Cameron Stiff

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  Cameron commented on the article | almost 2 years ago

  It's Time to Save America's Farms and Ranches

  In order to save farms, we must change the way cities are designed, away from sprawling, monotone, cultureless installations, toward compact, varied, life-full urban installations, with appropriate support for the development of small-scale, local, sustainability-oriented businesses that will provide the unique character of each township. Such support must include greater access to education, a reduction in the cost of basic necessities, an increase in the cost of unhealthy and unnecessary commodities, the development of intelligent and sensitive transit systems in and between cities and towns, promotion of the use of the bicycle as an activity that provides exercise, emits no pollution and allows people to connect with each other and their surrounding environment, support for the development of small-scale, sustainable farming and promotion of farming amongst young people and newly arrived immigrants, involving the similar support of existing farmers and rural communities that tend to be suspicious and unwelcoming. Farm acreages must be subdivided into small lots with vibrant towns developing around them. Walmart does not = vibrant. Walmart = characterless, formless, environmentally irresponsible, mass produced, etc. What if Walmart radically changed their business model to move towards small stores with different names, no more uniforms, local control... sure, some people would lose billions, but everyone else's life would benefit. Same with real estate developers. Why not just stop the greed and work with architects and planners to design livable communities with sustainable systems? Integrate urban agriculture, transit, waste management, renewable energy, water collection, etc...

  
  

  The current system is destroying our planet and perpetuating misery. Is there any point petitioning the president if the society he governs doesn't give a shit, and the businesses who run it don't either?