Environmental Problems Canada Environmental Problems

Acid Rain When sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen mix with water Can kill plants, damage trees and pollute lakes and rivers Passed laws to limit pollution Factories that do not pollute the air Automobiles that pollute less 50 – 75 % of pollution comes from the U.S.

Problem: ACID RAIN

Industry helps Canada have a strong economy, but a balance must be reached between keeping industry alive and the environment healthy

Pollution of Great Lakes 1970s – water pollution: fishing unsafe & other areas fish not alive 1972 – Canada and U.S. agreed to reduce the amount of phosphorus Phosphorus causes algal bloom which kills plants and animals

High concentrations of the chemical, phosphorous, found in fertilizers, pesticides, toothpaste, detergents, and explosives, cause algal blooms.

By the 1970’s the lakes were so polluted that in many places fishing had to be banned – that is if any fish even survived.

Pollution of the Great Lakes Causes Factories dumping chemicals and human waste in lakes Effect Increase in phosphorous which leads to algal bloom that kills plants and fish Solution Great Lakes Water Quality Control Between U.S. and Canada Prevent further damage of Lakes

Canada’s Forest Cover ½ of Canada Timber from the forests are used to make lumber, plywood and wood pulp Forests are important habitat for humans and animals

Forests provide oxygen, habitat for animals, they filter out air pollutants, and provide recreational areas for humans. Forests also provide a renewable natural resource on which many Canadians depend for their survival.

Destruction of Forests Causes Clear cutting – the cutting down of all trees in the forest Heavy machinery damages forest floor Effect erosion loss of wildlife habitat Solution Government and Industry working to protect forests When trees are cut down seedlings are planted

One main concern is the practice of clear-cutting where many hundreds of acres of trees are removed at one time.

SOLUTION: Government and industry are working together, spending billions of dollars to plant seeds and tree seedlings where trees have been removed and habitat has been lost.

Problem: Extraction and use of minerals on the Canadian Shield

Canadian Shield Large area that surrounds the Hudson Bay Holds Canada’s most valuable resources - minerals

Heavy machinery compacts the soil making it more difficult for new growth to start once a mine is exhausted and abandoned.

Digging in open-pit mines scars the earth in what seems an irreversible fashion.

The left over material after rock is processed to remove the valuable minerals is called slag and is often dumped wherever it is convenient.

Destruction of the Canadian Shield Cause Blasting and digging with heavy machinery Dumping of slag and chemicals in forests, rivers and lakes Effect Polluted waterways Destruction of habitats Solution Laws created reducing the amount of pollution being dumped in waterways

Review Write a paragraph describing the environmental concerns found in Canada.