Presentations on Environmental Sustainability - At TRU
In the fall semester of 2016, I took a course called Rural Tourism, where we were given the option to choose our own focus for a presentation about rural landscapes, particularly rural landscapes that have undergone commodification (valuing land for its economic benefits).
I chose to research the affects of local economies and social structures on rural tourism practices.
As a result, social and economic factors also influence, and are influenced by, the environmental impacts of tourism in rural tourism. The importance of sustainability in rural tourism became a large focus of the research within this presentation, due to the high instances of physical erosion, pollution, ecological disruption, social corruption and economic instability. Literature reviews revealed research on the rural tourism and the integrative forms of sustainability.
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This presentation stimulated the research I performed for a poster, also as a part of the same course, that I presented in early March (2017) at the Western Division - Canadian Association of Geographers (WD-CAG). It is solely focused on the importance of sustainability in rural tourism - socially, economically and especially environmentally.
To the left is the presentation that I presented to my class in November.
Posters Presented at TWO Conferences
Above is the poster I presented at the WD-CAG in March of 2016. This was my first presentation at a conference. The subject is based off from the Solar Compass Project at TRU. It is explaining, promoting, and educating on what TRU has currently with respect to sustainable initiatives as well as the benefits that solar roadways would have at our academic institution
Abstract:
Making solar energy a custom can have many social and economic benefits for the future. It decreases carbon emissions, lowers the cost of power usage, and is a useful way to create educational opportunities in environmental studies. Solar roadways are a multi-functional and resourceful way of implementing solar technology that benefits the many aspects of life on earth; economical, environmental, health, educational and use of place.
A team at Thompson Rivers University has been working on a Solar Roadway Project, with the intentions of lowering the cost of energy use on campus, reducing the carbon footprint, and using existing infrastructure in an efficient way. Countries such as the Netherlands have begun to implement solar roadways, and The Solar Compass Project at TRU would be the first in Canada. This poster explores The Solar Compass Project as it has been proposed, and the potential benefits of harnessing solar energy through solar roadways to replace current conventional energy sourcing.
Above is the poster I presented at the WD-CAG in March of 2017. As a part of Rural Geography 3510 in as mentioned above, this poster was the result of becoming aware that there is a large need for sustainability in rural tourism as an effort to preserve the environment, important social characteristics and economic stability. I will be presenting this poster at the Undergrad Conference at TRU on March 31.
Abstract:
Rural development often takes the form of tourism. The commodification of landscapes in rural tourism can result in negative social and environmental impacts, e.g., erosion, noise, and pollution. Geographers call this phenomenon “creative destruction.” This poster focuses on the implementation of sustainability in rural tourism as a way to counter these negative impacts. Based on a literature review, I highlight the negative impacts of commodifying landscapes in mainstream rural tourism. I then demonstrate how implementing aspects of sustainability into rural tourism can reduce these negative impacts. Case study examples are from Spain, Malaysia, and Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. The Spanish study highlights the importance of tourism loyalty in economically sustainable tourism. The Malaysian research demonstrates that community involvement in tourism planning results in increased social sustainability. Finally, the Wells Gray Park study highlights how environmental sustainability can be increased by improving waste disposal to reduce the possibility of soil and water pollution. The main conclusion from this review is that sustainable rural development and rural tourism are complementary, and that commodifying landscapes does not have to result in creative destruction if sustainability is embraced.