3211F: Environmental Politics
Introduction and Politics of Green Parties
ORIGINS OF THE GREEN PARTY MOVEMENT
Impact of Trump administration on environmental policy in Canada?
Justification of pipelines as a shield against tariffs.
Energy exportation.
Develop untouched land in order fight against tariffs.
Albertan Separation
Podcasts
CTV Question Period
Meet the Press
FoxNews Sunday
CNN GPS
ORIGINS
1972, some early environmentall oriented fringe parties founded.
AUS’s Unitred Tasmania Group
New Zealand’s Values Party
UK’s PEOPLE Party: later the Ecology Party and Today the Green Party
198, first mainstream Green Party, in West Germany- “Die Grunen” (The Green)
Emerged from some progressive social movements
Founded on 4 pillars of:
Social Justice,
Ecology
Democracy,
Peace
Currently is Alliance 90/The Greens
Today, Green parties over 100 countries at different levels
Cooperate through an international network of green parties called “Global Greens” formed in 2001
They promote the “Global Greens Charter”
GREENS IN EUROPE
Most successful in Europe
By 1990s, were winning seats and part of coalition governments
e.g. Germany’s “traffic light coalition” of social democrats/liberals/greens from 2021-2024
2004, European Greens were founded for European (EU) Parliament elections.
GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
GP of the US (GPUS) emerged in the 80s at the state level
96’, activist Ralph Nader ran as the first GP presidential candidate- won 0.7% of the vote
Ran again in 00’ won 2.7%
01’, GP founded a national campaign organization
since their peak in 2000, they have never been above 1.2% of the pop vote
Did influence progressives in the DEM party to promote “green new deal”
“New Deal”- Roosevelt, Great Depression- to avoid revolution brought this idea of the New Deal, a sweep of government programs ex. EI.
GREEN PARTY OF CANADA
Green Party of Canada founded in 1983
Elizabeth May elected as the party’s first MP in 2008
former Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada
former policy advisor to Mulroney Progressive Conservatives
wanted to depoliticize the green movement
Initially tried to cross left-right spectrum
has performed more strongly than USGP
Generally between 4-7%
Has increasingly been viewed as purely progressive party rather than crossing left-right spectrum
GREEN PARTIES AND POLICIES IN EUROPE VS NORTH AMERICA
GP, and environmentalism more generally, have been more successful in EU
Greens win far more actual seats in EU and participate in coalition governments
The EU leads the US and Canada on environmental policies
EUROPE VS NORTH AMERICA
Eu Environmental policies are:
legally binding rather than voluntary
precautionary not reactionary
consistent across different governments- conservative governments are also environmentalist.
US has strengths in green tech investment and innovation, but policies change with government
Canadian policy also changes
Why have green parties and policies been more successful in EU
WHY THE DIFFERENCE
Ideology
Europe is less free market- oriented and less opposed to taxes and regulation
US is more free market and anti-tax/regulation in general
US is more ideologically polarized on environmental issues.
Interests
US and Canada are major producers of fossil fuels
This puts pressure on all parties seeking to win government
Europe gives up less by reducing carbon emissions.
Geography and History
Europe has less land and older cities that were created long before cars.
US and Canada have more space, and cities grew after the car
Result in North America has larger cars, spread out cities, and car dependent suburb
Electoral Systems
US and Canada have majoritarian "FPTP” where most votes in a riding/district wins the seat
Europe has “proportional Representation” where seats won reflect % of popular vote
PR means more seats/influence for smaller parties like greens
Debate over whether GP make sense in NA because of FPTP
Pro Side: argue they get more media coverage for environmental issues and pressure other environmental issues and pressure other parties to adopt green policies to avoid losing voters
Con Side: argues they often split the progressive vote and allow conservatives to win
US and Canada greens advocate for PR
Environmental Economics and Policies
FREE MARKET ECONOMICS
1776 Adam Smith’s argued for a free market economy based on the ‘invisible hand’ of market forces.
1890 Alfred Marshall formalized Smith’s notion of the “invisible hand” through the law of supply and demand and price signals.
