It`s encouraging that governments large and small have already responded to the 2008 financial crisis with action. Whether those actions, in the form of bailouts to financial institutions and automobile manufacturers, turn out to be the wisest moves will never be fully known.

On the other hand, we`re discouraged that so many of the other challenges that dogged society before the economy collapsed had showed few signs of improvement.

Last year at this time, we reflected in this space on how much progress this region had made during 2007 on four critical issues -- health care, homelessness, transportation and climate change. Our editorial concluded that movement on all four issues was so disappointing that they should remain the priorities for 2008.

Unfortunately, despite modest progress, all four areas require more attention in 2009. Fortunately, the urgent need to deal with the financial fallout of 2008 should provide the impetus and money for dealing with the chronic health, housing, transportation and environmental challenges.

By one measure, at least, our health-care system improved. The Fraser Institute released a report in October that found wait times for medical treatments had dropped markedly for the first time in 15 years. Still, there`s plenty more room for improvement: The median wait time in 2008 was still 17.3 weeks.

One way to address that would be to centralize wait lists, as proposed by the left-leaning B.C. Health Coalition. That ensures the sickest patients are treated first, the coalition argues. Let`s take that idea to a wait times commission, which is a proposal of the B.C. Medical Association.

The BCMA also wants more hospital beds and operating rooms, not to mention more doctors and nurses. While the latter would be a wise investment in the health-care system, the health coalition`s proposal to centralize wait lists looks like it would have a more immediate impact for less cost.

On homelessness, the City of Victoria announced in October a commitment of $500,000 to the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, which has already housed 200 and aims to house 1,550 within five years.

That might be just treading water, if the economic uncertainty leads to job losses. However, developers have begun to think aloud of building rental housing, now that the market for high-end condos has dried up. Tight finances should also compel condo speculators to sell their units at deep discounts or rent them out, which should also increase the stock of more affordable housing.

Dean Fortin, Victoria`s new mayor, has vowed to make ending homelessness a priority. He will have to work with the federal and provincial governments to build public housing, and the necessary supports, for those with addictions and mental health issues.

On transportation, Premier Gordon Campbell has thrown his support behind infrastructure spending, including $500,000 to study the viability of commuter rail on the E&N line. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, under pressure from the opposition, has pledged a $30-billion stimulus package in January`s budget.

Repairing the nation`s highways, railways and other transportation networks needs to be done. The Canadian Federation of Municipalities estimates $123 billion is needed to bring the infrastructure of our cities up to standard. Each billion is estimated to create 11,000 jobs. That`s the kind of Keynesian economic fix that most experts say is needed to reinvigorate the economy.

That leads to the fourth challenge -- the environment. Our green challenges did not disappear when the stock markets collapsed. Climate change remains a real threat, even if gasoline prices are about half of their peak this summer. Peak oil production is also here, which is another good reason to conserve that resource in the long run.

It`s unfortunate that carbon taxes cause such angst in this country. Fuel taxes are much higher in Europe, which is part of the reason European cars are more fuel-efficient.

Steps to clean up the environment represent the greatest opportunities during this still-unfolding economic crisis. Governments of all levels should make that a key component of any actions to deal with the crisis. That includes making any auto industry support contingent on the industry focusing on green technologies, such as electric or hybrid vehicles.

Obviously a personal financial crisis such as the loss of income demands the most immediate attention. And our governments should work hard in 2009 to cushion such blows.

It would be better, though, in both the long and short runs if in solving the crises of today we can also sow the seeds of prosperity for the future.