Shaping Regina... Brett says that in our culture people tend to find fulfillment through material consumption

In today's Plain Dealer, columnist Regina Brett posted an editorial [1] acknowledging the decline of PD readership and asking readers to offer suggestions. " How should we change? What do we do to attract young people without alienating the faithful?" I can offer an easy answer: " “When we talk about moving toward sustainability, we need to talk about at least three things,” he says. “Changing the economic structure we’re all working in, changing the culture we live in, and changing our own individual consumption patterns.”

This quote is from in intriguing source... "Shaping Regina". I found this site when googling "Regina Brett". It is about improving the economy of Regina, Saskatchewan, and has an affiliate named Brett Dolter [2] (hence showing up in this search), and the coincidence is valuable and insightful. The PD is a victim of the region it has helped create, which is one of sprawl and ecological disaster. The PD will not "attract young people without alienating the faithful" because we are now so broadly dispersed and disconnected that we are little islands that have formed sub-communities completely disassociated with any significant core. For the region and the PD to succeed, we all must work together for significant change across the region, led by the next generation, just as they are doing in Regina.

My advice to the PD is that all their stakeholders (that means you, too, Egger and Regina) go to http://www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/gallery/life_sciences/footprint_mx_2005.swf [3] and take your Ecological Footprint (this is a different test than previously posted on realneo [4]) and publish the results by name in the PD, with an analysis of the implications on the next seven generations. And then, just as you battle obesity or breast cancer, battle ecological irresponsibility. When the rest of the community sees you leading by example, we will follow in good behavior focused on positive change, and the PD can say, we make a positive difference. For now, we all assume you are part of the problem. Are you? My ecological footprint is 2.6 hectares... what about you, Regina? Mr. Egger? The collective PD community?