Sustainable Development in Practice

Going green has recently become a “fad” to some people. This has allowed for an increase in demand for sustainable developments. People are interested in sustainable products for their homes, sustainable ways of living, etc. An example of sustainable development that some people are putting into practice is the concept of eating local. On Vancouver Island this is of special concern as almost all of our food must be flown in or brought by ferry. This causes our food to have a very large carbon footprint. Over the past century, farming on the island has decrease greatly. Much of the food on the island used to be produced on the island, but over time it has grown to be almost 100% imported. We have the potential to produce much more food on the island than we currently are. Eating local has many benefits including:

·         Promoting the purchase of “in season” produce

·         Decreasing our dependency on imported food

·         Reducing the ecological footprint of food transport

·         Promoting healthier lifestyle

·         Stimulating local economy

·         Engaging the community

The idea of eating local has been made public mostly by the creation of the 100 Mile Diet and the Vancouver Island Diet. The 100 mile Diet uses the concept of eating only food that is grown, processed and sold within 100 miles of your home.

Since the 100 mile radius of Vancouver Island would encompass much of the Mainland, the Vancouver Island Diet was created. This diet uses the concept of eating only food that is grown, processed and sold on the island. The ability to abide with either of these diets requires that:

·         Your grow your own food such as a small garden and a herb garden

·         You must buy in bulk and preserve lots for the winter months

·         You must reduce your consumption of animal products and cut out processed foods as well as things that can’t be produced on the island such as sugar, rice, and coffee

·         You must be dedicated!

Even eating one meal a week or a day that is purely local can make a difference and is a very realistic way of making your life more sustainable and encouraging sustainability in your community.

Recycling will always be an important practice of sustainable development. It prevents the exploitation of resources by reducing the need for mining more metals and minerals, and by reducing the number of trees being cut down.

Many methods of sustainable development are easy and can be done on an individual basis. One problem is that many people are sceptical of the benefits brought on by practicing sustainable development and this may deter them from ever trying. Luckily there are now many websites for the communication of topics like this. In Victoria a good ones is:

http://transitionvictoria.ning.com

All information related to the 100 Mile Diet can be found at the following website:

http://100milediet.org/

All information related to the Vancouver Island Diet can be found at the following website:

http://www.vancouverislanddiet.com/