Managing Canada's Population and the Environment

Managing Canada's Population and the Environment

Sociology for SSW-1006

The population of Canada is among the most diverse on the planet; immigration has driven much of the population growth in Canada since about 1956. However, population growth has negative effects on the environment. Population growth must be managed so that the natural resources: air, water and land are sustainable for future generations.

In Canada, having small families is the norm, and sustainment of population largely depends on immigration; therefore, managing the growth rate of the Canadian population is manageable. In 1867, Canada's population was almost three and a half million. By the time of World War Two, the population of Canada has grown to eleven million. However, since the end of the baby boomer era, the natural population growth in Canada has slowed. Families are much smaller now than they were in the fifties and sixties. One reason for this is the increase in the cost of raising a child. Another reason for the lower natural birth rate is better birth control and access to abortion. Finally, more women are deciding to put off childbirth and seek a career. While the natural growth rate in Canada has slowed, the immigration rate is holding fairly strong at about .6% per year. Service Canada states, "Canada had the highest net immigration rate (0.61%) of all G-8 member countries between 1994 and 2004" (par.4). With Canada's low natural birth rate and through proper management of immigration, managing population growth is achievable. Even with this slowing growth, the current Canadian population is around thirty two and a half million people.

There are several ways that population growth will affect water supply and quality. One is through pollution caused by industry run off into streams and rivers. Another is by the demand on fresh water supply. A government-sponsored program called the Water Soft Path is in place; the program looks at the environmental benefits of water conservation. The days of digging deeper wells and expanding reservoirs are over. Long-term approaches to water supply and management must now be considered. The Water Soft Path looks at demand, water use habits, and community practices. Here, in Canada, resources are taken for granted, and as a result they are wasted. Brandes and Ferguson says, "Urban users in Canada use more than twice as much water as their European counterparts, with significant levels of wastage and inefficiency" (1). In current practice, every drop of water used is treated to drinking water standards. This includes water used to flush toilets, wash cars, and water lawns. An example of the Water Soft Path can be seen in the town of Wingham, Ontario. Every household in Wingham received a 100 gallon water barrel which hooked up to the eaves trough of the homes. It collected water for watering lawns and gardens in an effort to save money on water treatment. Another part of the Water Soft Path is incentives for low flush toilets, water conserving shower heads, and incentives for replacing old dishwashers. Even simple things like shutting off the water tap while tooth brushing will save a gallon of water on average if tooth brushing done for the recommended two minutes. Canadians must do their part instead of being unwarily wasteful. According to Brandes and Ferguson, "Since 1980 the overall water use in Canada has increased by 25.7%, a rate five times higher than the overall OECD increase of 4.5%."(12). With Canada's growing population, a strict water conservation policy should be put in place.

As the population increases, so does pollution. This is caused by the increase in demand for consumer products which seem "necessary", but rarely are. As a result of the high demand on consumer products, a high demand on natural resources is placed, and more garbage is dispensed into landfills. Materials used to build housing, newspapers which are read every day, packaging for the goods which are purchased all equals trees being cut down, and garbage going into landfills. Statistics Canada reports that, "Canadian households created 13.4 million tons of waste 2004 and 73% of this waste ended up in landfills (1). Canadians are starting to understand the importance of recycling. In a study for Statistics Canada, Babooram and Wang stated, "In 2000, 19% of residential waste went for recycling and in 2004 it was up to 27%" (1). Canadians have taken advantage of the recycling programs that have been made available to them in their communities. Factors which may influence a person's willingness to recycle according to Statistics Canada are, "social norms, promotional and informational campaigns, and barriers to recycling such as collection method, distance to drop off location and required sorting of materials" (1). In 2008, every household