Demand and Prices (Short-Term)
Demand goes up, ex a long weekend.
Price goes up, the more the demand goes up.
Demand and Prices (Short-term)
As demand goes down the price goes down.
Supply and Prices (short-term)
Supply goes down.
Prices go up.
Price Signals
Supply and demand are what determine prices
Prices then send signals to producers and consumers
Price signals are the invisible hand because they automatically coordinate the behavior of millions of firm and consumers.
Price Signals and Fossil Fuels (FFs)
Fossil fuel are a ‘nonrenewable resource’ and will eventually run out
What is ‘peak oil’?
The debated idea that fossil fuel production will hit a peak
Supply of FFs will decline and its price will increase
Rising FF prices send a signal to producers to increase supply:
Pump more oil to increase supply and take advantage of high price
Becomes cost effective to explore for and extract more difficult FFs (ex. Oil Sands)
Become cost effective to innovate energy saving and FF alternatives
Rising FF prices also send signals to consumers to reduce demand:
Be more energy efficient; e.g. take the bus, buy more fuel-efficient cars, insulate house, etc.
Eventually rising FF prices make it cost effective to switch to alternatives: e.g. EVs
Peak Oil vs Climate Change
We don’t know when peak oil will occur
New innovations like oil sands and fracking have extended the time frame so innovation to alternatives takes longer
Problem is climate change means we may not be able to wait and that free market may not solve the problem.
INFORMATION ASYNNETRIES, NEGATIVE EXTERNALITIES, AND GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
Market Failures
In economics, pollution is generally viewed as a form of “market failure”
e.g when free markets will not self-correct the problem.
Creates a rationale for government intervention
2 main types of market failures apply to pollution and other environmental problems
Information Asymmetries
Some types of pollution can be categorized as an ‘information asymmetry’
The buyer/consumer has less information about the product than the seller/producer \
The consumer may unknowingly harmed by the product
e.g chemicals/pesticides in our food.
Pollution based on an “information asymmetry” is:
Unfair to the consumer as they are being hurt unknowingly
A market failure because the producer has no incentive to change so the free market won’t self-correct the problem
Creates a rationale for labelling laws and info campaigns or bans.
Free market conservatives generally support labelling but not bans if product only hurts those who consume it.
Bans seen as the “nanny state” where government treats us like children who can’t make our own choices
However, many environmental problems do affect those who don’t cause or participate in them.
Negative Externalities
In economics, pollution that affects others is called a “negative externality”
e.g. pollution that hurts local crops, tourism, health.
The negative costs of the product are not incorporated into its price- meaning that the product is actually cheaper than it should be.
Means price signals fail, and free market doesn’t work as it’s supposed.- if the price doesn’t reflect the full price of the product, then supply and demand will fail.
The third-party costs of pollution are:
Unfair as they affect people who don’t benefit from the product
Inefficient as the cost of pollution can be more than then costs of preventing it.
e.g. the costs of pollution on crops, tourism, health etc. can be more than the cost of buying a smokestack scrubber to reduce the emissions.
A market failure because the problem will never self-correct
A scrubber would cost less than the harms of society of the pollution
But the company has no incentive to buy a scrubber because the costs of pollution are ‘externalized’ to third parties.
Making those who produce and consume the product that creates the pollution pay for the costs of clean up is known as the ‘polluter pays principle’
It’s a key component of environmental justice and making sure taxpayers don’t have to pay.
When an externality exists, the free market will not correct the problem by itself.
This creates a rationale for government intervention
Governments must use taxes or regulations to incentivize the company to reduce emissions.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
Command and Control Regulations
Regulations requiring emissions to be lowered to a fixed amount
Creates incentive to innovate to emit less
auto emissions standards
Liberals’ Clean Fuel Standard
Liberals’ oil and gas emissions cap
Effective but lacks flexibility and is more costly for firms
Green Subsidies
Subsidies to companies to encourage innovation of green tech
they only work to a certain amount, unless you do something on the demand side there is little incentive to innovate.
