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Marie Rock: For Minnesota Native News, I'm Marie Rock. This week, we look back at Dan Ninham's interview with Indigenous Environmental Network Executive Director Tom B.K. Goldtooth as he discusses rights for Indigenous communities advocating for a transition away from a fossil fuel economy.
Tom BK Goldtooth: What is the issue and what is the cause of climate change? The combustion of fossil fuels is the main contributor to a changing climate. And that's oil, gas, and coal. We need a phase out away from fossil fuels. And at these international meetings, the power of the countries of the world that are major producers of fossil fuels just don't want to budge, and they got a lot of power.
Dan Ninham: What does a just transition mean?
Tom BK Goldtooth: So, in the United Nations Climate Framework Convention on Climate Change, we've been pushing them to pursue a just transition away from a fossil fuel dependency. So that's been our platform and we've been pushing that envelope A couple of years ago, there was actually an initiative in Dubai to where the governments adopted a position to pursue an energy transition that is just and fair, especially trying to be just and fair to the polluting governments, the wealthy governments who are addicted to fossil fuels like the United States and Canada, European Union, et cetera. So that's where we've been working to give some language to strengthen the indigenous position away from fossil fuels.
Dan Ninham: What does self-determination for indigenous communities look like when it comes to the climate?
Tom BK Goldtooth: So, in principle, what we've been working on is stronger language that recognizes the rights, but not just the rights, the inherent and distinct collective rights of Indigenous people. So that's what we've been pursuing. Some governments don't want that kind of strength in the language. So, some governments are fighting us. What that means if we really achieve that globally is that they just can't come waltzing in into our lands and territories.
Dan Ninham: Can you talk about what policies you see as false solutions?
Tom BK Goldtooth: So, you mentioned false solutions. Rather than fossil fuels stepping up and say, hey, you know, we're contributors. We're contributors to a change in the climate. And we hear you. We hear you, IEN and other Native people, that this is a life and death situation. It's affecting water quality and water quantity. Rivers are going down, groundwater is drying up, you know, and ceremonies are being affected. Our brothers and sisters in Alaska, the permafrost is melting. This isn't just part of a 100-year cycle. This is real stuff. And so, we're saying, you know, we're telling the fossil fuel companies this and the rich companies are dependent on fossil fuels. They don't want to listen. It's not only frustrating, but we're looking for solutions, real solutions. So rather than doing that, and people ask them, hey, how come you guys aren't reducing your greenhouse gas, your emissions? They say, well, you know we are. You don't understand. And so, people ask them, what do you mean? Well, we're going carbon neutral. What? How are you doing that? Well, we're investing in protection of trees in the Amazon. We're protecting trees here in the United States and they absorb carbon. So, by protecting trees, we're offsetting the pollution that we're producing and we're going carbon neutral. But we found after studies and research with many different entities out there, that's not really happening. So that's why we've been pushing real solution and that's to move the world away from a dependency on fossil fuels.
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Marie Rock: Minnesota Native News is produced by AMPERS: Minnesota's Community Radio Stations, made possible by funding for the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.