Canada an “environmental laggard”

Are you guilty of leaving the water running while you brush your teeth?  Do you forget to turn off the lights before you leave the house?  If so, you’re part of the reason why our country gets a “C” grade for environmental performance.

We boast a high quality of life in the Great White North, but a new survey from the Conference Board of Canada is questioning whether or not it’s sustainable.

Canada is ranked 15th out of 17 countries in the developed world, putting into question our throwaway habits.

Canada throws away more garbage per person than any other country in the developed world, and uses nine times more water per person than Denmark, which got an “A” grade on the survey.

Len Coad with the firm says we are seeing improvement in emissions of green house gas and energy consumption.

“You know the improvements are always welcome, they’re always a positive thing given that the pressure on our natural environment continues to increase. The question would be whether we’re taking action soon enough and aggressively enough or not,” says Coad.

He adds there’s still a long way to go. Coad says we could divert waste or stop generating millions of tonnes of garbage each year, which would start with buying fewer products with throwaway packaging.

Canada did get a few “A’s” – for having safe, drinkable water, our well-protected forests and for our large population of endangered species.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today