Tax breaks, interest free loans, grants, etc.
Can develop green tech but not encourage adoption if polluting option is still cheaper.
Subsidies to consumers and companies to encourage adoption of green tech
e.g. tax breaks on EVs or make scrubbers cheaper
Use government procurement (stuff government itself buys for its own use) to create a market.
e.g. green vehicles for gov’t fleets.
Cap and Trade
Adds flexibility to emission cap by adding trade
e.g “carbon trading”
With a cap only, both companies must reduce emissions to cap in 5 years.
Cap alone may be very expensive for company that didn’t need to replace equipment yet.
i.e. not as far along in equipment life cycle.
C and T adds flexibility by allowing firms to go beyond the cap and earn credits they can sell.
Company A reduces below cap and sells credits
Company B buys credits which allow it to emit above cap until it’s ready to replace equipment
In 5 years, same reductions achieved overall.
Critique of cap and trade:
Works in theory but firms can lobby for too many exemptions
At international level, carbon trading is critiqued as wealth transfers to developing countries with lower caps.
Environmental Taxes
Most flexible and market- oriented option
e.g. tax on pollution to create incentive to reduce it
When pollution is no longer free, the cost of the product will reflect its real price
This ‘internalizes’ the cost
The tax on pollution means the company has an incentive to buy scrubbers etc. to reduce emissions
Increased demand for scrubbers then lowers their price
Increased demand for scrubbers leads to innovation of better and cheaper scrubbers and other tech.
Therefore, market forces can fix pollution once the full cost is reflected in prices
Higher price reduces demand, but also stimulates innovation in efficiency and alternatives
Solution is innovation not sacrifice i.e. changing technology rather than having less.
Resource Law and Politics in Canada
PROS AND CONS OF A RESOURCE ECONOMY
Canada has always been a resource-based economy.
Oil and gas in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland
Mining in northern areas
Forestry in BC and QU
Fishing in BC and QU
Fishing on coasts
Agriculture in prairies, etc.
Pros of a Resource Economy: - Natural resources account for almost 20% of Canada’s GDP
Almost 60% of our exports
45% of Canada’s manufacturing is tied to resource processing.
Provides strong employment and tax revenues to fund programs.
Attracts international capital, technology, and expertise.
Leads to technological innovation which can spill over into other areas
Provides bargaining power in trade negotiations.
Cons of a Resource Economy:
“Dependency theory” argues that resource dependent limits industrialization and hurts overall economic development.
Occurs due to “declining terms of trade”
country exports lower value-added natural resources and imports more expensive manufactured goods.
Core-Periphery theory
Prices of natural resources, (‘commodity prices’) are global and fluctuate a lot.
Can lead to a boom-and-bust economy- ex. oil prices rise AB loves it, when prices crash Ab gets paid a lot less.
Also, can make environmental protection more politically difficult due to short-term trade-off between economy and environment
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW IN CANADA
Environmental and resource politics can be ideological but also regional
Originates with Canadian federalism and the Constitution.
The Constitution is the fundamental law of Canada
It establishes the structure of our governments:
the different branches of government e.g. unelected Senate
the different levels of government e.g. feds and provinces are equal, provinces control municipalities.
The federal government does not control everything, Provinces own all the cities.
The Constitution also establishes the limits on government power
Means a majority government can’t do anything it wants
Through ‘judicial review' the Supreme Court of Canada can decide whether laws and policies can be declared ‘unconstitutional’
3 types of limits:
Charter of Rights and Freedoms
In 1982, Trudeau Sr. brought constitution (BNA Act) home from Britain and added Charter
Governments can’t violate Charter rights
Can override through ‘notwithstanding clause’- If SCC rules something is uncons, provincial government can use the clause to disregard the ruling.
