January 20, 2009 Something Academic

Something academic: It’s not easy being green

by Karim Boulos

GRAPHIC Sagine Cave

“I’ve noticed that most people seem to be looking for a sustainability touchdown, rather than working towards gaining some yardage. The task of being sustainable is enormous, and we need to tackle it one step at a time.” —Karim Boulos, city councillor

Karim Boulos is currently the deputy mayor of the Ville-Marie borough, and also the executive director of external affairs for the John Molson School of Business.

Boulos received his undergraduate degree in Education at McGill and his MBA from Concordia’s JMSB. He is also currently the president of the City of Montreal’s committee on urban planning and development.

Well it seems Kermit the Frog was wise beyond his years; it is definitely not easy being green.

Sustainability is a word that is often thrown around in conversations and political circles to demonstrate that we politicians are aware of the latest environmental trends affecting our surroundings and challenges facing our constituents. However, real urban sustainability is much more than a trend or a promise made during an election year, as is the case in 2009. It is something that Montreal needs to start acting on immediately.

According to the United Nations department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, presently over three billion people live in an urban environment, and that number is expected to exceed five billion by 2030. This means, for the first time in history, the urban population will surpass the rural population of the planet, making cities the epicentre of 21st century life.

We need to start thinking about new strategies to manage our swelling urban populations; sustainable societies with effective and affordable public transportation and policies that will ensure that our urban environment is green, clean and protected.

Before I continue there’s something I should mention; I am not a sustainability expert. I did not study environmental sciences nor do I have advanced knowledge of renewable energy practices. In fact, I grew up in an era predating recycling—it was called the 1970s—and I would assume that many of my colleagues fall into the same category. That is why now more than ever it is important to involve fresh perspectives from a younger generation.

I have begun to see a difference in attitudes among the generations. When I was growing up the trend seemed to be that the ends justified the means. We didn’t consider the consequences of our actions, we simply wanted results. Today’s youth are putting new emphasis on how and why things are done, instead of being endlessly preoccupied with when we can see results. To every action there is a reaction; this is a truth that we are quickly coming to

terms with.

So what does it all mean? Can a modern city truly make the leap into being fully sustainable? In all honesty, I’m not sure.

The first thing we need to remember is that our city was designed and developed in a time when talk of sustainability hadn’t even been conceived, which means we need to do something much more difficult than building a sustainable city, we need to implement sustainable practices to a city that was not built for it.

By now, we are all very familiar with challenges Montreal faces; a dilapidated infrastructure, a deficient underground water and sewer system, an aging public transportation system, old and energy-inefficient buildings and an overbearing winter. None of these things are easy or cheap to fix, and they are as pressing as is developing sustainability practices for the city.

However the one silver lining in all this is that we have a rare opportunity to tackle everything at once. If we’re going to rebuild the city, this is our chance to do it right.

Montreal is not the only city seeking to develop sustainable practices. Other cities in Europe, Asia and South America have similar ambitions, and in the age of information we should be looking to our fellow metropolises and working together to develop the best practices in order to benefit from what others have already learned. These changes aren’t about being right, or getting there first, the changes we need are for our very survival as a city.

From Reykjavik, Iceland to Klamath Falls, Oregon, they are developing geothermal snow melting systems that heat the roads and walkways, instead of constantly trying to fight the elements with snow plows, sand and salt.

Curitiba, Brazil has developed a low-cost, environmentally-sensitive public transportation system based on double-articulated buses that serve approximately 75 per cent of commuters.

Tucson, Arizona developed a Neighbourhood Investment Program to offer low-interest loans to finance community environmental and social programs.

Baden-Wurttenmberg, Germany has partnered with the Center for Technology Assessment to tackle their heavy industrial sector while simultaneously managing urban growth and development.

And Geneva, Switzerland has initiated the Agenda 21 project with the goal of developing the first fully sustainable city in the world.

Around the world, ideas are being generated and efforts are being made. Montreal needs to be open to the practices that other cities are developing and should use the best models to create what I like to call a ‘Sustainable Infrastructure.’ Other places in the world tackle the same problems we do, and many of them have already made inroads towards building sustainable practices that will improve their urban services, as well as their urban environment.

I’ve noticed that most people seem to be looking for a sustainability touchdown, rather than working towards gaining some yardage. The task of being sustainable is enormous, and we need to tackle it one step at a time. Billion-dollar, 20-year plans are necessary but take very long to negotiate and implement; we need to make some small progress now.

The methods and technologies already exist, from waterless urinals, which save millions of gallons of water, to energy-efficient light bulbs that save money and power. By planting more trees in urban environments, we can curb global warming and reduce CO2 levels.

We can encourage more people to bring their own bags when they shop, or use portable coffee mugs instead of the disposable alternative. There are countless projects being developed by institutions, communities and individuals, such as the Loyola Campus composting project and the Shaughnessy Village “Green Alley” (with a composter) created in association with Eco-Quartier Peter-McGill.

Finally, there is a greater need for the youth to take a leadership role and open lines of communication with older generations in order to express how easy it is to effect major changes through simple actions. I’m not saying that older generations don’t care about the environment; I’m saying that the habits that have been instilled in people all their lives are often difficult to change. I still smile whenever we go shopping and my six-year-old daughter gently tugs on my arm and says, “Did you remember the bags?”

Not everyone will be open to changing their habits, and there will certainly not be a 180 degree shift in people’s attitudes, but the one thing I am sure of is that every little bit helps.