Canada’s Environmental Issues

Essential Question

• What are Canada’s 3 major Environmental Issues?

Human-Environment Interaction

• Humans interact with their environment. They either adapt to it or change it.

1. Pollution of the Great Lakes

2. Mining in the Canadian Shield

3. Deforestation of Timber

• The Beluga whale is one aquatic animal that is vanishing due to chemicals in Canada’s waterways.

Pollution of the Great Lakes

• Pollution in the Great Lakes is caused by waste dumping, run-off and acid rain– Dumping : industries

dump their waste directly into the Great Lakes.

• Ex: Sewage treatment plants, power plants

– Run-off is when rain washes pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, or garbage into lakes and rivers.

• Acid Rain is caused by coal-burning factories and car exhaust.– The rain becomes more acidic which is harmful to

aquatic life.

Question

• What do you think is the main cause of all of this pollution?

• What effects do you think this pollution has on wildlife?

• What effect does it have on humans?

• Why do you think these companies dump their waste in the Great Lakes?

Effects of Pollution in Canada

• The effects of water pollution can range from aquatic deformities to contaminated fish to "dead" lakes.

• Studies have suggested that toxic chemicals can lead to reproductive problems, cancer and neurological disorders in Humans.

Extraction and Overuse• Extraction: to get. To pull out.

– ex: you might have a tooth pulled or extracted.

• Overuse: to use way too much of something– ex: when someone uses WAY too much cologne

• Many of Canada’s natural resources are extracted and overused.

Extraction and Overuse: Canadian Shield

• The Shield is one of the world's richest areas in terms of mineral ores.

• It is filled with substantial deposits of nickel, gold, silver, diamonds, and copper.

Coal Mine in Canada

• Extraction of minerals provides short-term money, but has long-term negative effects.– Mines often

contaminate the soil, contaminate water and disrupt the local ecosystem.

– They have been linked to increases in human sickness and death of animals.

• How eager do you think developers are to get to these minerals? Why?

• Do you think these people are concerned about what happens to the environment when they extract these materials? Why or Why Not?

Gold Mine in Canada Nickel Mine in Canada

Extraction and Overuse: Timber

• Timber or wood is another important resource found in Canada.

• Often, timber is cut down to make room for a mineral mine

• Forests are a limited resource.

• If they continue to be overused, they will not be renewed.– Cutting trees down quicker than they can be

re-grown is called Deforestation

Canada’s Boreal Forest• The Boreal Forest is

10,000 years old. – It is one of the world’s

oldest forests.– The timber in the Boreal

Forest is being used to make paper products.

– This is endangering the lives of many animals that live in this ecosystem like the woodland caribou and the red fox.

From This

To This

To This

• How does the Deforestation of the Boreal Forest make you feel? Why?

• Why might deforestation be more harmful than mining?

• Do you think the short-term gains of deforestation are worth the long-term effects? Why or Why not?

Chernobyl: Wildlife Sanctuary?

Why?

Question

• What do you think the government of Canada should do to help with these environmental issues?– (List each of the 3 problems: Great Lakes,

Mining, and Timber. What should be done about each.)

• With each, draw a picture that shows the problem.

• Have Fun! Be Creative!!!!