Photo by Photo Submitted
DEBATING SOLUTIONS – Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a healthier society for all were among the issues tackled during the recent gathering at the NorthLight Innovation Centre in Whitehorse.
Whitehorse residents brainstormed Green New Deal
More than 80 Yukoners crowded into the NorthLight Innovation Centre last Thursday evening to take part in a nation-wide discussion about what a Green New Deal could look like in Canada.
More than 80 Yukoners crowded into the NorthLight Innovation Centre last Thursday evening to take part in a nation-wide discussion about what a Green New Deal could look like in Canada.
People tackled big questions about how to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a more equitable, healthier society for all.
Alison Perrin from Yukon College spoke about the impact climate change is having in the Yukon and what adaptations will be necessary for the safety and security of the communities.
Jocelyn Joe-Strack, a consultant for Subarctic Research & Strategy and an Indigenous scientist, shared her knoweldge about the societal values and priorities that harm the environment.
Mayor Dan Curtis, NDP Leader Kate White, Justin Lemphers, the Yukon’s federal NDP candidate for October’s election, and representatives of the federal Green Party were among the political leaders who showed up to listen to the discussion.
Data collected from the town hall will help develop a new policy platform for the Green New Deal Canada in the lead up to the election, organizers said.
This was one of more than 150 town halls happening across the country in the past three weeks.
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Comments (22)
Up 3 Down 1
Linnéa Rowlatt on Mar 15, 2020 at 3:20 pm
A lot of negative comments here, focusing on the hypocrisy of the Green New Dealers in using fossil fuels. I just want to say, I am a member of this society, here in the territory, and yes, I use fossil fuels. Using them does not prevent me from realizing the climate disaster that is building, and using fossil fuels personally certainly does not prevent me from wanting my society to transition away from them. Accusations of hypocrisy just make me aware of how much fear there is in the community.
Up 3 Down 4
Lenore Morris on Jun 11, 2019 at 10:03 pm
Wow, lots of hilarious comments from people who weren't there. I know lots of people can't be bothered to do anything to try to make the world a better place. Good news is that even more people do - and that even the trolls will benefit when we do.
Up 12 Down 8
Wilf on Jun 9, 2019 at 7:44 am
Brain storm green. I think climate change is going the way of DINO's. Just a science lesson. Why buy a spruce tree and put in your yard. You are told to put nails around it to make it green up. Nails have carbon in them from coal used in the steel. There is 600 biliion trees in Canada and we need only 100 billion to remove all our carbon we produce. Canada removes a lot of the US carbon. In our atmosphere there is 78% N, 20%O and trace ,003 carbon which is only trace amounts of carbon. Study evolution of the earth to understand our climate. Study wood trees to understand our weather.
Up 32 Down 10
AL on Jun 7, 2019 at 3:19 pm
@Scott Holmes
The gray hairs from those I see in there are mostly retired school teachers and/or government employees... Not of the real world - go figure.
Up 18 Down 8
Wilf on Jun 7, 2019 at 6:35 am
Wow why did they ask some one who studied science in detail to explain dendrology to them and they would see things in a more understanding perspective of the earth evolution not the change in climate. The problem here is no one understands why our climate changes.
Up 11 Down 27
Groucho d'North on Jun 6, 2019 at 10:40 pm
Bravo to all involved! Breakthroughs have humble beginnings and they need dialog to bloom and become viable and effective. The important ingredient is participation.
Up 33 Down 11
North_of_60 on Jun 6, 2019 at 9:16 pm
Climate activism is a virtue signalling hobby for comfortable urban elitists.
Up 50 Down 26
Peter Watters on Jun 6, 2019 at 2:27 pm
Climate change this and that, what a load of crap. There is ZERO evidence that humans have changed the climate. It's a religion, not a proven science.
Up 40 Down 14
Josey Wales on Jun 6, 2019 at 1:26 am
Well the ban queen is there, start with banning plastic comfy chairs with convenient plastic rollers. Then insist that all attendees walk there Vs. drive those evil cars that the industrial revolution and capitalism brought into our world.
One chalkboard with organic chalk instead of sharpies and pens with chemicals that poison Mother Earth, as does pretty coloured paper with handy sticky edges.
Hurtful eh? I find the flaming hypocrisy and elitist attitudes very hurtful to “the cause”. Really see no relevance is the aboriginal scientist point, other than the fetish with identity politics common to socialists and communists...says this white commentator. See that reads silly eh?
“A communist is a socialist, that REALLY REALLY means it” said a genius.
Is the scientist one that studies aboriginals, or a scientist that identifies with aboriginal heritage? Rhetorical I understand it’s a tactic common to the herd. David Suzuki was a fruit fly expert/actual bug scientist before his career as a state sanctioned/funded leftist crybaby.
If none of my suggestions interest that crew, as they would be certain to introduce a level of discomfort sitting on the floor, getting up to move ones chair Vs the ease of rolling, get their hands all chalky and mess up their clothing ....never mind the benefits one would receive from a walk?
Failing all those, just crank up all the taxes, user fees, develop a chicken little industry rife with NGOs that will by their sheer virtue alone...
“Save us all.”
Geez even that is too late, the Liberals have already done that.
You could just yell louder, and the same message repeatedly eventually the fools will believe you. So says climate Barbie, and Joseph Goebbels another famous socialist. Oh wait, that has been happening for decades too.
Folks we are one significant meteorological event away from none of the greenwashing mattering. Mother Earth is very resilient, we are but ingrown hairs on her epidermis and our time here is but a blink geologically/evolutionary speaking
We...I suggest, really need to get over ourselves despite our arrogance that we are the solution or the cause for that matter.
Oh yeah...on this day 75 years ago we stormed the beaches of Normandy to rid the world of ideologies that used identity politics to divide and conquer, dissent was forbidden...narrative was followed or cast out you were.
