Earth Conscious Magazine by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar

March 2012

ISSN 2070-4593

Knowledge should be transparent and transferable to all for achieving sustainability Submitted by: Ravindran Chandran, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Education for a sustainable lifestyle in the Amazon Submitted by: Bruno Maia | naturezafotos.org, Jamaraquรก, Brasil

In Trinidad and Tobago research will be carried out on how to better integrate ecosystem assessment, scenario development and economic valuation of ecosystem services into national sustainable development planning.

Page 20 Editor: Linda Hutchinson-Jafar Technical Editor: Faies Jafar Contributors: Marvin A. Hokstam Jordan Jafar Barbara King Garfield King Christina Persad Jo Anne Nina Sewlal Mike Shanahan Bogusia Sipiora Design and layout: Karibgraphics Ltd.

is published by: Caribbean PR Agency #268 Harold Fraser Circular, Valsayn, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I. T/F: (868) 645-0368 hutchlin@gmail.com www.earthconsciousmagazine.com  2012. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

March 2012

ISSN 2070-4593

On our Cover Green jobs? This young iguana is working its way up a carambola tree and checking to see who is behind with a camera.

March 2012 CONTENTS 2 From the Editor 4 European Investment Bank backs Caribbean geothermal energy scheme 6 METS, Suriname’s vehicle for tourism growth turns 50 9 The fascinating world of spiders 12 Tobago: GEF SGP helps communities protect the Speyside marine area 14 The EMA steps up noise control 16 Youth voice at Rio+ - more important than ever 19 YOUNG VOICES 20 Linking nature’s contribution to national planning 22 CARIBBEAN UPDATES 26 GLOBAL WATCH 30 Place where angels hide 32 UNHCR project brings light, security and fuel-efficient cooking to refugees 36 UNFCCC database showcases business adaptation projects 38 GREEN LIVING 40 FAMILY VALUES 46 Global farmer leaders unite to address climate change 50 The humbling history of the tiny wasps that upset a Jurassic Park/ Noah’s Ark narrative

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More than 50,000 people are also expected to participate in the conference, with many thousands more expected in the city during that time. Outside of official discussions, nearly 1,000 events focused on related issues are scheduled before and around the time of Rio+20, an indication of the magnitude of people expected there.

012 is shaping up to be a busy year with significant focus being placed on environmental sustainability issues and climate change. We can only hope that with all these high level meetings that will be taking place throughout the year, something meaningful will come out of them which will lead to improvements in all of lives. Mid-year, the big meeting is the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also called Rio+20 which is seeking to accelerate the move towards more sustainable solutions to many of the world’s most pressing problems. World leaders including more than 100 presidents and prime ministers, along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, CEOs, NGO leaders, academics and representatives from many other groups will converge in Brazil’s colourful city of Rio de Janiero.

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Rio+20 will be another major opportunity for governments leaders and thousands of people representing different groups to adopt policies and shape action on measures that can promote prosperity and reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection. In Trinidad and Tobago, Earth Conscious magazine will also be hosting its 2nd annual Youth Forum on Climate Change under the theme “The Future we want: Green Economy, Sustainable Society” – a combination of the themes of Rio+20 and World Environment Day. We’ll also be keeping our eyes on the major UNFCCC meetings this year – the usual Subsidiary Body meeting in Bonn (14 to 25 May) and then the Conference of Parties in Qatar (26 Nov to 07 Dec). Before Qatar, there will also be a meeting of Ministers in South Korea in November, to prepare the COP. Linda Hutchinson-Jafar

Editor

The 2012 IDEAS contest calls for innovative proposals to promote sustainable energy technologies in the Caribbean

UKAid from the Department of International Development (DFID), GVEP International, South Korea and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have launched a contest to develop innovative ideas to improve energy efficiency and expand access to renewable energy in the Caribbean. The contest, recently launched with a regional marketing campaign ‘What’s your bright IDEA?, is • intended to promote innovative solutions to energy problems that have local or regional benefits, provide jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Award winners will receive up to US$200,000, as • well as technical and business development support to implement or scale up their ideas. Individuals, enterprises and organizations based in the Caribbean are invited to submit proposals focusing on adoption, innovation, assimilation, development and transfer of technologies in renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate • change mitigation and fossil fuel substitution by April 30, 2012. Applications should be submitted electronically - details and guidance are available at www.iadb.org/ideas. Grant winners will be announced July 15, 2012. “The Caribbean has great potential for economically and environmentally sustainable enterprises in renewable energy and energy efficiency,” said Simone Banister, Climate Change Adviser at DFID Caribbean. “Simple innovations could have a dramatic effect on energies supplies, prices and the way businesses and markets operate in the region.” Energy in the Caribbean is currently produced almost exclusively from imported fossil fuels, Banister explained. “As a result, consumers are paying high prices for electricity, transport fuels and other forms of energy. So far, the use of alternative sources of energy, particularly renewables, has been limited. We’re hoping to help change that.” “Local innovation and the adaptation of existing technologies to local circumstances are key to boosting the competitive supply of renewable energy services and tackling environmental concerns” said Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho, Lead Energy Specialist at the IDB.

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European Investment Bank backs Caribbean geothermal energy scheme The European Investment Bank has agreed to fund preparations for possible use of geothermal renewable energy to replace fossil fuels in the Caribbean. Potential electricity generation capacity from geothermal resources and feasibility of connections to other islands will be examined under the technical assistance programme to start shortly.

