Environmental concerns are growing in the world today. Problems such as energy crises, global warming, deforestation, and population growth are looming. As a result, new solutions to problems are popping up everywhere. While many are looking toward governmental agencies for stricter environmental laws, others are making personal changes in the way they live. Due to the realization that globalization of products is creating numerous environmental issues, many people are joining the “local” movement. Embodying localism to the fullest extent, ecovillages are positive models for future community planning initiatives.
Ecovillages, once widely considered as places for idealists, are becoming increasingly common. An ecovillage is a planned community, dedicated to living in harmony with the environment, while providing a social network among community members. Ecovillages provide a way of life that is low impact, making them a forerunner of “green” living. These communities are self-sustained; they use renewable practices to grow their own food, manage their own waste, and supply their own energy. Outside sources are not relied upon for food, jobs, or goods in these communities, so nothing has to travel around the world to get there. Early on, most ecovillages formed in Europe, but more and more are forming around the world. The U.S. is also seeing a rise in these kinds of sustainable communities, such as in Oregon and even in many urban areas.
Not only do ecovillages stress the importance of sustainable living, they address the disconnectedness that has grown between people due to globalism. By creating local economies, the people within the community depend on each other for the things they need to survive, creating a social network that is missing from most of our current communities. With enough support, these types of communities could provide solutions to the environmental problems that globalism and industrialism have created. As with any other system of living, ecovillages are not perfect, but improvements will emerge from trial and error. The de-emphasis of consumerist and capitalist values will reduce the huge demand for unnecessary goods that put immense stress on resources. There will definitely be resistance by some, but members of eco-friendly societies will find that their fulfilling and environmentally sound lifestyles will provide new values and interests to replace old ones. By offering a system that is both eco-friendly and realistic, ecovillages may be the key to the future of sustainable development.
I loved learning about eco-villages in Earth Sustainability last year I had no idea such places existed before, but now I have a dream of eventually living in one myself. The best thing about eco-villages, I think, is that they give their residents the opportunity to life every aspect of their life in accordance with their values (assuming they are environmentalists). If you are an environmentalist living within the suburbs of DC, for example, you can only take your values so far. Even if you try to live no impact (like no impact man did) you probably will still have a job which is part of company that is wasteful or unstainable in some way.
ReplyDeleteThe main draw-back I saw to eco-villages was that some of themwere built upon green-fields, which is ironic. I do not think a community which is attempting to embody the epitome of sustainability should claim virgin land to do so.