Climate News:
Caribbean could cover all electricity needs using renewable resources, says IDB report
June 19, 2013
WASHINGTON, USA -- Latin America and the Caribbean’s renewable energy endowment is large enough to cover its projected 2050 electricity needs 22 times over, according to a new report commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The report, Rethinking our Energy Future...
Commentary: Global climate change and its emerging trends
June 15, 2013
The metaphysical phenomenon of global climate change has evoked equivocal chords! Moreover, empirical evidence about global climate variations in weather systems has recreated unpredictable trends in an environment that potentially have severe consequences to our being and how we understood the world.
EarthTalk: Progress on biofuels
June 10, 2013
A few years ago biofuels were all the rage. Environmental advocates to national security hawks alike were extolling the virtues of ethanol and biodiesel as a carbon-neutral bridge to our energy future. But the bubble burst when it became apparent that there wasn’t enough agricultural land...
EarthTalk: Why are wetlands so important to preserve?
June 3, 2013
Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs, riverbanks, mangroves, floodplains, rice fields -- and anywhere else, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development.
CARICOM-Germany cooperation places focus on climate change, renewable energy
June 1, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and natural resources management and biodiversity will be the focus of Germany’s assistance to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for the programming period to 2018.
Commentary: Impacting substrate stabilization and salt marsh development
June 1, 2013
As the depletion of the environment becomes imminent, restoration and development of salt marshes rejuvenates the relevance for the sustainability of wetlands; performing an important role in the aquatic food web and the delivery of nutrients to coastal waters. Hitherto, according to Germpalsm Resources...
$64 million and immediate action committed to protect environment and accelerate renewable energy
May 24, 2013
NECKER ISLAND, BVI -- In a joint effort to safeguard and bolster the Caribbean region's tourism-dependent economy, fifteen Caribbean governments and seventeen corporations met on Necker Island, home of Sir Richard Branson, in the British Virgin Islands last weekend.
St Lucia joins carbon challenge
May 18, 2013
NECKER ISLAND, BVI -- Saint Lucia announced its intention to move towards a clean energy future on Friday by becoming the next pioneering economy to join Carbon War Room's Ten Island Challenge, at the Caribbean Conservation Summit held on Necker Island.
Regional body launches climate change project
May 16, 2013
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- The European Union has given a grant of 8.6 million euros to support a regional project to improve Caribbean food security in the context of climate change. The project, which was being introduced and coordinated in a two-day session in Trinidad, is being conducted in four...
EarthTalk: Air conditioning options
May 13, 2013
According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), energy consumption for home air conditioning units accounts for more than eight percent of all the electricity produced in the US, at a cost to homeowners of $15 billion...
Additional financial resources required for the Caribbean to achieve climate stabilization
April 23, 2013
WASHINGTON, USA -- A new book to be released this week estimates net additional costs of reducing emissions related to land use, energy and transport – the three main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the Caribbean.
Commentary: Mainstreaming adaptation to climate change: Utilising best practices
April 18, 2013
The aftermath of climate change often fuels optimism! Continuously, climate change and global warming reminisce to create ecological and social variations – championing environmental degradation, changes in the cryosphere, geological events and extreme weather.
EarthTalk: Global warming solutions
April 17, 2013
Americans care more about the environment than ever before and the overwhelming majority of us acknowledges that climate change is real and human-induced. But still we continue to consume many more resources per capita than any other nation.
EarthTalk: Avoiding environmental cancer triggers
April 13, 2013
Cancer remains the scourge of the American health care system, given that four out of every 10 of us will be diagnosed with one form or another during out lifetime. Some of us are genetically predisposed toward certain types of cancers.
EarthTalk: Earth Day 2013
April 2, 2013
Organizers from Earth Day Network (EDN), the non-profit group dedicated to diversifying and mobilizing the environmental movement through planning and coordinating Earth Day activities and events around the world, have chosen...
Commentary: Contribution of geothermal energy to climate change mitigation: A Caribbean perspective
March 28, 2013
Considering the region’s geography, it should be a model for geothermal energy generation! When one thinks about renewable energy potential for the Caribbean, perhaps the first thing that comes to one’s mind is solar and wind energy sources.
Climate change adaptation readiness assessed in two Caribbean islands
March 27, 2013
LAVENTILLE, Trinidad (CANARI) -- The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is partnering with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Saint Lucia National Trust to assess climate change adaptation readiness in two islands.
EarthTalk: Solar roof shingles
March 26, 2013
Solar shingles are photovoltaic cells designed to look like and integrate with conventional asphalt roof shingles. First commercially available in 2005, solar shingles were much more costly than traditional “bolt-on” photovoltaic panels.