The European Investment Bank, the generation from renewable energy sources European Union’s long-term lending in the East Caribbean.” said Plutarchos institution, will provide a EUR 1.1 million Sakellaris, European Investment Bank Vice grant to enhance detailed planning and President. study the feasibility of exporting electricity “The European Investment Bank is a generated by geothermal energy from highly recognised and trusted development Dominica to neighbouring islands partner and so having the EIB on board in Martinique and Guadeloupe. our geothermal development initiative is Electricity generation using geothermal very instrumental in giving our programme energy uses water heated to a high the exposure necessary to attract the best temperature using geothermal resources in the geothermal business – contractors, available near the surface. The consultants, experts and, The European EIB’s support will evaluate a of course, investors. As possible northern submarine Investment Bank’s the Minister responsible for contribution will interconnection from Dominica Energy, I thank the EIB for greatly assist a to Guadeloupe and a second their continued interest in project that has link to Martinique in the advancing our development the potential to south. Once the feasibility of objectives and look forward develop a 20MW cross-border interconnections geothermal power to strengthening the is determined, subsequent generation plant cooperation.” said Rayburn studies will define the for local use and a Blackmoore, Minister for characteristics of the sub- subsequent plant Public Works, Energy and sea cables and assess the of up to 120 MW Ports, Dominica. environmental impact of the for export. “The launch of this phase planned interconnection. of the project underpins “Ensuring the most the EU’s goal of making effective use of geothermal energy renewable energy a priority to achieve the as a sustainable source of electricity Millennium Development Goals, more generation offers immense potential for particularly in terms of poverty alleviation transforming energy use and economic and eradication.” said Valeriano Díaz, Head growth in the Caribbean. The European of the Delegation of the European Union to Investment Bank is pleased to contribute Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. to overcoming specific technical and The European Investment Bank’s engineering challenges essential to contribution will greatly assist a project lowering the energy costs in Dominica that has the potential to develop a 20MW and to significantly increase electricity geothermal power generation plant for

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Wotten Waven Sulphur Springs, Dominica Photo: Dean Fleischman, DMF Photography

local use and a subsequent plant of up to 120 MW for export. Currently, the Government of Dominica, supported by the European Union and the Agence FranĂ§aise de DĂŠveloppement, is drilling three test wells in Laudat and Wotten-Waven to determine the potential of geothermal resources in the Roseau Valley and plans to build a 5MW test plant. Results gained from the exploratory drillings will allow greater understanding of the size and quality of geothermal resources that could be used. This information, along with results of the feasibility studies of interconnections funded by the European Investment Bank, will determine the most effective approach. The project is to provide clean and sustainable energy for Dominica and

neighbouring islands by allowing them to generate their electricity needs away from a primarily fossil fuel base to a renewable energy resource, become a significant income generator for Dominica, decrease its considerable foreign exchange expense of imported diesel and substantially lower energy costs for the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population. If successful, this project could become a model for other small island development states around the world that have geothermal potential. The European Investment Bank has supported projects in the Caribbean for more than 40 years and contributes to improving sustainable energy in small island states around the world, most recently in Cape Verde and Vanuatu.

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METS, Suriname’s vehicle for tourism growth turns 50 By Marvin A. Hokstam

Suriname’s oldest eco-tourism company turns 50, it looks at penetrating new markets and be at the forefront of the region’s prime industry.

When METS Travel & Tours in Suriname (METS) was established on January 13th 1962, this company probably stood at the cradle of what today is the buzz term “ecotourism.” Managing Director Armand Bhagwandas says that in its anniversary year the company will celebrate, but also build on. Last month a spa was added to one of its lodges in the country’s hinterland; later this year construction should start of a nature-friendly airport hotel in the sundrenched savannas of District Para; all the while METS will jointly diversify Suriname’s tourism markets. “That we’ve stayed afloat for 50 years shows that Suriname has something to offer. We want to continue being a vehicle for change,” Mr. Bhagwandas said.

Tourism Vision It probably happened unwittingly, but METS probably was one of the first tourism organizations in the region that blended forest and nature into the industry. When it was started as a department of the then Ministry of Economic Affairs, its task was aimed at developing tourism; Government owned several lodges where civil servants were housed when on assignment in the hinterland, and METS managed them. “That back then already there was an eco-tourism vision behind METS, is clear,” Mr. Bhagwandas relates. He joined in 1985, first as the Ministry’s Head of Tourism and later on as METS’ Director. The Government lodges became tourist destinations and the company started selling tours to Blakawatrain District Para and Stoelmanseiland, an island in the Tapanahoni River, a distant tributary in the country’s mysterious southeast. METS also developed the food stands under the shady almond trees of Waterkant on the left bank of the Suriname River in the heart of Paramaribo. Palumeu Lodge was started in its namesake Amerindian village in South Suriname; its success inspired a lodge at Kumalu Island in the Gran Rio River. The local community was deeply involved

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in these developments. “From when we started, the intention was to involve the locals in developing sustainable tourism and ensuring their maximum input. We left the management of the lodges in their hands,” Mr. Bhagwandas says. The concept was repeated at other resorts the company started, among which Tukunari Island on the huge manmade Afobakka Lake in the Upper Suriname River; this resort aimed at the local Suriname community for whom a flight to Palumeu in the far south of Suriname could have been just too much of a threshold. METS also dabbled in the hotel sector, first with Residence Inn as a pilot project at Rode Kruislaan in 1994, which became a full-fledged hotel at Anton Dragtenweg in 1998. The Residence Inn formula had meanwhile also been brought to NieuwNickerie, where the affiliate of the first METSstandard hotel was opened in 1997. The company had meanwhile also acquired Colakreek, and put this sprawling recreation facility in District Para with its refreshing black sweet water creek through an upgrade. A Savanna Education Center was added in 2010, to educate visitors about the biodiversity of the area. “We thought it important that aside from recreating in the savannas, people also learn about their importance, and how to sustain their wonderful biodiversity,” explains Mr. Bhagwandas. Continuing to spearhead new directions, the company had also started tour-operations, with professional guides offering tours to METS destinations and those of fellow tourism businesses. Tours to awe inspiring destinations like the majestic Kasikasima Mountains; located south of Palumeu, this ridge is ranked as one of the must-do things when visiting Suriname by Lonely Planet travellers.

