Officials have sparked backlash after unveiling a new master plan for Montreal airport that severely reduces the amount of green space surrounding the site, the Montreal Gazette reported. Under the plan, only about 10% of the previously planned green space would remain.
What's happening?
Conservationists and locals fought back after the release of the long-awaited 20-year master development plan for the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, per the Gazette.
While multiple local municipalities, including the City of Montreal, have passed resolutions supporting the creation of a 230-hectare (568-acre) green space surrounding the airport, the new master plan, released by Aéroports de Montréal, calls for preserving only 25 hectares (62 acres) of wetland space.
"What we see is worse than we could have imagined," Katherine Collin of TechnoparcOiseaux, a group advocating for the conservation of green space around the Montreal airport, told the Gazette. "Development is planned over vital habitat for endangered and threatened species."
The diminished green space appeared to be at odds with ADM's promises of environmental stewardship. In the master plan, ADM asserted that its sustainability goals included promoting "a healthy, high-quality environment in its communities."
ADM president and director general Yves Beauchamp argued at a public meeting that green spaces around airports are unsafe for passengers due to the risk of bird strikes. However, opponents pointed out that other airports, including those in Canada, can operate safely with large green spaces nearby.
Despite the opposition, ADM claimed that the developed areas would be better for the environment than green space, as they would be used for solar panels and to store cleaner fuels for aircraft.
Critics have accused Beauchamp and ADM of engaging in the corporate practice of greenwashing, or promoting supposedly pro-environment practices that are more about publicity and appearances than actual impact.
Why is green space important?
Green spaces provide crucial health, economic, and environmental benefits, particularly in urban settings. According to the Natural History Museum in London, green space significantly reduces air pollution while also limiting the urban heat island effect.
Because of the prevalence of paved ground and tightly packed buildings, cities can be 3 to 4 degrees Celsius (5.4 to 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the surrounding countryside.
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Definitely 🙁 Green vegetation combats this effect by limiting the amount of heat-radiating concrete, absorbing sunlight, and creating shade.
Even within human-made environments, green spaces will develop ecosystems that become self-sustaining, which ultimately saves money, said Cecil Konijnendijk, a professor of urban forestry at the University of British Columbia.
What's being done about green space?
In Montreal and around the world, conservationists are fighting to preserve existing green spaces and reestablish green spaces where they have been lost.
If you'd like to make a difference in your own community, you can join a conservation group or even create your own green spaces that can conserve water and help pollinators and other local species.
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