CN - Canada's Issues and Challenges (Lesson)

Canada's Issues and Challenges

Introduction 

 

 

There are many environmental issues and challenges that Canada faces as it prepares for the future.

Photograph of a factory 

Pollution

Pollution is a large environmental concern in Canada. Pollution in the Great Lakes is caused by the dumping of waste, run-off, and acid rain. Factories have been dumping waste into the Great Lakes for many years. Factory waste includes raw sewage and chemicals from industries and power plants. Pollution that is sent into the air mixes with water vapor and causes acid rain. Rainwater carries these pollutants and becomes more acidic which is harmful to plant and animal life that live in or around the Great Lakes. Run-off is another environmental concern that has directly affected the Great Lakes and other surrounding bodies of water. Run-off washes pesticides, fertilizers, and garbage into lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans.

The pollution from acid rain and run-off can lead to aquatic deformities in animals and contaminated fish. If humans consume the contaminated fish, the results can lead to cancer and neurological disorders in addition to many other types of health problems.

Beavers are native to areas in Canada along the Great Lakes. Beavers are very sensitive to pollution and have disappeared in many of the polluted areas around the Great Lakes.

 

Mining

Photograph of the Ekati Diamond mine Mining that occurs in the Canadian Shield is another environmental concern in Canada. The Canadian Shield is rich in natural resources and minerals such as copper, diamonds, nickel, gold, and silver. Many of these resources are mined in the Canadian Shield. These mines disrupt the local ecosystem and contaminate the environment. In addition, mining has been linked to human illness and death of many species of animals that live in the region.

 

Deforestation

Deforestation, or the removal of trees from the Boreal Forest is another environmental concern that Canada faces. Timber is an important natural resource that can be found throughout Canada. Tiber is cut down, made into different products, and sold for a profit. The Boreal Forest is more than 10,000 years old and cannot be replenished at the rate that trees are being cut down. In addition, it is endangering the habitats and disrupting the ecosystem of many animals that live in the Boreal Forest.

Take a Closer Look...

After reviewing the information above and the additional module resources available at the beginning of this course, which environmental issue do you think is the most concerning to Canada? Why?

Environmental Issues:

  • Acid Rain
  • Water Pollution of the Great Lakes
  • The extraction of natural resources on the Canadian Shield
  • Deforestation and the overuse of timber resources

Image of an Arrow 

 


Think About This

 

We have learned about Canada’s problems with acid rain, deforestation and runoff as well as the benefits of NAFTA and the amazing natural resources in Canada such as mining, timber, agriculture and fishing. Be sure to review your full module on Canada to remember what you've learned!

 


PHOTOGRAPH OF FACTORY BY ANALOGUE KID, OWN WORK, CC-BY-2.5, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
EKATI DIAMOND MINE BY JASON PINEAU, PHOTOGRAPHER, CC-BY-SA-3.0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
ALL OTHER IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS