eco-strata

About a third of our per capita footprint is attributable to how our buildings are built and operate. This is significant and makes them a great place to start tackling the sustainability challenge. Beyond greening our buildings, about two-thirds of what influences the size of our footprint is a consequence of our consumption patterns: the clothes we buy, the cars we use, the foods we eat, and our overall demand for goods and services. Canadians have the fourth largest Ecological Footprint per person in the world, which translates into rates of consumption that cannot possibly be extended to all of the world’s people, so our efforts must include actions that go beyond greening our homes and workspaces.

As citizens, we can make a substantial contribution to help reduce pressures on natural resources and ecosystems. We can adopt more frugal lifestyles that are substantially less dependant on fossil fuels: happily, this is often shown to lead to more fulfilling and rewarding lives! We also need help from our governments. They must invest in the types of infrastructure that help us make sustainable choices and allow us to tread more lightly on Earth, like taking public transit, using renewable energy, purchasing organic foods and fairly-traded products, and enjoying green and healthy buildings.