Giving youth a voice in the Arctic’s future

This article originally appeared in The Circle: Arctic biodiversity in the spotlight. The Circle shares perspectives from across the Arctic, and the views expressed here are not necessarily those of WWF. See all Circle issues here.

The Arctic is home to roughly 100 species of mammals, 200 species of birds, several thousand species of insects, and 125 different kinds of fish, reptiles and amphibians. It also has more than 2,000 plant species on land, not to mention the algae, krill, zooplankton and microorganisms that live beneath the water’s surface. Each of these species plays a critical role in maintaining an ecological balance in the Arctic. The challenge is how to protect this delicate balance.

In October, 35 young people aged 18 to 25 will gather in Norvajärvi, Finland to tackle this question. They’re part of the first Arctic Youth Summit, which is coinciding with this year’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Arctic Biodiversity Congress. The youth represent the nine Arctic countries—Canada, the US (Alaska), Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Greenland—as well as the Arctic Council’s observer states, Singapore, India and Germany.

Nineteen-year-old Tasha Elizarde from Juneau, Alaska and 24-year-old Julia Lynge Ezekiassen from Nuuk, Greenland are two of the young people taking part in the summit. They may live thousands of kilometres apart, but they share a common desire: ensuring youth have a voice in the Arctic’s future. We spoke to them about their views on biodiversity and what it means for their communities.

When you hear the word biodiversity, what do you think about?

TASHA: From my understanding, biodiversity is the variety of life. It basically means just how different and diverse the world is. Not just the environmental aspect, but also how environmental diversity plays into our ways of life. For example, I live in Juneau, which is in a rainforest. That’s a very different environment from that of the people I know who live in the actual Arctic circle, people up in Utqiaġvik. Because of the way the environment is set up, the way we grew up and live is very different.

JULIA: Biodiversity means the variety and variability of life from different sources on earth. For instance, it explains the diversity of living organisms on land and in the sea and also their connection to the ecosystem. Although biodiversity can be understood in different ways, I am interested in Arctic biodiversity because I live in Greenland. I am especially interested in the known species of living organisms in the Arctic and how some conditions and tendencies influence the welfare and lives of these species and the ecosystem.

Why is protecting biodiversity important to you?

TASHA: When we think about climate change and other environmental problems, like ocean acidification, we see these impacting our environment and biodiversity. That affects the people who are living there. But people are not the only things being affected.
For instance, I live near the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska, which has been receding over the past few decades. You can see some really extreme photos that compare what the glacier used to look like in the 1800s, the1900s and now. Growing up, there was this hiking trail where we could see the glacier. When I was maybe 10 or 12 years old, I was able to see it really well. Nowadays, when I hike that same path, I can’t see the glacier because it has receded so much.

JULIA: It is critical to protect Arctic biodiversity so the lives and ecosystems of Arctic species can be preserved. It’s a known fact that hunting and fishing have always been a big part of Greenland’s culture. It’s important to preserve and protect Arctic biodiversity to sustain this way of life, but in my community, overhunting has also had a negative impact on biodiversity. Another threat—both locally and internationally—is pollution. For example, the lack of waste management here in Greenland is a real problem, as is the environmental impact of increased shipping from both cargo and cruise ships.

I also think that the lack of knowledge of Arctic biodiversity among the people who live in the Arctic can be considered a threat. To preserve the biodiversity of my community, I would really like to see increased focus on the subject. Politicians can do better when it comes to disseminating that knowledge. Communicating with the community about the importance and value of Arctic biodiversity is, in my opinion, a very important tool. I believe that by doing this, and by making political decisions to preserve the biodiversity in my community, we can reduce the threats.

I feel young people are not given the platform to effect change. There is often an unwillingness or inability on the part of the people in leadership positions to take our opinions into account.

Why do you think it’s important that young people take a leadership role in preserving biodiversity?

TASHA: I think it’s important because, frankly, young people are the ones who are going to inherit the world. So not doing anything means we don’t have a say in our future. There are a lot of problems arising—such as climate change—that we are going to have to take on. It isn’t fair for us to not have control, because it is the world that we will be living in.

At the same time, I feel young people are not given the platform to effect change. There is often an unwillingness or inability on the part of the people in leadership positions to take our opinions into account. We need to see what solutions and collaborations we can engage in to solve a lot of the problems we’re now discussing.

JULIA: My answer is very simple: It’s important because our choices influence the lives of the next generations.