Environmental Protection Defense (formerly known as the Canadian Environmental Protection Fund) is a Canadian environmental organization established in 1984 in Toronto. It collaborates with the government, industry, and individuals to ensure clean water, foster a safe climate, and promote community health. Learn more on toronto.name.
Why Is Environmental Protection Important?
Earth is a precious and delicate ecosystem that sustains all life, providing air, water, food, and shelter. Without it, humanity would cease to exist. We bear the responsibility to protect the environment for future generations and recognize its economic, social, and political benefits.
Humanity uses nature at 1.8 times the rate that Earth’s biocapacity can regenerate. We often take the environment for granted, engaging in activities that harm it and threaten our health.
The relentless exploitation of natural resources has led to:
- Pollution,
- Climate change,
- Habitat destruction,
- Rising sea levels,
- Extreme weather events,
- Species extinction.
To delve deeper into why protecting the environment is crucial, let’s discuss the Environmental Protection Defense in Toronto.
History of Environmental Protection Defense
Founded in 1984, Environmental Protection Defense has led educational campaigns in Ontario supporting initiatives like the creation of the Greenbelt, increased regulation of developments affecting Lake Simcoe, and addressing the dangers of BPA, which resulted in legislative changes such as the Lake Simcoe Protection Act. Additionally, its efforts to raise awareness about biodiversity and renewable energy contributed to the passage of the Endangered Species Act and the Green Energy and Economy Act in Toronto.
Specifics of Environmental Protection Defense’s Work
Environmental Protection Defense successfully advocated for banning or restricting phthalates in Canadian toys, raised awareness about the dangers of microbeads, and contributed to the adoption of the Great Lakes Protection Act. Furthermore, the organization’s efforts led to the cancellation of the Energy East Pipeline, established rules supporting the participation of charitable organizations in public policy, and influenced the implementation of carbon pollution pricing across Canada. The organization’s founders also played a significant role in developing federal regulations banning six single-use plastic items, strengthening the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), and preserving Ontario’s Greenbelt from development. Additionally, their advocacy efforts resulted in the creation of new rules requiring the availability of electric vehicles (EVs) and the introduction of the Climate-Focused Funding Act.
The following focus areas of the fund are noteworthy:
- Combating climate change by creating more sustainable communities and challenging the power of the fossil fuel industry.
- Protecting Toronto’s environment by preserving local food systems, ensuring a stable climate, and fostering a thriving greenbelt.
- Advocating for the removal of toxic chemicals from shelves to protect public health and the environment.
- Securing safe and clean water in Canada’s freshwater systems.
- Eliminating plastic pollution.
- Supporting the transition to renewable energy sources.
Research
Environmental Defense leads cutting-edge research in various fields. Over the past decade, Environmental Defense has prepared significant reports listed below:
- 2017: Environmental Defense and NRDC reported that oil sands operations in Alberta produce over 250 billion gallons of toxic tailings stored in lakes larger than Manhattan and Boston combined. They called on the CEC to investigate potential violations of the Fisheries Act due to tailings leaking into Alberta’s waterways.
- 2019: A report by Environmental Defense exposed obstacles from the Canadian oil and gas lobby to federal climate efforts. The report noted that emissions in the sector rose over three decades despite the industry’s influence on legislation. According to the Paris Agreement, fulfilling the industry’s election demands in 2019 could consume 60% of Canada’s carbon budget by 2030.
- 2020: A report revealed that none of the major oil and gas companies analyzed, including BP, Chevron, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Shell, and Total, had climate commitments aligned with the Paris Agreement.
- 2021: Environmental Defense found that the Canadian federal government allocated over $18 billion in 2020 to support and subsidize fossil fuel companies. Transparency was limited, and little progress was made on climate promises made more than a decade ago.
- 2022: Highway 413: Road to Ruin revealed that the construction of Highway 413 would impact 29 federally recognized at-risk species, including the bank swallow, red-headed woodpecker, and long-eared owl, as well as Blandings turtles and the redside dace. The report Roadmap to a Resilient Financial System in Canada described how the country could build a strong, clean economic future. Another report identified toxic levels of heavy metals in dollar store products such as children’s toys and headphones. It found that 30% of tested products contained heavy metals like lead and other toxic chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenols, and PFAS (known as “forever chemicals”). A separate report showed that toxic tailings ponds created by the oil industry exceeded 300 square kilometers, surpassing Vancouver in size by 2.6 times. These ponds contain highly toxic substances like concentrated naphthenic acids, which were found to leak and evaporate into the environment.
- 2023: The report Left Holding the Bag revealed that over 70% of goods in Canadian baby food aisles were plastic-packaged, exposing people to microplastics and harmful chemical additives. A study commissioned by Environmental Defense proposed alternatives to building Highway 413. The study found that rerouting trucks to Highway 407 would ease congestion on Highway 401 for regular commuters and reduce truck drivers’ travel time by 80 minutes. This alternative would cost $6 billion less than constructing Highway 413, avoiding a $4 billion subsidy over 30 years.
- 2024: Environmental Defense and Équiterre published Putting Wheels on the Bus, outlining policy recommendations for Canada to double public transit ridership by 2035. The report demonstrated that this initiative could reduce carbon emissions by 65 million tonnes.