Environmental Issues
Logging of old growth forest is continuing in Canada. The Ancient Forest Alliance is an environmental group in British Columbia, Canada, that is dedicated to stopping logging in endangered old growth forests, and ensuring the sustainable logging of second growth forests.
The forests of Clayoquot Sound are still being logged. There are ongoing protests over the logging and in 1993 it was the site of the largest act of peaceful civil disobedience in Canada.
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation community has expressed concern regarding its proximity to chemical plants in the area, as birth rates of their people have been documented by the American journal Environmental Health Perspectives as deviating from the normal ratio of close to 50% boys, 50% girls. The ratio as found between 1999 and 2003 by the journal was roughly 33% boys, and 67% girls. The First Nation is concerned that this abnormal trend is due to adverse effects of maternal and fetal exposure to the effluent and emissions of the nearby chemical plants. This is the first community in the world to have a birth rate of two girls to every boy
As with many other countries air pollution is a problem in metropolitan areas. The air pollutants are from cars and wood burning. The common measured air pollutants are Carbon Monoxide and Sulfur Dioxide.
The forests of Clayoquot Sound are still being logged. There are ongoing protests over the logging and in 1993 it was the site of the largest act of peaceful civil disobedience in Canada.
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation community has expressed concern regarding its proximity to chemical plants in the area, as birth rates of their people have been documented by the American journal Environmental Health Perspectives as deviating from the normal ratio of close to 50% boys, 50% girls. The ratio as found between 1999 and 2003 by the journal was roughly 33% boys, and 67% girls. The First Nation is concerned that this abnormal trend is due to adverse effects of maternal and fetal exposure to the effluent and emissions of the nearby chemical plants. This is the first community in the world to have a birth rate of two girls to every boy
As with many other countries air pollution is a problem in metropolitan areas. The air pollutants are from cars and wood burning. The common measured air pollutants are Carbon Monoxide and Sulfur Dioxide.
Human Rights Record
Residential schools were a network of boarding schools for First Nations children, where their culture was assimilated. These schools originated in pre-Confederation times, but was primarily active following the passage of the Indian Act in 1876, until the mid-twentieth century. The last residential school was not closed until 1996.
Canadian provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario continue to operate separate and publicly funded schools that allegedly discriminate by religion. In Canada these are usually Roman Catholic schools which are run parallel to the neutral public school system. In addition to Roman Catholic school boards, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario each have one Protestant separate school district.
Bill 101 in Quebec is a collection of laws instituted in order to promote the French language and restricted the use of English.
In 1993, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled that Quebec's sign laws broke an international covenant on civil and political rights.
To choose more than one official language for a state or province is understandable, but to exclude a language entirely defeats Canada’s multicultural personality and it violates the human rights of English speakers living in Quebec.
The current law specifies that commercial outdoor signs can be multilingual so long as French is markedly predominant. What is most worrisome is that the people of Quebec may actually promote Bill 101, thus discriminating against English speaking tourists and residents.
Canadian provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario continue to operate separate and publicly funded schools that allegedly discriminate by religion. In Canada these are usually Roman Catholic schools which are run parallel to the neutral public school system. In addition to Roman Catholic school boards, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario each have one Protestant separate school district.
Bill 101 in Quebec is a collection of laws instituted in order to promote the French language and restricted the use of English.
In 1993, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled that Quebec's sign laws broke an international covenant on civil and political rights.
To choose more than one official language for a state or province is understandable, but to exclude a language entirely defeats Canada’s multicultural personality and it violates the human rights of English speakers living in Quebec.
The current law specifies that commercial outdoor signs can be multilingual so long as French is markedly predominant. What is most worrisome is that the people of Quebec may actually promote Bill 101, thus discriminating against English speaking tourists and residents.
Civil War and Landmine Prevalence
Canada did not experience a civil war, in it’s stead was confederation. Political, economic, and military issues all had a common solution, which was for all the colonies to come together to form a nation. As a developed country, Canada’s landmine prevalence is substantial. It’s priorities lay within international efforts to raise awareness of the dangers caused by mines in other countries.
Water Use
Canada is as follows: toilet, 30%; bathing and showering, 35%; laundry, 20%; drinking and cooking, 10%; cleaning, 5%. Canadians consumed an estimated 643 million litres of bottled water in 1997. On average, 14% of municipal piped water is lost in pipeline leaks — up to 30% in some communities.According to Health Canada, an average Canadian adult drinks about 1.5 litres of water each day, including the water in juice, coffee and tea. About 60% of Canada’s water flows northward, yet 90% of the population lives within 300 kilometres of the Canada-U.S. border.