I’ve always believed that the best government funding announcements are those that reduce the need for future government funding announcements.
Support for initiatives that encourage all citizens to be environmentally conscious in their every day routines is a good example of that. Federal funds used to empower citizens to make green choices in their daily lives will lessen the need for governments to intervene in the future – and that’s a good deal for the environment and for taxpayers.
Recently, I made an announcement in Canmore under the EcoAction Community Funding Program to support existing programs that are already at work in the community to improve air and water quality, and to protect species and habitat. The funding I announced was for the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley and Alberta Council for Environmental Education, but across Canada the latest round of EcoAction funding is supporting 100 such grassroots environmental improvement projects this year alone.
There are several other examples. Our government’s support for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Fund has helped develop integrated sustainability plans for Airdrie and Cochrane, and changed recycling collection methods in Banff to protect wildlife while greatly improving the town’s waste diversion rate.
And at Olds College, we’ve helped fund the creation of a wetland area that will treat the campus’s storm and grey water, while also providing an outdoor laboratory for research into wetlands’ ability to purify grey water.
In each case, the money invested works locally to increase the organizational capacity of the non-profit sector in Canadian communities by engaging volunteers and citizens to make the right choices for the environment, from recycling and stewardship initiatives to – as was the case in Canmore – teaching unique skills, like how to build home composting bins.
Activities at the local level generate expertise and community involvement that will long outlast any federal dollars provided as a springboard.
Cultivating the kind of community know-how that allows citizens to meet local challenges when they arise is key to conservation of natural heritage and protection of the local environment.
While there is a time and place for government action, when it comes to the environment, there is so much that we all can also do that can make a real difference.