May 2000 Workshop:
Taking Action on Climate Change in the Yukon
Summary of Breakout Group Sessions
The goal of the breakout group sessions at the NCE workshop was to identify needs and discuss options for taking action on climate change in the Yukon. Participants attended two of four breakout groups; each was facilitated by a Session Chair.
|
Chair: Chris Burn/Joan Eamer |
|
|
Chair: Doug Urquhart |
|
|
Chair: Craig Olsen |
|
|
Chair: Stewart Cohen |
Discussion within the breakout groups focused on the following questions:
- Identify the needs for addressing climate change under this sector
- Identify options to meet these needs
- Identify organizations/agencies involved for each sector/option
- Identify role of Northern Climate ExChange for each sector/option
While each of the four breakout group sessions developed unique recommendations, workshop participants noted that the duplication between the groups was inescapable.
On the evening following the breakout group sessions, the Session Chairs summarized the results of the breakout group sessions on to panels that were presented the following day for discussion amongst workshop participants. Following the summary, the Workshop Chair worked with participants to revisit the main objective of the workshop and develop recommendations towards defining the role of the Northern Climate ExChange, and other agencies/organizations, in developing and carrying out actions to address climate change in the Yukon.
3.1 Research and Monitoring
Joan Eamer
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
Chris Burn
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Carleton University
The co-chairs of the research and monitoring breakout group session, Joan Eamer and Chris Burn prepared the following summary.
Overall
- The Northern Climate ExChange should be a catalyst for climate change knowledge and awareness in the Yukon.
- All products should allow for various tiers of access (levels of detail and manners of presentation).
- Continuity of the Northern Climate ExChange is expected and assumed.
Data on climate and environmental change
Recommended roles for the Northern Climate ExChange:
- 2000-2001: Create an index of available data sets.
- 2000-2003: Create an archive of data, could be part paper and digital records and part Internet-based. Yukon Archives should be approached for assistance or collaboration.
Issues:
- Freedom to access data
- Quality Assurance/Quality Control
- Maintenance required
Data networks
There was recognition of the loss of capacity in: 1) data quality; 2) Yukon expertise; and, 3) coverage (shutdown of stations, decreased sampling frequency). This is a result of government cutbacks over the past few years.
Recommended roles for the Northern Climate ExChange:
- 2000-2001: Facilitate a needs assessment
- 2000-2003: possible advocacy role in maintaining/restoring capacity
Research
Recommended roles for the Northern Climate ExChange:
- Results Index and archive of data (see Data section, above)
- 2000-2001: synthesis and analysis of research results related to climate change Experts
- 2000-2001: create database of experts
- 2000-2001: help researchers to communicate and make linkages among research projects
Partnerships
Recommended roles for the Northern Climate ExChange:
- 2000-2001: Workshops with northern researchers to synthesize information and develop priorities
- 2000-2003: Facilitate teamwork
- 2000-2003: Build on science-based, local information
Community-Based Research and Monitoring
Recommended roles for the Northern Climate ExChange:
- 2000-2001: Set priorities based on community needs, through ongoing dialogue and meetings in the communities.
- 2000-2003: Build communication and trust.
- 2000-2003: Examine ways to include local information at all stages.
- Ways of promoting, developing and communicating results of environmental monitoring:
- 2000-2002: Scope out and tie into relevant programs (such as Plant Watch).
- Provide easy access to protocols (and systems to submit data).
- 2000-2002: Exchange of information among researchers and projects, and with other regions.
- 2000-2002: Issue bulletins and simple visual measures showing change.
- 2000-2002: Develop and communicate indicators of environmental change and of progress in meeting goals of greenhouse gas reduction.
Additional Points from the Research and Monitoring Group
- Consultations in the communities planned over the next few months were supported. Suggestions for consultations:
- Contact Band resource officers.
- List community observations ('red flags') such as fewer birds, ice depth changes, then follow up on these.
- Ask communities what should be accomplished over a three-year term.
- The issues of intellectual property rights and potential for misinterpretation of raw data were discussed in relation to access to information. Distinguishing between core data sets and research results, and thorough documentation of data sets are needed.
- Agencies and communities conduct local, short-term projects that produce data sets (for example, stream or soil temperature records from data loggers) that could be valuable in the future, but tend to get lost. The NCE could be a centre for results.
