CANADA’s Environmental Issues

Environmental Issues Acid Rain Pollution of Great Lakes Extraction and use of Natural resources on

Canadian Shield Timber Industry

CANADA: The Great Lakes

Acid Rain - Problem Coal burning

factories, cars, and trucks release chemicals that pollute the air.

The growth of industries and cities has caused air quality to decline, raising concerns about the effects of fossil fuel use and acid rain.

Acid Rain & the Great Lakes When chemicals from

the factories join with water in the clouds, they form acid rain.

High levels of Acid rain can damage or kill trees an pollute lakes enough to kill fish.

Acid Rain Southern Canada experiences the highest

levels of Acid Rain. 50%-75% of pollution that actually causes

Acid rain comes from the US (winds bring the pollution north towards Canada).

Acid Rain- Solution Canada’s government has done

several things to reduce pollution Build factories that don’t pollute

the air Laws passed that require cars to

produce less pollution Encourage people to walk or ride

bikes/buses.

Pollution of Great Lakes 1970’s: Great lakes had high levels of

water pollution. Fishing was unsafe; animals and plants

were being killed Factories used the lakes as a place to dump

waste.

Solution to Great Lakes In 1972, the U.S. and Canada created the

first “Great Lakes Quality Agreement” pledging to clean up and protect the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Goal is to restore lakes environment and prevent further damage.

Work together to reduce amount of waste and chemicals dumped into lakes

Canadian Shield Large area of thin

rocky soil around the Hudson Bay.

Very Important to Canada’s economy

1.5 million people make their living in the mining industry.

The Canadian Shield

The Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield contains much of

Canada’s mineral wealth, including diamonds. Mining is the biggest industry in this area. About 85 percent of the nation’s iron ore comes

from mines near the Quebec- Newfoundland border.

The Canadian Shield has large deposits of gold, silver, zinc, copper, and uranium.

Extraction and use of Resources on Canadian Shield

Blasting and digging with heavy machinery causes the land around mines to be damaged and environment ruined.

Mining processes releases harmful chemicals into the air which causes Acid Rain.

Solution to Extraction of Resources Canada’s government has made new rules:

Reduce amount of mining allowed in the shield

Reduce exports of raw materials, but focus on manufactured goods like cars.

With almost half its land covered in forests, Canada is a leading producer of timber products.

These products include lumber, paper, plywood, and wood pulp.

The major timber – producing provinces include British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario.

Canada’s Timber Resources

Timber Industry

Timber Solution Government and Industry are

working together to manage use of the forest: Hundreds of

When too many of these raw materials are removed or extracted from the environment, it hurts the environment permanently.

Historical and current over-extraction of minerals and timber has threatened the future of available resources.