An audit into the state of Canada’s environment is revealing disturbing results.
Environment Commissioner Julie Gelfand released the report Tuesday, warning that development in the country is leading to greater challenges to our landscape.
Her audit also mentions that the federal government doesn’t have an environmental plan in place for many projects after next year.
She says effects can already be seen by all Canadians.
“We’re seeing pine beetle infestations in the West, lower water levels in the St. Lawrence, we’re seeing houses falling into the tundra in the North, we’re seeing insect borne diseases coming through Ontario and Quebec,” Gelfand explains.
Gelfand released the audit Tuesday, saying her biggest issue is that the fed’s sector-by-sector approach to regulate emissions isn’t helping Canada reach its target.
“Canada is not working with the provinces, there’s no overall plan, no national plan for how we’re going to achieve our target,” she says. “Climate change is affecting all Canadians.”
Less than a year on the job and in her audit she says Canada will not meet its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
“I think that when you make a commitment , you need to keep it,” she says. “It’s very difficult for Canada to expect other countries to meet their commitment, when Canada can’t meet its own.”
The federal government had committed to get greenhouse gas levels 70% lower than they were in 2005, six years from now.
The commissioner’s report also tore a strip off Environment Canada, Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans, saying mapping and ice breaking services in the Arctic are not what they should be at a time of growing marine traffic in the Far North.
(With files from the Canadian Press. Photo by Adrian Wyld)
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