What Is Canada's Environmental Identity?
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January 2005 Commentary IISDOpinions and insights from the International Institute for Sustainable Development -What is Canada’s Environmental Identity?- By Christopher Evans I am Canadian. Three simple, deliberate words that wonderful country: the abundant wealth and beauty manifest the Canadian identity. of our natural environment. Or do they? In our day-to-day lives, it is difficult to Our Canadian identity manifests itself in many clearly synthesize what it means to “be Canadian.” ways: from the bold Rocky Mountains to the more The national slogan leaves much open for inter- subtle influences of Canada’s wide open geography, pretation beyond the fact that it probably involves its untamed Northern landscape, and the spiritual beavers, canoes and, frequently, Wayne Gretzky. history indigenous First Nations people share with the land. Unlike the tightly-packed, efficiently Aside from these superficial icons, the question engineered habitats of European countries such remains as to what exactly these icons are founded as the Netherlands, Canada is still somewhat at upon. Where is the underlying core to our unique the mercy of its identity that grounds the Canuck culture like a firm large, ungainly But during my time abroad, slab of Canadian Shield? spaces and the I learned more about being broad swathes of Canadian from the outside I hadn’t even conceived of these questions when I nature that streak than I ever would have accepted a six-month internship at the Institute for between our within its borders. Environmental Studies in Amsterdam. I was more relatively isolated concerned with delaying an inevitable job search islands of until I figured out what to do with myself after uni- humanity. versity. But during my time abroad, I learned more about being Canadian from the outside than I ever But we are currently engaged in a way of life that would have within its borders. Living abroad allows works at odds against the fundamental unit of our you to step away from the static that builds up in Canadian identity, and the outcomes of these actions familiar surroundings—you separate the compla- have begun to show themselves, not just within cent white noise from the steady rhythm of a truer Canada, but on an international stage across the cultural identity. globe. And I’ve found myself moving in circles following With worldwide environmental issues such as cli- that cultural rhythm, always coming back to one mate change, biodiversity and water management fundamental aspect of the Canadian character that receiving greater international attention, it is no influences our deepest values and ideals. Canadi- longer possible to portray a green-washed Canadian ans are fundamentally defined—by ourselves and image on one hand while pillaging with the other. the larger global community around us—in terms The world is watching, and our environmental skel- the most unique and precious characteristic of this etons have finally found their way out of the closet: 1 the toxic algae that have blossomed every summer for and the identity we portray to the world around us. If the past three years on Lake Winnipeg show like sick Canadians continue to forsake our role as environmen- flowers on satellite images from space; the droughts tal stewards, we risk destroying not just our interna- and degraded farmland in southern Alberta have tional ecological image, but also an essential element become crises requiring emergency supplies from of our collective Canadian identity: the land we live neighbouring provinces; the fuel we burn for energy upon, the air we breathe; our proud cities and the wild belches CO2 into the atmosphere, threatening the live- spaces in between. lihoods of those primarily in coastal areas and small island states. Christopher Evans is a mechanical engineer working as a guest researcher at the Vrije Universiteit What can I say to my Dutch friends who view Canada in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He is funded by For- as an environmental steward when, according to eign Affairs Canada through the International a report published by the Federation of Canadian Institute for Sustainable Development’s Young Cana- Municipalities in September last year, our country dian Leaders for a Sustainable Future program. owns the third largest environmental footprint on the For more information, please visit http://www.iisd. planet? How do you react when you discover that, org/interns/. despite Canada’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, greenhouse gas emissions have grown by nearly 20 per cent since 1990, making us the second worst per- capita greenhouse gas polluter among industrialized countries? Or when the OCED criticizes sustainable development in Canada, claiming there’s “much to be done” in implementing practical environmental poli- cies? In 2004 it became increasingly clear that Canadians can no longer support our image as environmental protectors. From the repeated failures of the Cana- dian government to adequately protect our ocean fisheries, to the precarious position of the Arctic and Northern communities in the face of global climate change, to the absolutely appalling state of sewage treatment facilities in major Canadian cities, it is now frighteningly certain that we as a nation have been tremendously negligent in environmental policy and protection. This Jekyll and Hyde approach to serious issues affecting our natural environment must be resolved. Whether you live in Cross Lake or Toronto, each of us should be allowed to take pride in the strength and uniqueness of what it means to be Canadian. This identity is rooted in the health and quality of our envi- ronment; in the landscape that surrounds and supports our homes and cities. We should be proud to cry “I am Canadian.” But before we shout it from the rooftops, let’s be secure in the knowledge that the actions we take with our envi- 2 ronment are responsible and consistent with our values .