We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,
we borrow it from our children.
Native proverb
One day a history will be written, our history. It will be a story told by future generations, and it is they who will decide how we are to be remembered. Our hubris, ignorance and impotence will be exposed, and no present day justification is going to sway favour. They’re simply not going to forgive us for the hostilities we have acted upon the planet. This is already our shame to carry. How we respond will be our legacy.
It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump.
David Ormsby Gore
Decades of knowledge and experience to draw from and still we lack vision and urgency. Instead our world leaders are mired in a game of chicken. Action is required, not consensus. We are past the position of debate and at this pace we surely will be remembered as the most informed species to commit ecocide. Certainly the only ones willing to undertake such an experiment.
If we are going to address the most pressing issues of our time in a focused and productive way, we will need to be intellectually honest. Cooperation, sacrifice, and a sense of urgency will not only be needed, but necessary for any chance of success. These challenges are difficult, but not impossible. We just need to get out of our own way.
We have more ability than will power, and it is often an excuse to ourselves that we imagine that things are impossible.
François de La Rochefoucauld
If environmental and humanist values are at the core of Canadian culture, then we should feel ashamed. Ripping the face off the planet for oil in Alberta contradicts any notion that this has merit. Yet, this is but one example of how we are willing to wave our integrity for profit. This is not an arrogance the planet can afford. Canada needs to express its sovereignty and adopt a new way of thinking about how we design our cities and organize our societies. We are indentured to do what is right for the planet and the children of tomorrow, not what is convenient for us. This will require sacrifices from everyone, regardless of ones position. It is our responsibility to right the ship and get ourselves going in the proper direction.
We need a Marshall Plan for the Earth.
Naomi Klein
Acadia is a vision for the future. A provincial city living in symbiosis with nature and providing a quality of life for all its citizens. It is a proposal specifically tailored for the Maritime provinces and is accompanied with designs, concepts and timeline. Should this project prove itself a viable and economical solution then it can be a template for Canada to transition to a genuinely green country before the end of the 22nd century. However, this will require rebuilding trust between government, banking, industry and citizens. We must all act with civility and conviction, if we are to be relevant in the future. To necessitate for this the project is divided into three stages of growth.