Rethinking Lifestyle

We all love the idea of eating local. After all, who can argue with less dependence on erratic supply chains, access to super fresh food, and the ability to support neighbouring farmers?

Richard Heinberg has written an excellent book called Power, which is a history of the world through the lens of power.

Usually when discussing the solar panels on our roof, I am asked about payback.

Have you ever been to Europe and seen towns and cities that were built before the automobile was a thing? They provide inspiration to us as we dream about what future towns and cities with decreased carbon dependence could look like.

Over 70% of Manitoba’s energy consumption comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Electricity accounts for 24% of all energy consumed in Manitoba. Manitoba’s main electricity source is hydroelectricity, 95% of which is generated without burning fossil fuels.

Steinbach will be substantially more populated. We are at about 19,000 people now. There are predictions that by 2050 we will be as big as Brandon; 50,000 people.

In 2050, a 40-year-old named Sean and his young family live in a simple yet sustainable world in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. Sean has a full time home-based job as a local all purpose repairman, a job that he thoroughly enjoys.

The Steinbach Chamber introduced us to the newly appointed Economic Development Officer for Steinbach. The appointment of such a person implies planning. What kind of a city should we plan to be in 2030? 2050? Just bigger, or different?

Climate change and its effects have been studied and written about for at least 40 years. It is clear that human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuel, is directly responsible for climate change, which results in extreme weather events, drought, flooding, sea level rise and much more.

As the winter wears on, many of us itch to start our garden plants and get our hands back in the soil. Unfortunately, job and supply chain disruptions over the past two growing seasons have made certain seeds harder to come by.