Why Is This An Issue?
Animals are disappearing and because of this we are losing many species of plan and animal life.
Depletion of old forest is leading to global warming because fewer trees mean less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen.
Precious resources are being lost as the trees are getting cut down faster then they can grow back.
Specific Regions/People/Cultures OF Canada Effected /Involved
Canada’s 1.4 billion Acre boreal forests were identified as the largest in the world by scientists from over 50 countries.
The first forests in Canada to be commercially logged were the pine forest of the great lakes.
British Columbia is greatly affected by this issue as two/thirds of the province is forestland, which also means that it accounts for a portion of the province’s jobs.
General Issue Information
In North America the most serious losses are occurring in B.C, Oregon and Washington.
Canada is one of the few countries in the world that can make a difference in the planet’s health. Forests cover over forty percent of the country.
Old Growth forests are very old forests that can take centuries to grow back; there are some in British Columbia that are expected to be 1000 years.
Clear cutting is a method of logging in which all or most of the trees are cut down. This method is greatly argued by environmentalists as it is very harmful for the environment.
Canada’s forests account for ten percent of the forests worldwide. Also forty percent of Canada is forestland.
Social Information
Between 1990 and 2001 the annual area logged in Canada rose by 12 percent while the forestry employment grew by 4 percent.
Trees give us wood in many forms i.e. planks, doors etc. So not only do they provide lumber jobs they also provide jobs for secondary industries i.e. carpentry.
With all the new technology the forest industry is increasing but due to the new machines jobs in this sector are decreasing.
The lumber industry employs over 300,000 people in Canada and 300 communities depend on it for their direct source of income.
How the Issue Effects the Economy
In 2003 the lumber industry generated $74 billion and has been the center of Canada’s economic development.
The World’s lumber industry is worth billions and is third largest after oil and natural gas.
Canada is the world’s leading exporter in wood products.
Interesting Stats / Facts / Quotes
Early 1990’s the world’s forests were disappearing at the rate of 80 acres a minute.
Every year 40 to 50 million acres were wiped out. According to WWF in 1992 Canada was losing 1 sq. km of wilderness every hour.
The Canadian Boreal forest holds 185 billion tones of carbon, equivalent to 27 years of the world’s carbon emissions.
Despite its importance almost 500,000 hectares of Canada’s Boreal forest are cut down annually.
Government Laws / Policies / Initiatives
With the World Trade Organization, NAFTA and the Kyoto Accord impacting trade partnerships, the lumber industry is changing
In the early years of the lumber industry the government of B.C welcomed companies to harvest the Douglas Fur.
In B.C 94% of the total land crown land or land owned by the government.
