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Our
Moment with the Canadian Minister of the Environment,
Our group of youth journalists met briefly one afternoon during Montréal Protocol with Christine Stewart, Canada's Minister of the Environment. She put us all at ease with her down to earth nature (no pun intended). We asked her questions ranging from her feelings on the current deliberations regarding the Montreal Protocol to her future goals as Minister.
Minister Stewart discusses the issues from youth journalistsWe asked her about what happens during closed door meetings (something there was quite a lot of during the Montréal Protocol meetings). She answered with the standard line that private meetings help the process keep moving when the delegates reach a stalement in the deliberations.
She seemed committed to both youth and child involvement in environmental issues. She partially attributes adults' increased interest in environmental issues to "their children challenging them at home...asking 'What have you done for the environment today?'". Minister Stewart sees youth as "catalysts", encouraging environmental decision making: "I need as many [young] people as I can possibly have in our country, advocating and pressing on environmental issues."
Christy Allan, TG Youth Journalist and Minister StewartWith respect to international ozone protection, she envisions more results ten years from now, hoping that people realize that there's a need to remain committed to the issues as we move towards the twientieth anniversay of the Montreal Protocol.
Young and old, international delegates to grassroots organizations, must co-operate in the preservation of the environment. Youth involvement now and in the future is crucial to ensuring that that goal is achieved.
© 1997 - TG Magazine / The Students Commission
© 1997 le magazine TG / la Commission des étudiants
