Young leaders explored northern climate change
Nearly a dozen young leaders from across the North pledged Tuesday to work toward addressing climate change – and called on others to do the same.
By Stephanie Waddell on August 23, 2017
Nearly a dozen young leaders from across the North pledged Tuesday to work toward addressing climate change – and called on others to do the same.
The youth, between the ages of 18 and 30, hailed from across the three territories.
They were wrapping up a full week of activities as they travelled on a camping trip from Whitehorse to Kluane Lake before returning to Whitehorse.
The group was part of the 2017 Young Leaders’ Summit on Northern Climate Change led by Yellowknife-based Ecology North.
This marked the fifth such summit that has seen youth spend a week looking at climate change along with meeting scientists, farmers and others in the
communities they visit, then sharing the knowledge with the world.
The summit is held every two years. Previous summits have included a camping trip in the Northwest Territories and conferences in Inuvik and Yellowknife.
As well, a northern delegation attended the 2013 PowerShift Conference in Victoria.
As one of the young leaders involved with this year’s summit, Martha Hamre of Yellowknife said Tuesday it was a chance to share knowledge and develop networks of those working to address climate change.
“Definitely, that carried through,” Hamre said.
The importance of keeping up to date on issues around climate change also became clear for Hamre when the group was at Kluane Lake and learned about the
Kaskawulsh glacier’s major retreat.
There, she said, the group was able to see the direct impact of climate change on the glacier.
Seamus Daly, another participant from Yellowknife, said the summit has him rethinking his choices as a consumer.
While in Whitehorse, the group visited the Raven Recycling Society’s premises.
There, Daly said, he learned exactly what’s involved through the full recycling process. Having some materials like glass recycled is much more complex than he
realized, he said.
While recycling remains a good option over landfilling, Daly said, even better are reusing, or reducing how much a person chooses to consume.
In the declaration they drafted, the youth made it clear climate change is complex and fast-changing.
“We have the power to insight change,” the declaration read.
It goes on to call on all governments to take action to address climate change by developing plans, implementing policies and supporting initiatives which result in
greenhouse gas emissions and the like.
The declaration also called on individuals to take every-day actions that help.
“We commit to make change,” the pledge stated.
Throughout the week, group members journalled about their experience on a blog available at http://www.youngclimateleaders.com/blog
The summit wrapped up Tuesday, with the group presenting the declaration outside the Yukon Arts Centre.
Comments (10)
Up 1 Down 0
Timmeh! on Aug 29, 2017 at 6:47 pm
@Groucho AGW myth huh? Better take your tinfoil hat off!
@Sungazer The temperature has been getting warmer literally every year on a global average.
Please do tell where you get the real information that it is actually getting colder! You probably just check the thermometer in your backyard lol..... Never trust them there book learnin science people!
Up 12 Down 8
Groucho d'North on Aug 26, 2017 at 9:18 am
Keeping the AGW myth alive, how sad.
Up 16 Down 4
Yukon Watchdog on Aug 25, 2017 at 9:24 pm
And what are the leaders from two years and four years ago doing now? What did they declare to change and did anything of any significance happen as a result?
Up 14 Down 1
ProScience Greenie on Aug 25, 2017 at 12:22 pm
It's flaky cheesy stuff like this drivel that edges normally reasonable people over to the Trump/Denier camp Ontarioreality. Not everyone critical of much of the current AGW policy is a Denier or Trump fan.
Up 20 Down 4
Just Say'in on Aug 24, 2017 at 8:18 pm
Leaders of what? Were they elected?
Our next crop of regurgitaters. We will be subsidizing them to go to University and have their malleable minds shaped by Professors who profess to know and they will spend the rest of their life passing on the spin.
First of all if they believe the spin then they should not be Jet Setting anywhere. Also did anyone tell them that Raven crushes the glass and then it goes to the dump. How about that for diversion. It is all a myth.
Up 17 Down 2
Anie on Aug 24, 2017 at 4:52 pm
"We have the power to insight change". Please tell me that's a Whitehorse star typo and that they didn't really put such bafflegab into their declaration.
Up 6 Down 19
Ontarioreality on Aug 24, 2017 at 4:26 pm
I have to ask, just because of the total ignorance of the comments - Has Trump brainwashed y'all. Climate change is real. The weather of the world is getting Warmer- NOT colder. Having 30 yr olds involved as youth help to bring extra knowledge and experience for the younger people who are just beginning their understanding of just how climate change affects the world by seeing it first hand in their own Territorial land. This is called sharing knowledge !!
Up 20 Down 8
sungazer on Aug 23, 2017 at 9:48 pm
Y'all good luck getting the solar cycles to change.. wake up to the reality - we are entering a grand solar minimum and our world is getting colder for a long while. Ocean levels are dropping in reality - Greenland didn't even have a 'summer' and icebreakers have been getting stuck quite frequently. Stop spreading lies and stealing from naive people who blindly trust fools. Stop consenting to the government racket and extortion!
Up 26 Down 4
Allan Foster on Aug 23, 2017 at 9:47 pm
How does one get to be an 18 year old LEADER ?
Home room student council rep ?
YEESH - even more money being wasted on navel gazing.
Up 27 Down 12
ProScience Greenie on Aug 23, 2017 at 3:49 pm
You're still a youth at 30? That's sad. And don't you have to be selected by your peers to be a leader or can anyone simply call themself that?
Anyways these young and near middle age adults mean well but holy cow they must have huge carbon footprints. More teleconferences please and less travel to really show leadership and make the planet a better place.