My wife and I recently had the pleasure of traveling to Boise, Idaho for a business conference. We flew to Calgary and drove to Boise, hoping to travel through Glacier National Park and experience some of Idaho’s beautiful scenery. While researching the Park, I quickly learned that it is difficult to actually see a glacier now due to the diminishing size and learned that scientists all agree that at our current rate of growth, by the time my grandchildren reach middle age, there will not be any glaciers left in Glacier National Park.
Whether you believe there is a need for a change in the way that we live our lives depends on how much you value the planet that we live on. Do you want your grandchildren to be able to behold the beauty of a glacier? Or will we even be able to see anything past the smog soon? Is there anything that the average person can do?
I have started to ride my bike to work and I actually travel from one end of town to the other faster than in my car. Every day, I see many others cycling and walking. I hear people complaining about the inconvenience of traffic congestion here in the summer. What if more of those people started leaving their car at home or in the parking lot at lunch or after work and walked or rode a bike more often to do their errands or attend meetings and appointments? We’d need better routes for pedestrians and cyclists for sure, but that would also mean easier access not just for residents but for the tourists who bring additional revenue into our town. Retailers and restaurants could encourage cyclists with bike racks and discounts. We’d use less fuel, there would be less vehicular traffic & fewer CO2 emissions, less road maintenance and many health-related benefits – I’m losing weight and have much more energy.
There are individuals here in Bancroft who are researching national trail networks that could be linked to our community for non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians, attending conferences for support and ideas and talking to other organizations and government officials about moving forward with improvements to the trails and routes in our area.. What an opportunity for adventure tourism!
We all need to work together to develop a vision of sustainability for our town and collaborate with surrounding communities to develop a regional effort. What does it take to make any of this a reality? Usually, it means stepping out of your comfort zone to make a positive change. It takes one more person to volunteer, to voice their ideas, and then another person, and another, and soon a large group is working towards positive change and growth.
