Healthy soil is essential for maintaining water supplies, promoting air filtration and carbon storage, and for the wellbeing of plants and wildlife. Ontario contains the majority of Canada's most productive agricultural land - land that is responsible for producing over one-quarter of the country's crops and agricultural products. Through sustainable agricultural practices, the health of our soil can be ensured. The "The Health of Our Soils: Toward Sustainable Agriculture in Canada" report contains in-depth information on agricultural land impacts.
Good agricultural practices also include a step back from heavy reliance on pesticides, which can be harmful to human health. According to the David Suzuki Foundation, Canada allows more exposure to pesticides than many other industrialized nations and every Canadian carries pesticide residues in their body. Please visit the David Suzuki Foundation for all the details. As an individual you can help reduce the chances of pesticides washing into our storm sewer system and entering our waterways by keeping your lawn and garden chemical free.
Trees provide many essential and irreplaceable services. For example, forests act as sinks for carbon dioxide and play a vital role in air filtration. Trees act as lungs, releasing oxygen and trapping harmful gases and particulates in the leaf's surfaces. This process helps reduce smog and positively impacts air quality. Trees also help reduce local air temperature through their evaporation and transpiration processes by absorbing heat and giving off large amounts of water on a daily basis. Trees also provide shade, reducing the amount of solar energy absorbed and the amount of re-radiated energy emitted. In doing what they do naturally, trees moderate the impacts of global warming and climate change. Trees are also essential for water health and forests are an important component in watershed filtration systems. As rain falls, tree leaves intercept its flow, reducing the amount of water hitting the ground, while roots stabilize soils. The result is slower water runoff that allows groundwater sources to recharge and prevents flooding.
For more information about all that trees can do, visit Trees Are Good. This site has tons of information on tree values and services like social, communal, environmental, and economic benefits. You will also find in-depth information on maintaining healthy trees, including how to properly prune a tree and why the practice of topping hurts trees. The Ontario Urban Forest Council, promotes education about trees and holds workshops, educational seminars and can provide speakers to discuss urban forest issues at events.
One gram of PCBs can make up to one billion litres of water unsuitable for freshwater aquatic life