Growth Mr. Bhagwandas said METS understands its role in sustainable tourism. He is most excited about building the Airport Hotel on a parcel of land adjacent to Colakreek. ‘We hope to start building this year,” he says. Tucked seamlessly in the lush green of the savannas, the hotel should become a hallmark for sustainable accommodation in Suriname’s nature, powered as much as possible by solar energy. It will have 60 rooms. “We have done our research and from the demand we have the impression that within three years we’ll be adding 60 more,” the Managing Director says. He says the hotel should also bring development to the area. “It will be integrated into the nature of the area, and it will bring job opportunities to the local community. This hotel should stand as an example in Suriname, if not for sustainable tourism in the region.” The US$ 6 million investment will be financed from SLM/METS coffers, but third parties are invited to buy shares. March 2012

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“We’re really exploring new markets this year,” the Managing Director says. Research has shown that every year some 20 small cruise ships sail past Suriname’s coast. “Of course there are many that pass us, but because the Suriname River is fairly shallow, there are only few that can sail up to Paramaribo. These ships go up the Amazon River and we want to go after those; try to keep the passengers here for one night, show them more of the city,” he says. Government recently introduced a tourism card which should ease travel to Suriname and eventually lead to more tourists from main market Netherlands and new markets like France, England, the US, Belgium and Germany. “Suriname has always focused heavily on The Netherlands, and that is understandable because that market is historically tied to Suriname and we have good flight arrangements to that country. But now, especially with the new arrangement of tourist cards we should be able to go after new markets,” Mr. Bhagwandas says. His thoughts are to approach new markets, in partnership with tourism destinations in the region. “We have a great product and the market is there, so there is massive potential,” he added. The Tourism Foundation Suriname has laid out a five year trajectory to diversify

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Suriname’s marketing efforts. Officials will be attending the most important tourism fairs, embassies have been urged to step up their own game and trade journalists will be invited to write about the product and its new direction. “This is a joint effort and we hope to see some results in three years,” he said. METS will maintain its focus on quality, inward and where possible outward. “We have kept the light burning from when we were established and even in difficult times. We were cognizant of our role and even took it a few steps further by involving our local partners. If I look at the industry now, it gives a good feeling to see all the new players in tour operating and hotel accommodation,” he said, listing how brand name hotels like Marriot, Wyndham and Best Western have now found their way to Suriname. “Now it’s important to maintain quality; monitoring should be the task of the Tourism Authority that will be established soon, but we remain available, not just as player in the industry, but also as an advisory institute that is willing to help develop standards that itself has to abide by. We want to be the vehicle for more growth,” he said.

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Early last year I was approached by a UK production company about appearing in an episode of a documentary series on the importance of spider silk. But this is just one aspect of spiders that make them fascinating creatures to study. The mention of the word “spider” makes some people cringe, but spiders are not just good for appearing in horror movies or at Halloween, they are very valuable organisms in our ecosystems. This article will explain some of these important ecological functions as well as some other interesting facts about spiders that make them a fascinating research subject. Spiders carry out many useful ecosystem functions, for instance they are pollinators. Members of some spider families like Thomisidae commonly referred to as “crab spiders” act as pollinators of plants. These spiders do not use silk to construct webs to capture prey. Instead they camouflage themselves between the petals of flowers and wait for insects which they ambush and eat. It is this movement from flower to flower that causes them to transfer the pollen that is on their body. Insects comprise approximately 80% of global biodiversity, so why aren’t we being overtaken by insects. This is because their populations are regulated by natural and human means such as pesticides and insecticides. However, spiders are

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Photo: John Abbott (www.abbottnaturephotography.com)

Trinidadian Jo-Anne Sewlal was featured on the documentary “Wild Freaks of Nature” produced by the UK production company, WAG TV. It was produced for Discovery Channel and has already been aired in the US and on cable television world wide . Parts of the documentary were shot in Mt St. Benedict and Simla in Trinidad

considered top predators in many different habitats, and are regarded highly for their ability to stabilize populations of arthropods in particular insects. It is this ability to regulate insect populations in agricultural habitats coupled with the fact that they are quite voracious carnivores, has led them to be regarded as biological control agents. Simply put they are more interested in eating the insects that prey on the crops than the crops themselves. Although a small percentage of spider species supplement their diet with other substances like nectar. Spiders occupy a mid-level position in food webs. Basically this means that they are top predators of organism such as insects found in lower trophic levels, while at the same time they act as food for organisms higher up in the food web like birds and lizards. Because of their important location in food webs, spiders are also regarded as biological indicators. This is because

their presence and the species found in a habitat are dependent on the animals found in lower trophic levels. Spiders that construct webs that are not just pretty to look at also convey vital information about our ecosystems such as the health of a habitat as they are sensitive to changes in habitat. A good example of this is web-building spiders which depend on their webs to capture prey. A major factor that determines the placement of these webs as well as their protection from the elements and predators is the state of the vegetation present, that is, is it natural or disturbed from activities logging or clearing for farming or housing. Some facts about spiders that you may find fascinating are that all spiders contain venom however, not all are considered poisonous. That is they either cannot deliver enough venom or their venom is not potent enough to be fatal to humans. In Trinidad and Tobago, there are species whose bite will cause some discomfort however none have been recorded as posing a threat to human health. As I mentioned earlier, spiders are known for their ability to produce silk. However, this silk is used for a variety of uses, such as wrapping prey, constructing webs to catch prey and structures called retreats for the spider to rest, making egg sacs and even for transport. Yes, spiders use silk to get around. However, this method is mostly used by young spiderlings for dispersing and to get away quickly from their siblings before they are eaten. Did I mention that spiders are also cannibalistic? Small spider species also use this method. The spider releases a length of silk from a height such as from a rock or a leaf and if it catches on the wind, it carries the spider along with it. Spider silk is very strong, and the remnants of some webs can remain long after the spider has moved on or died. The silk of a relative of our very own Nephila clavipes

(Golden Orb Weaver) is so strong that some tribes in South Pacific use it to fish. Strength is just one of the qualities of silk that makes it applicable to different industries. The silk produced by these tiny creatures can also stretch many times greater than their relaxed length. With the silk of some species over 10 times tougher than Kevlar, which is the material used to manufacture bulletproof vests. So that spider silk has great potential in applications in the military and security industries. Of course silk is also very useful in the textile industry for its beauty. Finally why chose to study spiders in these tiny islands? Trinidad contains 52 out of the 110 families recorded in the world. Trinidad is also quite unique to study biodiversity, because it is a continental island. This means that it broke away from the South American continent taking with it, its flora and fauna. However, many millennia of isolation from the mainland have resulted in the development of endemic species as well as adding to the uniqueness of this countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biodiversity. I hope after reading this you do not think of spiders as â&#x20AC;&#x153;creepy crawliesâ&#x20AC;? but as valuable members of our ecosystems to be respected and protected.

Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal works at the Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies March 2012

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Tobago: GEF SGP helps communities protect the Speyside Marine Area

Tobago’s coral reefs have been threatened significantly by numerous factors both anthropogenic and natural. The reefs in Speyside, however, showed little susceptibility to the natural environmental threats that have persisted over the years, namely, bleaching, eutrophication and sedimentation. It was for this reason that it was described as versatile and resilient by the Buccoo Reef Trust and consequently became the target for a properly managed and protected, marine park. In 2008, the Buccoo Reef Trust focused on engaging the Speyside community in reef conservation and data gathering to increase its possibilities of becoming a legally protected area. Multiple efforts by various national and international agencies such as the Tobago House of Assembly, Institute of Marine Affairs, European Commission and Buccoo Reef Trust, were made to establish a management plan for the area and designate it a restricted area and marine park.

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Despite these efforts, the Speyside marine area remains without legal status as a marine park, restricted area or protected area. To identify the gaps and prepare the management plans that could help in this process, the Bucoo Reef Trust with a total GEF-SGP grant allocation of USD $49 920 and the organization’s support as well as that of Coral Cay Conservation and the Tobago House of Assembly started the Speyside Marine Area Community Based Management Project. The project aimed to create greater environmental awareness among the community, promoted community participation in the execution of marine management plans, built local capacity to support livelihood needs and the consequent development of a registered CBO called Speyside Eco Marine Park Rangers. The first Initiative was increasing environmental awareness with the project “My Island My Community: Increasing Awareness and Changing Attitudes and Behaviours” on Climate Change in Tobago. The focus that was placed on community participation and a bottom-up approach that promoted confidence among community members, allowed for greater participation and a synergistic approach where formal knowledge complimented existing community

needs to produce realistic project objectives and community goals. The conservation of the surrounding area and its treatment as a protected area has resulted in the overall improvement and regeneration of reef conditions. Additionally, there has been improved watershed management and more controlled use and consumption of resources. This has provided an example of how an integrated coastal management system can efficiently ensure the protection of all biodiversity of the area while incorporating this into sustainable livelihoods of the 1064 community dwellers.

A partnership with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the Tobago House of Assemblyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provided additional support and helped promote the work of the project while bringing education and awareness to 450 community members, including 100 females and 200 children. Together with established management plans, the partnerships led to greater efforts toward biodiversity studies, ownership of the project and project sustainability which perpetuated capacity building and income generation through active involvement in project activities.

Throughout this issue, Earth Conscious magazine is pleased to feature photographs that represent a sustainable lifestyle, submitted by thousands of persons around the world to the Rio+20 website. You can submit yours too at: http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/pictures.html#upload. All photos courtesy this website.

Lighting by use of biogas like this helps the communities in areas hard to reach have good life Submitted by: Mwayafu David Kapchorwa, Mt Elgon, Uganda

Happiness on a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face - an ultimate goal for extension service Submitted by: Ravindran Chandran Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

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EMA Advertorial The EMA steps up noise control The Environmental Management Authority is stepping up efforts to ensure more effective management of noise pollution by utilizing greater coordination approaches and collaborative partnerships. Currently, the EMA manages noise under the Noise Pollution Control Rules (NPCR). The NPCR set maximum levels of sounds that persons may make for given zones (industrial, environmentally sensitive and general areas). Also under the NPCR a Variation can be applied for if noise is expected to be above the prescribed standards. While the EMA has been diligently working under the NPCR to control noise, the nuisance issue of noise can also be effectively dealt with by any member of the police service under a series of pieces of legislation. These include - the Police Services Act; the Summary Offences Act; the Theatres and Dance Halls Regulations; the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Regulations; the Maxi Taxi Act; Public Health Ordinance; Liquor Licenses Act; the Shop (Hours of Opening and Employment) Act, the Municipal Corporations Act and the Public Holidays and Festivals Act. The EMA’s Environmental Police Unit (EPU) has utilized these additional pieces of legislation to provide some relief to the public, but there is still a major role for the police service in this regard. The critical issue is that whereas the NPCR resides with the EMA, it requires that noise from an activity be measured over prescribed timeframes in order to establish a breach. However, under the laws of Trinidad and Tobago such as the Summary Offences Act, police officers can effect immediate relief from effects of noise pollution.

Dr. Joth Singh, Managing Director/CEO

According to the EMA’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joth Singh, “What is needed is a disciplined, coordinated and collaborative approach by the EMA, the Police Service and the Court System to realistically get a handle on noise.” He also said that one of the core responsibilities of the EMA is coordination of other agencies with a responsibility for the environment in order to effect national management of issues, and noise is one such issue.

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a list of events for the venue and ensuring sound checks are done during a reasonable and specific timeframe. Residents were also made aware that through the Magistrates Court or through a direct complaint to the Justice of the Peace their concerns of noise pollution can be addressed. Another significant and successful undertaking highlighted by Dr. Singh during the 2012 Carnival Season was that of a nationwide noise campaign - “Music is our Culture, Noise is NOT!” This noise campaign is part of a public awareness initiative and works in tandem with interventions with the Police Commissioner’s office and venue owners.

EPU set up Noise meter to measure noise on Carnival Tuesday

Dr. Singh also draws reference to the very successful interventions which have addressed some of the issues affecting communities. The most recent being the collaborative meeting with Woodbrook Residents, venue and facility owners (Jean Pierre Complex, The Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago, Woodbrook Youth Facility, Hasely Crawford Stadium, Queens Park Oval and St. Johns Ambulance Association), members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the EPU, and the EMA.

