Yellowknife (Aug 27/03) - In light of Canada's commitments to the Kyoto Accord, the federal government has implemented the One-Tonne Challenge and according to Doug Ritchie, this is a necessary step.

Ritchie is a volunteer at Ecology North, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the natural environment in the North.

"Our view is once you get started, you will find many benefits," said Ritchie. The government's latest approach to tackling the issue of climate change has been drafted in an attempt to challenge Canadians on an individual basis. The government asks every Canadian to reduce personal greenhouse emissions by 20 per cent, or one tonne.

"It's a start," said Ritchie. "But this is a complex problem that will take major government expenditures."

The results of global warming, especially North of 60, have already had some effect on the climate. The permafrost is melting, affecting all-weather roads, and more birds, mammals and insects are also moving North as a result of warmer temperatures.

At the NWT Climate Change Centre, Jennifer Sanders explained the centre's message has not necessarily changed as a result of the introduction of the One-Tonne Challenge.

"The message hasn't changed at all. It will just have a slightly different backdrop to it," said Sanders. "Our goal is still to educate people on the impact of climate change, and assist people in reducing output of greenhouse gases."

At Arctic Energy Alliance, executive director Robert Marshall explained that at this point, it is difficult to determine wether the challenge has had any affect on energy consumption in the North.

"We can't be sure. It's just too early to tell," said Marshall.