The GPI Forest Headline Indicators for Nova Scotia
Authors: Linda Pannozzo and Ronald Colman
The report assesses whether progress towards sustainability has been made since the release of the 2001 GPI Forest Accounts for Nova Scotia in the following key areas: 1) forest age class distribution and restoration of older forests; 2) forest-dependent flora and fauna species at risk; 3) protected areas as percentage of total provincial land mass; 4) harvest methods; 5) value added per cubic metre of wood harvested; and 6) jobs created per unit of biomass harvested. The report is accompanied by a list of recommendations that flow from the evidence indicating how forest sustainability can be improved.
The GPI forest update is part of a major effort currently under way to update results from nearly 12 years of developmental work to create a Genuine Progress Index for Nova Scotia. That completed GPI will summarize key headline indicators in 20 social, economic, and environmental areas, and is intended to provide the province with a practical tool to measure its progress towards genuinely sustainable prosperity.
Physical and full-cost accounts for Nova Scotia's stationary energy system. Assesses the sustainability of the energy system using time-trended data and provides examples of energy best practices.
The Ambient Air Quality Accounts for the Nova Scotia Genuine Progress Index
Authors: Anne Monette, MES & Ronald Colman, Ph.D
Assessment of trends in ambient concentrations of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone in Nova Scotia since the 1970s. Assessment of Nova Scotia’s emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds, and the estimated damage costs of those emissions over a 40-year period.
Farm and Community Viability:
Report on Interview Results
Prepared By: Jennifer Scott
This report is a summary of interviews with 107 people about farm and farm community viability. The
purpose of the interviews was to find out what is important about farming. It is an initial snapshot of what many people successfully involved in
farming are thinking and dreaming and making happen. Over time, we hope to expand the participation in this process and to include additional dimensions .
The Nova Scotia GPI Agriculture Accounts Part Two: Resource Capacity and Use: Soil Quality and Productivity
Authors: Jennifer Scott, MES and Julia Cooper, MSc
Economic valuations of soil quality and productivity including soil organic matter, soil structure, soil erosion and conservation, and soil foodweb health in Nova Scotia. Includes state of the resource and trends data.
The Nova Scotia GPI Agriculture Accounts Part Two: Resource Capacity and Use: The Value of Agricultural Biodiversity
Author: Jennifer Scott, MES
An assessment of the state of biodiversity on farms, using habitat and ecosystem services indicators. Includes data on trends in land use, farm practices, and indicators of habitat quantity and quality in Nova Scotia
Authors: Anthony Charles, Heather Boyd, Amanda Lavers and Cheryl Benjamin
Econometric direct and deferred costs valuation of the fisheries resource and marine environment, and implications for resource management, commercial, and environmental practices.
Economic viability and capacity of the agricultural sector in Nova Scotia including trends in farm debt, income, costs, and a range of indicators of financial viability.
Assessment of water resource values, defensive expenditures, and costs of water quality decline. The case study "Costs and Benefits of Sewage Treatment and Source Reduction for Halifax Harbour" is included as an appendix to this report.
Introduction to GPI Renewable Natural Resource Accounts
Authors: Tony Charles, Ph.D; Larry Hughes, Ph.D; Sally Walker, Ph.D; Ronald Colman, Ph.D; Sara Wilson, M.Sc.F.; Jennifer Scott, MES and Amanda Lavers, B.Sc.
Provides examples to illustrate some of the resource valuation methods used in the Nova Scotia GPI for the fisheries, forests, soils and agriculture, and greenhouse gases components of the GPI.
