The Canadian North: Issues and Challenges

By Robert M. Bone

Book Overview

Nowhere is the impact of climate change more clear than at the Earth's poles. But melting sea ice and starving bears are only the most visible challenges facing the North today. The consequences of industrial activity-especially oil and gas extraction and diamond mining-are also profound, not only for the region's ecosystems but for its human inhabitants. Despite improvements in the political status of the northern Aboriginal peoples, economic conditions remain precarious, and many communities struggle to cope with desperate social problems. In The Canadian North Robert Bone draws attention to the complex connections between the geographic, economic, political, and social dimensions of the region's history. At the same time he emphasizes the flexibility required to address current challenges-not least the conflicting interests of the people for whom the North is home and the southerners for whom it is merely a short-term source of high wages or investment returns. Including study questions and an extensive glossary, The Canadian North is intended primarily as a textbook for upper-level courses in geography, environmental studies, Aboriginal studies, and Arctic/circumpolar studies. But the background it provides will be of value to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the issues at stake in the North today. Detailed vignettes explore a broad range of topics-from the beaver hat craze of the 1600s, the merits of rival gas pipeline proposals, and the relocation of the Davis Inlet community to the campaign to save the Tatshenshini river basin, the debate over special status for the Inuktitut language, and the modern Malthusian trap that develops when population growth outpaces economic development. In addition to updated data from the 2006 Census, this third edition includes new discussions of topics such as Arctic sovereignty, Aboriginal business ventures, and the diamond boom in the NWT, and new information on the effects of climate change in the North. Book jacket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195427181
• ISBN13: 9780195427189
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.0" x 0.7" x 8.9"