- The NCE will have to be careful not to set up too many long-term projects that require a lot of work. Attention should be given to automating systems of project and information tracking as much as possible. The Web site should be used for this.
- NCE should provide advice to other projects going on in the Yukon to make them more useful to understanding impacts of climate change.
- Concerns were expressed about Environment Canada's policy of charging for climate data and the time taken to acquire data. The NCE should look at options to facilitate obtaining climate data.
- The Internet provides great potential for setting up systems for data access and communications, but care needs to be taken to provide information in other forms as well (such as radio and newspaper items, posters, and newsletters).
3.2 Public Education and Outreach
Doug Urquhart
Quill Consulting Ltd.
Public attitudes towards climate change
- It's too confusing -- I am overwhelmed with conflicting information
- It's going to happen anyway
- There's nothing we can do
- It's going to be very hard on us in the near future
Needs
The following needs for addressing climate change were identified by the Public Education and Outreach breakout group session:
Local information -- Important source of knowledge and understanding
- There is a wealth of knowledge about effects of climate changes on vegetation and wildlife available from local information. Much of this is area specific and fills in gaps from broader scientific trend data. All climate change investigations and discussions need to take advantage of local information.
Industry -- Waiting for 'results' from research and 'direction' from society
- Little industrial participation in workshop because industrial sector more interested in the 'how' not the 'why'. Industry will respond with better solutions to anticipate climate change if society makes this a requirement. Industry NEEDS to hear from society that climate change must be factored into developments.
Agriculture -- Information for viable crops
- Climate change will definitely affect crop success in a region that is already marginal for such enterprises. Agriculture NEEDS to know what crops will succeed in likely future climatic conditions.
Outside groups -- Information on Yukon activities
- Both national and international forums for climate change will be interested in what the Yukon is doing. Task forces, commissions, and other investigative initiatives will NEED information about how the Yukon is addressing climate change.
Everybody -- Interpretation of information
- The general public is confused by all the 'conflicting' and esoteric theories on climate change. This leads to apathy, unfocussed paranoia and lack of action. The public NEEDS simple relevant information about climate change in order to influence governments and, particularly, in order to make better community based management decisions.
Youth -- Understanding and appreciation of climate change
- Climate change is such a complicated issue that to fully participate in discussions concerning a person needs a good working knowledge of the basic concepts. This would be best achieved through education programs and would equip future generations to deal more effectively with climate change. Yukon students NEED to learn about climate change so that they have a comfortable basic understanding of its principles and appreciation of what it means to their community.
Options
The following options were identified by the Public Education and Outreach breakout group to meet the needs described above:
Local information
Demonstrate the value of local information
- Look for examples in the Yukon where local information has contributed to discussions and actions involving climate change and make this knowledge available whenever climate change discussions are proposed
Required component
- Utilize opportunities where climate change is being factored in to regulatory and assessment processes to insist that local information be a fundamental component
Industry
Invite innovators and experimenters to the Yukon
- Industries which are already involved with climate change in their products plus large industries express interest in new product designs relevant to climate change should be sought out and invited to test and market their products in the Yukon
Promote economic development/climate change workshop
- Provide a positive and appropriate forum for industries to gather and discuss the implications of climate change to their domain and encourage collaborative discussions (e.g. forest management and road building, pipelines and wildlife)
Promote voluntary compliance with incentives
- Incentives either already exist or may arise in the future. The public must be aware of these and understand what they represent in order for industry to be encouraged to comply
Show stakeholders why they should care
- People in general should become aware of the enormous public costs of not addressing climate change in major constructions such as roads, buildings, sewer systems, pipelines etc.
Agriculture
Invite agricultural innovators to the Yukon
- Researchers and practitioners of northern agricultural techniques should be invited to address Yukon agriculturists to encourage crop success in a changing climate
Outside groups
Provide information and facilitate discussions
- There should be a central source of information about what is happening in the Yukon with respect to climate change initiatives. This will permit two-way sharing of information and keep Yukon in touch with the rest of the world. It may also enhance the Yukon's reputation as a leader in climate change initiatives
Everybody
Identify information needs for decision making
- This is a vital function since there are so many interesting but irrelevant realms of climate change to explore. A thorough investigation of exactly what kind of information is needed and how it would be useful in mitigation and adaptation is essential for any real value to arise form future programs.
- ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!
Identify best forms of communication
- This option goes in partnership with "Interpretation" and "Right Questions". So often, good climate change information is presented in an unusable format for public consumption and decision making. Determining the best forms of communication will require a thorough understanding of how the Yukon operates, especially at the community level.
Enhance public understanding
- Climate change information must be 'marketed' to attract public attention. In this regard it is no different than the anti-smoking or drunk driving campaigns. Spot ads in papers, 'stupid little gimmicks', cartoons etc. are all legitimate tools in this regard. The purpose is to penetrate the Yukon conscientiousness in competition with all other forms of amusement and information.
Youth
Curriculum
- A working knowledge about climate change and some comfort with the principles, concepts and vocabulary can be best achieved through formal education. In this regard it is never too early and curricula related to climate change as stand alone or sections of other courses (geography) should be introduced by the Yukon Department of Education.
Organizations involved
The following organizations were highlighted by the Public Education and Outreach Group need to be involved in climate change discussions in the Yukon:
Local information
First Nations, Council for Yukon First Nations, Elder's Council, Renewable Resources Councils, Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, Individuals and organizations (e.g. Kwaday Dan Kenji)
Industry
Innovators, major energy users and polluters, climate change researchers, governments, business associations.
Agriculture
Agricultural innovators, Department of Renewable Resources Agricultural Branch, Yukon Agricultural Association, other agricultural organizations (4H)
Outside groups
Fact finding task forces and commissions, researchers, government and non-government organizations, media
Everybody/Youth
Everybody, decision makers, media, educators, community, all governments and NGO's, conservation groups, researchers, wilderness tour operators, UFA boards and committees
Role of the Northern Climate ExChange
The Public Education and Outreach breakout group identified the following roles for the Northern Climate ExChange:
'Catalyst'
- Connects similar, related and even antagonistic groups for profitable positive discussions and collaboration
- Engages industry in positive environment
- Locates funding sources for programs and may 'help' with application (but does not make the applications)
'Interpreter'
- Determines specific information needs
- Recommends best communication formats
- Shows how science and local information contribute to relevant responses to climate change
- Promotes relevance for all phases of climate change programs and emphasizes that results must be empowering, especially to communities
- ASKS THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!
'Source'
- Supports communities and others with appropriate information or good directions to it
'Promoter'
- Responsible for relentless public awareness campaign
- Demonstrates value of local information
- Encourages industry innovation and adaptation
- Shows stakeholders the relevancy of climate change work and gets public buy in
- Works to insert climate change components as requirements in formal regulation and assessments
'Advisor'
- Participates in community planning exercises
- Participates in decision making processes and advises decision making organizations
'Educator'
- Facilitates development of climate change curricula
3.3 Mitigation
Craig Olsen
Yukon Conservation Society
The breakout group began by simply defining what mitigation is:
'Activities relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.'
The definition seems simple enough, but discussions surrounding the definition clearly showed how interrelated the areas of education and adaptation to climate change impacts are linked to mitigation activities.
Needs
The mitigation needs that need to be addressed are quite simple:
- to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the effect of human activities on our climate
- global outreach -- in the north we will feel the effects of climate change the most and the soonest, but all our efforts at reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be for not if the rest of world doesn't follow suit since we contribute only a very small amount to the global problem
Options
There are several options to fulfill the needs:
- Focus locally with the intention of putting the Yukon on the Map. Selling ourselves broadly serves two purposes:
- selling our expertise benefits us directly in an economic sense
- setting an example for the potential to reduce greenhouse gases will help other jurisdictions to follow suit and make a real difference.
- The Northern Climate Exchange can bring together experts to comment on self determined issues facing our community and make recommendations to decision makers about reducing climate change impacts and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- The Northern climate Exchange can act as a catalyst to make Whitehorse and the Yukon a model for others to follow. The NCE need not reinvent the wheel or duplicate existing efforts. The most effective use of resources is to tap into other resources and help them jump start their programs or expand their programs. An example of a challenge could be 'Burns Road burns less' the challenge may be transportation options chosen by employees or other almost limitless opportunities [editors note: Burns Road contains the office of Renewable Resources employees]. In the first year of the climate exchange a smaller community such as Mayo could be the focus.
