The world is at the beginning steps of a revolution, believes Ed Schultz, the grand chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations.

He made the comments at the Elijah Smith Building early Wednesday afternoon. A crowd of approximately 70 had gathered there to celebrate the first day of the Kyoto protocol being implemented to deal with the environmental issues.

The protocol is a document signed by many countries including Canada around the world which have agreed to work toward specific targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

'The Kyoto protocol itself is not the answer, it is not the solution,' Schultz said.

'It is the first step. It's the infantile step for revolutionary thinking about how we develop energy sources that we need as the human species.'

He noted that throughout history, even going back to the Stone Age all the way up to the Industrial Age, humankind has revolutionized its infrastructure globally to new circumstances or demands.

'We are the generation that is at the beginning steps of a new revolution on new global infrastructure that's going to be needed if we want to survive,' Schultz said.

While natural gas is a cleaner alternative to the hydrocarbon energy heavily produced today, it is not the ideal alternative.

He suggested it's only a short-term option, he said.

Earlier in the celebrations, Energy Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang spoke on the impact Kyoto could have on natural gas.

He said the protocol has created a market for technology that reduces greenhouse gases and gas emissions.

'Opportunities also exist for the ongoing development of Yukon's natural resources,' he said. 'An increased global demand for cleaner fuels will drive natural gas and pipeline development in the Yukon.'

The minister also noted a number of efforts his government is making to help reduce greenhouse gases through housing, research and other initiatives.

Schultz would later suggest governments need to be doing more to deal with greenhouse gas emissions.

He suggested other ways of producing energy might include wind turbines, tidal wave energy development and solar power: 'which hasn't been fully exploited yet'.

Governments should be putting measures in place to entice industry, businesses and individuals to make the shift to use cleaner energy sources.

He also pointed to the previous work by city council, when he was a councillor, on building and installing a wind turbine on Haeckel Hill.

For its part yesterday, the city introduced its One Tonne Challenge, which is designed to encourage people to pare the amount of greenhouse gases they produce.

Mayor Ernie Bourassa told the crowd he's already begun his efforts, though not always by choice. He noted that when his furnace died recently, he bought a high-efficiency replacement.

He's also committed his wife, Linda, to kayaking to work a few days a week in the summer.

The city's environmental co-ordinator, Jenn Turner, was on hand to sign people up for the challenge.

In an interview after the formal speeches, Turner said she was hoping to get everyone there signed up for the challenge.

Throughout the coming year, she said there will be neighbourhood challenges and other events around the One Tonne Challenge for residents to participate in.

In March and April, the city will host workshops on how to make homes more energy-efficient. A Riverdale workshop is planned for mid-March with a workshop in Takhini planned for mid-April.

Although Yukon MP Larry Bagnell wasn't able to make it to the event because he's in Ottawa, he sent greetings.

He noted that while southern regions are more focused on prevention, the North has two roles to play in adapting to the environmental changes that are already here due to global warming and in mitigating the effects of global warming as well.

He also congratulated the city for its One Tonne Challenge, the Northern Climate Exchange which hosted the celebration and all Yukoners in their efforts to deal with climate change.

Meanwhile, the crowd was urged by Schultz not to resign themselves to say the Kyoto protocol was the end in the efforts to deal with global warming.

'It is only the very first incremental step to what will prove to be a global revolution that needs to occur,' he said.