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Measuring the success of Mulroney's 1991 acid rain accord
When fish started turning belly up in lakes and streams, North America's eyes were suddenly opened to the consequences of pollution. But long after acid rain became a household word and Canada decided to take action, the United States was still hesitant to curb its share of industrial pollutants. For years Prime Minister Brian Mulroney courted a reluctant American president while Canadian activists lobbied and spread the word. Results came eventually, but it may have been too little too late.
• Despite the progress, Environment Canada studies show that the recovery of natural ecosystems such as lakes and rivers has been much slower than anticipated.
• In April 2006 Brian Mulroney was praised as the "greenest prime minister" in Canadian history by 12 prominent green Canadians. The group includes the Sierra Club's Elizabeth May and former Liberal Environment Minister Sheila Copps.
• Mulroney was singled out for the honour organized by the independent environmental magazine, Corporate Knights. He beat out former Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who received three votes to Mulroney's five.
• During his years as prime minister, Mulroney not only initiated the acid rain accord but he introduced measures to fight ozone depletion. He also brought the U.S. onside with the 1992 UN world climate change convention in Rio de Janeiro.
• During the gala dinner at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Mulroney joked that one judge called him the "best of a bad bunch."
• For more on Canada's greenest prime minister visit CBC: Archives: Brian Mulroney: The Negotiator.
Program: The National
Broadcast Date: April 20, 2006
Guest(s): Elizabeth May, Michael Perley
Reporter: Margo McDiarmid
Duration: 2:33
Last updated: January 8, 2013
Page consulted on April 3, 2013
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