Did you know that the most important number on the plant is 350.  As in 350 Parts Per Million of CO2.  October 24, 2009 has been declared the International Day of Climate Action and will mark the first time that the event has been held.  The aim of this initiative is to build support for getting the CO2 levels in the atmosphere down to 350 which scientists have said is the safe limit for humanity.  The CO2 levels are currently at 387 ppm and rising.

24 October 2009 is International Day of Climate Action

So the call to action is on October 24th for you to place the number 350 at an iconic place in your community or some creative way and then upload the photo to the 350.org website.  They will collect the images from around the world and deliver the message to the media and world leaders to demonstrate how big and powerful with world wide movement for climate change is.  There is already a lot of creative activities happening to mark the occasion. On October 24th take a stand and do something!  For more information visit www.360.org/plan.

Friday, October 16th was World Food Day.  World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. It is also the Food Engineer day.  Food engineering is a multidisciplinary program which combines science, microbiology, and engineering education for food and related industries. Food engineering includes, but is not limited to, the application of agricultural engineering and chemical engineering principles to food materials.

The World Food Day theme for 2009 was “Achieving food security in times of crisis”.  With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger.

Let us work together to make sure hunger is recognized as a critical problem, and solve it.  The World Summit on Food Security is proposed by FAO for November 2009.

“The epicenter of the world economy is moving out of the west and changing the focus of corporate investment strategy. As a result, the 20th-century business model, which says business only exists to make a profit, is no longer valid. The new model is to build on the profit goal via sustainable globalization. This means business has to address global challenges in emerging markets like clean water, education, AIDS, and climate change in order to pave the way to growth and profits. Successful businesses in 5 to 10 years will be the ones that recognize this opportunity to address these challenges as a step to leading in emerging markets. Those who don’t will be left behind.”—E. Neville Isdell, chairman of Coca-Cola (now retired), paraphrased from remarks at the 2008 Clinton Global Initiative

This is excerpted from a speech delivered last year at the Clinton Global Initiative. With the epicenter of the world economy moving out of the west and into developing nations, how will this changing the focus affect (more…)

You have to  give a little kudos to the Jamaica Observer for trying to be innovative in the delivery of their product but I do have to ask a huge question in wake of this weeks news in which they announced that they were the first and only full colour daily newspaper to be delivered in the Caribbean.  The move seemed to be a little dated considering all the other areas where they could invest. 

We know that many printed newspapers are suffering and need to be more innovative in their business models so did the observer consider investing in their online operations, did they ensure that they are delivering the highest quality newspaper today – content and graphically pleasing. 

In addition, I would like to know more about the inks and the paper being used in their operations.  Are they using natural ingredients for the inks?  Is there a recycling component to their operations?  Considering all things, I have to call into question whether a full colour newspaper is really a sustainable move for the Caribbean region.  What do you think?  Please weigh in on the topic.

Peter Island, BVI has announced plans to purchase and install of two 250 kW wind turbines on a southeast facing ridge of the island. Peter Island is located five miles south of Tortola.   It is anticipated two turbines will provide in excess of 60% of the peak load energy requirements on the island.   The proposed installation date is January 2010.

The Peter Island Wind Project, the first commercial wind turbine installation in the British territory, will save more than 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year or approximately $250,000 annually.

Tim Currey, RA, NCARB, Director of Special Projects, URS Corporation states, “The Peter Island Wind Turbine Project will be a shining example of sustainability in the Caribbean environment. The project is a ‘win-win’ for all; The environment, Peter Island, the Resort and the entire BVI community. We are thrilled to be a part of this process.”

The wind turbine model selected is a WES30 Mk1 Hybrid from Netherlands-based, Wind Energy Solutions (WES). The turbine installation will be coordinated by Wolverine Power Solutions of Zeeland, MI and Kraus-Manning, Inc. (KMI) – Tortola will handle the Construction Management scheduling and services. Additional connectivity and controls design will be coordinated by Atlantic Controls based out of Fort Lauderdale, FL.

A massive amount of fish was found dead in Black River, St. Elizabeth this month. Up to 10 miles upstream dead fish were being found. Jamaica’s National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) was slow to act and has now admitted that its slow response may have prevented it from identifying the culprit(s) responsible for the environmental mess.

In a statement following the September 1 incident, NEPA said that it suspected that there was a release of dunder. Dunder is the yeast-rich foam leftovers from one batch of rum that is used to start the yeast culture of a second batch. It is the traditional yeast source in Jamaican rum and is known to be a critical step in achieving an authentic rum flavor. The dark-coloured leftover smells like stale sugar and is toxic to fish. Many people who live in the area claim that is an annual event and are concerned about the agency’s lack of power to stop or investigate it. (more…)

The Meso American Reef Surrounds Cozumel

In addition to global warming an increasing amount of the gas is making the waters of the Caribbean sea more acidic and warmer than ever.  Warmer water disrupts coral growth; acidic water affects coral’s abilities to secrete new skeletons which make them brittle and vunerable to breakage. 

All this and a hurricane battered coastline is dealing a deadly blow for the Meso-American reef (Spanish acronym, SAM , Sistema Arrecifal Mesoamericano) the world’s second biggest barrier reef, which stretches down the coast of southern Mexico past Belize and into Honduras.  Bad news for the reef as it seems all the oposing forces are against it. 

But is it too late for our reef?  Organisations like the WWF warn that the reef – home to thousands of marine species – faces obliteration in the near future.  It is said that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef may follow not long afterwards.

By Abeng NewsPublished: March 13, 2009

The Bahamas government is moving to put measures in place to help the extremely vulnerable islands adjust to what one government official calls a possible ‘death sentence for small islands.’

Mr. Phillip Weech, Director of the Bahamas Environmental Science and Technology Commission, said that the government was working on an energy policy, exploring alternative sources of energy as well as more sustainable tourism options in a bid to prepare the over 700 islands for the possible effects of climate change.

“Bahamas has no national energy policy….. we have prepared it and are doing public consultations to take it forward,” said Weech, who was addressing a workshop put on by the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to discuss the feasibility of doing a review on the Economics of Climate Change in the Caribbean. (more…)

Friday, July 24, 2009

WASHINGTON, USA (CMC) – United States scientists have warned that conditions are favourable for significant coral bleaching and infectious coral disease outbreaks in
the Caribbean.

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made their forecast in the July Coral Reef Watch outlook, released here Wednesday.

They cautioned that their forecast will be particularly felt in the  (more…)