Environmental Trends 2007

Population and Economic Activity

Taking Action - What is Being Done?

Indicators reported above show the impact of efforts from all levels of government and from industries to reduce environmental impacts. Some other examples are:

Photo credit: Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

Agriculture: Environmental Farm Plans and Beneficial Management Practices
From 2004 to 2006, B.C. growers completed 1,302 environmental farm plans to identify environmental strengths and potential risks on their farms. They put in place 441 projects to enhance beneficial management practices, most of which were aimed at protecting water quality or quantity.

Fisheries: Collaborative Management of Marine Fisheries
Managing fisheries through a collaborative decision-making process involving all interested parties improves sustainability. Several commercial and recreational fisheries in B.C. are moving toward collaborative management. The hake, herring, and tuna fisheries are currently the most advanced in the process and there is a high degree of collaboration in the management of rockfish, lingcod and sardines from the Strait of Georgia.

Forestry: Certification of Products
Third-party certification programs provide an incentive to forestry industries to operate sustainably according to a set of environmental and social standards. In Canada, four voluntary programs certify forests.

What Can You Do?

The actions of individuals count!

• Drive less: walk, take public transit, join a car pool, ride a bicycle, or buy a fuel-efficient vehicle.

• Reduce consumption and disposal of unnecessary goods.

• Recycle materials, conserve energy and water, and reduce waste.

• Support “green” businesses and buy products certified for sustainability.
  • Forestry certification programs for forest products.
  • Marine Stewardship Council for wild fisheries
  • The Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program for hotels

• Support and encourage sustainable practices at work or school.
  • Government of New Brunswick for green office tips.
  • Common Energy for university initiatives.
• Get involved in local stewardship projects and community groups concerned with sustainability.
  • Stewardship Centre for British Columbia

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth Report [pdf].