Special Issue – US–Canada Energy and Environmental Relations

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American Review of Canadian Studies – Enders Special Issue of Canada-US Relations

US-Canada Energy and Environmental Relations

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Canada–US relations revolve around a core paradox: economic prosperity through resource exports versus maintaining national autonomy. In the introduction to this special issue of the American Review of Canadian Studies, Daniel Macfarlane demonstrates that cooperation has generally outweighed conflict, driven by geography, shared ecosystems, and overlapping interests rather than any “special relationship.” Environmental and energy diplomacy—especially around water, fisheries, and fossil fuels—has been central, producing numerous treaties like the Boundary Waters Treaty. Despite collaboration, asymmetry favors the United States, shaping Canada’s choices. American investment has boosted Canadian growth, often with Canadian consent, but at the cost of sovereignty. Ultimately, interdependence defines the relationship, requiring constant negotiation between independence, prosperity, and environmental responsibility.

Read Macfarlane’s Full Introduction

Table of Contents

Introduction: US–Canada Energy and Environmental Relations
Daniel Macfarlane

Research Articles

Institutional and Ideational Features of Canadian-US Fishery Management Networks: Connectivity, Coherence, and Collaboration
Owen Temby, Evelyn Roozee, Dongkyu Kim, Jasper R. de Vries, Derek Katznelson, Antonia Sohns & Gordon M. Hickey

Before the Boundary Waters Treaty: Irrigation Experts and International Controversy
Jeremy J. Schmidt

Diplomatic and Technical: The International Joint Commission and the Politics of Infrastructure in the Lower Detroit River 1912–1917
Ramya Swayamprakash

A Tale of Two Dams: Debating Hydroelectricity on the International St. John River, 1953–1968
James Kenny

“I Do Not Know Anything About This Matter”: The West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, Canadian Pulpwood, and Navigating the Procurement of Raw Materials in a Foreign Land
Mark Kuhlberg

Evaluating the Resilience of US and Canadian Climate Policy
Rodger A. Payne

The Politics of Nuclear Waste Management and the Divergent Paths of the United States and Canada
Barry Rabe

Border Gas: How Early Efforts to Transport Natural Gas Across the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Border Shaped an Industry
Mary Baxter

Teaching Note

Neighbours to the North
Claire Campbell

Feature Image: “Detroit River Draining Into Lake Erie, Michigan” by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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Daniel Macfarlane

Daniel is a Professor in the School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability at Western Michigan University. He is an editor for The Otter-La loutre and is part of the NiCHE executive. A transnational environmental historian who focuses on Canadian-American border waters and energy issues, particularly in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin, Daniel is the author or co-editor of six books on topics such as the St. Lawrence Seaway, border waters, IJC, and Niagara Falls. His book "Natural Allies: Environment, Energy, and the History of US-Canada Relations" was published in summer 2023. His newest book is "The Lives of Lake Ontario: An Environmental History" (September 2024). He is now working on a book about Lake Michigan, co-editing a book on the St. Clair River/Delta/Lake, and is planning to eventually write a book on the environmental history of the Great Lakes. Website: https://danielmacfarlane.wordpress.com Twitter: @Danny__Mac__

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