Repeating Islands

The government of St. Kitts and Nevis and UNESCO are sponsoring a conference on climate change in the Caribbean next month [information about the exact venue is not yet available]. Here, regional specialists will grapple with the scientific dimensions of global warming and the environmental consequences of global warming as well as its ethical dimensions. Caribbean 360 writes that next month’s conference on climate change and ethical principles slated for March 8-9 has already caught the attention of regional experts, but perhaps not enough from the Caribbean’s general populace, who should be concerned. Here are excerpts with a link to the full article below:

Head of the local Steering and Implementation Committee [. . .] Dr. Leighton Naraine, told the St Kits and Nevis Information Service that a large part of the adaptation strategy discussions will focus on the economic aspects of the phenomenon. “Climate change affects everyone,” he said. “All economic activities; the entire citizenry; the policy makers; national security all aspects of our society are affected, and therefore, everyone needs to be concerned about this type of conference.” 

The effects of climate change are evident throughout the region. The intensity of hurricanes is one such example mentioned by experts. Between the period 1966 to 2009, there were an average 11 named storms of which six became hurricanes with two being major hurricanes i.e. Category 3 or above. The 2010 season produced 19 name storms with 12 hurricanes of which five were major. Dr. Naraine also referenced the drought conditions experienced by several Caribbean countries last year – Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, in particular, were hard hit – along with the ongoing concerns of soil and coastal erosion, and said these natural hazards pose a threat to local societies.

“We’re looking at extremes of weather effects or weather phenomena in which droughts become more extreme, floods become more extreme, and we also have changes in sea level that can potentially inundate coastlines and low lying areas,” he said. “That is happening already, and we expect it to intensify.” 

For full article, see http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/st_kitts_nevis_news/253973.html?utm_source=Caribbean360+Newsletters&utm_campaign=ca125b6024-Vol_6_Issue_023_News2_25_2011&utm_medium=email

Also see http://www.gov.kn/ct.asp?xItem=1976&ctNode=53&mp=1 and http://www.zizonline.com/news/?583AE234-2219-22DB-AB7D48712E2B8B2F