A calm lake at sunset with dock and motorboat in the shadows
Insight

COVID-19 Has Changed our Freshwater Use. We Need To Be Careful

In an op-ed for the Ottawa Citizen, Matt McCandless argues we often take fresh water for granted, but we must protect it as usage patterns change. 

By Matthew McCandless on June 4, 2020

In an opinion piece for the Ottawa Citizen, Executive Director of IISD Experimental Lakes Area Matt McCandless argues that, in Canada, we often take fresh water for granted but that, as responsible citizens, there are critical steps we need to take to safeguard its health as water usage patterns change. 

"Buoyed by an increased prevalence of lockdown-related good-news stories, such as tales of clearer Vancouver skies and Venetian canals, our general assumption is that the current limitations on human movement will ultimately result in a significant net positive effect for our environment.

Well, that’s only part of the story. Notably absent from much of this discussion, perhaps because of its perceived perennial ubiquity, especially in Canada, is our supply of fresh water..."

You can read the rest on the Ottawa Citizen website.