Federal-Provincial Division of Powers
S. 91 (federal), S.92/92A (provincial) sets out what powers/jurisdiction each level of government has.
If governments pass laws/policies outside their jurisdiction, it can be declared unconstitutional
Notwithstanding clause only applies to Charter violations.
“Environment” not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution
Both have powers that relate e.g.:
Feds have inter-provincial commerce and pollution, taxation, coasts/offshore/fisheries, indigenous, criminal law, international agreements, nuclear, POGG (Peace, order, and good government): residual powers- meaning the feds can make laws for the POGG of Canada concerning matters not exclusively to the provincial legislature.
Provinces have provincial resources and pollution, municipalities, taxation of resources, matters merely local in nature.
Conservative premiers in AB, SK and ON, challenged the federal carbon tax
Argued that regulation of pollution and resource taxes were provincial jurisdiction
SCOC upheld federal jurisdiction based on POGG and climate change as an issue of national concern
AB also challenged Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and other Trudeau regulations
SCOC ruled most of IAA was too broad, in provincial jurisdiction, and unconstitutional.
Some other policies have been upheld.
Indigenous Treaty Rights
Section 35 of the Constitution recognizes existing treaties
Feds have jurisdiction over relations with Indigenous groups
Gov’ts have a “duty to consult and accommodate’ on resource projects
e.g. review of impact, consultation processes, provision of benefits, etc.
does not mean a veto.
Indigenous treaty rights are reinforced by Canada’s signing of the UNDRIP
Commits Canada to “free, prior and informed consent” (FPIC)
Is somewhat vague and not always fully followed
Duty to accomodate can often lead to benefit agreements
Two main types:
1. Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs)- with companies- often confidential
2. Resource revenue sharing agreements- with governments
FEDERALISM AND RESOURCE POLITICS
Conflict over oil is key part of Western alienation
1980 Trudeau Sr. brought in the National Energy Program (NEP)
Made Alberta oil cheaper for manufacturing companies and also increased federal taxes on it.
NEP based on idea that, while oil revenues benefit Canada as a whole, it can also cause some friction
Dutch disease
Oil prices rise, we export more oil, money flows in to pay for/develop oil, currency value rises, our exports are priced higher, manufacturing exports
an economic phenomenon where a boom in a specific sector, like natural resources, causes the nation's currency to appreciate, leading to the decline of other sectors like manufacturing
Tax Competition
Alberta can pay for government spending with oil revenues
Allows them to have lower corporate/income taxes than other provinces ”Alberta advantage”
This attracts firms and higher earners away from other provinces.
Since the NEP, the growth of climate policies has led to further conflict and western alienation
In 2008, election, Liberal leader Stephane Dion proposed a ‘green shift; carbon tax.
It was strongly opposed in Alberta
There has been conflict over equalization payments
Wealthier ‘have provinces’ like Alberta contribute more in federal taxes
Other ‘have not’ provinces receive higher transfers from feds so they can have the same social programs.
On equalization, Alberta views itself as paying for Quebec and other eastern provinces
At the same time, they view these provinces as most opposed to oil development and pipelines
Alberta has sought to reform equalization and use it to push for pro-oil policies.
Provinces like BC, ON and Qu have opposed pipelines and supported climate change policies that limit oil development
QU strongly opposed Energy East pipeline for climate reasons
BCC opposed TMX and Northern Gateway pipelines based on climate and concerns over tanker traffic in coastal waters.
Election of Justine Trudeau in 2015 brought a strong commitment to climate action
Trudeau government brought in several climate policies
All have been strongly opposed in Alberta and contributed to a growing (sub)nationalism
Alberta (sub)nationalism has taken 2 forms
Separatist Movement
In 2019, a group called ‘Wexit Alberta’ was formed
‘Western exit’ after British ‘Brexit’ from EU
Key current group is the Alberta Prosperity Project’ which has a petition hold a referendum.
