Governments make laws to help control the damage done to our environment. By following them — and doing more than the laws require — we can make this world a better place to live for us now and for our children in the future. You will learn about the purpose of environmental laws in this activity.    

                     

 
 

Human activities have both positive and negative effects on the environment. Governments have passed environmental laws to protect our environment and to help us control the negative impact we are having on the earth.

 Two specific laws that you should be aware of are:

1. Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This Act was passed into law in 1999 and will be updated in 2017.

2. Fisheries Act. This act includes provisions for the conservation and protection of fish habitats. This Act was enacted in 1977 and updated in 2013.

 Specific enforcement officers, inspectors, and fishery officers enforce the rules of these acts. When Canadians fail to follow these laws, heavy fines and/or prison times can be given as punishments.

 

We can make Canada's environment much more sustainable if we:

• follow the laws protecting the environment

•  reduce the amount we waste

• make smarter consumer choices

•  tell the government to make laws tougher for those that harm the environment and easier for those making better choices

Our country would then have a better chance to survive in the future; it would be a much better place to live. Canadians could safely walk outside. They could drink clean water. Food would be free from pesticides and insecticides.

In a sustainable future, Canadians would use clean, renewable energy from the sun, wind, or water or heat from the earth and not rely on the fossil fuels from the earth. We would not be destroying species of plant and animals each day. We could be sure people would have a better place and way of living than we do today.