Holistic Sustainability
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Holistic Sustainable development for Maritime Provinces
This sounds ambitious, doesn’t it? Well, it is not only possible, but it will save money and create local
jobs and a healthier way of life for our families and friends. Talk about win-win-win. To begin with, it
would be helpful if we look at challenges (aka problems) as opportunities for new resources.
What are some of the challenges Maritimers are faced with? Things like the need for sustainable low-
cost housing, how to make heating and cooling more affordable for citizens and business. Dealing with
carbon emissions and our garbage, not to mention wastewater. Reducing pollution levels on our land
and seas. Micro plastics and our health, just to name a few.
What are some of today’s super materials that are expensive but could help in dealing with these
issues? Graphene, the wonder material that is $100 a gram. If only it was abundantly available at a low
cost. Minerals and metals for industry and cheaper ways for farming and fishing. What if the challenges
offer the solutions?
Let’s start with wastewater treatment. There are 2 systems available today, with a little work by our
legislators for permitting and licensing, that not only reduce the operational costs by 30% +, but they
also produce bi-products that can be used in the local area where they are produced as raw materials
for new innovative businesses. So, these technologies can provide new employment opportunities for
the people of that community. “Somax” is a company that works on wastewater treatment plants that
does just that. The process of making “Hydrochar”, basically making organic coal, what takes the earth
20,000,000 years to do, can be done in an hour! (For details see attached appendix “A”) This organic
coal has many uses, including the potential for making graphene. Graphene can also be made from
Methane, another common bi-product from wastewater treatment. In other words, we can make our
own graphene from a bi-product while at the same time reducing the operational costs of wastewater
treatment. Sounds good, doesn’t it? I also have a system that was developed by NASA in the 2010’s that
uses algae in the wastewater treatment process that can improve fish stocks and sea wildlife while
providing another bi-product of glycerin. Glycerin is used as a softening agent in beauty creams, many
health and beauty products. It can even be used in softening materials like cloth or wool. In this system I
originally looked at the production of biofuels as a halfway point in the transition to electric vehicles. In
fact, in 2013 the estimated price for bio-gasoline was $0.17/liter. A little better than the $1.65 I saw at
the pumps today. It also was a way to use existing petroleum vehicles that are on the road today and
reduce CO2 at the same time. I am very in favor of electric vehicles, but there are things we can do now,
until the production of affordable EV’s meets the current and future demand.
Next, let’s take a look at affordable housing. When I lived in Costa Rica, I worked for a Canadian
company called Cantico. We made prefab concrete housing. All of the electrical wiring and plumbing
was incorporated into the walls and floors before they were poured. The walls and floors were poured
at the factory then transported to the site build location and installed on site. These houses had to be
earthquake proof due to the number of annual tremors in Costa Rica. We actually made a house at the
plant and lifted it with a Huey helicopter and flew it 4 km away to the subdivision where it was going to
stay. We did this with not one crack in the structure. We can use this technology but, with different
materials instead of concrete. In fact, If we incorporate properly processed garbage we can produce a
high “R” factor insulation in a material that captures and holds CO2. If we also incorporate a new
technology from Neutrino Energy Group, in the form of neutrino voltaic energy, (details in attached file
appendix “B”) we can produce the electrical needs for the housing. Especially when combined with the
new graphene wallpaper, a new product that just came to market in late 2022, to produce heating
requirements at a fraction of traditional costs. It is even more efficient than heat pumps. So, once again,
using materials from what was previously thought of as “problems” we can create new sustainable
employment opportunities for our communities, that offer very realistic avenues to keep our young
people here at home, instead of moving out west or to the cities, all the while improving out standard of
living and creating more disposable income for our citizenry, and reduce our carbon footprint at the
same time. Nice cyclic holistic sustainable development, right?
Now let’s look at our heritage, because this is our pride and our culture. Canadian farmers and fishers
are famous for getting by during hard times. The way our communities worked together to help each
other in those hard times is part of the glue and support systems that are our heritage. My dad and
mom both grew up on traditional family farms in Nova Scotia. You know, the 600-acre farm where there
was never any extra money, but you grew everything you needed or figured out a way to “make do”.
This is the basis for sustainability, using the resources at your disposal to “make do” whatever needed to
be done. These examples from our past can easily be updated to meet today’s needs. Imagine an old
family farm, where the couple who own the farm are now seniors. Their children have all found other
types of employment in more centralized locations, because they don’t have to get up at 5 am every
morning rain or shine or in winter and the salary is more consistent. This older couple love life on the
farm but it is becoming just too hard to keep up with. Now imagine that the farms heating needs and
electrical needs have been solved to the point that these needs are being met by the resources on the
farm itself. Even the farming itself has become more efficient and easier thanks to new innovations and
technologies that have proven higher yields with less time required. (See appendix “C”). This could
create an opportunity to create a small self-sufficient hamlet on the farm itself. Again, imagine
advertising for like-minded people to come to the farm and work in things that will offer these new
workers the freedom to do the create things they have always wanted to do. Like Cheese making,
making musical instruments, leather work, tanning, crafts and knitting, raising sheep and goats, or
llamas, ponies, chickens, milk cows, adventure tours on electric off-road vehicles, glamping and
camping, fishing, anything and everything. If we reduce the time requirements for a sustainable farm
(including fish farming, lobster hatchery, nursery and more). By combining the back to nature lifestyle in
a truly sustainable industry with fun and music, these new age farms would be a crafts fair, hospitality
suite, training of crafts, mental health improvement are to live or visit as a holistic new business model.
These cottage industries are fast becoming the staple for successfully living in the country or small
villages. By incorporating the newest and latest technologies into these businesses, we can raise our
overall standard of living, increase disposable income (which means we can buy locally more often), and
create a healthy, peaceful, even fun lifestyle for our citizenry. This more relaxed and fun way of living
will reduce stress (remember “STRESS KILLS), help our people have better mental health, (this will
reduce crime and mental health crisis which are becoming more and more serious every day), and we
will be reducing carbon footprint and make the world a better, happier place to live.
I do realize this all sounds a little hokey, or unattainable, however, every technology mentioned here is
on the market now, in a trial stage or coming to market this year. These technologies and many, many
more, can be explored with specific attention made to how to incorporate them into our specific setting,
the Maritimes. To do this, it is my opinion, from my extensive experiences abroad in Africa, Latin
America and Asia, that a small non-government agency, with students from all of our post secondary
educational institutions, Holland College, UPEI, the Agricultural college in Truro, Dalhousie and Acadia
university , as well as all universities and colleges in the Maritimes, along with local and provincial
governments, and with local and national industries to find home-grown applications that will improve
our lifestyles, improve disposable Incomes, create holistic sustainable business practices to foment
sustainable growth at all levels, personal to economic. The future is here now, all we need to do grab on
with both hands, have some fun and let our creativity flow.
