Wilderness conservation and climate change
After habitat loss, climate change is the biggest threat to biodiversity. In fact, 20-30% of species are at increased risk of extinction as climate change proceeds.[1] And industrial development in the Boreal forest is fragmenting habitat and ecosystems, making it more difficult for species to respond and adapt to a changing climate.
The opportunity
Protecting Canada's Boreal Forest can actually slow the rate of climate change. Canada’s boreal ecoregion stores about 186 billion tons of carbon, mostly within soils and peatlands. But when this carbon is released into the atmosphere by logging, mining, peat extraction, oil and gas and hydro-electric development, it contributes to global warming.
Our goal
By protecting large tracts of wilderness, Canada will:- help ecosystems survive and respond in the face of climate change.
- prevent CO2 emissions caused by their industrial exploitation.
- slow the positive feedback loop between climate change and carbon loss from these ecosystems.
News
Don't neglect natural solutions to climate change crisis, experts tell Canada
February 8, 2010
Alberta Must Protect Half of Oil Sands Region
February 1, 2010
Landmark Report Urges British Columbia To Conserve At Least 50% of Its Land Base As Part of Expanded Climate Change Strategy
January 28, 2010
1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
