Interest in the idea of environmentally friendly communities is growing as we realize more and more how the health of people is connected to the health of the environment. One aspect of an environmentally friendly community is an affordable, well-designed public transportation system that makes it possible to live without a vehicle. Another aspect is a program to encourage people to build energy-efficient houses to reduce the consumption of natural resources while saving on heating bills. Neighbourhood design is also important. Compact residential areas that have businesses, schools, green spaces, and community centres motivate us to spend our time and money within our community, instead of driving to larger centres to shop. Recycling and composting programs allow us to reduce the amount of waste we produce. Supporting a variety of local small businesses, based on local ecologically friendly products, promotes the invention of an environmentally friendly community.

With urban centres and populations growing all the time, communities face many challenges to become more environmentally friendly. Landfills that are filling up too fast, air pollution from industries and cars, and waste and water systems that are overused are problems that all communities have to overcome. Urban sprawl is also often a problem for our communities, particularly cities. Urban sprawl makes us increasingly dependent on vehicles, makes public transportation difficult, and isolates us from services and jobs.

Click on Select-A-Career or EnviroCareers to find out more about the environmental jobs related to environmentally friendly communities:

• Water Treatment Plant Operator
  
• Waste Manager Director
  
• Science Camp Co-ordinator
  
• High School Science Teacher
  
• Environmental Trainer
  
• Pollution Control Technologist
  
• Land Use Planner
  
• Environmental Policy Analyst