The EMA also conducted its first Carnival noise monitoring study which resulted from another significant intervention with the National Carnival Commission (NCC). This pilot study which took place on Carnival Tuesday resulted in significant findings that indicated high health risk factors as a result of exceeded noise levels along various points impacting on masqueraders, spectators and nearby residents. Dr. Singh said that the EMA will be focusing heavily on formalizing the collaborative approaches with the Police service, NGOs and other influential bodies, to ensure that the public is afforded the protection that they deserve. Courtesy the Environmental Management Authority (EMA)

The venue owners agreed to facilitate residents by: ensuring that they stay within the prescribed sound levels, shifting the direction of their speakers, notifying the public of the time of fireworks, considering the request to stop the use of confetti, providing March 2012

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Youth Voice at Rio Plus - more important than ever

It was almost twenty years ago that a twelve year old Canadian girl enthralled the United Nations with a plea to save our planet and her future. Youth are called on to again rise up and speak for their future. In June of this year, the Rio Plus 20 Earth Summit will be held in Brazil where world leaders will address the most pressing issue of our day—climate change. Present in greater force than ever before will be representatives of the 3 billion people in the world that are under thirty. Youth coalitions from across the globe will assemble to exert their influence and express their opinions on the fate of the future of the earth. As the largest stakeholders in the future, we have an obligation to demand immediate action from our world leaders on climate change. The first Rio Earth Summit was held in 1992, and since then, youth have become more involved in environmental and developmental issues related to climate change. It is glaringly obvious that without significant intervention and expression on our part, we will inherit an earth mutilated with the effects of climate change. This realisation is giving rise to a number of youth action groups across the world that are beginning to voice their opinions on climate change policy—they’re getting louder and world leaders are starting to take notice. Youth were officially recognised as a constituency by the United Nations in 2009, and we now have access to hundreds of conferences and platforms to voice our opinions.

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Rio Plus 20 is a chance for young people around the world to organise again and ask for reform from world leaders. We have seen the failures of past agreements—even legally binding ones like the Kyoto Protocol—and we must make an effort to ensure Rio does not go down in flames also. One of the most significant outcomes of the efforts of international youth groups is the fact that we are officially undertaking a responsibility toward the earth. Declarations have been made by youth the world over. We accept that climate change is occurring and that fundamental aspects of our world structure must be adapted to mitigate its effects.

Young people speaking out at the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Forum on Climate Change, November 2011

But we aren’t even close to being done yet. We have acknowledged our responsibility as stakeholders of the future, but now we must take action. Many youth have yet to be educated on the real, practical impacts of climate change on our lives. We are also hindered by a lack of money and therefore political clout on the world stage. It is the duty of current international and local youth groups to make others more aware and active regarding environmental degradation. With large numbers of young people (also known as “voters” and “consumers”) adopting the philosophies of sustainability and conservation, we gain a rapt audience on the international stage. Since more than half of the world’s population is under thirty and becoming The voices of young people must be heard increasingly ecologically aware, we hold the power to subvert existing dominant paradigms about consumption and economy. responsible options. We are obliged to By changing our way of thinking and realising support the ‘green’ and ‘eco’ movements by that limits to growth do, in fact, making the most powerful exist, we have the potential International statement—putting our to revolutionise the human youth money and political patronage perception of nature. organisations behind it. By educating each The encompassing themes must put pressure other to make responsible in the upcoming Rio summit on government decisions in the interest of our are the development of a and corporate future, and by illuminating “green economy in the context interests to, not the power of these choices of sustainable development simply make on the international stage, and poverty eradication” and pledges, but to we can compel reform. an “institutional framework follow through The Rio Plus 20 summit for sustainable development.” with them is the ideal platform for These are objectives that and face the youth of the world to necessitate leadership, consequences of elucidate our interest in commitment, and support. violation. and concern for the future International youth of the earth’s ecological and organisations must put social development, and to pressure on government and corporate demonstrate that we too, have power. We interests to, not simply make pledges, but have the power to undermine the prevailing to follow through with them and face the dogma and introduce one that truly invites consequences of violation. sustainability. Young people on an individual or local Climate change is the greatest threat level also have to use their power of choice perceived by the youth of the world. We as consumers and constituents. We have are living in the Era of Climate Change. to choose the ecologically and socially Our generation is not acquainted with March 2012

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an earth that is not plagued with issues of environmental sustainability. We are painfully aware of the fact that environmental degradation is increasing exponentially and that it is our personal responsibility to be educated and active in the pursuit of solutions. Youth of today realise that the Earth and its resources are finite and must be respected, as opposed to the concepts of money and the economy and corporate and political interests—which seem to be shaping current climate change agreements. The generation that is growing up today is the very generation who, in forty years, will be living in a world ravaged by greenhouse gases, temperature increases, floods and loss of land and biodiversity. The need for long-term solutions is inherently more relevant to the young—we will live through the consequences of action (or lack thereof) taken today. The most optimistic outlook from climate change projections show a minimum of a 2oC rise in temperatures. For practical purposes, that means widespread water crises, food shortages, extinction of species and depletion of land mass, massive migration of refugees and overpopulation. We, as young people, are the ones that will inherit this dystopian future unless immediate and hard measures are taken. The statements made by that young Canadian environmental activist, Severn Suzuki to save our planet and our future are relevant even today—youth do not have ulterior motives, other than the security of our future. We’re not associated with political agendas or the accumulation of material wealth. Youth have the most invested in the future of planet Earth and it is our duty to protect it. Christina Persad is studying Environmental Management at York University, Toronto, Canada

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Preparing trees for reforestation Submitted by: Bruno Maia | naturezafotos.org Aldeia Velha, Brasil

Reforestation project S.A.F.E.(Sustainable Agroforestry Ecosystem) developed by Treedom Submitted by: Federico Garcea Mankim, Cameroon

Young Voices

Letting our voices be heard By Jordan Jafar

More and more I realise that young people like us have a very powerful position in this world and we can be a very strong lobby group if we really put our minds to it. I’ve been reading about young people like us all over the world who are mobilising to put pressure on governments when they meet in Brazil this June for the UN conference on Sustainable Development.

