Toronto Star

About 10 kilometres past the village of Brookville on the northwestern outskirts of Milton, past modest Victorian houses now being challenged by monster homes, is Eden Mills, population 350. Nestled demurely by the Eramosa River, Eden Mills is turning away from the kind of progress symbolized by monster homes. Instead, it is contemplating a different path: It wants to become the first carbon neutral community in North America. Reaching zero net carbon dioxide emissions won't be easy. Many residents travel a fair distance to work – to Guelph, Kitchener, Cambridge, Toronto. Most heat with oil or propane, have air conditioning, and use electric water heaters. Arriving at a zero balance will call for reducing emissions, substituting renewable energy for energy based on fossil fuels, and removing CO2 from the air. It will mean living with a much smaller environmental footprint.