Environment committee  This can help us conserve our energy resources and also mitigate the effects we are already seeing from climate change, such as urban heat island effect and increased carbon emissions. The national conservation plan should establish guidelines for no net tree loss and preserve Canada's tree canopy, particularly within cities.

Environment committee  If you're going to protect the saltwater marsh now, will it still be there 10 years from now or will it be under water? That's what I really mean about climate change and managing it.

Environment committee  Thanks to the witnesses and Ms. Gallais. I am pleased to see that you all more or less agree that the fight against climate change must be included in the national conservation plan. We cannot develop that plan if we are not first combatting climate change. There have to be very significant targets in that area.

Environment committee  They need our help to survive. What would be your recommendation around climate change? Would it be to invest in conserving and restoring natural areas in recognition that growing plants and soils remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while increasing wildlife's capacity to adapt?

Environment committee  Participants identified a number of challenges that needed to be addressed in order to integrate climate change into risk assessment and management. These include developing accurate models of climate change, developing an institutional awareness of climate change, developing expertise--biological, climatic, and technical--targeting funds for undertaking these processes, integrating climate change awareness into policy development in other social and economic sectors, and fostering long-term decision-making.

Environment committee  I just have a quick question for both of you. I will start with Mr. Young. Should the national conservation plan pay attention to climate change or action on climate change? Should this be included in our national conservation plan?

Environment committee  I would argue not just climate change, as per the content that I've shared in my opening statements. I think there's a convergence of issues that need to be considered over the land base. These issues are climate change, economic development, and the different sectors that are going to be engaging in this economic development.

Environment committee  Wareham, I really think this needs to protect the atmosphere, biodiversity, terrestrial landscape, freshwater, groundwater, and marine protected areas. You've mentioned climate change a number of times. What do you think this conservation plan should include to address climate change?

Environment committee  We need to integrate our protected areas into sustainably managed land and seascapes so that wildlife can move between them. It's particularly important in the context of climate change. We need to allow plants and animals the space they need to shift and adapt to changing conditions. Nature conversation enjoys broad support in Canada. Wildlife and wilderness are part of our national identity.

Environment committee  Such increasingly pronounced fluctuations in the weather are precisely what is predicted to occur in the course of climate change. Consequently, it would be reasonable to expect that as climate change proceeds, red spruce in eastern Canada will be affected by such weather fluctuations, will suffer corresponding declines in health and vigour, and consequently that more suitable habitat will be available for the BSLB and many other native species.

Environment committee  I can't give you the answers on the economic impacts of climate change. Where our council and province have been at is that the changing climate is allowing species.... Even on the horticulture side, they're regrouping the grow zones in the eastern states.

Environment committee  We found several improvements in the completeness and transparency of the information contained in the climate change plans. However, we also found that the government lacks the tools it needs to achieve, measure, and report greenhouse gas emission reductions. As a result, the government doesn't know what it has accomplished so far with $9 billion allocated in the 2010 climate change plan.

Environment committee  We look at wilderness protection, sustainable forestry, local food, urban gardens, food security, renewable energy, sustainable and active transportation, coastal protection, water conservation, climate change, sustainable fisheries and seafood, and policy at the provincial, national, and international levels. All of those are pieces of what we see as important in working towards a sustainable environment.

Environment committee  We have supplying support staff in conservation efforts, assessment of projects, and public consultations in relation to conservation. We have educational efforts, protection of specific species, and efforts at climate change adaptation. We heard about ecotoxicology this morning. We have funding of conservation groups, and we have incentives or stewardship programs. Those are on the checklist I have so far.

Environment committee  When you talk about the reduction in technical support capacity, I'm sure you're aware that the government's responsibilities include enforcement, actually establishing protected areas, research, other conservation projects, assessing projects, things like GHG monitoring, GHG regulation, clean air and particle pollutant cleanups, contaminated site cleanups, invasive species, weather monitoring, media requests, oil sands monitoring, international negotiations, specific court-ordered actions, clean energy research, climate change reparations to other countries. How do you propose to prioritize the technical support capacity in among those other things, sort of like draining the swamp when you're up to your hind end in alligators?