In different parts of the world, young people are meeting; they are debating and they are taking decisions on what they want to tell governments at the meeting in Brazil. It is important that we keep the pressure on because we are the ones who will ‘inherit’ the Earth and we need to ensure that adults keep it in a very good, healthy and sustainable manner. By writing this column in Earth Conscious, I know for now, this is my small contribution towards putting pressure on my own government to ensure that their policies and decisions take into consideration the best interest of the population which comprise a large group of young people like me. ...Well, I’d like to think so anyway! But, keep in mind, that young people like us have the power to make change and the only way is to make our voice heard and our action felt. Whether you want to write or start a small group or create a song or a poetry, let us use our youthful energy to help bring about change for a better Planet Earth.

March 2012

Earth Conscious

Linking nature’s contribution to national planning

Trinidad and Tobago is among five countries where research will be carried out on how to better integrate ecosystem assessment, scenario development and economic valuation of ecosystem services into national sustainable development planning. The Project for Ecosystem Services (ProEcoServ) is a global initiative that aims at finding ways of putting a dollar-based value on nature’s contribution to human wellbeing and allows planners to factor this into their decision-making. Pilot projects will also be conducted in Chile, Vietnam, and South Africa and Lesotho.

Feature Address by Minister of Planning and the Economy - Senator the Honourable Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie

Trinidad and Tobago is of special interest as it is the only small island developing state among the pilot countries and the only one with a fossil-fuel based economy. The country’s Minister of Planning and the Economy, Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie said ProEcoServ will assist his Ministry in introducing biodiversity and ecosystem services valuation into the next National Development Plan.

Members of the Head Table

“Any plan for further development will take into consideration the results of ProEcoServ, along a path which maximises human and economic development while minimising the negative impacts on the environment,” he said at the launch of the project recently. ProEcoServ’s research will take place in three sites: the Nariva Swamp and the eastern Northern Range in Trinidad and Buccoo Reef in its sister-island of Tobago.

Earth Conscious

March 2012

Presentation by Mr. Alexander Girvan, UWI and the Cropper Foundation

The project is being implemented globally by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with funding from the Global Environment Facility. The Trinidad and Tobago component is led by the University of the West Indies through the Department of Life Sciences with technical support from The Cropper Foundation. ProEcoServ will enable Trinidad and Tobago to not only put a monetary value on the country’s ecosystems and their services but also to include these figures in its GDP. “Decisions that may be good for the economy and lead to an increase in traditionally measured GDP may not be good for the environment, whereas a ‘green GDP’ that factors in the environmental consequences of economic growth shows how natural assets fare in the development process. A system of environmental accounting would allow decision makers to make the best trade-off decisions”, said ProEcoServ National Coordinator, Professor John Agard. Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and the Environment, Anthony Ramnarine said the government is eager to have a way of assessing the ecosystem services that have value to the country but have never been quantified.

Contributions by members of the audience

Using the forest sector as an example, he said its estimated contribution to the country’s GDP is less than 1%, but this does not take into account the wide range of services it provides, like a clean and adequate supply of drinking water, ecotourism attractions, protection from disasters, rich biodiversity and beautiful landscapes. “Placing an economic value on these attributes would enhance recognition of the role that forests play in maintaining a quality environment,” Mr. Ramnarine said.

Vote of Thanks by Ms. Keisha Garcia-President, The Cropper Foundation

March 2012

Earth Conscious

UK, CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES AGREE ON SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ACTION PLAN

The seventh UKCaribbean Ministerial Forum, which was organized under the theme “Sustainable Growth toward Prosperity,” concluded with the adoption of a 31-point action plan. The UK agreed to give the region 75 million pounds over four years for its implementation, with 4.9 million pounds earmarked for climate change work. The Forum, which took place in St. Georges, Grenada in January looked at ways to strengthen the relationship between the UK and Caribbean countries in four areas: economic resilience; security; climate change and sustainable development; and foreign policy. The Forum opened with a debate about the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (APD), a duty on airline tickets that was reformed and raised in 2007 in order to reduce carbon emissions from air travel. Caribbean countries argue that the duty, as currently structured, hurts the Caribbean’s tourism-dependent economies without significantly affecting air travel carbon emissions. The two sides agreed to “continue the dialogue” about the APD.

Earth Conscious

March 2012

In the section of the action plan on climate change, the UK and CARICOM countries agreed to work urgently and closely to: • secure agreement by 2015 on the Durban Platform for enhanced action on a comprehensive legally binding global framework, incorporating commitments commensurate with a 2C or 1.5 C threshold; • ensure that the Green Climate Fund is made fully operational and begins to disburse funds as expeditiously as possible; identify sources and ensure mobilization of long-term climate financing that can meet an agreed goal of US$100 billion of additional finance per year by 2020; • strengthen the capacity of Caribbean countries to participate in the international climate change negotiations; • build climate resilience in the Caribbean at national and regional levels; • address the concerns of small island developing States (SIDS) as agreed in the Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy of Implementation; • develop a long-term strategy to ensure energy security in the Caribbean through the greater use of indigenous and renewable sources.

UN/ISDR HIGHLIGHTS CARIBBEAN EFFORTS TOWARDS CARBON NEUTRALITY

The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) has reported on the work carried out by several Caribbean islands with the Carbon Neutral Tourist Program, which aims to transform the Caribbean region into a carbon neutral destination. UN/ISDR cites the example of the island of Bequia in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which is partnering with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) to address water scarcity challenges. It runs a solar-powered reverse osmosis plant is purifying seawater and converting it into drinking water. In another example, UN/ISDR describes how a hotel chain in Saint Lucia, together with the CCCCC and the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), under the Vieux Fort Project, reduced water required by the hotel chain by 25%, and made the water available to the community. The Government of Saint Lucia also instituted a policy requiring all hotels to harvest rainwater, and process wastewater. The potential for replication of such systems are being considered in the Eastern Caribbean, the Bahamas and Belize.

