FOR RELEASE     #08-114
May 14, 2008

WHITEHORSE – The Yukon government will host an Environment Forum later this month at Yukon College, Environment Minister Dennis Fentie announced today.

“The Environment Forum brings together Yukoners to share with and learn from each other about ways to protect and sustain our environment,” Fentie said. “This year our theme is environmental change. We’ll be asking participants to focus on generating solutions as well noting the challenges we face in Yukon.”

There will be a public Environment After Hours event May 21 at 7 p.m. in the Yukon College gymnasium. Science journalist, author, and adventurer Ed Struzik will be the guest speaker. He will talk about climate change in a presentation titled This Hour Has 55 Million Years: A Brief History of Climate Change in the Arctic.

A senior writer for the Edmonton Journal, Struzik's articles and photographs have appeared in Canadian Geographic, Equinox, and many other publications. In 2007, Struzik won the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy which allowed him to spend a year researching and writing about climate change and its impact on Arctic and sub-Arctic worlds.

The Environment Forum itself is limited to registered, invited participants. About 200 delegates from all levels of government, non-government organizations, business, industry and other sectors are expected to attend the day-long workshop on May 22nd.

There are two streams of programming: Changes in Wildlife and Landscapes and Climate Change. There will be a variety of short presentations, poster displays, and panels to support each stream. These will help participants review and exchange information, identify emerging trends, and suggest solutions and resources to governments and agencies.

“Our government’s vision for a diverse, sustainable environment will be achieved only if we work together,” Fentie said. “The Environment Forum helps Yukoners build our future together.”
This is the second year in a row Environment Yukon has organized a forum.

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