Connecting Past and Present
April 25, 2026 By: Autumn Rehbein
A recent article from CBC News discusses ongoing concerns about woodland caribou populations in Alberta and the challenges of balancing conservation with industrial development.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-caribou-conservation-1.7021456
This connects closely to Unit 3’s discussion of conservation as a contested process rather than a simple protection effort. The article highlights how conservation policies often conflict with economic interests, particularly in resource-rich regions like northern Alberta. In the course materials, conservation was framed as historically shaped by political priorities and scientific knowledge, which is clearly reflected in current debates over habitat protection versus oil and gas development. What stands out is how conservation today still involves trade-offs, much like earlier conservation movements that prioritized certain species or landscapes over others.
An article from The Globe and Mail examines rapid urban expansion in Canadian cities and its impact on infrastructure and green space.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-urban-sprawl-canada-housing-growth/
This article reflects themes from Unit 3 about how urbanization reshapes both natural and human environments. The course emphasized that cities are not separate from nature but actively transform ecosystems through land use, transportation systems, and housing development. The article shows how modern urban growth continues to consume green space and increase environmental pressures, similar to historical patterns of expansion discussed in the unit. It also raises questions about sustainability and planning, suggesting that current urbanization challenges are part of a longer historical trend rather than something entirely new.
Hi Autumn,
I enjoyed how you evaluated conservation within your work as you frame the negative aspects of it in a strong way. I agree with you that earlier conservation did have its tradeoffs, but I think this mentality continues to persist even now. People continue to pick and choose what species and habitats should be prioritized when it comes to conservation efforts, and I worry that we are not thinking about the long-term impacts of our natural resource extraction methods. Your paragraph on urbanization has also given me a lot to think about as it does pose a serious threat to the environment, and it makes me think about other issues that coincide with our need for mass urbanization which includes rising birth rates. It makes me wonder if there will ever be a future where laws will be enacted to try and control booming population rates or if urbanization will continue to be a widespread global issue.