Table 1 Status of Canada's national series of environmental indicators


STATUS OF CANADA'S NATIONAL SERIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 
Indicators Developed (December 1996) 

Theme: Ecological Life Support Systems
Issue: Stratospheric Ozone Depletion 
INDICATORS New supplies of ozone- depleting substances
Global atmospheric concentrations of ozone-depleting substances Stratospheric ozone levels

Issue: Climate Change 

INDICATORS Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use
Global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases
Global and Canadian temperature variations
Issue: Toxic Contaminants in the Environment: Persistent Organochlorines 
INDICATORS Contaminant levels in Double-crested Cormorant eggs: DDEand PCBs
Contaminant levels in Double-crested Cormorant eggs: dioxins and furans

Issue: Acid Rain 

INDICATORS Emissions of sulphur dioxide
EmIssions of mtrogenoxldes
Wet su!phatedeposition
Trends in lake acidity in south-eastern Canada

Theme: Human Health and Well-being Issue: Urban Air Quality 

INDICATORS Average levels of air pollutants in Canadian cities
Number of hours ground-level ozone exceeded objective
Levels of aiibome particles in
Canadian cities Airtoxins in Cilnadlan cities: Benzene
Issue: Urban Water: Municipal Water Use Wastewater Treatment 
INDICATORS Daily municipal water use
Municipal population served by waste
Metered residential water use
Theme: Natural Resource Sustainahility Issue: Sustaining Marine Resouces: Pacific Herring Fish Stocks 
INDICATORS Abundance(spawning biomass)of Pacific herring stocks
Commercial catch of Pacific herring
Economic value of Pacific herring
Issue: Sustaining Canada's Forests: Timber Harvesting 
INDICATORS Natural disturbance trends
Timber harvest levels
Economic value of harvesting
Regeneration after harvest

Theme: Pervasive Influencing Factors Issue: Energy Consumption 

INDICATORS How Canadians travel
Fossil fuel use by automobiles
Fuel efficiency of new automobiles
Urban transit and automobile use
PROVISIONAL NATIONAL INDICATORS UNDER DEVELOPMENT 

Theme: Ecological Life-Support Issue: Biodiversity Change 

INDICATORS Human activity pressure on biodiversity
Changes in songbird populations
Species richness by ecoregion
Natural area protected
Issue: Toxic Contaminants in the Environment: the Artic 
INDICATORS Contaminants in marine mammals
Sources of toxic contaminants
Issue: Marine Ecosystem Health: Bacterial Contamination 
INDICATORS Fecal bacteria levels
Marine discharges
Shellfish harvest closures
Marine beach closures
Coastal wastewater treatment
Theme: Human Health and Well-being Issue: Freshwater Quality 
INDICATORS Related to use for aquatic organisms/ drinking water supply recreational purposes/ economic activities
Issue: Urban Environmental Quality 
INDICATORS Urban green space
Theme: Sustaining Natural Resources Issue: Sustaining Marine Resouces: Atlantic Shellfish 
INDICATORS Commercial catch of lobster -inshore; offshore
Commercial catch of Snow Crab
Commercial catch of Northern Shrimp
Landed value of commercial catch
Issue: Sustaining Marine Resources: Pacific Salmon 
INDICATORS Population at risk
Spawner abundance (escapement)
Total catch
Habitat change - urban growth; coastal forestry
Economic value of commercial catch
Economic value of recreational fishing
Issue: Sustaining Canada's Forests: Forest Biodiversity 
INDICATORS Road access
Population trends of forest birds
Relative abundance of predominant trees species groupings
Age-class distribution of forests
Forest-dependent species at risk
Protected forest area
Issue: Sustaining Canada's Forests: Non- Timber Values 
INDICATORS Related to use as habitat; watershed-water supply; slope stability; recreational and aesthetic values; carbon sink
Theme: Pervasive Influencing Factors Issue: Solid Waste Management 
 INDICA TORS  Solid waste disposal trends-municipal
Types of disposal and recycling
 Issue: Urbanization
INDICATORS  Urban land-use change