The third installment of History Professor Sean Kheraj’s six–part audio podcast series “Histories of Canadian Environmental Issues” is now available on the Network in Canadian History & Environment (NiCHE) website. This episode is the first of two that will examine the history of the environmental movement in Canada.
The environmental movement is one of the most popular topics in Canadian environmental history. At present, the environmental movement in Canada is at a bit of a crossroads. Having finally moved beyond simply outlining worst practices and their consequences, the last decade has witnessed proactive solutions and workable alternatives to every kind of environmental problem. Yet, this comes at the same time as economic turmoil and ideological opposition from government. Recently, David Suzuki has even gone so far as to argue that “Environmentalism has failed”. Given this crossroads, environmental historians offer the context needed to understand the state of the environmental movement in this country today.
On this first part of our look at the history of the environmental movement in Canada we speak with Canadian environmental historian, Neil Forkey about his new book Canadians and the Natural Environment to the Twenty–First Century.
To listen to this episode, visit: http://niche-canada.org/node/10528.
Each episode in the six–part series examines historical perspectives on a number of pertinent environmental issues for Canadians including:
- Climate Change;
- Aboriginal Peoples, Health, and Environment;
- The Canadian Environmental Movement, Parts 1 & 2;
- Fisheries;
- Food and Agriculture; and,
- Tar Sands.
Each episode includes conversations with historians who explore different aspects of these issues in past contexts. Round–table and panel discussions, and interviews will be featured to cover each of these complicated and important environmental issues.
Pollution Probe members holding a funeral for the Don River in 1969.
Source: Tom Davey, 1969.