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165 results
Viral Contradictions: Canadian Exceptionalism and Covid-19
This research paper by Adrian Murray examines the contradictions between Canada's image as a progressive global leader and its actual response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The author argues that the pandemic exposed systemic inequalities, particularly regarding the treatment of seniors in long-term care, essential workers, and Indigenous populations, while criticizing the government's preference for virus mitigation over suppression and its role in global vaccine hoarding.
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Document type: Research paper
International Best Practices: Estimating tax subsidies for fossil fuels in Canada
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the lack of transparency in reporting tax subsidies for fossil fuels in Canada. It argues that current reporting is incomplete and advocates for the adoption of international best practices, specifically the WTO definition of subsidies and the UN's SDG methodology, to accurately quantify foregone government revenue.
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Document type: Report
Leveraging Payments for Ecosystem Services: Poplar River First Nation leads the way with innovative conservation
This report describes the efforts of the Poplar River First Nation (PRFN) to implement Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) to support the conservation of its traditional territory and develop a sustainable forest-based economy.
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Document type: Report
Sustainable Watersheds for Carbon Offsets: Biomass harvesting for phosphorus capture, habitat renewal and carbon emissions reductions
This report describes the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) work in the Lake Winnipeg watershed to harvest sustainable wetland biomass, such as cattails, to reduce nutrient loading, improve habitats, and generate carbon offsets through the circular bioeconomy.
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Document type: Report
Partners in Climate Action: How Beardy's and Okemasis' Cree Nation is addressing flood-related risks through knowledge sharing and collaboration
Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation in Saskatchewan utilized the Pathways to Climate Change Resilience Guidebook to develop a climate adaptation plan following severe flooding in 2005, 2007, and 2011. By integrating Traditional Knowledge and partnering with entities like the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Research Council, the community identified risks—including extreme heat and precipitation variability—and implemented infrastructure improvements such as expanded drainage systems and water quality research.
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Document type: Case study
An Application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Methodology to Pelly's Lake and Stephenfield Reservoir, Manitoba, Canada
This report applies the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to Stephenfield Reservoir and Pelly's Lake in Manitoba, Canada. It evaluates the economic value of ecosystem services—such as flood control, carbon offsets, and water supply—by comparing them to the cost of equivalent grey infrastructure, arguing that such valuations can help policy-makers justify the conservation of natural ecosystems as critical buffers against climate change.
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Document type: Report
Geography Matters: Targeting "hotspots" for cumulative environmental benefits
This briefing describes the use of open spatial data to identify environmental 'hotspots' in Manitoba to optimize the allocation of limited resources for water quality, sustainable agriculture, and carbon sequestration.
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Document type: Briefing
An Application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Methodology to Pelly's Lake and Stephenfield Reservoir, Manitoba, Canada
This report applies the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to two infrastructure assets in Manitoba, Canada: Stephenfield Reservoir (a built asset) and Pelly’s Lake (a natural wetland). The study quantifies the economic value of the ecosystem and infrastructure services they provide and compares these to the costs of replacing those services with grey infrastructure. The findings demonstrate that both natural and naturalized built assets are significantly more cost-effective than traditional grey infrastructure for water storage, irrigation, and nutrient removal.
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Document type: Report
Geography Matters: Targeting “hotspots” for cumulative environmental benefits
The IISD briefing identifies three environmental 'hotspots' in Manitoba—the Southwest Red River Valley (high fertilizer use), Southwestern Manitoba (high conservation tillage), and the Southeast Red River Valley (unincorporated manure)—where targeted investments in natural infrastructure and beneficial management practices can most effectively improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff into Lake Winnipeg.
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Document type: Briefing
Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals
This guide, published by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, details greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada by sector and region. It outlines national commitments under the Paris Agreement, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, and provides a detailed breakdown of emissions trends and per capita data for each province and territory as of 2016.
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Document type: Guide
Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals
This guide, published by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, provides health care professionals with strategies to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of health care facilities (HCFs) and increase their resilience to climate-related disruptions. It details the environmental impact of the Canadian health sector, offers frameworks for vulnerability and resiliency assessments, and suggests specific mitigation measures across energy use, procurement, transportation, and food systems.
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Document type: Guide
Undertreated Sewage Contributes to Harmful Algal Blooms
A brochure by the Lake Winnipeg Foundation and IISD proposing a $5 million interim retrofit for Winnipeg's North End Water Pollution Control Centre to reduce phosphorus loading into Lake Winnipeg by 70%, as a faster alternative to a planned $1.8 billion full upgrade.
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Document type: Guide
Submission to the City of Edmonton IPM Review
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) submitted a statement to the City of Edmonton on February 10, 2019, urging the city to strengthen its Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy. CAPE argues that the current policy fails to adequately address human health risks, particularly for children, and recommends a formal policy to eliminate the routine use of toxic pesticides in city-managed spaces and the enactment of a bylaw to restrict non-essential pesticide use on residential and private properties.
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Document type: Statement
Advancing Natural Infrastructure in Canada
This report summarizes a 2018 forum on advancing natural infrastructure (NI) in Canada. It highlights the economic value of NI in mitigating climate risks, such as flooding, and identifies critical barriers to its implementation, including restrictive public sector accounting standards and funding gaps in federal programs like the ICIP and DMAF. The report recommends adopting natural asset accounting, utilizing green and resilience bonds, and creating dedicated federal NI funding to complement traditional grey infrastructure.
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Document type: Report
Case Study Research on Offsets for Water Quality Management
This case study research analyzes six water quality trading and offset programs across Canada, the United States, and New Zealand to identify policy and program mechanisms for reducing nutrient and contaminant loading, specifically phosphorus and nitrogen, with a view toward application in Manitoba.
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Document type: Case study
Local Climate Change Adaptation Planning in Manitoba
A review of local planning documents in Manitoba found that very few development, emergency, or watershed management plans explicitly address climate change adaptation. The report recommends that the province provide better access to local climate projections and update planning templates to guide municipalities in risk mitigation.
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Document type: Report
Local Climate Change Adaptation Planning in Manitoba
A review of 30 local plans in Manitoba reveals that most do not explicitly incorporate climate change adaptation. While flooding is widely recognized as a risk, drought and other climate-driven hazards are often overlooked. Only a small minority of plans identify specific climate trends or establish adaptation actions, with integrated watershed management plans generally showing more detail and clarity than development or emergency plans.
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Document type: Report
Submission to the City of Calgary IPM Review Avoiding Pesticide Health Risks in Calgary
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) submitted a briefing to the City of Calgary in December 2018, arguing that the city's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan is insufficient to protect public health. CAPE recommends that the City of Calgary eliminate the routine use of toxic pesticides in city-managed spaces and enact a municipal bylaw restricting non-essential pesticide use on residential and private lawns.
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Document type: Briefing
Non-Essential Pesticide Use Regulation (286/2014): submission of petition signatories
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) submitted a letter to the Minister of Sustainable Development of Manitoba on November 27, 2018, urging the government to maintain the Non-Essential Pesticide Use Regulation (286/2014).
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Document type: Statement
Re: Manitoba legislation on non-essential uses of pesticides
A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) to the Manitoba Minister of Sustainable Development advocating for the retention of legislation banning non-essential pesticide use, citing a report on successful weed control in six Canadian municipalities.
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Document type: Statement