ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers the linkages that exist between the bilateral relationship and global resource and resource-policy developments. It presents few viable substitutes and, like petroleum, is central to the functioning of all modern industrial economies. The book provides fertilizer that is composed of three major ingredients: nitrogen, which is produced in both countries, mainly from natural gas; phosphorus, which is obtained in North America mainly from phosphate rock, and potassium, which is obtained from potash. It explains a mineral for which both countries are heavily dependent on imports from less developed countries to supply their respective aluminum industries. The book examines of several important resource-related topics: agricultural land use, fisheries development, and freshwater supplies. It discusses trends and linkages among resources in bilateral relations, policy options for dealing with these interrelationships, and the role of federal-state/provincial institutions in the evolving bilateral resource framework.