HAITI SIGNS CONTRACT FOR REFURBISHMENT OF HYDRO PLANT

The government of Haiti has signed a contract with the French consortium AlstomComelex to restore the Péligre hydroelectric plant, the country’s principal renewable energy source. The Inter-American Development Bank, the German development finance agency KfW and OFID, OPEC’s fund for international development, are providing the funds to finance the three-year, US$48.8 million rehabilitation contract. The contract was signed by Public Works Minister Jacques Rousseau, Finance Minister André Georges, Électricité d’Haïti Director General Gary Valdemar and Alstom managers Olivier Richer and Marc-Antoine Blond at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance. Under the project, Péligre will recover its original 54 MW installed generation capacity by overhauling its three turbines and modernizing its electromechanical equipment and control systems. At present the 40-year-old plant operates at a fraction of its potential, forcing Haiti to rely on thermal generators that run on expensive imported fossil fuels.

At the same time as it restores Péligre’s generation capacity, state utility EdH will carry out investments to upgrade the power transmission line connecting the hydroelectric plant with Port-au-Prince as well the capital’s electricity distribution network. The IDB is supporting such investments with grants totaling US$32 million. In addition, in partnership with the World Bank and the U.S. Agency for International Aid, the IDB is supporting a program to modernize EdH’s technical, financial and commercial management. The IDB is Haiti’s leading multilateral donor. Since the 2010 earthquake it has approved US$442 million in new grants and disbursed more than US$355 million to support reconstruction and long-term development projects in key sectors such as energy, education, water and sanitation, agriculture, transport and private sector development.

March 2012

Earth Conscious

IICA SYMPOSIUM REVIEWS AGRICULTURE INSURANCE’S ROLE IN MITIGATING CLIMATE RISKS

Senior officials from regional and international organizations met in Washington, D.C. to share the latest information on tools and techniques available to mitigate the effects of climate change and development of insurance schemes and products within a broader risk management framework for the Americas. The third Annual one-day symposium was convened by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Representatives from a number of groups exchanged ideas on how to work more effectively and collectively with other organizations, agencies, donor organizations, associations in the insurance community, and shared lessons learned from public/private partnerships in order to expand insurance and risk management practices. According to David C. Hatch, IICA Representative in the United States, the potential impact of agriculture insurance for the farming community needs increased attention. “We still see many countries underestimating the importance of agriculture insurance schemes as an essential risk management tool as evidenced by the lack of policies, laws, instruments, credit and investment,” said Hatch. He added, “It is time for action with a correct comprehension of risk management and the commitment from Heads of State and the Ministries of Finance in each country to become pro-active rather than simply responding to event.”

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March 2012

As the inter-American agency for the Americas, the OAS believes that agriculture insurance should be part of a broader risk program that is in the interest of governments, private sector and international organizations. ”I would like to stress the firm commitment of the General Secretariat of the OAS to support the efforts of the IICA and the OAS Secretariat for Integral Development in developing an effective response to the IICA convened its Third Annual Symposium for Facilitating the Development of Agricultural Insurance in the Americas, in Washington, DC. challenges that are identified in this forum,.” said OAS Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin. Although symposium representatives from the World Bank confirmed that agriculture insurance is available in most countries in the region and that the market is well developed in terms of premiums and products, budget, infrastructure, human resources and technology remain some key challenges for the sector. Linking insurance products to disaster risk reduction while thinking far beyond traditional agriculture insurance programs are critical to efforts undertaken by the Caribbean Risk Managers Ltd. In response to the Jagdeo Initiative, the group plans to develop, test and implement up to three products in the Caribbean region. Target countries include Jamaica, Grenada, St. Lucia, Belize and Guyana in the near future.

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New Weather and Climate Information System Becomes Operational

A new international information system to improve and expand the current exchange of weather, climate and water data – and cut the costs involved - has become operational. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Information System will make it easier to find and use meteorological observations and products and to share them with a wide variety of stakeholders such as the research and disaster risk reduction communities. It builds on the proven success of the Global Telecommunication System of WMO’s World Weather Watch which has been the backbone of meteorological information exchange for the past 40 years and is used for daily weather observations and forecasts, tropical cyclone warnings and Tsunami alerts – to name but a few applications. “The WMO Information System is the pillar of our strategy for managing and moving weather, climate and water information in the 21st century,” said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud. “It will reduce the costs of information exchange incurred by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and maximize exploitation of advances in communications technology,” he said. “It will allow users outside the meteorological community to have free access to this information for the first time. This will be especially important as WMO moves ahead with other U.N. and international partners with the Global Framework for Climate Services which aims to provide basic climate services for all in the food security, water management, disaster risk reduction and health sectors,” said Mr Jarraud.

Earth Conscious

March 2012

EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN BRAZIL

To support the Brazilian government with development and strengthening of monitoring capabilities, early warning and response to disasters caused by natural phenomenon, CAF - Latin American development bank – signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. “Agreements such as this are evidence of CAF’s commitment to Brazil, which covers a wide range of sectors from resources for infrastructure – one of the cornerstones of our policy – to projects for prevention and mitigation of disasters caused by natural phenomena,” Moira Paz Estenssoro, CAF director representative in Brazil, said after the signing. The agreement facilitates dialogue and scenario analysis between governments, nonprofit organizations and research institutions, public and private, and helps reduce and improve management of the risks caused by natural phenomena. The activities covered by the agreement include identification of vulnerable areas, risk assessment, soil use planning, and optimization of resources and logistics. “The initiative focuses on Brazil in a first stage, however strengthening of the capabilities for natural disasters monitoring and early warning system can be extended to other CAF shareholder countries” Paz Estenssoro said. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation in Brazil is the government agency responsible for the National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts (CEMADEN).

NEW GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO BRING POWERFUL FORCES TOGETHER FOR HEALTHY OCEANS

A powerful coalition of governments, international organizations, civil society groups and private interests are joining together under the banner of a Global Partnership for Oceans to confront widely documented problems of over-fishing, marine degradation, and habitat loss. All the organizations, countries and agencies supporting the Partnership, including the World Bank Group, are already involved in activities to protect the world’s oceans - which provide 15% of the animal protein consumed in the world, millions of jobs, and critical ecosystem services such as climate regulation and carbon storage. The key step is to mobilize around a set of shared goals. This focus will help coordinate activities and mobilize new financial support, working closely with countries, civil society, and the private sector to reverse patterns of degradation and depletion. Further discussions will help define the new partnership’s specific agenda. These discussions will address improved governance systems around fishing, more marine protected areas, intensified efforts to attack the sources of ocean pollution and degradation as well as improved coastal management for resilience to weather and climate-related threats. Heading into the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development in June, ocean health is a key issue. The Global Partnership for Oceans will assist with implementation by supporting countries meeting commitments for improved ocean management.

