E n viron men t TO BA GO n ewsl etter
E
n v i r o n m e n t TOBAGO (ET) is a non-government, non-profit, volunteer organisation , not subsidized by any one group, corporation or government body. Founded in 1995, ET is a proactive advocacy group that campaigns against negative environmental activities throughout Tobago. We achieve this through a variety of community and environmental outreach programmes. Environment TOBAGO is funded mainly through grants and membership fees. These funds go back into implementing our projects. We are grateful to all our sponsors over the years and thank them for their continued support
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hat’s inside
Trinbago Tourism Certified
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Kleen Schools Award Ceremony
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FAO CC4FISH Project
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Digital Library of the Caribbean
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Escazú Champions
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Nurturing Nature TT
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Articles
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Ecology Notes
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T&T’s Biodiversity
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What’s Happening @ ET
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Notes to contributors
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Environment TOBAGO
December 2019
TRINBAGO TOURISM CERTIFIED RYAN ALLARD, ET
I recently attended a meeting of a several stakeholders of the Green Key Technical Committee for a project to implement Green Key Sustainable Tourism Certification in Trinidad and Tobago (with a focus on Tobago). We had representatives from Green T&T, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), THA Department for Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment (DIQE), THA Division of Tourism, Bureau of Standards (TTBS), Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (THTI), Tobago Hotel Association, and of course Environment Tobago. We got an introduction to Green Key, the international sustainable tourism body whose program was being evaluated for implementation across Tobago’s tourism industry. Green Key is one of numerous global tourism certification bodies worldwide. Other majors include Green Globe, Earth Check, Travel Life and Green Destinations. They all have the aim of improving the sustainability of tourism services worldwide by offering a certified standard that may attract tourists and help reduce tourism’s negative environmental impacts like damage to natural resources, and climate change (tourism including travel and accommodations, and service are responsible for 1 in every 13 tons of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change). These certification bodies have different requirements and costs. Green Key claimed to be one of the cheaper options available that has already attained over 3,100 certified accommodations, restaurants, and attractions in 60 countries including several in Mexico and in the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago has the opportunity to be the first English-speaking Caribbean country with certified entities. The challenge of becoming certified is great however. Tobago’s experience with other certification bodies indicated that their requirements are very demanding, and that they are expensive for small organizations to pay the annual fee. Green Key’s annual fee (excluding regular audits) of €500 (TT$3,700) is a bit lower than Green Globe’s fee of US$750 (TT$5,000) for micro hotels (up to 19 rooms which covers a large portion of Tobago’s room stock). But the requirements are still a challenge. The committee discussed requirements such as: the need to measure water consumption, measure waste generation, install low flow taps, and be actively involved with community groups. These represent major changes to behaviours of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions in Trinidad and Tobago, which at a bare minimum will raise the level of sustainability knowledge across the country, and would have numerous knock-on effects like increasing public awareness of environmental issues. But the greater benefits of improving the (environmental, economic, and social) sustainability of Trinidad and Tobago’s Tourism product cannot be understated, and requires all participants, not one organization, not even the government can do it alone. It’s high time that individuals across all sectors (private, social, public) take these actions seriously, a sustainable tourism sector cannot wait.
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter
KLEEN SCHOOLS AWARD CEREMONY December 2019 Editor: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Assistant Editors: Raymond Aaron Gordon Deane Design & Layout: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Technical Support: Enid Nobbee Contributors: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Ryan Allard Environment TOBAGO Photographs: Theodore Ferguson Jalaludin Khan Environment TOBAGO
Kwesi Des Vignes (Secretary of Environment) gives a lively talk to the school children
Musical interlude– an environmental song performed by a form 4 student of Harmons SDA and her music teacher
Board of Directors 2018-2020 President: Bertrand Bhikkary Vice-President: Patricia Turpin Secretary: Ryan Allard Treasurer: Andy Roberts Other Directors: Wendy Austin Nathaniel Licorish Dave Nelson Andrea Tuitt Aljoscha Wothke
Officials (left to right) - Gillian Stanislaus (EMA Tobago), Patricia Turpin (ET), Kwesi Des Vignes, Administrator Health, Bertrand Bhikarry (ET), Sheldon Narine (Corporate Affairs Advisor, BHP T&T) . BHP is the major sponsor of the event.
Awardees and teachers from primary and secondary schools
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Handing over the “boots”
The FAO CC4FISH project recently handed over boots to the Tobago House of Assembly's Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment. The boots are intended to help units within the Division who are tasked with manual Sargassum clean-up efforts. In this picture (from left) the Administrator of the Division Mr Ritchie Toppin, Mr Kerton Jobe and Climate Change Specialist Howard Robin of the Coastal Zone Management Unit take part in the handover exercise.
