Global Warming in Canada --

Global Warming in Canada -- an environmental, economic, and cultural meltdown

Even in Canada, one of the most legendarily frosty countries on the earth, the effects of global warming are manifest. In fact, perhaps because of the large, icy nation's previously typical climate, the rate of global warming is more evident, to layperson's eyes as well as to scientist's documentation. Global warming is changing the face of the Canadian environment, threatening traditional aspects of its economy, and forcibly changing its culture.

One might assume that the increased temperatures provided global warming might have a positive effect upon Canada's wildlife environment. Not so. In the words of Douglas Struck, a Washington Post reporter: "Millions of acres of Canada's lush green forests are turning red in spasms of death. A voracious beetle, whose population has exploded with the warming climate, is killing more trees than wildfires or logging. The mountain pine beetle has infested an area three times the size of Maryland, devastating swaths of lodge pole pines and reshaping the future of the forest and the communities in it"(Struck, 2006). Global warming has disturbed the delicate ecosystem of the forests, and allowed pests to run rampant, far exceeding the expectations or ability of Canada's forestry system to control it. Pests that used to be killed by Canada's legendary early cold snaps which often had periods of 20 degrees below zero can now thrive, and are now causing damage to forests, crops, and even to homes (Struck, 2006). This further depletes the atmosphere of vital oxygen and other gasses necessary for human beings to thrive.

Global warming, spawned by industrialism in the point-of-view of many scientists, could also have a devastating effect upon critical Canada's economy. Canada is famed for the quality of its maple syrup. In 1998, Quebec alone "made 74% of all maple syrup in the world," compared with the U.S. state of Vermont lagging behind with roughly 5.6% of the world's production (Bazilchuk, 2000). Global warming, many believe, has already stolen the maple syrup industry from American New England and sent it to Canada. A "projected rise in temperature of 6 to 10 degrees F. over the next century could heighten drought conditions, air pollution, and pests - stress factors that affect maples more than oaks or hickories" ("Sticky Situation in Vermont: Climate Change Accelerates Decline of Maple Syrup Industry," CBS News, 2005). Cool nights and warm days are needed to make syrup and the earlier warmth reduces the length of spring and limits the snow pack that moderates the temperatures of the trees during the evening. Said one sugarmaker: "It used to be you never tapped before the first week of March. Now you have to be ready February 15" (Bazilchuk, 2000). But Quebec's displacement of Vermont may not last long, if Canadian temperatures continue to rise. Also, global warming could also disrupt critical aspects of the Canadian tourism industry, such as skiing and tourists who come to see Canada's cold-weather sports and activities like ice sculpting, dog sledding, and the traditional crafts of its native peoples.