According to a Conference Board of Canada report on innovation, the nation scores a “D” on the environment.

“The report card paints a portrait of a mediocre performance that will not be good enough to meet the fundamental goal of a high and sustainable quality of life for all Canadians,” according to a summary of the report, issued yesterday.

“New data from the Environmental Monitor research program show that two-thirds of Canadians now rate climate change as a “very serious” problem, up from 57 per cent last year.”

“Greenpeace said it blockaded a ship Friday slated to carry a cargo of wood pulp from a Canadian freshwater port to a German plant operated by Stora Enso in protest over what the environmental group said are destructive logging practices.”

“Canada has slashed spending on wildlife protection and monitoring of ecosystems because of budget problems at the federal environment ministry, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported on Wednesday.”

The Harper government is planning to spend billions on sewage treatment and cleanup over a seven year period. “Too much raw effluent flows into waterways,” Environment Minister John Baird says.

In a report done by advocacy groups, the Green party rated best, and the Conservatives worst for their environmental policies. The key policy areas of concern were the Greenbelt, energy, toxic pollution, waste, the Great Lakes and protection of the northern Boreal forest.

A Statistics Canada survey revealed a 12% increase in ground level ozone after reviewing key environmental indicators from 1990 to 2005. It also indicated a worsening of Canadian waterways.

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government promised Tuesday to get tough with polluters, but it angered opposition parties with a throne speech that reiterated its intent to ignore the country’s legally binding targets under the international Kyoto Protocol on climate change.”

Canadian cities and towns close to dioxin sources (oil refineries, paper mills and metal smelters) showed a reversed sex ratio of more girls to boys being born.

“As one of the world’s wealthy nations, Canada has a responsibility to take a leadership role in what is better characterized as a change of direction than a single battle that will be won or lost.”