Exercise #3 Connecting Past and Present
May 20, 2026 By: Emma Lang
“Prime Minister Carney Launches New Nature Strategy to Protect Canada’s Natural Environment.” Prime Minister of Canada, March 31, 2026. https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2026/03/31/prime-minister-carney-launches-new-nature-strategy-protect-canadas
In this article, Carney’s office addresses how we need to protect the Canadian environment so that we can continue to use it in a sustainable way in the future.[1] This made me think about Gifford Pinchot’s “Chapter Four: Principles of Conservation,” as Pinchot endorsed conservation as a method to ensure the continued use of the environment for the foreseeable future.[2] Carney involves preservationist and conservationist elements in their initiatives to protect the Canadian environment and both of these concepts are discussed throughout Unit 3. Both Pinchot and Carney highlight how it will take more than one person for conservation and preservation efforts to be effective, and I think that this is a fair assessment.[3] The world is in a delicate state right now and preservation and conservation efforts should be used to try and reduce the damage that is being done to the planet on a daily basis.
[1]“Prime Minister Carney Launches New Nature Strategy to Protect Canada’s Natural Environment.” Prime Minister of Canada, March 31, 2026. https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2026/03/31/prime-minister-carney-launches-new-nature-strategy-protect-canadas
[2]Gifford, Pinchot. “Chapter Four: Principles of Conservation.” In The Fight for Conservation, 40–52. New York: Doubleday, 1910. https://www.loc.gov/item/10019948/
[3]Gifford. “Chapter Four: Principles of Conservation.”48.
Bidwell, David. “Canada’s Protected Areas Were Built for the Past; Research Shows They May Not Support the Future.” UBC’s Okanagan News, April 24, 2026. https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2026/04/22/canadas-protected-areas-were-built-for-the-past-research-shows-they-may-not-support-the-future
This article evaluates a study that was done by UBC which shows that climate change is causing significant damage to unprotected regions in Canada.[1] The article makes valid points, and I think that more protected zones should be enacted to protect them from climate change, but I wonder if creating these protected zones would mean infringing on Indigenous land and territories even further. In “Chapter 9: Conservation Reconsidered,” by Ted Steinberg, they discuss how national parks were created and how Indigenous groups were displaced during this process.[2] I am pro-preservation, but I think that it is important to be aware and respectful of Indigenous land rights and that we make sure that conversations are had with Indigenous groups prior to protected zones being created. In Chapter 9: Conservation Reconsidered”, Steinberg discusses how preservationists believed that everyone should be using their voice when it comes to protecting the environment and I agree with this because we need everyone to come together to protect the environment that we rely on for our survival.[3]
[1]David, Bidwell. “Canada’s Protected Areas Were Built for the Past; Research Shows They May Not Support the Future.” UBC’s Okanagan News, April 24, 2026. https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2026/04/22/canadas-protected-areas-were-built-for-the-past-research-shows-they-may-not-support-the-future
[2]Ted Steinberg. “Chapter 9 : Conservation Reconsidered.” in Down to Earth. Oxford University Press Academic Us. 2002. 74. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9780199315017/epubcfi/6/24[%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3Dpart01]!/4/4/2%4052:25
[3]Steinberg. “Chapter 9 : Conservation Reconsidered.” 74.
Bibliography
Bidwell, David. “Canada’s Protected Areas Were Built for the Past; Research Shows They May Not Support the Future.” UBC’s Okanagan News, April 24, 2026. https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2026/04/22/canadas-protected-areas-were-built-for-the-past-research-shows-they-may-not-support-the-future
Pinchot, Gifford. “Chapter Four: Principles of Conservation.” In The Fight for Conservation, 40–52. New York: Doubleday, 1910. https://www.loc.gov/item/10019948/
Prime Minister Carney Launches New Nature Strategy to Protect Canada’s Natural Environment.” Prime Minister of Canada, March 31, 2026. https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2026/03/31/prime-minister-carney-launches-new-nature-strategy-protect-canadas
Steinberg Ted. “Chapter 9 : Conservation Reconsidered.” in Down to Earth. Oxford University Press Academic Us. 2002. 74. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9780199315017/epubcfi/6/24[%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3Dpart01]!/4/4/2%4052:25
I found your connection between Carney’s strategy and Pinchot’s conservation philosophy really interesting. It made me think about how many contemporary environmental policies still reflect the utilitarian conservation approach of managing resources so they remain available for future generations. I also agree that conservation requires collective action, although I think environmental historians would remind us that different groups often have very different ideas about what conservation should look like and who should be responsible for it.
Hi Emma,
I found your discussion very thought-provoking, particularly your point about balancing conservation efforts with Indigenous rights. I agree that expanding protected areas is important in addressing climate change, but it is equally important to ensure that Indigenous communities are included in decision-making processes. Your connection between the course readings and current environmental policies highlighted how historical conservation practices sometimes caused harm through exclusion. It reminded me that effective conservation today requires both environmental protection and social justice.