Sovereignty Demands
In 2023, Premier Danielle Smith passed the “Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act”
Claims it allows provinces to not enforce certain federal laws/policies
Was specifically focused on Liberal environment policies
In 2024, Polievre’s Conservative were expected to win the election
In 2025, this changed with Trump, Trudea leaving, and Carney becoming Liberal leader.
Conservatives raised prospect of national unity crisis.
After election, conservative politicians and media have argued for pro-oil policies to prevent Alberta separatism
Smith ramped up pressure by issuing demands on federal environmental policies and by making referendum easier.
Today, national unity issue is a key constraint on climate policy
As with Brexit, referndum campaigns can take on a life of their own
Reinforced by concerns that US MAGA groups could interfere to promote speration.
Parties, Ideologies, and Current Politics
PARTIES AND PARTY IDEOLOGICAL FACTIONS
Which party is in power affects policy because they have differing ideas.
Within parties, different ideological factions also have different views.
Therefore, which faction is dominant also matters.
Liberalism
Centre-left approach
Support:
capitalist market economy
government intervention to regulate business and reduce inequality
international cooperation and institutions
Supported by:
Liberal Party in Canada
Moderate Democrats in US.
Liberal Party Factions
Liberal Party is divided into 2 main ideological factions:
Social/Progressive Liberals
e.g. Trudeau, Guilbeault
Very pro-climate action
Business/Blue Liberals
Carney, Champagne
balance climate and business
Progressivism
Left-wing approach
More critical of capitalist market economy
Supports even more government intervention than liberals to promote social justice
Supported by:
NDP and Green Party in Canada
Progressive Democrats in the US- the Congressional Progressive Caucus, or Democratic Socialist
NDP Factions:
NDP is divided into 3 factions
Urban Progressives
e.g. Singh
very pro-climate action
Blue Collar NDP
e.g. Charlie Angus
balance climate and resource jobs - the NDP voters —> Conservatives reside here.
Socialist Caucus
E.g. Avi Lewis, anti-capitalist, very pro-climate action.- one step further than the Democratic Socialist.
Conservatism
Centre-right approach
Supports:
Very free market economy
lower taxes, less redistribution, fewer regulation on business, less redistribution through social programs
trade but not international institutions.
Supported by:
Conservative Party
People’s Party of Canada
US Republican Party.
Conservative Party Factions
Conservative Party is divided into 3 main ideological factions:
True Blue Conservatives
currently largest and dominant faction e.g. Harper, Poiliever
fusion of free market libertarians and pro-defense neoconservatives.
strongly free market, anti-tax, anti-regulation, and pro-oil/ resources
Progressive Conservatives
aka “red Tories”
moderate conservatives fairly similar to blue Liberals
former Progressive Conservative Party and PM Mulroney
Jean Charest who lost leadership to Poilievre
balance climate and business
Populist and Social Conservatives
most conservative faction
includes Christian conservatives such as Leslyn Lewis
Similar to People’s Party and Trump Republicans
strong support in rural areas
often views environmental policy as threat to rural resource jobs and/or God’s will
rural-urban divide- freedom Convoy
TRUDEAU ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
Bill C-48: Oil Tanker Moratorium Act
Bans oil tankers above a certain size from the coast of northern BC
It effectively prevents the Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta
Trudeau government purchased Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain (TMX) pipeline for $4.5 billion
Company had sought to expand existing pipeline, but it was stalled by politics
Started operation in 2024 and has tripled pipeline’s capacity.
Bill C-69: Impact Assessment Act
Requires environmental/local/indigenous impact assessments for resource projects
Critics call it the ‘no-more-pipelines Bill’
SCOC recently ruled much of it as provincial jurisdiction
2030 Emissions Reduction Plan
Sector-by-sector plan to reduce carbon emissions
Targets of:
40% below 2005 levels by 2030
net zero by 2050
Most controversial is proposed oil & gas sector emissions cap
Net Zero?