Lest we seem to have forgotten, as history is repeating itself rife with zealots telling us how to think, live, feel and express ourselves.
That is not only “hurtful” but absolutely shameful I suggest in thee strongest of terms.
Nobody is going to stuff me into any cattle car, under any guise.
“If everyone is cucked, who will storm the beaches of tomorrow “
Up 53 Down 9
I see.... on Jun 5, 2019 at 7:50 pm
... the beautiful people are at it again. Did they walk there?
Up 30 Down 5
martin on Jun 5, 2019 at 7:16 pm
From the comments and the article I read here, I am glad I stayed home Thursday eve. If a person doesn't know how to environmentally behave in this day and age.....
Up 19 Down 40
John Heke on Jun 5, 2019 at 6:47 pm
Interesting that the negative comments are from people who don't bother to attend or offer any suggestions for a better world. Take what we can from the world and to heck with anyone else.
To think that before electricity people thought wood and coal were the only things to draw power from. Now 200 years later people still feel we are not smart enough or inventive enough to figure out how to produce power without using antiquated sources drawn from dinosaur graves.
Up 29 Down 9
Miles Canyon on Jun 5, 2019 at 4:56 pm
Brian's comments are not hurtful nor are they really judgemental.
We have had a long period of prosperity for most people and the use of woodstove and gardens and smaller homes and fewer has burning toys seems like a 70s thing. We collectively have to view the climate change issue as a personal challenge to reduce our impact on the environment.
Up 28 Down 15
Sourdough on Jun 5, 2019 at 2:51 pm
Brians comment is only hurtful to the people he addressed and to the people who think we need now an income paid by the government for all. So nobody has actually held a paying job anymore.
To curb the climate crisis it needs work like during the WWII time to hold off the Nazis. Everybody has to work as hard as he or she can to go into a CO2 free economy.
Nothing else will do.
Oh, maybe one other thing will help, cut the government jobs to at least 1/3 and make the one who lost their cushy job to work as hard as everybody else.
Up 11 Down 59
Patti Eyre on Jun 5, 2019 at 11:45 am
Brian's comments are hurtful and unhelpful. Who are you to assess whether or not another person should have the right to have kids or not?
Up 44 Down 7
Brian on Jun 5, 2019 at 10:09 am
Well we are going to have to start teaching our children proper money management. And to live within their means. If you have a good credit rating, your a slave for the bank.
Also revert back to smaller homes and wood stoves.
Will require Husbandry skills, (hopefully it’s not sexist saying that) to have small gardens and minor livestock to trade with neighbours.Will require people to Trade/Barter (the government hates that cause their is no tax) but for the exchange of services or goods.
Would require us who live close to each other to develop a Community mind. Where we help each other in exchange for help.
Would require our youth to not idolize Gangsters and Bling Bling. To look up to role models who have been married a long time and raised a healthy family. Or provided a skill set limited in the area. Taking guidance from them on life.
Will need to support a stay at home parent who manages the home and garden.
Will require the entire population to contribute. Just because we have a 4% unemployment rate, doesn’t mean only 4% are unemployed. We have more like a 30% rate of unemployed, just Social Assistance and welfare count as a job. Only 4% of unemployed people qualify for EI.
We are creating a Utopia of equal rights and equal social status; we think. It will never happen, we have to step back and reassess a individuals value. We have to stop facilitating Lazy and incompetence. People who should not be having children are having lots and those who should be having children are not. If you can’t take care of yourself, why should the rest of society take care of you? (under 65 age group and not just in Canada) It hits on a lot of topics, at some point we will have to muster up the courage to assess those issues.
So basically it is going to take a complete review of how we are operating, and will cause issues with those of Faiths or those of Beliefs that everyone is equal and has the right too...
It’s not going to be easy, and threw the democratic process likely won’t happen as anyone who’s going to get a cut in their cheque, won’t vote in favour of having to go to work or contribute.
With the small turn out, seems like everyone was busy doing something other then working towards a healthier future.
But one step at a time. We have no choice but to go this way. Slowly but surely.
Up 50 Down 17
Scott Holmes on Jun 5, 2019 at 9:03 am
Just an observation, but all of those pictured are grey hairs. I thought the Green New Deal was an initiative of the newer generations. I guess they just haven't bought into the retiree vision of shutting down the economy.
Up 48 Down 6
paul on Jun 5, 2019 at 6:42 am
So you want to talk about being green - then stop and think about all the air travel that we encourage with the tourism industry and all those weekend trips to Vancouver. Maybe all the methane from those flights just may have a lot to do with global warming. Or maybe all those things in my renewable resources program was all a bunch of hooey.
Up 45 Down 12
Brad on Jun 5, 2019 at 2:17 am
Was there any rainfall from this brainstorming session because quite frankly this doesn't look like the Mensa Society.
Up 60 Down 29
North_of_60 on Jun 4, 2019 at 7:27 pm
There is no climate emergency. It's even more preposterous to blame the ever changing weather on humans burning fossil fuels. CO2 does not make the earth warmer. We need more CO2 to make the planet greener.
Our weather is not unusual, abnormal, or alarming relative to the Yukon climate record for hundreds or thousands of years.
The people who find the current climate alarming are handicapped by an inability to think beyond the time span of their own lives.
Up 52 Down 14
Joe on Jun 4, 2019 at 5:42 pm
Easy solution: stop driving motorized vehicles, stop using fuel to heat your home, stop using all plastics ( including synthetic clothing) stop using mined metal products ( phones, computers), no problem- you first , lead the way.
Up 32 Down 7
Johnson on Jun 4, 2019 at 4:59 pm
Worth noting that Mayor Curtis was there for all of 20 minutes and left when the work started...