Final answer:
Canada must balance economic opportunities from its natural resources with the necessity to preserve the environment, considering both economic benefits and sustainable practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Canada must carefully balance the economic opportunities presented by its natural resources with the necessity to preserve the environment. When considering economic policy and international trade, governments are often influenced by the need to protect national interests, ranging from businesses and jobs to security. Addressing environmental concerns, Canada also has to consider its strong trading relationship with the United States, as well as its transition towards a knowledge-based economy.
Environmentalists express concern that corporations might bypass stringent environmental laws by setting up operations in countries with lax environmental regulations, thus prioritizing economic gains over ecological well-being. Canadian policymakers must negotiate the tension between fostering economic growth through exploitation of natural resources and ensuring the environmental sustainability of their policies. High-income nations, including Canada, have several avenues to pursue higher environmental standards globally, such as financing anti-pollution equipment or conservation initiatives in lower-income countries, without resorting to strict protectionist measures.
The final answer to the student's question is that Canada must balance the economic opportunities offered by its natural resources with the need to preserve the environment.