Aka. Carbon Neutrality
Either:
Zero carbon emissions or
small amount of emissions are ‘offset’ with tree planting, assisting reductions abroad, etc.
Became a key target in the 2016 Paris Agreement
2030 Emissions Reduction Plan
Sector-by-sector plan to reduce carbon emissions
Targets of:
40% below 2005
Proposed ‘Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap Regulations’
Oil and gas sector accounts for over 30% of Canadian emissions
Would cap total amount of emissions sector can emit
Firms would have to achieve cap of 35% of 2019 levels by 2030.
Would also create a cap-and-trade system where slower firms could buy ‘carbon offsets’ for up to 20% over the cap
Aims to creates incentive to reduce ‘emissions intensity’ i.e carbon per unit of oil/gas. e.g. Incandescent to LEDs
Emissions cap is strongly opposed by the oil and gas sector, Alberta government, and conservatives
They characterize it as a ‘production cap’ as meeting intensity targets too hard- instead of reducing emission production per unit, produce less oil and gas in general
That part is likely true-
Bill C-50: 2024 Sustainable Jobs Act
Based on the concept of ‘just transition’ - how can we reduce opposition, and how can we make it genuinely fair (esp for Alberta)
Commits federal government to provides new skills training and income support for workers in oil & gas and related
Bill C-50 is strongly opposed by the oil & gas sector, Alberta government, and conservatives
They characterize it as a plan to phase out the industry
Alberta NDP and unions do support
Bill C-226: National Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act.
Proposed by Elizabeth May and Green Party and now law.
Requires government to collect data and develop strategies.
Based on the concept of ‘environmental racism’
When racialized groups experience higher levels of pollution, contamination, and climate impacts
Years of ignoring mercury poisoning on Grassy Narrows reserve
Its less about what they do and more about what they don’t do, problems tend to be ignored and persist longer because of racial or ethnic backgrounds.
2025 Clean Electricity Regulations
Starting in 2035, increasing cap on carbon emissions electricity generators
Net zero electricity grids by 2050
Opposed by Conservative premiers and challenged in court by Alberta
Net Zero Vehicle Mandate
Requires all sales of new vehicles after 2035 to be zero emissions
Supported by:
regulations on care sales
EV infrastructure subsidies
EV subsidies for consumers
Carbon Tax: The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act
Two parts:
Consumer Carbon Tax
on fossil fuels (gas, home heating)
Industrial Carbon Tax
Referred to as the “Output-Based Pricing System”
Consumer Carbon Tax
“Revenue neutral”: revenue returned to consumers through quarterly rebate cheques
Amount is fixed based on income level: about 80% break even
If you reduce emissions, you still get the same fixed rebate amount
Industrial Carbon Tax
Requires provinces to set a price on carbon emissions by industry or feds impsoe a carbon tax
Provinces can use a carbon tax or cap and trade
e.g. Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) system
CARNEY AND FORD POLICIES
The History of Global Environmental Politics
ORIGINS OF THE ENVIRONEMTAL MOVEMENT
Before the 1960s, concerns over the environment were mainly about local conservation
It focused on cosmetic issues such as litter, creation of parks, and wildlife habitat protection.
Conservation groups were mostly apolitical. - run by upper middle class people.
In 1962, Rachel Carson published her iconic book Silent Spring (referring to the fact that the sounds of spring were becoming less and less) on the environmental and health impacts of pesticides such as DDT
Book helped to spark the modern environmental movement
Led to a shift from conservation to pollution/health and resource limits.
Environmental movement emerged in the 1960s context of progressive activism and mass protests
Borrowed activist tactics from:
- peace/anti-Vietnam war/anti-nuclear movement
- civil rights movement for racial equality
- women’s movement
Existing environmental groups became more focused on pollution e..g:
- Sierra Club (1892)
- World Wildlife Fund (1961)
New activist groups were formed e.g.:
- Friends of the Earth (1969)
- Greenpeace (1971 in Vancouver) - emblematic of a left wing activist movement.
