Environmental Electronic Conference Summary

APEC Environment Youth Forum Summary Report

Issues raised during the web chat process... Part 2

Various issues were raised during the TG Magazine web chats in regards to sustainability. One of these was whether or not provincial migration is a means or a deterrent to sustainability. Although no consensus was reached, the existence of provincial migration in Canada was confirmed. Specifically, people across the country are leaving rural areas for more populated regions such as cities.

Another issue which was raised was in regards to the sustainability of Canada's and Asia's various tourism industries. Every summer, thousands of Japanese and Asian tourists come to P.E.I. to visit the home of Anne of Green Gables. It is a great and sustainable form of revenue for P.E.I.; however not all cases are. For example, many mountain climbers and adventure seekers visit Nepal, but their presence may be changing the way of life for whole villages. In Japan, Mount Fuji has suffered greatly from the thousands of visitors who climb its slopes each year. The mountain's trail is littered with garbage.

Do youth have the power to influence sustainability? According to our web chats they do. Various national conferences and organizations currently exist across Canada to make sure that this is happening. More importantly though, youth have the power to start their own community based initiatives to deal with problems which directly effect them. Whether it be ensuring that the salmon in their local streams are not made extinct or the clean up of their neighbourhoods, the resources exist for youth to take action.

An example of a success story is the Centennial School Salmon club and Fisheries Ecology Class. A twenty year old project, these groups run by students and volunteers have managed to bring the salmon population in their local streams out of extinction. In addition, they run various water sample tests to ensure that no dumping is being done in their streams. Although the people behind these initiatives encountered many failures during their history, they were eventually rewarded for their efforts. Specifically they have received national and international recognition through the "NBA Team Up" program, and by being visited by a delegation from China.

There are many ways to get people thinking about sustainability. Sometimes it just involves talking to people you know and getting them interested in an issue, other times one may want to start your own initiative. With a good proposal, their are organisations in most provinces which will cover up to 50% of your project cost. Also, grants exist for youth who would like to work to better their environment.

Go to: Next Summary Page

Go to: Main Menu

asia@tgmag.ca