Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Earth Day
Contact:
Laura Jones, Director of Environmental Studies
The Fraser Institute, (604) 714-4547, Email: lauraj@fraserinstitute.caRelease Date: 21 April 1998
Vancouver, BC>>> There are good reasons for Canadians to celebrate Earth Day this year (Wednesday, April 22). Environmental quality has been improving, the air is cleaner, the world is not running out of natural resources, and free trade and economic growth have made the planet a better place in which to live.
"This Earth Day we should celebrate our clean environment," said Laura Jones, Director of Environmental Studies at the Fraser Institute. "Thanks to our wealth and prosperity Canadians are far beyond having to worry about the most serious environmental problems that plague developing countries. In addition, our high level of environmental quality is improving at an impressive rate in areas such as air and water quality."
#1 Overall, Environmental Quality in Canada is Improving
The Fraser Institute and the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy of San Francisco recently published the 1998 Environmental Indicators for Canada and the United States. The 70-page report shows that, contrary to public opinion, objectives for protecting human health and the environment are being met, pollution and wastes are being controlled, and resources and land are being managed effectively. Overall, environmental quality improved 10.8 percent relative to conditions in 1980.
#2 Air Quality Has Improved Dramatically Over the Past 20 Years
Overall air quality in Canada has improved 39 percent since 1980. The most dramatic improvements have been lead (94 percent), carbon monoxide (57 percent), sulphur dioxide (44 percent) and particulates (46 percent). Cleaner technology has been responsible for much of the decline in air pollution. For example, North American cars today emit 90 percent less nitrogen dioxide, 97 percent less hydrocarbon, and 96 percent less carbon monoxide than cars built two decades ago. Reductions in emissions from automobiles are expected to continue as more old cars are retired.
#3 There is No Overpopulation Crisis
For decades, environmentalists have been predicting that we are doomed to run out of food, energy and space as a result of an overpopulation crisis. Fortunately, they were wrong. Food production has increased considerably faster than population since the 1950s, reserves of oil are higher today than 10 years ago and the running-out-of-space crisis is imagined. If everyone in the world moved to the US state of Texas, the population density per square mile would be 20,705, or almost the same as Paris (20,185) or Toronto (20,420).
#4 Economic Growth Promotes Environmental Quality
Economic growth and environmental quality are natural allies. As per capita incomes rise, many indicators of environmental quality improve. According to a World Bank analysis, sulphur dioxide emissions decline when per capita incomes reach US$3,670; fecal coliform bacteria declines at per capita incomes of US$1,375; and smoke and particulate matter decline when per capita incomes reach US$3,280. Another study done by economists Gene Grossman and Alan Krueger finds that most indicators of pollution start to fall before a country reaches a per capita income of $8,000 (1985 $US).
#5 Resources are Plentiful
Resources are becoming less scarce as techniques for discovering them improve and substitutes proliferate. Proven reserves of bauxite, chromium, copper, iron ore, nickel, oil and gas, and zinc have increased by over 100 percent between 1950 and 1990.
#6 Scientists Do Not Agree that there is a Global Warming Crisis
There are many scientists who disagree with what has been popularized as the consensus view of global warming. In fact, the only real consensus in the global warming debate is that there is a great deal of uncertainty about predicting future climate changes and why these changes occur. According to a 1992 Gallup poll of members of the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society (the two professional societies whose members are most likely to be involved in climate research), only 18 percent thought some global warming had occurred, 33 percent said insufficient information existed to tell, and 49 percent believed no warming had taken place.
#7 Canadian Water Quality Is Improving
The number of instances where water quality standards violate local requirements have declined by 13 percent relative to 1980 levels. In 1995, Alberta and Saskatchewan met their water quality goals 90 percent of the time, British Columbia and New Brunswick met their goals over 80 percent of the time, and Manitoba met its goals over 70 percent of the time. In addition, water quality in the Great Lakes has improved considerably. Levels of phosphorus, Dichloro-diphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE), Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and hexachloro-benzenes (HCBs) have fallen by 39 percent, 52 percent, 61 percent and 74 percent respectively.
#8 Forest Land is Plentiful in Canada
Today, almost half of the land base in Canada (45 percent) is forest land. Forest cover has increased from 2 million square kilometers in 1980 to 2.8 million square kilometers in 1992. In addition the proportion of the Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) harvested fell to 64 percent in the 1990s compared to 83 percent in 1985.
#9 Wetlands Are Not in Decline
Wetlands cover roughly 12 percent or nearly 127,000,000 hectares of Canada's land base. Since 1986, Canada has suffered no net loss of wetlands.
#10 Technological Advances are Helping to Keep Our Environment Clean
Technological advances allow us to produce more output with fewer inputs. As a result of technological advances, for example, energy efficiency has increased by roughly 20 percent since 1980. Advances in technology have also helped reduce packaging and automobile emissions.
Established in 1974, The Fraser Institute is an independent public policy organization based in Vancouver.
For further information:
Suzanne Walters, Director of Communications,
The Fraser Institute, (604) 714-4582,
Email suzannew@fraserinstitute.ca
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