Dave Pollard's environmental philosophy, creative works, business papers and essays.
In search of a better way to live and make a living, and a better understanding of how the world really works.

	Sunday, May 3, 2009

Australia vs. Canada: The Best and the Worst BC rainforest -- photo by Henry Georgi It's looking increasingly likely that I'm going to end up, in my retirement, spending May-October of each year in British Columbia, Canada (for immigration and health care reasons), and November-April of each year in Australia, New Zealand or Hawai'i. I've written before about the things that are most important to me in a place to live: Warmth  Beautiful forest wilderness nearby (without too many insects and dangerous species) Beautiful, uncrowded beaches nearby Interesting, intelligent, informed people in the community A tolerant, gentle, diverse, peaceful creative and progressive local culture Sustainability: local/organic food/resource availability, access, renewability, conservation, transportation Affordability Connectivity: Internet/telephony, rail system etc. There are two paradoxes here. The first is that the most beautiful natural environments in these (and most) countries seem not to be the places where the most interesting, intelligent and progressive people hang out. I don't know why this is -- perhaps rich bored people hog all the good beaches and resort areas and push the alternative cultures out. Or perhaps informed, creative, university-educated people just prefer the crowded, unsustainable urban culture. But for whatever reason the places that score high on criteria 2 and 3 tend to score lower on criteria 4, 5 and 7, and vice versa. The second paradox is that while a lot of areas are really trying to be sustainable, none is even close to succeeding. So while I might find a place that meets all the criteria except criterion 6, eventually that criterion is going to trump all the others. So what I'm doing now is exploring six areas -- SW BC, NW US, SW and SE Australia, N NZ, and Hawai'i -- looking for places that meet as many of these 8 criteria as possible. I lived for 5 years in SW BC, and have briefly visited all of the other 5 areas. So far there are no perfect choices (that I know of -- I'm still looking) within any of these areas, and quite a few that meet 5 or perhaps 6 of the 8 criteria.  In the process, I've come up with some interesting lists of the best and worst of (Westcoast) Canada and (Southcoast) Australia. They are surprisingly similar lists! Keep in mind I'm a non-swimmer -- I know the surfing is great in S Oz. Best Things About (Westcoast) Canada: Forests Culture Connectivity Lots of still-uncrowded areas Reasonably affordable Beaches (westcoast Vancouver Island only) Arts Tolerance, peacefulness Worst Things About (Westcoast) Canada: Unsustainability: logging, mining, gravel/construction, oil tankers, trucking, industrial agriculture, water/air pollution, waste Unrestrained growth and sprawl: Real estate and construction industry owns local/provincial politicians Treatment of aboriginal people Restrictions on dogs Transportation: Little public transport, poor roads, traffic jams, too many trucks instead of trains, archaic ferry system, disorganized Vancouver airport Westcoast rednecks Mainstream media: a right-wing monopoly Best Things About (Southcoast) Australia: Beaches Forests (and the birds!) Warmth Culture (alas, not as good near the best beaches and forests)  Lots of still-uncrowded areas Local/organic foods (healthy and great variety) (special kudos to Dunsborough's Samudra, a lovely vegetarian restaurant and yoga/meditation centre) Tolerance, peacefulness, egalitarianism No tipping! Good public transit (alas, in big cities only) Cute accents Worst Things About (Southcoast) Australia: Unsustainability: logging, mining, gravel/construction, tankers, trucking (5-trailer "road trains!"), industrial agriculture, water/air pollution, waste Unrestrained growth and sprawl: Real estate and construction industry owns local/provincial politicians Treatment of aboriginal people Restrictions on dogs Sydney airport (the hub to everywhere in Oz) Westcoast rednecks Mainstream media: a right-wing monopoly Internet accessibility and cost So far away from the rest of the world If you live in the BC Gulf Islands, Qualicum/Parkville or Sunshine Coast, or in New Zealand, Australia or Hawai'i and can recommend any specific areas that meet most of my 8 criteria, I'd love to hear from you, and I will check them out as my explorations continue. And if you have quibbles with or additions to my best/worst lists, I'd love your comments on them too. 11:05:05 AM  trackback []  comment []

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