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TuesdayNovember420143ENVIRONMENTPROTECTIONSuzukisBlueDotTourtravelsNorthof60CampaignwantsenvironmentalrightsenshrinedinconstitutionByMEAGANWOHLBERGLegendaryenvironmentalistDr.DavidSu-zukimadethetreknorthtoYellowknifeear-lierthisweektorallyNorthernerstojumponboardhisBlueDotTouranationalcampaigntohavecitizenrightstoacleanenvironmententrenchedintheCanadianConstitution.ThescientistandheadoftheDavidSuzukiFoundationstoppedinYellowknifeSundayandMondayonhisnation-widetourthatasksthegrassrootstogetinvolvedinthemovementtomaketherighttocleanaircleanwaterandcleansoiladdedtofederallaw-aninitiativesparkedbyarealizationthatmodernenvi-ronmentalbattlesarentworking.Whatpromptedmewastherealizationaboutveyearsagothatmanyofthebattleswethoughtwehadwon30yearsagowererampingupandghtingagainSuzukisharedwithTheJournal.WestoppeddamsinBrazilandonthePeaceRiverwestoppedsupertankersalongtheB.C.coastwestoppeddrillingproposalsinsensitiveareas.But30yearslaterthesameproposalsarebackexceptthattheyregoingaheadnow.Irealizedwecantjustgoonghtingonanissuebyissuebasistheresgottobesome-thingmorefundamentalthatsrecognizedinallofouractivities.Byrecognizingtherighttoahealthyen-vironmentasahumanrightinCanadaSu-zukihopesthefocusandprioritiesaroundindustrialdevelopmentwillchange.Itmeansthatifsomeonewantstobuildapipelinetheyhavegottohavedoneallofthebesteffortstoensureitdoesntinanywaythreatenairwaterorsoilbecausethatsnowarightthatsguaranteedforushesaid.SuzukiwasjoinedbyNorthernpanelistsonMondayeveningatthePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentreforanopenhousewiththecom-munitytotalkaboutentrenchingtherighttoahealthyenvironmentinpolicyatthelocallevel.ThegoalofthecampaignistohaveenoughmunicipalitiesacrossthecountrysignontotheDeclarationforaHealthyEnvironmentoverthenexttwoyearstobeabletopushatleastsevenprovincestojumponboard-thenumberrequiredtomakeaconstitutionalamendment.SofarSuzukisaidtheresponsenation-widehasbeenabsolutelyunbelievablewithcit-iesasbigasVancouversigningonalongwithFirstNationsacrossthecountrywhoseownbattlesSuzukisaidinformthebasisofthecampaign.AndwhenitcomestotheNorthhesaiditscrucialtohavethosejurisdictionshelpingtoleadthechange.TheworldiscomingtoyourterritoryherebecausetherealityistherearentverymanyplacesleftreallyuntouchedSuzukisaidoftheNWTwhichhenotedhasbeentheca-naryinthecoalmineforclimatechangeoverthelast30years.ThereiskindofaresponsibilityoftheNorthtotellthesouthwhatthehellisgoingonandIthinkthattheNorthhasgottolookoutforitsfuturebecausetheworldiscoming-theminingisgoingtobepossiblethefossilfuelindustriesaregoingtobecominguphere-theresjustalotofdevelopmentthatspoisedtocomeuphere.Soletsgetourprioritiesstraighthesaid.WhileaconstitutionalamendmentmayseemlikearadicalconcepttosomeSuzukisaiditssomethingthathasalreadybeendoneacrossmostoftheglobe.Overhalfofallcountriesintheworldhaveitentrenchedintheirconstitutionsothisisnotsomethingthatisarealwildenvironmen-talideahesaidaddingthatCanadasconsti-tutionhasbeenamended20timesinthepasttoreectchangingideasregardingtherightsofminoritygroups.Hesaidenvironmentalrightsarejustanotherchapterintheevolvingsaga.Aspeoplebegintomakealotofnoiseandclaimtheseashumanrightsourlawschangetoreectthathesaid.Thisisnotsomewildideathatdoesnothaveaprayer.Ithinkwehaveaverygoodshotatit.EnvironmentalistandscientistDavidSuzukispeakstoCanadiansalongtheBlueDotTouratravelingcampaigntogetenvironmentalrightsaddedtotheconstitution.PhotocourtesyofDavidSuzukiFoundationInvestmentinrenewablesmustmatchenergysubsidiesMLAsCostoflivingdiscussedasGNWTprepsforsecondEnergyCharretteByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithrisingenergycostscripplinghouse-holdsacrosstheNWTpoliticiansintheter-ritoryarecallingforashiftfromsubsidiza-tiontocheaperformsofenergy.ThehighcostoflivingupNorthwasthemaintopicofdiscussionlastTuesdayinthelegislaturewheremembersgottheballroll-ingonupcomingtalksplannedfortheterri-toryssecondEnergyCharretteconferencetobeheldinYellowknifestartingonNov.3.With200millionperyearcurrentlybeingspentbygovernmentoncostoflivingsubsi-diesintheterritoryregularMLAsandmin-istersalikespokeontheneedtostopthrow-ingmoneyatproblemsandtostartlookingatlong-termsolutions.Governmenthasgottenintothehabitofrespondingwithmillionsofdollarsinsubsi-diesparticularlyintheareaofpowergenera-tion.Whileattractivepoliticallyintheshorttermsubsidieshavenotaddressedtheunder-lyingsystemicproblemsyieldingever-risingcostsandcausingthetruecostsassociatedwithdieselpowergenerationtobehiddenstatedWeledehMLABobBromley.FromnowonifanynewenergysubsidiesarecontemplatedtheymustbematchedbyanequalandrigorouslyjustiedinvestmentinrenewableenergyinfrastructureforheatandpowerBromleysaid.CharrettetoaddressenergycostsTheNWTssecondEnergyCharrettewasorganizedthisfallinresponsetothelowwaterlevelsontheNWTPowerCorp.sNTPCSnarehydrosystemwhichthreatenedtoin-creaseresidentspowerbillsby13percentoverthenexttwoyearsbutwasavoidedduetoa20-millionbailoutfromgovernment.PremierBobMcLeodsaidtheconferenceisintendedtoempowerresidentssothattheycanbecomemoreindependentthroughen-ergygeneration.Partofthatconversationwillbeaboutcon-servationhesaidalongwithndingcheapersourcesofpower.TheEnergyCharretteistomoveusawayfromtransmissiontogenerationanddealingwiththepotentialofhavingtolivewithlowwatergoingforwardhesaid.NTPCreleaseditsownenergyconser-vationcampaignlastweekinlinewiththediscussions.ThenewPowerWisecam-paignlaunchedinpartnershipwiththeGNWTandtheArcticEnergyAlliancefornowconsistsofawebsitewithpowerandmoney-savingtipsandwillincludepostersandfliersasitisrolledoutoverthenexttwomonths.SubsidiesstillrequiredMosesThoughthegeneralconsensusisamoveawayfromsubsidiesothershavenotedtheneedforincreasednancialhelpatleastintheshortterm.InuvikBootLakeMLAAlfredMoseschallengedthegovernmenttogivemoremoneytoInuvikwherehesaid80householdsarelookingtoleavethecommunitybecausetheycantaffordtheskyrocketingcostofliving.WeresubsidizingthePowerCorpweresub-sidizingpublichousingunitswhynotthehome-ownerWhynotthepeoplethatdocontributetothecommunityandthepeoplethathavecalledInuvikhometheirwholelivesheasked.ButFinanceMinisterMichaelMiltenbergersaidthegovernmenthasalreadyspent8mil-lioncushioningtheblowofthegasshort-ageinInuvikandsaidmoresubsidieswontbeaffordableinthelongrun.IfwediditinInuvikwedhavetodoitforeverythermalcommunitywedhavetodoitacrosstheNorthwestTerritories.ItwouldbetremendouslyexpensiveandattheendofthedayIdontthinkitwoulddomuchoverthelong-termtominimizerelianceanden-couragepeopletolookatotheralternativesotherthandieseltheministersaid.HesaidthegovernmentisinsteadlookingatthepotentialforwindenergynearInuvikandTuktoyaktuk-a30-40millionprojectthatcouldcutdieselusageinhalf-alongwithbiomasssolutions.Thepeoplearefarbetteroffifyougetoffdieselyouputinpelletsyoucutyourenergycostsyoudothethingsyouneedtodotogetoffthissubstancethatsdrivingyoubank-rupthesaid.Sothatstheissuethatwerelookingatasagovernment.ENVIRONMENTCONSERVATIONPhotoPatKaneParticipantsbrainstormsolutionstoNWTenergyproblemsatthe2012EnergyCharretteinYellowknife.Asecondcharretteistakingplacethisweektoaddresssimilarissues.