CBC Manitoba election forum: Environment

The state of Manitoba's environment is weighing heavily on people's minds,according to Vote Compass, as it's among the top three concerns listed by those who have taken CBC'sinteractiveelection engagement tool.

To that end, our final election debate this week focusedon environmental issues, from the healthof the province's lakes and riversto the political parties' positions on climate change.

Candidates from the province's four major political parties squared off in a televised debate at CBC Manitoba's studioson Friday evening.Then, in a live online chat moderated by theCBC'sChris Glover and Donna Lee, the candidates tookyour questions.

The candidates were:

• James Allum NDP candidate for Fort Garry-Riverview.
• Shannon Martin Progressive Conservative candidate for Morris.
• Dave Nickarz Green Party candidate for Wolseley.
• Kyra WilsonLiberal candidate for Fort Richmond.

• ON MOBILE? Read the chat recap here.

All this week, CBC Manitoba hostednightly debates on the issues facing voters. These debates werein addition to,anddonot replace, the leaders'debate that will be broadcast live on CBC Television on April 12.

Seewhat the candidates said in our previous debates:

• Monday:Health care
• Tuesday:Education
• Wednesday:Infrastructure
• Thursday: Jobs and economy

Paris climate accord

Following last year's historic climate conference in Paris, Canada agreed to a climate accord that would limit the worldwide temperature increase to well below 2 C.

Manitoba sent seven officials, including Premier and NDP LeaderGreg Selinger, to the COP21 conference.

• Manitoba signs carbon market agreement with Ontario, Quebec at Paris climate conference
• 'Historic' Paris climate deal adopted
• 5 key points in Paris Agreement on climate change

Contained in the agreement was the pledge to keep the rise of global temperature to "well below" 2C. Canada is supportive of the even more ideal threshold of limiting it to below 1.5 C.

Another promise was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to reach carbon neutrality between 2050 and 2100.

Some voters will be eager to know howthe province's political partiesproposeto adhere to the accord. It's just one of many environmental issues CBC will be canvassing in Friday's debate.

Dangers in the water

Zebra musselsare invading Manitoba. The province identifies this invasive clam-like species as a "significant environmental and economic concern," costing "the North American economy billions of dollars to control."

• Lake Winnipeg a lost cause thanks to zebra mussels, expert warns
• Manitoba ramps up zebra mussel fight, pledging to spend $1M in coming year

These creatures reproduce quickly, threaten native biodiversity, litter beaches with their sharp shells, produce foul odours as they decay, and can be an expensive nuisance to watercrafts and water-based infrastructures like power stations and treatment plants. The pests cannot be eradicated "once established, so it is extremely important to stop their spread," the province warns.

They're not the only thing spreading through Manitoba's waters. Toxic algae blooms are also on the rise growing so large they can be seen from space.

• How blue-green algae is taking over Canadian lakes
• Lake Winnipeg algae bad for business, fisherman says

The aquatic plants contaminate beaches, damage fishing and tourism industries, and can produce toxins harmful to the liver and nervous system. These out-of-control blooms are triggered by pollutants like fertilizers and detergents flowing into the lakes from industry,sewage, livestock production, and agriculture runoff.

Another factor contributing to the algae influx is the draining of the Manitoba's wetlands.

A document published on the province's Conservation and Water Stewardship website says "wetlands are among the Earth's most productive ecosystems," while also being "one of the Earth's most threatened." These ecosystems not only store carbon, they also filter out the pollutants causing the blooms before they reach Manitoba lakes.

That same document adds that if wetland loss continues at its present rate, by 2020 an additional 370 tonnes of nutrient pollution will find its way to Lake Winnipeg.

Wetland ecosystems also play a recognized part in mitigating flood damage across the province sincethey store and slow water that could otherwise contribute to flooding. The Manitoba Water Caucus says that wetlands loss in recent decades is a key factor to many of the province's large flood events.