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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Northern leaders are voicing their concerns over the federal government's decision to formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol, which committed Canada to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent below 1990 levels by 2012.

Norman Yakeleya, MLA for the Sahtu, said the territorial government's hands are mostly tied when it comes to the Kyoto Protocol. - NNSL file photo

"It's the only binding agreement (for greenhouse gas emissions) that's in existence right now," said Duane Smith, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada and chair of the Inuvik Community Corporation.

"It's unfortunate that Canada has decided to pull back from it when other countries were hoping that they would try and compromise."

Smith said the negative affects of climate change already felt in the North, such as coastal erosion, receding ice and changing migratory patterns, should serve as a warning sign.

"Canada has documented -- through its own research and in collaboration with other researchers internationally -- in regards to the changing environment within Canada's Arctic and the circumpolar Arctic on how greenhouse gases, among other things, are having a detrimental affect on ice conditions, on the environment in the Arctic, on the ecosystems, on the permafrost, on the infrastructure," he said.

"You have a changing environment around you that is affecting the traditional knowledge and practices that are exercised by the people."

Smith said there are negative economic impacts as well, such as poor farming conditions because of droughts and storms, increased health care costs because of poor air quality, loss of timber for the forestry sector and increasing floods.

"I would hope that Canada is just taking a breather on this and will look at it and then come back to the table saying they're willing to remain a signatory of the Kyoto agreement," he said. "Hopefully they can work within that process to try to address their views and issues that they see need to be addressed within that agreement to ensure that everybody lives up to a binding agreement to minimize the greenhouse gases that are being emitted internationally."

Norman Yakeleya, MLA for the Sahtu, said for the most part the territorial government's hands are tied when it comes to things like the Kyoto Protocol.

"Their favourite line is, 'Well, it's the fed's responsibility," he said.

Yakeleya said that climate change can already be felt in the North and that somehow our voices need to be heard.

"Things are happening in the North that we certainly need to pay attention to," he said. "It has to have an affect, even though it may not be right away. It will still be cold but it's not going to be as cold as it used to be. We don't know how it's going to change."

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