Environmental groups wanted governmental regulation to stop corporate pollution
Groups like Greenpeace used stunts and protests
While conservation movement was apolitical, environmental movement became linked with progressive activism.
1970s, the ‘limits to growth’ debate became an even bigger challenge to corporations and economic development
‘Neo-Malthusian’ notion that population growth and resource depletion meant Earth was reaching its ‘carrying capacity’ and headed for crisis
Notion of a ‘limit to growth’ became popularized in:
- Paul Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb
Club of Rome’s The Limits to Growth report
Was strongly opposed by business, labor, and developing countries: these tensions still exist
Various critiques began to emerge.
GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES
Governmental and International Agencies
Limits to growth lost support, but environmentalism surged
22 April 1970 was the first Earth Day, a nationwide awareness rally.
Now an annual & global event
Governments responded by creating environmental departments/laws
- 1970 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- 1971 Environment Canada
1972 Stockholm Conference
Governments also responded at the international level
1972 ‘Stockholm Conference’
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
First international conference on the environment (in Sweden)
Issued the ‘Stockholm Declaration’
“Stockholm Declaration”
Included 26 principles that became the basis for many national environmental laws
Created the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
Rejected ‘no-growth’ in favor of balancing environment/development
1987 Montreal Protocol
1987: The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
Ozone layer protects Earth from harmful UV B & C rays
Chlorofluotocstbons (CFCs), (used in aerosol sprays, refrigeration) case ozone hole and cancer.
In Montreal Protocol, countries agreed to a set schedule to phase out CFCs and related chemicals
Viewed as one of the most successful global environmental treaties.
Phase-out created incentives for business to invent substitutes and ozone layer healed.
1987 Brundtland Report
1987 Brundtland Report: Our Common Future by the UN’s World Commission on Environment and Development.
Created concept of ‘sustainable development’
Emphasis on overconsumption in North and underdevelopment in South as a key problem.
Overconsumption had to be reduced through efficiency not sacrifice
Overpopulation in South to be reduced through development not population control
Development creates ‘demographic transition’ model.
- i.e. population stability based on urbanization, pensions, women’s rights
1988 IPCC
1988 creation of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) by the UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization
Scientific organization that provided annual updates on climate change progress, causes, projected impacts.
Provides the scientific basis for climate negotiations.
1991 Canada-US Acid Rain Treaty
1991: Canada- United States Air Quality Agreement
Sought to deal with the issue of “acid rain” which hurt crops, forests, great Lakes, etc.
Primarily caused by US factory air pollution of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx)
Was a key example of an international, not global, inter-jurisdictional environmental problem
Required cooperation between the two countries
Viewed as very successful
Implemented by Bush Sr. and Mulroney, both moderate conservatives.
1992 Rio Summit
1992 Rio Summit a.k.a. the “Earth Summit” or UNCED
The “United Nations Conference on Environment and Development” in Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Key summit that sought to build on 1972 Stockholm conference
Produced a number of outcomes.
“The Rio Declaration”
27 Principles to guide treaties and national laws including:
- right to development
-state sovereignty on resources
- shared responsibility and international cooperation
- polluter pays principle- the people making and consuming the product should be the ones paying not the countries that host these industries.
- precautionary principle-
Precautionary Principle
“When there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation”
Means ‘burden of proof’ should not be on polluters not public.
You can’t toast bread and cool it to make it bread again- this notion of irreversible damage. \
1992 Rio Summit Outcomes
Endorsed the “Forest Principles”
- voluntary principles related to forests
Signed the ‘Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
- legally binding treaty on limiting species loss and equitable use of genetic material and research
-United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)- something that was arable land gets converted into a desert.
- legally binding treaty
Agenda 21: Program of action on sustainable development
Voluntary, not legally binding
Framework for specific actions on different levels and issues.
Became a conspiracy theory among populist conservatives.
