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Canada 'among worst polluters'
Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Posted: 1:14 p.m. EDT (17:14 GMT)

OTTAWA (AP) -- A new study by a leading environmental group ranks Canada among the worst polluting nations in the industrialized world, according to 29 key environmental indicators.

The study, conducted at Simon Fraser University and released by the David Suzuki Foundation, rates Canada 28th among 30 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

It puts Canada dead last among the 30 countries in nuclear waste and carbon monoxide production, and 29th in per capita water consumption.

European countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany ranked at the top of the environmental list, while Canada, Belgium and the United States were at the bottom.

Suzuki, a geneticist and one of Canada's most respected environmentalists, said North Americans take their natural resources for granted while most European countries have dealt with environmental crises for years. He said environmental issues need to take a prominent place in the next federal election, likely early next year.

The study was conducted by an independent team of multidisciplinary researchers at Simon Fraser University, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Gunton.

"Our research found Canada's environmental performance to be surprisingly low," said Gunton. "Canada lags behind in almost every performance indicator."

Canada's greenhouse gas emissions are two times higher, and major smog-causing air pollutants are two-to-three times higher than the average for other industrialized countries, according to the report by the international environment watchdog group.

"The ability of other high-income countries, such as Sweden, to achieve much lower levels of pollution shows it can be done," Gunton said in a news release. "There's no excuse -- all it requires is a strong commitment from government."

The study found Canada has shown no improvement over the last decade. Canada's rank today is the same as it was in 1992: 28th out of 30.

"The Canada we see in this report does not reflect the one we hold in our hearts," said Suzuki. "Canadians expect more and they expect better," Suzuki said. "We should be outraged that we are among the worst in the industrialized world."

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Conclusion
Canada?s poor environmental performance could be caused by a number of factors including geography, climate, economic structure, and poor public policy. Their relative significance in explaining Canada?s performance awaits further study. However, independent evaluations by the OECD8 and the Canadian Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development9 document that poor public policy is a major factor explaining Canada?s performance.

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28 Canada
29 Belgium
30 United States

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trendal said:

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28 Canada
29 Belgium
30 United States

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Redstorm said:

Chemical Valley in Sarnia is about 20 miles away from me. I always hear warnings over the radio to stay indoors when something over there malfunctions. It is quite scary. I'm just happy I don't have a house right across the river from it.



You can see right where the checmical plants start.

(Btw, this is not a shot at Canada. I know there are many places much worse in the US. I'm just pointing out a very bad place I am acquainted with.)

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trendal said:

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28 Canada
29 Belgium
30 United States

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trendal said:

You don't have to, it's still irony. Forgive the example, but it's like a murderer calling out a thief for his criminal behavior.

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