Although Manitoba’s 2002 Provincial Climate Change Action Plan has received accolades from across the country, our government’s true commitment to reducing climate change has been widely questioned.
As mentioned in the article, Manitoba is nowhere near meeting our targets for 2010 and our outdated l Plan needs to be revised. It should be highlighted that the Climate Change Action Plan states very little about forests and nothing about conserving them as a measure to slow down acceleration of climate change..
Manitoba’s boreal forest is part of the largest natural land-based ecosystem on Earth and an integral part of the global fight against climate change. Often referred to as the lungs of the Earth, the northern boreal forest is a carbon sink which helps to mitigate the effects of climate change by storing carbon emission.
It is therefore imperative that Manitoba secures the ecological integrity of our boreal landscape without delay. Premier Doer’s immediate action is required to make boreal forest protection a key objective of the Provincial Climate Change Action plan. This step is paramount to a healthy and prosperous future for Manitobans and all global citizens
Francesca Arkley
CPAWS Manitoba