Chapter 9: Social- How Should Governments In Canafa Respond...

Question 1

Biodiversity

Answer 1

The number and variety of plant and animal species on earth, including genetic variations within individual species

Question 2

Climate change

Answer 2

A rise in the average temp of the earth, primarily caused by emissions from burning fossil fuels

Question 3

Environmental issue

Answer 3

They arise because of human activities that change the natural world
Ex: changes can occur in the environment when a factory releases pollution into the air or water, harming the land and animals… Also the living of humans!

Question 4

Workers affected by environmental change

Answer 4

Construction or oil rig workers will get laid off if the resource is low due to environmental issues

Question 5

Companies affected by environmental issues

Answer 5

Forestry and oil companies could become slow on demand for product if the actual resource they provide has been reduced due to a natural disaster

Question 6

Environmental organizations that happen due to environmental issues

Answer 6

School environment clubs and provincial or national organizations are affected by the sudden change in the environment, causing them to take action

Question 7

Consumers affected by environmental issues

Answer 7

Because they create demand for products and services, if the resource were to be reduced due to the environmental issue… The consumers would be mad at the loss of the product at the time

Question 8

Governments affected by environmental issues

Answer 8

Because if the values that shape political parties, causes them to take action if the country is under an environmental issue

Question 9

Aboriginals affected by environmental change

Answer 9

Because their collective rights include rights to land and resources and their traditional ways to connect to wildlife and the land will be corrupt due to the sudden change in resources or land due to human causes or natural disasters

Question 10

What or who causes environmental issues?

Answer 10

The oil sands in Canada create many environmental issues due to the loss of land and the emitting of greenhouse gases
The emitting of greenhouse gases leads to further issues such as global warming
We kinda caused this ourselves by releasing so many pollutants that we could try to control

Question 11

GHG’s

Answer 11

Greenhouse gases
They are CO2 emissions (and other gases) that are building up throughout the globe
Actions are being made to start reducing these emissions
They can Be created by factories or vehicles and harms the environment

Question 12

What is being cause by the rising temperature in North America?

Answer 12

Decline in abundance of fresh water
Loss of wildlife that cannot adapt
More extreme weather events such as storms and droughts
Longer growing seasons by possible increased crop and forest growth
Flooding along coast lines due to melting of ice

Question 13

What regions in Canada are most affected by the rise in temp?

Answer 13

The northern regions of Nunavut and along the coast of some countries such as Northwest Territories that are near the Atlantic Ocean
They have an average temp shift at its worst of more than 20•c or closer to 10-20•countries

Question 14

Some endangered species of Canada…

Answer 14

Buffalo, whales, caribou and Swift Fox

Question 15

Distribution of Inuit population throughout Canada

Answer 15

The most Inuits have traveled to Iqaluit (200+) and others have dispersed closer to that region and up north… There are very few in the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Manitoba regions

Question 16

Province with the most GHG output and why

Answer 16

In Canada: Alberta( 31.5%)due to oil industry and coal fired plants
Ontario( 27.2%)due to manufacturing, including steel mills and plants for processing metal ores

Question 17

What decisions are being made to shape the industries in Alberta and Ontario and what is happening to make their levels so high in general?

Answer 17

Laws and policies set standard for pollution control and controlling GHG emissions
Demand for energy and products influences the number of industrial plants in operation
By reducing the GHG from industry is one way to respond to climate change

Question 18

Which country has the lowest GDP per capita in North America? And who has the highest percentage of GHG emissions?

Answer 18

Mexico has the lowest GDP per capita of $12500
The U.S has the highest percent of GHG emissions compared to Mexico in second and Canada in least.
The u.s has 20% of global CO2 emissions

Question 19

Kyoto Protocol

Answer 19

Was the first climate change plan the countries of the world negotiated
The U.S didn’t agree with the plan
Canada was the country that first agreed, but it’s position had changed depending on the political party in power.
In 2006 Canada no longer was a part of the plan due to not being able to meet its targets under the Kyoto protocol and its damage towards he economy and rise in GHG’s rather than loss
In 2007 they started another international meeting in Bali to launch a new negotiation on the climate change once the protocol had expired

Question 20

SARA

Answer 20

Species at risk association/act

Helps protect wildlife and help endangered species

Question 21

International negotiations on climate change

Answer 21

Focus on reducing the GHG emissions of developed countries such as the U.S and Canada
Developing countries such as Mexico so not face the same restrictions because they can slow the economy which goes against the needs and interests of developing countries. Also developed countries have more GHG emissions than those developing

Question 22

U.S taking stand and with who’s opinion?

Answer 22

The u.s took a stand against these negotiations based on climate change partly because President George Bush did not believe that human actions were causing the climate change
He also believed that international agreements on climate change should not exempt developing countries from taking action
In 2008 he said that the U.S would take action on their own to reduce their GHG emissions without joining those agreements

Question 23

Policies and laws that were placed under in 2007, 2006 and 2008

Answer 23

(2007) The government encourages people to use public transit to reduce GHG’s by reducing taxes for those who bought transit passes.
(2007) Biofuel emits fewer GHG’s… The federal government began to fund the production of biofuel.
(2007) The federal government provides funds to develop renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines and solar panels.
(2006) The conservative government passed the clean air act which set new GHG emission standards for most plants and industries in Canada. The oil sands did not need to follow these regulations!
(2007) The US government created tax breaks on energy efficient products and services.
(2008) to fight climate change, B.C’s government created carbon tax on fossil fuel’s. This aimed to discourage consumers from buying the GHG producing products.

Question 24

Alberta premiers opinion in oil sands growth

Answer 24

Ed Stelmach States that continued growth of the oil industry was key to Alberto’s economic future. He has the opinion that the oilsands do put pressure on Alberta’s infrastructure and public services, but that he rejects slowing the industry down. He also believes that consumers and producers are more than capable to act and make the best economic decisions.

Question 25

How do you provincial and federal government’s affect the control of oil sands?

Answer 25

The federal government issued the clean air regulations that exempt Alberto’s oil sands from new pollution limits. This regulation causes the oil plants to not cut back on smog and GHG emissions. The federal government maintains the “peace, order and good government.”
The provincial government controls natural resources and the laws and values that go along with provincial control of the resource.

Question 26

Who controls the natural resources in Canada?

Answer 26

Provincial government, because they deal with the economy and the huge industries such as the oil sands that deal with Canada’s resources.

Question 27

What gas makes up the majority of GHG emissions?

Answer 27

Gases that are made from the burning of fossil fuel’s, such as natural gas, gasoline, coal and oil. These are all made up as the make up of green house gases. Fossil fuel’s are resources that the economy relies on to produce resources such as metal and to transport goods and services.

Question 28

Why is it so difficult for society to stop global warming?

Answer 28

There are no perfect forms of producing energy and resources. There is always some negative output which is most likely the emissions of GHG’s. There is also few sustainable resources that do not produce some sort of waste material or gas.