The Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Task Force (Best), is to be applauded on its release of a blueprint for Bermuda’s future development.Environmentalists are sometimes accused of being opposed to all development, but the blueprint shows this is not the case. Instead, this draft plan, which has been released in the hope of sparking debate, promotes development which takes account of the environment and helps to improve the quality of life of all Bermuda residents.That’s important right now, when the Island’s dire economic state can lead to the panicky adoption of ventures which promise to create jobs, no matter what the environmental cost. Best takes a different approach. Its proposals to create strategic plans for the environment and for cultural development have merit as Bermuda needs to prioritise how it will use its increasingly scarce financial and natural resources.Similarly, Bermuda must review land zonings, better control the use of special development orders and mandate public consultation and Environmental Impact Assessments in the case of major capital projects. This does not mean there should be no development, but Best rightly says it should be encouraged on brownfield sites.Encouraging public transport, cycling and walking, along with large scale health and wellness campaigns are also sensible. They are better for the environment and improved health also means lower healthcare costs. To that end, Bermuda should seriously consider the cycle hire schemes in use in London and Paris, and being launched in New York this month.All these ideas and others are worth considering, and now is the time to do it. The recession presents an opportunity for Bermuda to decide what kind of a community it wants to have and how to avoid the mistakes of the past.