EarthTalk: Addressing global food scarcity
March 13, 2013
Food scarcity is a bigger problem than ever as human population numbers continue to swell, putting additional stress on already fragile food production and distribution systems. And it’s not just happening in faraway places: A recent report by the...
Commentary: Climate change and poverty: Minimizing the vulnerability of the poor
March 9, 2013
Climate change is serious! More so, climate change poses a serious threat to poverty reduction and menaces to undo many years of development efforts. Ideally, the Declaration on Sustainable Development stressed, “The adverse effects of climate change are...
Grenada PM discusses climate change with German officials
March 2, 2013
ST GEORGE’S, Grenada -- Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell met with officials from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Ministry of the Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development on Thursday to discuss the...
EarthTalk: Fisheries on the brink of collapse
February 20, 2013
Many of the world’s fisheries are indeed in crisis today due to years of overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, 57 percent of global fish populations are “fully exploited” and...
Barbados government official calls for more climate change funding
February 16, 2013
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -- A senior government official in Barbados is making a case for more climate change funding from international agencies at a time when growth and development in the region is threatened by sea level rises, storm surges...
EarthTalk: The greening of... McDonald's?
February 13, 2013
Long a poster child of environmental ills and health concerns, McDonald’s has worked steadily over the last two decades to clean up its act. The company will never win over vegetarians, who eschew meat for health, animal welfare and even...
Commentary: Renewable energy: The trending dominant climate change solution
February 7, 2013
Scientifically, renewable energy (RE) flows include natural phenomena, namely, wind, tides, geothermal heat and sunlight. More so, renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are continually restored. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists...
EarthTalk: Biomass controversies
February 6, 2013
Biomass is plant matter that is burned as a source of energy. Fallen or cut wood that is burned for heat is one primary form of biomass, but another includes plant or animal matter that is converted into biofuels. According to the International Energy...
EarthTalk: Airplane exhaust and the environment
January 23, 2013
While air travel today accounts for just three percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants that come out of jet exhaust contribute disproportionately to increasing surface temperatures below.
Climate change alliance to bring benefits to the region
January 16, 2013
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- The Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) has committed €300 million, in more than 35 countries to date, as it seeks to create a platform for dialogue, cooperation, technical and financial support.
EarthTalk: White roofs can reduce household electricity bills by 40 percent
January 16, 2013
Yes anyone can do it -- and the benefits can be significant, especially for those in warmer climates who expend a lot of energy keeping cool. But most of the world’s roofs, including on some 90 percent of buildings in the US, are dark-coloured.
Climate change making sustainable development more difficult
January 15, 2013
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- Climate change is making it even more difficult for CARICOM-member states and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to achieve sustainable economies. Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Barbados Ministry of the...
Barbados seeks to address climate change issues
January 14, 2013
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- Barbados is placing emphasis on further developing its early warning systems to address climate extremes, as concerns surrounding climate change continue to grow. Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry...
EarthTalk: How is climate change affecting the health of rivers and fresh water?
January 9, 2013
Global warming is no doubt going to cause many kinds of problems (and, indeed, already is), and rivers may well be some of the hardest hit geographical features, given the likelihood of increased droughts, floods and the associated spread...
EarthTalk: What is 'geo-tourism'?
January 2, 2013
“Geotourism” describes tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a given place, including its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of local residents. The idea is that tourism can be a positive force that...
Commentary: Climate change: Developing strategies for mitigation and adaptation
January 1, 2013
Climate change presents a new set of significant challenges to landowners and managers, and decision makers in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), the region and the rest of the world. Despite the size of SVG, the role that we play in connection in climate...
Community-based climate change adaptation programme launched in Belize
December 17, 2012
BELMOPAN, Belize -- The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Friday launched the Belize community based adaptation (CBA) programme.
EarthTalk: The Women's Earth Alliance
December 12, 2012
The Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA) supports community groups around the world that work at the intersection of women’s rights and the environment. A project of the Berkeley, California-based David Brower Center, WEA partners with local...
Climate change and disaster risk management at centre of regional fisheries talks in Jamaica
December 11, 2012
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The hurricane season just ended, and particularly the trail of death and destruction carved out by Hurricane Sandy in October, has left many with a reminder of just how devastating natural disasters can be.
EarthTalk: Hotels getting greener
December 5, 2012
Some hotels and hotel chains take sustainability more seriously than others, but the industry as a whole has certainly become greener in recent years. Those little cards may seem like token environmentalism, but they can actually result in...
2012 set to be ninth warmest year on record
November 29, 2012
DOHA, Qatar -- Temperatures this year are the ninth highest on record since 1850, despite the effect of La Niña, a meteorological phenomenon that is supposed to have a cooling influence on the Earth’s atmosphere.
Barbados praised for proactive approach to climate change
October 11, 2012
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- Barbados has received high praise for its proactive approach to climate change and environmental protection from executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
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