I want to clarify one point concerning environmental assessments and cumulative effects. Studying a project on a case-by-case basis of course makes it possible to reduce the impact on the site itself, but the overall vision, that is to say of a number of various projects, is significant in terms of the effects on a watershed, for example. The study of cumulative effects is an important issue, particularly in natural resource development. There is room for the development of natural resources, which we all need, but it must be done intelligently, considering the capacity of our environments to support it. There are various ways of doing it. When, for example, there is a major economic boom in a given area, that's where the importance of a strategic environmental assessment for the purpose of studying cumulative effects becomes clear.
On April 26th, 2012. See this statement in context.