Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Federal, provincial and territorial environment ministers met Tuesday at the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife for a Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment meeting to discuss a variety of national environmental issues, including water, air quality and environmental packaging used for consumer goods.

But the conference did not address specifically how the North is affected by climate change.

"A wide range of issues were addressed in the conference, and issues related to water and air quality do relate to climate change," said Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger "But with three new ministers in the conference this year and only one day to cover environmental issues across the country, it is a challenge to directly address all environmental issues in one day."

Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent said the ultimate goal of the conference was to bring ministers together to address environmental concerns as a national collective. "Each province needs to address environmental concerns on an individual basis," Kent said.

Doug Ritchie, program director for Ecology North, said the fact that the ministers did not directly address events related to climate change in the North at the conference is disappointing.

"I find it disturbing in light of all of the weather-related events happening in the North and across this country that Northern climate change was not openly discussed," he said. "We are burning through resources far too quickly, and we need to reduce fuel consumption (in the North) now."

Louie Azzolini, executive director of Arctic Energy Alliance, mandate is to reduce the production of greenhouse gases and oil consumption, improve the cost of Northern living and help Northerners find alternative sources of energy. He said he's not surprised by the lack of attention paid to climate change at the conference.

"Everyone has their own constituency and will address (global warming) in their own way," he said.

"Ultimately, though, they are environment ministers," Azzolini added. "It is their job to prepare the people for what is to come as far as the environment is concerned, and if global warming is an issue in a few years time, they will be held accountable."

Canada's environment ministers also discussed the development of the Air Quality Management System (AQMS), based on a proposal environment ministers received last October from representatives of industry, health and environmental organizations, as well as by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, to improve air quality and reduce air pollution. The management system will set air quality and industrial emission standards across Canada, and address regional differences in air quality issues. According to a press release, the system will be put in place in 2013, but is still subject to approval by individual provinces and jurisdictions.

"The GNWT supports the AQMS, even if the population density in this part of the country is not as dense," Miltenberger said. "Pollutants in the air do move around and can affect northern areas."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.