The Beginning

Judging by the astounding increase in the number of cars in the Mile-End this idea may seem quite radical. Or far fetched. We fully understand the extent to which cars are a part of people’s lives, work and identity, so we know that the idea of a Car Free Mile-End requires a lot of imagination, and suspension of disbelief and of doubt. But if you will indulge us and allow us to flesh-out the idea in this blog-space over the weeks and months ahead, with our considered opinion and discerning scrutiny of the facts, we think you will begin to come around, eventually.

- Maclean & Matt

When I started research into global warming and energy dependence I had little substantial knowledge – only a hunch. I am not a trained specialist in the science – I’ve spent my life making works of art. What I did have was a burning desire to understand and to “do something” about a problem that seemed to be looming. In this, I know that I am not alone. Nor am I alone in feeling a nagging sense of hopelessness at times. When problems seem too big, solutions seem vague and out of one’s hands. But this feeling diminishes the more involved and determined I become. I have come to understand that complacency and fatalism are both traps. I no longer blindly assume that “they will think of something.” I have not chosen escapism through distracted partying or other diversions; nor have I given up, passively awaiting some fate beyond my control. I have my mind set on a constructive approach, and I hope you can help in some way too.

The problems are indeed very big, and we are constantly at risk of losing sight of that. A sense of urgency will have to be part of the equation if the momentum is going to shift in favour of solutions. But it is not to act out of fear. So when I refer to hypothetical scenarios of calamity looming in the not-too-distant future, it is intended as a smelling salt, to bring us back to the here-and-now, in order to get things done.

What we are proposing for development is a plan that will take on a life of its own as more and more people get involved. It is a vision for a new living arrangement that will be tailored to the dynamics of a carbon-reduced economy and ecosystem. It is not intended as an imposition. On the contrary it is proposed in anticipation of some great impositions that Mother Nature has in store for an energy profligate and carbon intensive society. As I will try to elucidate in the posts to come, we are entering a period of economic contraction which is in step with peaking and diminishing global energy resources, against the backdrop of a climate crisis caused by industrial/ economic activity and rampant consumption of resources. The three are interconnected, and the implications are vast. Al Gore says it is a moral issue. He is right. But it is also a practical one. Self-centered consumer activity is going to prove to be a self-evident liability in the near future.

By envisioning a tangible project that will involve the community, and change its shared, public space, we stand to empower ourselves greatly; to build connections throughout the city; and to take real steps toward practical solutions to the emergent problems of a Carbon-Challenged era. What better way than to take a good long look at ourselves and our car-dependent habits, shake them off and lead by example?

Maclean