Living Policy: Natural Resources

Our country is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and one of the largest supplies of freshwater in the world. Even though we have these vast resources, we must not abuse them. While they are an important part of our economy, they are even more important part of our ecosystem. Canada needs a far more sustainable attitude and system when it comes to our natural resources. Energy conservation, water protection, and forest preservation are some of the key factors in keeping our country as beautiful and sustainable for years to come. The Green Party of Canada is fully committed to preserving and protecting our natural resources through the following measures: Water: • Stop any and all bulk water exports by renegotiating or saying no to trade deals that allow corporations to strip our watersheds of freshwater and disrupt entire ecosystems. • Amend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to enshrine the right of future Canadians to an ecological heritage that includes breathable air and drinkable water. • Restore ecosystem health to Canada's coastline and inland watersheds by funding improvements to municipal wastewater treatment systems, with particular emphasis on ensuring shoreline communities and industries stop dumping untreated waste into rivers, lakes and oceans. Energy: • End all federal subsidies to fossil fuel sectors and discontinue exploration, drilling and extraction in ecologically sensitive areas. • Coordinate with the provinces a $1.5 billion investment to build 10,000 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2010. • Redirect National Research Council and Industry Canada research and development programs towards renewable, alternative, and soft energy technologies that will reduce fossil fuel consumption and phase out nuclear power. • Improve Canadian energy security by implementing a plan to address the economic consequences of higher oil prices. • Increase capital cost allowances for green technology such as solar, geothermal, tidal and hydrogen fuel cell development. Forests • Enact product stewardship legislation that would require wood producers to increase the life span of their products and to assume the full recycling and disposal costs of products. • Work with provinces, First Nations and the logging industry to create federal standards and best practices that ensure the sustainability of our forests. • Replace clear-cutting with selection logging and conserve old growth forest ecosystems. • In collaboration with the provinces and territories, pursue Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of all forestry conditional upon compliance to its 10 principles on crown lands and encourage the same on private lands. • Promote alternatives to wood as sources of paper fibre, such as hemp and agricultural cellulose.