What do you think?
- How should we decide what to save? Should we start with what species we fear losing or bring back what we’ve already lost?
- If the very question of what to save – what we decide to save – isn’t just a question of doing right by biodiversity, but also one of advancing reconciliation, what does that mean?
- Will we – should we – skew our decisions towards solutions that achieve more than one goal? Will this be the best choice for biodiversity? For reconciliation?
- What will happen if we must pick between two urgent priorities?
- In today’s society, is there room for respectful disagreement? Will those who state we can disagree only agree to disagree with those who share their same worldview?
- How do we create space for the complex, uncomfortable (increasingly controversial) conversations required to move Canada forward?
- Do you think we can safeguard biodiversity and grow our economy and achieve meaningful truth and reconciliation?
- Is it possible to find solutions to this issue that heal the urban-rural divide?
Task
Get together in small groups and answer the following:
- How do we balance biodiversity and the economy, with the rights and values of different cultures? What should we do when different cultural values clash - and what happens if those values differ within one culture? How should we reconcile science and economics, ethics and resources, minority and majority will?
Terms & Concepts
- Ungulate
- Keynote Species/Keystone Species
- Failsafe
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Truth and Reconciliation
- Elder (Indigenous)
- Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
- Inconvenient Species
- Transformative Change
- Cascade Effect
- Reintroduced Species
- Food Chain
- Indicator Species
- Umbrella Species
- Machiavellian
- Indicator Species
- Eco-region
- Subpopulation
- Subspecies
This story in the media
All 6 endangered spotted owls released in Fraser Valley have died, B.C. says
Bias: none
Source: CTV News
File Type: Article
Overview: All 6 endangered spotted owls released in...
Despite Biotech Efforts to Revive Species, Extinction Is Still Forever
Bias: Centre
Source: Yale
File Type: Essay
Overview: Despite Biotech Efforts to Revive Species, Extinction Is...
Protecting just 1.2% of Earth’s land could save most-threatened species, says study
Bias: none
Source: The Guardian
File Type: Study/Article
Overview: Protecting just 1.2% of Earth’s land could...
Referenced Resources
- Leroy Little Bear
- Naturalizing Indigenous Knowledge
- Leroy Little Bear On Blackfoot Metaphysics And Climate Change
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: A Discussion
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
- The global assessment report on biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
- Wolf Restoration: Yellowstone
- A rewilding triumph: wolves help to reverse Yellowstone degradation
- Bison Belong in Banff National Park
- Bison On Track To Return To Banff National Park
- Bringing bison back to Banff will have immediate effect on birds, bugs
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommends environmental stewardship and protection of our natural resources
- Back where they belong
- Bison have officially returned to Banff National Park after 100 years
- Return of the bison: herd makes surprising comeback on Dutch coast
- Canada’s bison conservation success story is also partly about a rejuvenation of First Nation culture
- Bison brouhaha: Reintroducing buffalo will degrade the environment and harm existing wildlife
- Parks Bison plans remain controversial
- Let's talk about why caribou are extinct in Banff National Park and why they're headed for extinction in Jasper.
- Revisiting extinction in national parks: mountain caribou in Banff
- Jasper National Park says one caribou herd gone, two others on the brink of local extinction
- Jasper caribou herd wiped out of existence
- Banff may get new caribou herd
- Future of Banff caribou program uncertain
- Caribou Captive Breeding Program May Come Too Late To Prevent Extinction In National Parks
- Focus on tourism in Jasper National Park pushes caribou to local extinction
- More than conservation breeding needed to help Jasper’s caribou survive and thrive
- This may be our last, best chance to save Jasper’s dwindling caribou population
- ‘Tragic, but necessary’: Conservation groups say caribou breeding program needed to restore herds
- Feds inject $24 million into caribou captive breeding
- The NFL Cartel: Money Never Sleeps
- Rising prices are affecting the ability to meet day-to-day expenses for most Canadians
- Posthaste: More than 80% of Canadians fear recession by the end of the year
- Setting Priorities Given Finite Resources: National Interest Guidelines for Making Policy Choices
- Ottawa has spent $240B fighting COVID-19 in just 8 months. A CBC investigation follows the money
- How’d we get into so much debt?
- Federal Budget 2022: Inflation Gets the Assist on Deficit Reduction
- Black footed ferret population in Sask. wiped out by drought, plague
- Assessing Potential Habitat and Carrying Capacity for Reintroduction of Plains Bison (Bison bison bison) in Banff National Park
- Banff bison 101
- Caribou in Canada
- Across Canada, caribou are on course for extinction, a prominent expert warns. What happens after that?
- Calgary Zoo Impact
- We don’t need to save endangered species. Extinction is part of evolution.
* Quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.