Role of the Northern Climate ExChange
The roles of the Northern Climate Exchange are fairly simple:
Educate
Not only to teach people about climate change in general, but also help governments and citizens to do things differently, and to think about climate change implications whenever decisions are made.
Outreach
Provide climate change information to the people of the Yukon, the circumpolar north, and the rest of the world.
Facilitate
Ensure community ability to follow through with long term projects. There is a need to develop community expertise including maintenance people, politicians, and students.
Bottom-up approach
The Yukon is small and close knit enough to realistically reach individuals and get them personally involved in decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Once the people are aware there will be a filtering up of information and ideals to industry and politicians.
Connect
Get existing groups involved and communicating.
Establish
Establish a network of volunteers to contribute information.
Involve
Involve students using programs such as work placements and the environmental citizenship program
Start small
It is better to do less well, we should start out as the contact point the move on to bigger roles.
Showcase
The NCE could do one high profile high impact project that would demonstrate the potential of the NCE
Models
There are many models the NCE could adopt as the way to do business:
- 'Clearinghouse' -- information comes in and is disseminated to whoever needs it. It is important to furnish actual contact people's names, not just programs
- 'Northern Contaminants Program example' -- a dedicated body that is there as a resource to carry out projects
- 'Circuit Rider' -- in this approach the group would travel around to the communities to present information and do projects
The NCE will likely need to function in all three capacities depending upon which need is being fulfilled at the time.
Our group recognized that both resources are short and there are several initiatives underway and identified several clearinghouse roles at this time. The NCE would have several clearinghouse type roles to fulfill:
- play a coordinating role with others -- a large part of this being finding out what others are doing
- seeking out sources of funding that people could apply to for doing a project
- seeking out examples of things that work elsewhere that can be implemented here
What the NCE should and should not be
An important part of deciding what the NCE is to determine what it is NOT:
- The NCE should not be a lobby group -- the danger is being labeled then being marginalized by key players. A better approach is educating people and making sure climate change issues are at the table. Same impact, but more credibility.
- We don't need to monitor greenhouse gas emissions
- We aren't a main body to implement programs -- rather we are a catalyst for others
The NCE should:
- Educate
- Identify gaps and work towards filling them
- Be a contact point for projects and the names behind the projects, and community people
3.4 Adaptation
Stewart Cohen
Impacts and Adaptation Research Group
Environment Canada
The main recommendations from workshop participants in the "adaptation" working group focused on monitoring, promoting dialogue, and helping in the development of partnerships. Existing mechanisms would be used wherever possible in order to avoid duplication of efforts.
Workshop participants proposed that the role of the Northern Climate Exchange on climate change adaptation should be:
- to track those industries, sectors and ecosystems that are being affected by current climatic variations,
- to promote dialogue with resource managers and stakeholder groups to identify and encourage the development of adaptation strategies to address emerging issues (example: Association of Yukon Communities),
- to liaise with existing partnership processes and stakeholder groups to:
- foster partnerships and put climate change into existing consultation processes in an efficient manner (example: Yukon Council on Economy and Environment), and
- play a facilitative role to generate consensus in the community on difficult adaptation questions (examples: Development Assessment Process, Environmental Assessment Review Process, Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Cooperative).
Tracking of impacts from current climatic variations should include key species of plants and wildlife. The group identified frogs, caribou, bison and whitefish as examples. This would be important for assessing adaptation options for refugias, parks and conservation areas. Another example would be transportation operations and maintenance of infrastructure. Tracking of costs and benefits associated with impacts and adaptive responses (both reactive and proactive) would provide useful information for future planning.
The promotion of dialogue should be accompanied by publications in plain language to promote public awareness of adaptation concerns and to encourage local ownership of strategies for adaptation.
There are a number of resource management issues that already challenge regional governments and the private sector. Climate change may exacerbate some of these concerns. Recommendation III is meant to provide a process for bringing different points of view into the debate about adaptation to climate change. Although there has been increased awareness of potential issues among researchers and stakeholders, there are few mechanisms available for providing a sustained dialogue on response options, one that could periodically incorporate new information, as it becomes available. It is suggested that the Northern Climate Exchange become a champion of this process, while not necessarily endorsing a particular option for adaptation.