. These trails will provide convenient routes for commuters and bicycle travelers, and safe and pleasant places for folks to take a walk, ride a bike, or cross-country ski in the winter. The project will provide transportation equity and encourage people to travel under their own power. Young people and others who do not drive, and anyone choosing not to drive, will at last have proper routes to use.

Blankenship has already begun gathering support and partners for this community effort, "I will be heading-up the volunteer Task Force dedicated to advancing the goals of the RNMTP. I will also be responsible for building partnerships with key companies and organizations, as well as identifying potential funding sources." There are many questions to answer and logistical problems to solve, and Blankenship is well into finding the solutions, "The Task Force has been working toward creating a vision for the trail. The group has been looking at maps, assessing the possible routes that the trail could take, identifying potential users, and discussing the type of surface that the trail will have. The group has also begun researching what other communities have done to fund, build and maintain their non-motorized trail systems."

Such a trail between Kettle Falls and Colville (and beyond) is long overdue; walking and bicycle-use have been overlooked, neglected and even purposely discouraged by the domination of the motor vehicle for the past 100 years. Humans are designed to walk, and bicycles, skates and skis were invented to enhance our ability to move around using our own power. And the automobile life has caught-up with us in many ways: pollution, oil addiction and approaching depletion, gridlock and mall sprawl, and myriad other negative consequences. This non-motorized trail system offers a very healthy alternative.

For now, the focus is on the route between Kettle Falls and Colville and the benefits that the trail will provide. One potential trailhead would be near Meyers Falls, a location with both scenic and historical value to our community. The proposed trail would head east along the meandering Colville River, past farmlands and wetlands across the valley and into Colville. Blankenship adds, "Enhanced with interpretive signs, a hard-packed surface and subtle grades, the trail will provide a wonderful commute to work and a great place for families to recreate together."

Thus far local response has been strong and positive, and the Task Force is meeting regularly. They are enthusiastic about this community opportunity and the chance to allow people to take pride and pleasure in being self-propelled.

For further information or to get involved, call Jackie Blankenship as 684-4571, extension 108.

The North Columbia Monthly provides news, views, humor and a calendar of events for an area that stretches from Nelson in British Columbia south to Spokane in Washington State and covers all points in between. A free (and free-thinking, progressive) magazine, The Monthly is available at several hundred spots throughout the region and now is also available on-line at www.ncmonthly.com. Published once a month since 1994, The Monthly is an independent magazine that often challenges contemporary wisdom by encouraging critical thinking about issues and attitudes in the region and beyond.

Featuring our one-of-a-kind "What's Happening" department, The Monthly provides the region's only all-inclusive, free listing of community events and is the first place many people check to find out about area arts, crafts, music, fairs, services and events of all kinds. Our free listing policy for the "What's Happening" department promotes diversity, cultural interaction, and the exchange of ideas and free expression. Also featured in the magazine are people, food, health, humor, and feature articles that keep readers coming back for more each month.

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