Cowman, you're sounding tired and defeated. It's not a foregone conclusion that urban sprawl has to consume outlaying land. It's bad government that lets it happen. For two-hundred years, this country focussed on establishing the infrastructure that would extend civilization into the wilderness. In the latter half of this century, centralization has been on the agenda, with the mass of development focussed at the border. This is making the nation very vulnerable, given that the more agricultural land we cover with concrete, the more we have to rely on other nations for our food.
Talk of 'sustainable' economics is pointless, without urban sprawl management. Here's a prime example: Toronto Island Airport. Would it really inconvenience a traveler to spend another half hour being shuttled from an airport in Vaughan or King? Here's another: The Village of Port McNicoll on Georgian Bay has one of the largest grain elevators in the world. It's retired, the rail system has been ripped out and the lakers don't even pass by Port McNicoll anymore. If Kellogs or General Mills or Canada Breads had have located there, the story would have a very different ending. So, why wasn't the infrastucture built to support something like this? According to a municipal councillor, 'working' toward economic development in the township, if such an opportunity did arise, he would support location in the neighbouring municipality, where urban growth was already in existence.
The more centralized we become, the denser the pollution and the higher the disease rate and the more we need high-density nutrients in the food we eat. I don't think the organic and functional food trends are fads anymore than botted water or dietary suppliments are. Let's hope that alternative economics arise fast enough to keep up with the health problems that develop from conventional ones!
Talk of 'sustainable' economics is pointless, without urban sprawl management. Here's a prime example: Toronto Island Airport. Would it really inconvenience a traveler to spend another half hour being shuttled from an airport in Vaughan or King? Here's another: The Village of Port McNicoll on Georgian Bay has one of the largest grain elevators in the world. It's retired, the rail system has been ripped out and the lakers don't even pass by Port McNicoll anymore. If Kellogs or General Mills or Canada Breads had have located there, the story would have a very different ending. So, why wasn't the infrastucture built to support something like this? According to a municipal councillor, 'working' toward economic development in the township, if such an opportunity did arise, he would support location in the neighbouring municipality, where urban growth was already in existence.
The more centralized we become, the denser the pollution and the higher the disease rate and the more we need high-density nutrients in the food we eat. I don't think the organic and functional food trends are fads anymore than botted water or dietary suppliments are. Let's hope that alternative economics arise fast enough to keep up with the health problems that develop from conventional ones!
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