Environmental Issues and Sustainability in Ontario (Research Paper Sample)

Environmental Issues and Sustainability in Ontario
Name
Institution
The issue
Canada is mainly defined by its size as the second-largest country in the globe with a sparse population as the people are concentrated in southern cities and urban centers such as Ontario. Like any other large company, the country has a wide range of ecosystems such as lakes, rivers, forests, and arctic climate. Water and air quality, as well as energy, are some of the main issues that determine the sustainable management of natural resources to enhance economic, social, and environmental growth. Due to the harsh climate in the north, only the temperate south is suitable for agriculture and settlement. The culture and market economy along the southern border resembles that of the United States as it is dominated by industries involved in mining, manufacturing, and agriculture. With the polar snow melting faster due to climate change, Canadians are more concerned about the changes as they may negatively impact the future of the country. Ontario province largely relies on manufacturing and mining and generates massive wealth from these activities which emit a high amount of greenhouse gases (GHG). This essay discusses the policies put in place by the Ontario authorities to address climate change.
Underlying causes
* Industrialization and urbanization
Industrialization is the process of economic and social change that shifts the centers of economic activities to focus on work, income, and products. The establishment of industries also results in the formation of urban centers and cities. The first economic change occurred in Canada at the beginning of the 19th century where economic and social activities were transformed from agriculture and mining to manufacturing and services. The second economic change occurred when the industries were shifted from rural and cottage industries to large scale production in privately owned factory systems which converted the population to wage earners thus reorganizing the society in relations to the service they offered in the value chain (Jackson, Stedman, Aliakbari & Green, 2017). Ontario was one of the regions that benefited from this change due to its location as the last chain of the Great Lakes of North America. The massive development of industries and urbanization was due to its strategic location in the heart of Greater Toronto and Hamilton with an extensive transport network linking the hinterland and the rest of the world. As the industries and population increased, the rate of emission increased due to the higher demand for fossil fuel. This explains how a change in social and economic activities contributed to the problem.
* Mining of