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Discussed first report (1990) by IPCC
Created framework and process for climate negotiations
Annual ‘Conference of Parties’ negotiations e.g. COP 30 in 2025
Conference of Parties
UNFCC’s first COP was in Berlin in 1995
COP negotiations produced key climate agreements:
- 1997 Kyoto Protocol
2015 Paris Agreement
1997 Kyoto Protocol
First major international climate treaty
Legally binding
Focused on emission reduction targets for industrialized countries
Did not include targets for developing countries.
2015 Paris Agreement
Next major international climate treaty
Legally binding
Included industrialized and developing countries
Industrialized countries would provide $100 billion to global South for adaptation.
Target to limit temp rise to below 2 degrees rather than just reduce emissions
Target to meet carbon neutrality/net zero by 2050
Countries created Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every 5 years to continuously improve.
Stakeholder Analysis and Slide Deck Assignment
SSC 3018
Stakeholder Analysis:
AI Issues
Stakeholder Analysis Assignment
Slide Deck and Writing Points
Selecting Design Templates:
All white is a bit plain
Key is to have a good contrast between background and text font
Having a border is good but it must avoid interfering with text and images.
Generally, use 2 colours only
Slide Layout
Avoid text over images
Avoid slides that are ‘too busy’
Use more limited number of layouts in one presentation
title slide
title, text, image
title, image/video only.
Avoid too much text
‘Title, text, image layout’ forces you to separate text and image and limit text’
Aim for 3-4 bullets per slide
Aim for mostly using 32 - point font size
Images:
Aim for mostly relevant images rather than generic clipart
Think creatively about what image might work and then search for it
Google Images and other apps.
Screenshots can be another sources of images.
e.g for a newspaper headline, journal article, or website
Cropping images
crops screenshots, book covers, graphs, etc. to get image
add borders if necessary
Micellaneous Points
Avoid overusing animation and fancy transitions
Are generally not used in more professional presentations
Insert videos
Use text boxes
Writing Points
Focus on the Deliverable
The final draft is all your prof/boss sees- not your research, etc.
Don’t spend all your time researching and then crank out the draft
Need to have strong organization, sentence writing, proofreading, presentation.
Proofreading
Van Halen had a contract clause requiring a bowl of M&Ms - with all brown ones removed - in their dressing room - why?
M&Ms were a signal whether the promoters were following set-up details precisely
Typos, missing words, etc. are the same for essays.
Presentation
Consider justified rather than aligned-left text
Page numbering: can vary but aim for page 1 being first page of text not title page
No tab/indent of each first paragraph of each new section and subsection
Extra line spacing before new sections and subsections, not before every paragraph
12-point font and consistent bold/bold-italics for section and subsection titles.
Don’t leave a section title by itself at the bottom of a page - move it to the next page.
Quotations
Make a point first and then use the quote to support it
Use ‘signal phrases’ before a quote to state where it comes from:
As Smith argues/states/notes/observers,”
According to a 2025 report by the UNEP,”
Echoing this point, Shah notes that.
Don’t use… at the start or end of quotes: only in the middle to show a gap.
Block quotes should:
be left indented
not have quotation marks
not be at the end of a paragraph.
Citations
Avoid roman numerals for endnotes
Bibliography:
use hanging indents: Ctl T at start of 2nd line
double-spaced with no extra line space or
single line spacing with extra line between sources
biblios can be left-aligned
Line Writing Tips
Paragraphs should be between ½ and 2/3 of a page
do not have any over 1 page
mostly avoid less than 3 sentences
Shorter sentences = better writing
deleting extra words
split into 2 sentences
In formal writing, do not:
use contractions
use first person
use similar words or phrases in nearby sentences
use ‘Firstly,’ ‘Secondly’ etc. - just say First, etc.
In the text, ‘use single qoutes’ for journal or news article titles
Use italics for newspaper or journal titles: e.g. National Post
Capitalizing proper nouns when referring to a specific person, organization, or place
a prime minister, the Prime Minister