Canada: The Ugly Truth
Canada is said to be one of the Earths most breathtaking countrys.
Even though Canada is pretty on the outside, this country has a ugly truth hidden behind it’s beauty. Canada has many enviromental issuse that can greatly effect the people and wildlife of the region. Canada has many natural reasources. But if not treted properly, they be harmed or used up. This is happing to the Great Lakes. Shared by Canada and the US, the Great Lakes are used for fishing and hydroeltric power.
In the 1970’s the Great Lakes where used for a waste dumping ground for factories. It didn’t take long for Canada and the US to relise that this illegal dumping was incressing phosphours, a chemical used in many everyday items like toothpaste and fertilizer. The chemical caused what is known as a algal bloom, a sudden increese in algee groth that can kill all other plants and animals in the area. To put a stop the illegal and dangerous dumping, the US and Canada both signed the Great Lakes Quality Agreement, which makes sure no animals or people are harmed by the previsouly poluted and dangerous water and also reduced the amount of human waste that is dumped in that area. It was signed by both countrys in 1971 and the renewed in 2002. The Canadan Sheild, the area of land that surronds the Hudson Bay, is full of one of Canada’s most valuable reasoures, minreals.
Almost 2 million Canadan citizens make their living in mining. Even though some people believe that the reward is bigger than the risk of mining, mining can distroy a areas eniviroment. Due to the blasting of rock and soil , Slag, leftover rock from mining, is just dumped in any place that is avable. This carelessness can result in the spew of Sulfur Dioxide into Canada’s air, causing acid rain and killing plants and animal life. The possion of the natural reasourses can be deadly to the people of metroapolis area of Canada.
This area is Canada’s most populated, putting hundreds of people at risk. The goverment has placed many rules and criteras on mining so they can keep fish and people safe without hurting the very important industry. Another one of Canada’s natural reasources is timber. Timber is used for lumber, plywood and many diffrent types of paper. But the reasoures in being over-used. The country is lossing the beifits to the forest such as oxygen and wildlife that uses the trees as food or homes.
Clear-cutting is the prosses of a logging company coming in and clearing a whole area, leaving it baren. This can reduce water quailty for that given area. Without anything hold the soil down, the dirt can move freely and can cause erosion. The loss of animal habitat is also very subsational. The goverment is seeing the effects of this and becoming involved.
Million of seeds are planted every year so more trees will grow. Billions of dollars have been spent for upkeep and protection of this reasources. The logging industry also spends large amounts of money to keep the animals who live in these forest safe and protected. Canada, like many country, have envirmental issues. But many programs have been put in place by the Canadan goverment and the amount of new damage to the envirement is steadly decressing with each day and there is also programs to try to reverse the damage already caused to Canada. I believe all countrys could learn from Canada’s mistakes and use some of the programs and prevention steps that Canada has taken to help improve their envirment.
