Title : Barbados Finally Faces Up To The Reality Of Climate Change - But Is It Too Late?
link : Barbados Finally Faces Up To The Reality Of Climate Change - But Is It Too Late?
Barbados Finally Faces Up To The Reality Of Climate Change - But Is It Too Late?
One of the favorite beach areas in Barbados now being claimed by the incursion of the sea. In addition, coral reefs off the shore are dying from higher acidity and tiny jellyfish ('sea lice') are making themselves a nuisance to tourists.
Dying coral reef off one of the Caribbean islands.
Barely 40 years ago in Barbados I had been waging a months long debate with Barbados Advocate conservative columnist ELC - otherwise known as Jimmy Cozier Sr. - over the threat of climate change too the island. After an article of mine appeared in The Advocate warning of the impending risks: sea level rise, coral bleaching, more mosquitoes carrying new diseases etc, ELC lampooned each as over the top, total exaggerations.
That was forty years ago. Now the island state has seen the extent to which my predictions have been verified, whether that has been in the spread of new mosquito borne diseases (e.g. Zika, dengue) or beaches have been reclaimed by the sea, or he dying corals throughout the Caribbean - well documented-- at least since 1992 when we left.
Indeed, in the latest Earth & Space Science News (p. 13) we learn that "from 1982 to 2012 the region experienced an accelerated seasonal warming in sea surface temperatures" of up to 0.21 C per decade. Given three decades in that interval, it translates to upto 0.6C in sea surface temperature rise. This amount would asly explain the extent of coral bleaching in and around Barbados, as well as the rest of the Caribbean.
Flash forward to two weeks ago and we learned of the launch of the National Training Workshop in the Use of Climate Change Impact Tools and Models for Decision Making at the University of the West Indies.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Minister of the Environment Ricado Ward said the workshop - developed by the Caribbean Weather Impacts Group- presented a “much needed and long overdue effort” to address the challenge of climate change.
He noted that the 2017 Commonwealth Caribbean Marine Climate Change Report Card reaffirmed that Caribbean states were vulnerable to climate change, which could also have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of their people.
In addition, the project manager stated that the sea, reefs and coasts throughout the Caribbean were also under threat from coral bleaching, ocean acidification, rising sea temperature and storms, and therefore concerted actions needed to be taken. But the question is 'what"/ As reported in numerous sources barely 4 years earlier, the forecasts for nearly all coral reefs perishing in the region were already on record. Bajans then may well have realized it may be too little, too late.
Mr. Ward seemed to acknowledge this when he told The Barbados Nation:
In addition, the project manager stated that the sea, reefs and coasts throughout the Caribbean were also under threat from coral bleaching, ocean acidification, rising sea temperature and storms, and therefore concerted actions needed to be taken. But the question is 'what"/ As reported in numerous sources barely 4 years earlier, the forecasts for nearly all coral reefs perishing in the region were already on record. Bajans then may well have realized it may be too little, too late.
Mr. Ward seemed to acknowledge this when he told The Barbados Nation:
“The re-occurring impacts associated with the now seemingly annual episodes of drought and flooding that are experienced nationally and regionally, provide clear evidence of our climate risk exposure, the urgency with which adaptation actions are required to safeguard our limited socio-economic asset base,”
The subtext being that perhaps the island ought to have been more pro-active when it did have the economic asset base and financial standing,. This would have been in the mid -1980s, before the experiment with Reagan-style supply side tax cuts commenced in 1986.
Mr. Ward did note that exposure to the new and innovative tools would equip participants with the ability to perform hazard assessments under a range of climate scenarios and generate the kind of data that is vitally needed for long range planning and climate resilience efforts. Translation: he is thinking of "adaptation" strategies - which most of us know will be of only limited use at best. See my post from two days ago responding to two Hudson Institute clowns; claptrap in the WSJ.
Mr. Ward did note that exposure to the new and innovative tools would equip participants with the ability to perform hazard assessments under a range of climate scenarios and generate the kind of data that is vitally needed for long range planning and climate resilience efforts. Translation: he is thinking of "adaptation" strategies - which most of us know will be of only limited use at best. See my post from two days ago responding to two Hudson Institute clowns; claptrap in the WSJ.
Meanwhile, Ulric Trotz - Deputy Executive Director and Science Advisor with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre- , explained that the current tools were developed through a USAID-CCAP (Climate Change Adaptation Project) which was started last year. This also is problematical. given said project was initiated under the Obama administration - which plans, agencies (e.g. EPA) are now being overturned and undermined by the Trump Huns. That includes top climate arsonist Scott Pruitt.
Trotz then explained - seemingly oblivious to the U.S. politics- that the tools were the result of a joint project between a number of entities, including the Climate Change Centre; the Climate Studies Group at UWI Mona; the Computer Studies Group at the Cave Hill Campus, the University of Suriname and the Institute of Meteorology in Cuba. Again, without sufficient resources provided how will these entities proceed? We know none of the island states, including Barbados and Jamaica (UWI Mona campus) have the financial means to sustain a long term project.
Scientific Officer with the CCCCC, Ottis Joslyn, explained the training would be conducted in the lab of the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), and expose participants to the Tropical Storm modeling tool, which is coupled with a hydraulic and hydrological model; the weather generator and the Caribbean drought assessment tool.
This is all well and good, but hopefully not too late. Hand in hand with these physical changes noted are the hazards they pose to people. More than 120 million people live in the area. Despite steady, albeit inequitable, economic growth during recent decades, the region has become increasingly exposed to climate-related pressures that threaten its social and economic well-being. This has now worsened since nations such as Barbados have seen their national debts soar to huge proportions of their GDP.
The region’s extensive coastlines, relatively low capacity to adapt to changing conditions, scarce natural resources, and limited infrastructure further intensify the perception of risk, as pointed out in the Earth & Space Science News piece.
But at least we can say the powers that be are finally taking note. Most of us who have lived there only wish it had been much earlier when actual effective courses of action were more feasible.
See also:
http://ift.tt/2pzNqIZ
This is all well and good, but hopefully not too late. Hand in hand with these physical changes noted are the hazards they pose to people. More than 120 million people live in the area. Despite steady, albeit inequitable, economic growth during recent decades, the region has become increasingly exposed to climate-related pressures that threaten its social and economic well-being. This has now worsened since nations such as Barbados have seen their national debts soar to huge proportions of their GDP.
The region’s extensive coastlines, relatively low capacity to adapt to changing conditions, scarce natural resources, and limited infrastructure further intensify the perception of risk, as pointed out in the Earth & Space Science News piece.
But at least we can say the powers that be are finally taking note. Most of us who have lived there only wish it had been much earlier when actual effective courses of action were more feasible.
See also:
http://ift.tt/2pzNqIZ
Thus Article Barbados Finally Faces Up To The Reality Of Climate Change - But Is It Too Late?
That's an article Barbados Finally Faces Up To The Reality Of Climate Change - But Is It Too Late? This time, hopefully can give benefits to all of you. well, see you in posting other articles.
You are now reading the article Barbados Finally Faces Up To The Reality Of Climate Change - But Is It Too Late? with the link address https://updated-1news.blogspot.com/2017/08/barbados-finally-faces-up-to-reality-of.html
0 Response to "Barbados Finally Faces Up To The Reality Of Climate Change - But Is It Too Late?"
Post a Comment