Much as I support circular and doughnut economy concepts, I am concerned that proponents often focus on recycling. Far more important is a conservation ethic which encourages overall resource efficiency. It is sometimes called “reduce, reuse and recycle” (https://bit.ly/3ea7MFn ) and in transportation “avoid-shift-improve” (https://ledsgp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/SUTP_GIZ_FS_Avoid-Shift-Improve_EN.pdf ), recognizing that our goal is to reduce per capita consumption of non-renewable resources.
For most households, particularly in hydropower rich British Columbia, transportation and housing decisions have the greatest resource consumption and emission impacts, particularly if you include embodied resources and emissions caused by vehicle and fuel production. Motor vehicle and fuel expenditures also have very low local economic multipliers – they create fewer jobs and local business activity than most other consumer spending – so reducing automobile ownership and use supports our local economy.
Vancouver’s Climate Emergency Action Plan (https://council.vancouver.ca/20201103/documents/p1.pdf ) is a terrific example of the types of integrated programs that encourages energy and land conservation: fewer cars, less vehicle traffic, less per capita energy and land consumption, and more local productivity. It is also important to continue to increase carbon taxes, implement efficient road and parking fees (see the David Suzuki Foundation’s Pricing It Right for Climate Using Mobility Pricing to Drive Down Transport Emissions (https://davidsuzuki.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/DSF-Pricing-it-right-for-Climate-2020.pdf ), and apply distance-based insurance pricing which rewards motorists for reducing their annual mileage.
If you want to be inspired to support these reforms read, Child in the City: Planning Communities for Children & their Families (www.plassurban.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Child-in-the-City.pdf ) by local resident Kristin N. Agnello. This lovely guidebook asks, “If you could see the city from an elevation of 95 cm, what would you do differently?” It provides a toolbox of specific policies and planning practices for creating more child-friendly communities. These include policies that create more affordable housing in mixed-income, walkable urban neighborhoods. Also see, “Cities for Babies are Cities for All” Pedestrians First (https://pedestriansfirst.itdp.org ), a new website that describes why and how to improve walkability.
Another great resource is Street Smart (www.thinkstreetsmart.org), a clearinghouse that provides information for integrating climate change, public health, and equity concerns into transport planning. Any royalists will appreciate Walkability and Mixed Use – Making Valuable and Healthy Communities (https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/research/article/2020-12-14-building-walkability-into-new-developments), published by The Prince’s Foundation, which explains how walkable, mixed use developments promote health, wellbeing and local economic activity (even republicans are likely to be persuaded).