About Canada - Environment and Sustainability
Canadians have the good fortune to live in one of the best countries on earth.
And one of the best things about our country is its environment. Canada's environment
is central to our quality of life. Our vast forests, fields and tundra, our
seas, and our thousands of lakes and rivers sustain health and prosperity. On
June 11, 1971, Canada became the second country in the world (after France)
to establish a formal ministry of environment. Environment Canada continues
to actively conserve and protect our air, water, land, wildlife and people.
Its mission is to help make sustainable development a reality in Canada - and
set an example to the rest of the world - by promoting the integration of environmental,
social and economic factors in decision-making at all levels of society.
Protection and Conservation ...
Although human activity has fragmented and reduced many ecosystems, the number,
size and variety of protected areas in Canada continue to grow. In 1950, protected
areas totalled 2 percent of the territory; today, there are some 3 000 national
sites with an environmental conservation purpose, or about 9 percent of Canada's
total surface area. Canada has one of the best records in the world for species
conservation. For example, Environment Canada protects over 400 species of migratory
birds and more than 11 million hectares of habitat. According to a 1996 report
by the World Conservation Union, only 3.5 percent of Canadian mammals are at
risk.
Climate Change...
Climate change is more than a warming trend. Increasing temperatures lead to
changes in many aspects of weather, such as wind patterns, the amount and type
of precipitation, and the types and frequency of severe weather events that
may be expected to occur. Such climate change could have far-reaching and/or
unpredictable environmental, social and economic consequences. Across Canada,
governments, business and industry, communities, schools, and individual Canadians
are taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and raise awareness and
understanding of the importance of such actions. These Canadians are part of
a larger, worldwide effort to reduce and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
On November 26, 2001, the Government of Canada announced the details of $425.15
million in concrete initiatives that will help reduce Canada’s greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions.
Clean Air ...
Air pollution affects the health of all Canadians, especially children, the
elderly and those with respiratory and cardiac conditions. Federal studies show
there are 5,000 deaths a year that can be attributed to air pollution. Clean
air is being addressed by actions on transportation emissions, transboundary
pollution, industrial emissions, science, and by encouraging the many different
actions that can be taken at the corporate level and by individuals. The Government
of Canada has taken a number of actions in recent months that address the clean
air priority.
Water ...
Canada is often called a "water-rich" nation - we are the stewards of 9 % of
the world's renewable fresh water supply, we have the longest oceans coastline
of any country, as well as the second largest continental shelf along our coasts.
However, Canada's high per capita water usage, coupled with other stressors
such as population growth, introduces pressures on Canada's freshwater resources.
While we enjoy one of the highest standards of clean water in the world, pollution
also remains an important problem in some of our waters. Though Canada has significantly
reduced the flow of pollution into its waters, the future continues to hold
tremendous challenges as global demands for pesticides, manufactured chemical
goods and products rise and the number of substances known or strongly suspected
to be toxic continues to grow. The challenge for Canada is to continue to build
international cooperation, in particular, on the issue of heavy metals and persistent
organic pollutants.
Recycling ...
Canada's recycling sector is both mature and extensive - it includes an excess
of 2800 metal recycling firms geographically diffused across every province
and territory. Virtually every major Canadian community is serviced, in some
manner, by a Canadian metals recycler.
Useful Links ...
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