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.

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 As a result, the 20th-century business model, which says business only exists to make a profit, is no longer valid.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 corporate investment strategy?  Is it fair to say that because of this changing focus the 20th-century business model, which says business only exists to make a profit, is no longer valid?  The rate and by any means necessary philosophy that built the now industrialized nations, can certainly not be sustained as new epicenters of industrialization now begin to exist thought out the world.  Climate change is a real threat.  We know that industrialization drives pollution which threatens the atmosphere.  The new corporate social responsibility will be to industrialize and develop up and coming nations but not at the tax of the land, the people or the planet. Companies operating in these developing countries will have to spend a little more time ensuring that their business practices are not harming the local ecosystem.  That they are contributing to the well being of the people that work at their operations, local stakeholders and becoming a part of the community.  We are seeing today that it is driving a new level of competitiveness, in fact it is the building blocks to sustainability and it is the new Corporate Social Capitalism.

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.

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.

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.Jamaica’s famous rum industry has played an important history on the island. In 1893, there were over 148 distilleries located on the island. By 1948 there were only 25 and now the number is around 5. Seems that with only 5 distilleries it would be easy to nab the culprit or culprits who polluted the river. But without a suspect at this point, NEPA vows to be vigilant and to put measures in place to catch the individual or entities guilty of such acts in the future.

Jamaica currently produces the widest varieties of rum in the world. In fact, the island has the capacity to produce up to 50 million litres of rum annually. Jamaican rums are presently sold in over 70 countries around the world.

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.

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.

The Caribbean is regarded as one of the regions that will be most affected by climate change.

According to Weech, the Bahamas was one of the most vulnerable island countries in the region because of how flat it is.

“We are not a high island country like Jamaica or anywhere else – anywhere on the Bahamian islands is about 1.5m above sea-level. We are almost like pancakes,” he said while adding that the flatness of the islands increased its vulnerability to sea-level rise. He highlighted other vulnerabilities such as the high dependence on imported energy and food as well as the increasing costs of these commodities as areas in which there would have to be significant change.

“Adaptation is a priority for us but we have to do it in light of our circumstance,” said Weech. “We have to diversity and to do so in renewable technology such as using wind, energy and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion.”

“We have to look at our hotel sector – there is new techno in Paradise Island – which allows you to dim lights and reduce electricity use based on their occupation level but most of our old hotels have nothing like this – So the hotels have to look at having energy efficient systems,” he explained. “Energy assessments and audits: how much energy is used to keep someone in a hotel? How much energy is used in government departments? What about the use of transport – how much energy is used to move one person from point a to point b? We need to be a lot more energy efficient.”

He added however, that the Bahamas was already doing the following to address climate change:

• establishing terrestrial and marine reserves as well as parks and protected areas across the Bahamas,
• reducing emissions from land degradation and deforestation (REDD)
• fulfilling obligations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through assessment reports
• and maintaining engagement with regional bodies including the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre and the Alliance of Small Island Developing States.

Weech’s presentation was well received and the Director of ECLAC’s Caribbean sub-region, Neil Pierre, speaking at last week’s workshop said that the feedback from the Bahamas workshop would feed into the feasibility studies being planned for the Caribbean.

“Actions must be based on informed economic decision-making – the RECCC (Review of the Economics of Climate Change in the Caribbean) will give policymakers this,” said Pierre. “RECCC will arm policymakers with high quality information and informed analysis so that they can effectively play their part at an international level.”

The RECCC Study is expected to be done over a two year period. The first phase (September 2008 – March 2009) has already started with preliminary workshops on climate change in the Caribbean.

“We hope that this project will arrive at some preliminary findings to inform Caribbean government’s at the Copenhagen negotiations (December 2009),” said Pierre.

Indi Mclymont-Lafayette, PANOS writer

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  Lesser Antilles in view of continued high water temperatures through October.

“Just like any climate forecast, local conditions and weather events can influence actual temperatures,” said Dr Mark Eakin, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch coordinator.

“However, we are quite concerned that high temperatures may threaten the health of coral reefs in the Caribbean this year,” he added.

Eakin said he is concerned that bleaching may reach the same levels or exceed those recorded in 2005, the worst year of coral bleaching and disease in Caribbean history.
He said in parts of the Eastern Caribbean, as much as 90 per cent of corals were bleached and over half of those died during that event.

Eakin said prolonged coral bleaching of more than a week can lead to coral death and the subsequent loss of coral reef habitats for a range of marine life. It also affects local economies and tourism.

“By providing local officials with advance warning that a bleaching event is about to occur, some steps can be taken to protect the corals,” he said.

“Possible responses include mobilising monitoring resources to measure extent and impact of bleaching, and establishing temporary restrictions on other reef uses like diving, boating and recreational fishing, to keep these activities from adding to the stress of higher sea temperatures already affecting the coral reefs,” he added.

Eakin said there is also potential for similar conditions in the central Gulf of Mexico and a region stretching from the Lesser Antilles to Puerto Rico, across to the southern coast of Hispaniola and the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.

Scientists have said that coral bleaching is associated with a variety of factors, especially increased ocean temperatures. This causes the coral to expel symbiotic micro-algae living in their tissues – algae that provide sustenance for coral.

They also said that the loss of algae leaves coral tissue devoid of colour, making it appear bleached.

Eakin said the bleaching risk may be higher in certain regions in the Caribbean than in this initial forecast, as the model used for the outlook does not account for El Niño warming weather effect – something NOAA’s operational Climate Forecast System indicates is likely over the next year.

Eakin warned that if El Niño continues to strengthen, it could increase the bleaching risk in the central to the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean.

NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center said that last month the world’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record.