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The aviation industry has faced significant economic and environmental challenges over the past 20 years. Increased public concern regarding protection of the environment from the impacts of transportation has prompted governments to seek voluntary and regulatory measures to manage the various modes of transportation. Canada, as a global partner, has responded to the challenges of airport environmental management with a balanced approach between voluntary and regulatory measures. Through the development of environmental management plans and procedures, airports and carriers have been able to reduce negative impacts on air, water and soil and respond to challenges concerning aircraft de-icing fluids, greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other air emissions. This paper provides an overview of environmental issues facing the Canadian Government and aviation industry, management procedures utilised to manage these issues, and environmental management challenges of the future. It will focus on examples of a water quality issue through the management of de-icing fluids. It will also provide an overview of the management of GHGs and air pollutants through a voluntary agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comparison of ecosystem management (EM) to the traditional regulatory management approach and outlines the characteristics of EM from a policy perspective, defining the conditions under which this management tool can be successfully implemented. Ecosystem management is a collaborative and integrative tool focused on balancing societal needs, economic growth, and environmental protection to ensure the long-term ecological integrity of a particular ecosystem. The characteristics of this particular tool include: (1) its holistic approach to environmental problems; (2) its integration of values (economic, social, and environmental) through a collaborative, multi-partner, decision making structure; (3) its reliance on science to guide decisions and set boundaries; and (4) its ability to learn from the implementation of decisions (adaptive management). Examples are draw from Environment Canada's various regional ecosystem initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure science better informs the decision-making process, researchers and policy/program managers need to understand and respect each other's way of working, culture and operational timelines. However, there is little practical guidance on how this should be done and even less documented experience with specific mechanisms that better link these two groups. The published literature on information transfer has largely emphasized the dissemination of standard packages of information to ill-defined constituencies whose needs for scientific information are not well understood. Environment Canada's National Water Research Institute, on behalf of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, led a series of “Linking Water Science to Policy Workshops” as one such mechanism by which recent science could be delivered to practitioners, and practitioners could identify their research needs to scientists and research managers. There is a pressing need to explore and share experiences using creative mechanisms for sustained dialogue and networking between scientists and policy and program managers. The lessons learned from the workshop series and the need for science to continually inform the decision-making process has particular relevance for Canada's Ecosystem Initiatives given their integrated, place-based focus on long-term restoration and protection, and the challenge of continually changing ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]