Environmental Connections

Ottawa: Canada's Natural Capital | Rebecca Aird | TEDxMechanicsville

Keywords

Nature based economy: is the use of natural capital (forests, oceans, soil) to generate economic activity.

Nature-positive economy: is a reciprocal approach to restoring and managing ecosystems and preventing nature loss, instead of exclusively extracting value. 

Ecological Services: free benefits we get from nature (for example trees).

Wollastonite: a high-grade, mined calcium silicate with unique chemical and physical properties that delivers environmental and economic benefits on a wide range of industrial, ecological and agricultural applications. 

Rebecca Aird explains why nature based economies and positive-nature based economies are vital in Ottawa and around the globe. Aird notes these economic approaches require place based commitments and local knowledge.

“We need to invest in learning to live well with the nature we live in.”

Throughout the video, Aird provides this context:

  • Ottawa is 28, 000sq. km, 80% of that land is rich in natural assets (rural farms fields, forests, wetlands and biodiversity). That means Ottawa has a signifcant agriculture economy in comparison to other urban centres.
  • Nature based economies can encompass agriculture, forestry, fisheries, renewable resources, recreation facilities and more.
  • Nature positive economics doesn’t only focus on extracting value from nature – it places value on creating regenerative and reciprocal systems that work with and restore natural health systems.
  • There is a need to examine how more than the economy is at stake, underscoring that the health of the climate is at stake.

Aird goes on to provide 3 detailed pictures of challenges and possibilities:

1. Challenge: Climate change and soil degradation. Possibility & Action: Farmers are determined to overcome these challenges through regenerative farming practices (focused on rebuilding and maintaining soil health). This includes, planting cover crops and maintaining living roots in the soil. This model requires technical and financial support and research efforts.

2. Challenge: For Ottawa’s 1.5 million residents, the majority of farm crops are grown outside of the city lines and the products grown are not for the consumer market. Possibility & Action: There is an opportunity for small-medium farmers to produce food for local consumption as long as there is an efficient pathway to consumers. Aird acknowledges Just Food’s actions in promoting and supporting local food @ 9:54.

3. Challenge: Extreme weather and political impacts on supply chains. Possibility & Action: Opportunity for the city to establish a sustainable storage and resilient supply network for local food that will generate economic development and job creation.