SOME OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO’S BIRD LIFE
Glittering throated Emerald Hummingbird (Amazilia fimbriata)
Common Potoo (juvenile) (Nyctibius griseus)
Photos by Theodore Ferguson
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter
The Environment TOBAGO Newsletter is now part of the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) of the University of Florida. The dLOC is the largest repository of news and culture fin the form of rare books, manuscripts, maps and scientific data that focusses exclusively on the circum-Caribbean region. ET is honoured to be part of this initiative and thanks all members of it’s editorial team and contributors over the years for making this possible. We could not have done it without you!!!
UPDATE!!!
On the 17th October 2019, the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) welcome the news from official correspondence from the Ministry of Planning and Development, that a national advocacy campaign by civil society organisations (CSOs) across Trinidad and Tobago has resulted in an announcement by the T&T Government that Cabinet is actively considering signing and ratifying the EscazĂş Agreement. This follows the submission of a Cabinet note on the subject by Planning and Development Minister, Camille Robinson-Regis, earlier in that month.
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter
NURTURING NATURE TT We Are a Coalition-based Initiative! The Nurturing Nature TT campaign is being developed as an active collaboration among local wildlife conservation and animal welfare organizations. Issues of animal welfare, responsible pet ownership and wildlife conservation are too complex to be effectively addressed by one individual or organization. So here in Trinidad and Tobago, we are working together! If you want to know more about how we are creating our campaign with our coalition members, check out ➡️ The Community Tool Box (https://ctb.ku.edu/en). Our current Coalition Members are:
• Animals Alive • Animal Welfare Network • Corbin Local Wildlife Park • Centre for the Rescue of
Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago (CRESTT) • Environment Tobago • Sustainable Innovation Initiatives The El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation • Trinidad & Tobago Field Naturalists' Club • TTSPCA - Port of Spain Shelter • TTSPCA - Tobago Shelter • The Trinidad & Tobago Veterinary Association Key support also comes from: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service US Agency for International Development (USAID) Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (https://windref.sgu.edu/)
Tobago's biodiversity Cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis)
(Photos by Jalaludin Khan)
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter
ARTICLES The Projected Impacts of Climate Change in the Caribbean Ryan Allard, PhD Senior Fellow for Project Drawdown Corporate Secretary, Environment Tobago
“almost all major towns across the Caribbean are built in low lying areas near to the coast, there are direct risks from rising sea levels as land-based ice melts."
For a region that collectively has only contributed a minute portion of the total emission since the pre-industrial period, the Caribbean has an over-sized burden of climate change impacts to bear. Climate change and Global Warming are constantly in the news, and rightly so. Climate change has become one of the most important and complicated challenges for most nations on earth and for the entire planet as a whole due to its devastating consequences that reverberate throughout entire societies, affecting their safety, health, economy, and natural systems. The interrelated issues of climate change add to its complexity, as it crosses national boundaries (emissions in one country affect all countries), and time periods (historical emissions have impacts felt today). Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and other non-gas pollutants such a s soot (black carbon) which blanket the earth's atmosphere and traps heat that would have been released into space. Our islands, and cities, and societies are not ready for this excess heat. Despite the minute contribution to global climate change, the Caribbean is receiving the climate impacts caused by the large volumes of climate pollutants from the many larger, more industrialized countries that have been burning coal, gas, and oil, and clearing forests in vast amounts since the 1800's. Major hurricanes that pummel our islands (such as Dorian (2019) and Irma (2017), both Category 5 hurricanes), are the headline news around the world, and are partly linked to climate change, but there are numerous other more subtle changes that will affect how we live, how we survive, how we eat, how we build, and how we govern in the Caribbean. Besides hurricanes, other general impacts of climate change involve changes that the term "global warming" does not fully indicate: increased rainfall in some places, decreased rainfall in others, higher sea levels, higher sea surges during storms, higher sea temperatures, higher air temperatures, and each of these in isolation, and in combination have socioeconomic impacts. Consider the beautiful coral reefs of Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica that attract thousands of tourists annually. Higher sea temperatures damage corals, and can reduce the tourists that these islands attract. As almost all major towns across the Caribbean are built in low lying areas near to the coast, there are direct risks from rising sea levels as land-based ice melts. This may take several decades to be experienced, but more immediate results like storm surge are occurring now. Storm surge is the rise in sea levels that temporarily occurs during storms, and storms are projected to be more intense and more frequent due to climate change. Hurricane Dorian increased the sea level by up to 7 meters (23 feet) in the Abacos islands of The Bahamas in September, 2019, and this increases flooding, and destruction of infrastructure. Videos of persons trapped in
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
the attics and roofs of their single story homes which were completely filled with water in the Abacos islands have been shared across the Internet, highlighting how storm surge can be very dangerous today. The flattest islands such as Barbados, and The Bahamas are most at risk, but all islands have low lying settlements, and this storm surge can not only destroy infrastructure, and isolate people, but also contaminate water supplies, and spread disease. As temperatures increase, rainfall is affected, and some islands, like Tobago and Barbados are expected to received less rainfall, although others, like Trinidad, may receive more. This may reduce the availability of water supplies for domestic, commercial and agricultural use on-island, and raise the need for more efficient water use practices, technologies, and water purification technologies such as desalination, which also increases water supply costs. There are numerous other effects expected from climate change across the Caribbean such as increased need for air conditioning systems, reduced fish populations as they migrate to cooler waters, decreased agricultural yield, leading to lower food production in the islands, forest fires and increased risk of diseases due to hotter, drier conditions. Climate change requires that Caribbean residents think collectively about and plan for how life in these islands we call home will change significantly, and encourage adoption of measures to improve our resilience to these changes that are coming whether we are prepared or not.
