Canada’s

Environmental
Issues
 Credits
• Retrieved from www.Slideshare.net.
November 23, 2011. Originally posted by
miacru63.
SS6G7 - The student will
discuss environmental issues
in Canada.

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.
 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.
 Environmental Issues Notes
1. Pollution of the Great Lakes
– Use
– Problem
– effect
2. Mining in the Canadian Shield
– Use
– Problem
– effect
3. Deforestation of Timber
– Use
– Problem
– effect
Pollution
of the
Great
Lakes
 GREAT LAKES

What is it used for?

Pollution
in the
Great
Lakes is
caused by
waste
dumping,
run-off
and acid
rain
 Pollution of the Great Lakes
– 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.
 Questions
• 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.
Mining in the
Canadian
Shield
 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.
 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:
• Extraction of minerals
Canadian Shield
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 Coal Mine in Canada
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

Deforestation
of Timber
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
 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.
• 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
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?