1. Canada
Environmental Issues

2. GPS & E.Q.
GPS: SS6G7a. Explain the major environmental concerns of Canada regarding acid rain and pollution of the Great Lakes, the extraction and use of natural resources on the Canadian Shield, and timber resources.
E.Q.: How have acid rain, pollution, mining, and the timber industry impacted Canada?

3. Vocabulary Extraction: removal
Acid rain: acidic clouds or rain droplets
Algal bloom: rapid increase of algae in lakes
Slag: leftover rocks from mining
Clear-cutting: cutting down all the trees in an area

4. ACID RAIN

5. PROBLEM Dead Trees! Dead Fish! Damaged buildings & statues!
Causes: burning fossil fuels (cars & factories) makes sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide
SO2 , CO2 , NO2 + water in the air = ACID RAIN
KILLS plants, damages/kills trees, pollutes lakes & rivers, kills fish, damages stone buildings & statues

6. SOLUTION Canada passed laws to limit pollution
Cleaner factories & cars
Walk/bus/bike to work
Still a problem: wind currents carry pollution from U.S. to Canada (50 – 75% comes from US!)

7. EXTRACTION & USE of NATURAL RESOURCES on the CANADIAN SHIELD

8. PROBLEM Dead plants! Dead fish! Poisoned water! Causes: Mining
Blasting & digging with heavy machines
Dumping slag
Releasing SO2 into air
Dumping chemicals into rivers & streams

9. SOLUTION
Canada’s gov’t has made new rules for mining to reduce the amount of pollution in waterways

10. GREAT LAKES POLLUTION

11. PROBLEM
Dead fish!
Causes: Factories dumped phosphorus & human waste into Great Lakes
Phosphorus is used in fertilizers, pesticides, toothpaste, detergents, explosives
It causes algal bloom
Algal bloom kills fish and plants in lakes

12. SOLUTION
1971: Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (U.S. & Canada); renewed 2002
Goal is to restore lakes’ environment by keeping chemicals out of lakes & reducing human sewage dumped into lakes
1972: gov’ts of Canada & U.S. signed agreement to reduce production of phosphorus

13. TIMBER INDUSTRY

14. PROBLEM No trees! No animal homes! Less clean air!
Causes: clear-cutting
Causes reduced water quality, erosion, loss of wildlife habitat
Heavy machines compact forest floor – hard for new plants to grow

15. SOLUTION
Canada’s gov’t & industries plant millions of seeds & seedlings each year
Billions of dollars are spent to manage & protect the forests
$100 million or more is spent each year by the logging industry to protect wildlife & habitats