CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian Environmental Issues

 

Canadian Environmental Issues

Introduction

Looking at the history and the work done by Canada in order to promote healthy environment, UN has proposed Canada to be the environment steward of the world for the next 50 years. This will also bring some executive authority to Canada, in order to be able to handle the environment of the world (Mesch, 2009). The other aspect of this is that with this, a heavy responsibility will also come, to promote healthy environment in the world, which will not be an easy task. Therefore, this paper focuses on identifying that whether Canada should accept this responsibility or not.

Should Canada accept the job?

In order to answer this question, it is important for Canada to consider a few questions. These questions would include:

Canada and the Global Economy

Canada's economy is currently ranked 14th in the world in terms of GDP at PPP, and 10th place - the size of nominal GDP. Canada's economy is heavily favored by the proximity of the United States and the various trade agreements, such as a car contract, the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement in 1989 (FTA) and the North American Free Trade Agreement, 1994 (NAFTA) (Mesch, 2009). As the rich industrialized society on the basis of high-tech economy over a trillion dollars, Canada resembles the U.S. in its market-oriented economic system, production and living standards of the rich. Since World War II, the impressive growth in production, mining and service sectors have transformed the country from a largely agricultural economy in the first industrial and urban style (Ebert). Canada has a substantial trade surplus with the U.S., which absorbs three-quarters of Canadian exports each year. Moreover, in 2010, Canada's nominal GDP amounted to 1335 billion dollars (1279 billion at PPP). Canadian GDP per capita amounted to 39.0 thousand dollars (37.4 thousand US Dollars PPP). Inflation in the country in 2010 was 1.8% and the unemployment rate - 8% (Ebert).

Sustainable Development and the Complex Relationship between Resources/Environment and the Economy

Canada's main task in development cooperation is to promote sustainable development in developing countries to reduce poverty and create a safer, more prosperous world. Canadian official development assistance is the result of political priorities, trade, immigration and development. Canada leading development policy is based on the major assumptions of its foreign policy, namely the promotion of prosperity, the protection of Canadian and global security, the promotion of Canadian values (Harvey).

The main objectives of the current Canadian co-operation with developing countries are presented in the "Sustainable Development Strategy 2004-2006: Enabling the change" (Mesch, 2009). This strategy is based on the assumption that, although, in recent years there has been considerable progress in many areas of life, but persistent poverty and marginalization (especially in Africa) with HIV / AIDS, insecurity, conflict, pollution, climate change, violations of man, inequality between men and women, are serious problems that require international collaboration involving Canada. It can facilitate international consensus that existed in recent years, for the purposes of development and a new partnership between developed and developing ...