Myth Busting: Huge Forest Ecosystems in Canada Serve as Carbon Sinks.

In the past, there were hopes that the vast forest ecosystems covering most of Canada would permit Canadians to claim carbon sinks as a ’get out of jail’ free card in the fight against climate change. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. The unfortunate reality is that, for nearly thirty years, we have known these to be carbon sources. Why? Quite simply, climate change has created more severe weather events, dryer ecosystems, and generated monster wildfires, a rapidly rising cost noted in our earlier article. Combined with invasive species, unsustainable natural resource practices, urban sprawl and other human activities, forest ecosystems are under threat (and not just in Ontario), species are at risk, and extinction is an ever growing problem. In fact, an international conference here in the Sault in 2003 raised these issues as one of a serious threat to climate stability. The resulting release of carbon from forest ecosystems has made Canadian forests a net carbon emitter. Our forests are acting now as a climate liability!