ECOLOGY NOTES What are Detritivores? Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal
Detritivores are animals that obtain the nutrients they need from feeding on decaying plants and animals and get this, faeces as well. They are essential to the survival of ecosystems because when they are eaten, the energy they obtain from feeding on the bodies of dead organisms are now passed on to its consumer, thus making sure that energy moves up the food web. Detritivores are found both in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. A wide range of Two Adonis Blue butterflies lap at pieces of animals are detritivores for example, millipedes, slugs, faeces earthworms, starfish and Fiddler crabs, just to name a few. So detritivores may not have the most delicious diet, but what they eat is beneficial to the environment.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING @ ET
ET is now on Facebook and Twitter We invite everyone on Facebook to join. Here we will post upcoming events, links, photos and videos on ET matters and other environmental issues. ET group link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/ group.php?gid=53362888661&ref=ts And keep up to date on what we are up to by following us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/environ_tobago
Environment TOBAGO Environmental and Services Map of Tobago They are excellent and will be published every two years. Published in January 2008. Requests for these maps can be made to ET office.
Volunteers needed!
Persons who are interested in helping with cataloguing and filing of ET’s educational, research and operational material and archiving.
New Members
ET has a membership of 438 worldwide, ET welcomes the following member:
Tanya Mohammed
Literature Available
The Tropical Rainforest of Tobago — The Main Ridge Graham Wellfare and Hema Singh Published by Environment TOBAGO pp 37 Price: TT120.
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
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Environment TOBAGO t-shirts and caps now available
Type: Polos Size: Small, Medium & Large Price: TT$150.00 Colours: Kelly green, royal blue, red, gold and ash grey Description: ET logo embroidered on left breast, sponsor’s logo printed on the back.
Type: Regular tees Size: Small, Medium & Large Price: TT$100.00 Colours: Kelly green, red, black, navy blue, ash, purple, royal blue and black forest Description: ET logo printed on front and sponsor logos on sleeves at the back centre
Type: Lady’s tees Size: Small & Medium Price: TT$100.00 Colours: Lime green, red and black Description: ET logo printed on front and sponsor logo at the back centre
Price: TT$120.00
Orders can be made through the office.
Products featuring artwork from Rainforest Education & Awareness Programme
Tote bags-TT$120
Burlap bags -TT$120
Postcards Drawstring bags-TT$130
TT$15 per card or TT$100 for a pack of ten
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
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READERS’ FORUM Dear ET Newsletter Readers, Office:
Mailing address:
11 Cuyler Street Scarborough, Tobago, W.I. P.O. Box 503, Scarborough, Tobago, W.I.
Phone: 1-868-660-7467 E-mail: office@environmenttobago.net
We want to hear from YOU! Comments may be edited for length and clarity. Send your comments to: joannesewlal@gmail.com or envir@tobago.net
GUIDELINES TO CONTRIBUTORS Articles on the natural history and environment are welcome especially those on Trinidad and Tobago. Articles should not exceed approximately 1200 words (2 pages) and the editors reserve the right to edit the length. Images should be submitted as separate files. Submit material to any of the following: 1) joannesewlal@gmail.com 2) envir@tobago.net
We are on the web http:// www.Environmenttobago.net
Deadline for submission of material for the 1st Quarter 2020 issue of the Bulletin is March 10, 2020.