March 2012

Earth Conscious

IEA RELEASES GUIDE TO POLICY MAKERS ON CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released a report titled “A Policy Strategy for Carbon Capture and Storage,” which serves as a guide to policy makers to support the development of national and international policy on carbon capture and storage (CCS), both conventional fossil fuel CCS and bioenergy with CCS (BECCS). The report argues that policy support is particularly important for CCS because, compared to other low-carbon technologies, it generates no revenue or market benefits as long as there is no price on CO2 emissions. To that effect, the report outlines suggestions for both an overall policy framework and specific policy instruments. It states that the appropriate policy framework for CCS should evolve as the technology matures, moving from: technology-specific to technology-neutral support; supporting capital deployment and operations to only incentivizing operations; an approach where costs and risks are shared by the private and public sector to one where costs and risks are borne primarily by the private sector; and subsidizing abatement to penalizing emissions. Regarding policy instruments, the report advises developed countries to move from grant-based support to quantity instruments (such as a portfolio standard), while developing countries could benefit from a longer use of grant-based policies. The report further analyzes the sectors that provide the best opportunities for learning from demonstration projects. Sectors with low trade exposure, low CCS costs and high CO2 emissions, and those industries that create a CO2 stream as a result of existing production processes, provide the best venues for learning, the report suggests. Such sectors include the natural gas processing, sugar fermentation and some chemical industries. The report also analyzes BECCS, which offers the potential to both reduce and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. SEYCHELLES PRESIDENT CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Speaking at the Leadership Panel of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), held in India in February, the President of the Republic of Seychelles, James Michel, called for practical action to address climate change, underlining that “our focus should not just be on words but on actions.” President Michel further called on all countries of the world “to take more responsibility” for the required actions needed to mitigate climate change, and urged people everywhere to “put pressure on their governments to turn their pledges into reality.”

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March 2012

He underlined that all countries should have an equal say in the matters of the global environment, noting that the world is “a global village where everyone shares the same concerns for the future of the planet.” President Michel also called for developing political will, noting the struggles of small island States in the face of climate change impacts such as sea-level rise, droughts, erosion and coral bleaching. He stressed the need for a legally-binding agreement to limit carbon emissions and for global leaders to take political risks in order to introduce sustainable plans for energy production.

SEVEN MORE COUNTRIES JOIN THE UN-REDD PROGRAMME Suriname is among seven countries recently joining the UN-REDD Programme. The UN-REDD Programme’s Policy Board agreed in a recent inter-sessional decision to welcome Benin, Cameroon, Chile, Ghana, Myanmar, South Sudan and Suriname as partners of the Programme and official observers to the UN-REDD Programme Policy Board. These countries join the Programme’s 35 other partner countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Countries receiving support to National Programmes Other partner countries

“With these seven new partner countries, the UN-REDD Programme’s community of practice is now 42-countries strong. Together, these partner countries possess an incredible wealth of experience in REDD+ readiness which the Programme will continue to harness to facilitate knowledge sharing and learning by doing,” said Dr. Yemi Katerere, Head of the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat. New partner countries can benefit from receiving targeted support from the UN-REDD Global Programme and knowledge sharing, which is facilitated by the UN-REDD Programme’s online community of practice (www.unredd.net). Partner countries will also have observer status at UN-REDD Programme Policy Board meetings, and may be invited to submit a request to receive funding for a National Programme in the future, if selected through a set of criteria to prioritize funding for new countries approved by the Policy Board. To date, 14 UN-REDD Programme partner countries have presented National Programmes to the Policy Board and have been allocated a total of US$59.3 million in funding. The UN-REDD Programme continues to pursue additional funding options that will enable the Programme to expand its financial support on REDD+ to more partner countries in the future.

March 2012

Earth Conscious

By Bogusia Sipiora

The Angels are all green Especially these ones in Bieszczady They can easily hide in the grass And in the abandoned orchards The Angels are lonely Especially these ones in Bieszczady They doze off in chapels when winter comes Thought, it is not befitted... This is a song of one of my favourite groups performing sung poetry. I never believed in angels, especially â&#x20AC;&#x153;these ones in Bieszczadyâ&#x20AC;? until one day when I became one! Maybe not our fantasy angel with white big wings but I definitely felt like a celestial being in heaven standing among those mountainous hills! And even if that happened a long time ago, I still feel the same whenever I visit the alluring and bewitching Bieszczady Mountains that are located in extreme south east of Poland.

Earth Conscious

March 2012

The mountains were at one time associated with wilderness and remoteness and used to be very inaccessible except for brigands trying to flee the law. The mountains are no longer as wild as it used to be but vast distances between shelters and other tourist points plus poor communication enforce physically demanding, but at the same time very rewarding long walks offering magnificent panoramic views. Covered with long wavy grass surfaces of mountain pastures and ruffled by the high winds, they offer a feeling of both freedom and independency. The bondless alpine meadows are called poloniny, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think there is a precise translation that could give the real meaning of them. In summers they become full of flowers and the very long grass hide snakes and lizards, maybe also concealing Angels! In late summer, when the climate is mostly sunny and sultry, there is a great wealth of sweet wild blueberries and raspberries. Before the world wars, people of different nationalities and religions lived together peacefully in Bieszczady. Unfortunately

the location which is close to the Ukrainian border and the activity of both military outfits and government caused families to abandoned their homes. Bieszczady still attracts introverts and philosophers as well as tourists looking for a pristine charming and mysterious nature. However, with unavoidable process of development the mountains are less and less wild but more friendly and accessible to visitors. Bogusia is a Polish citizen living in India

March 2012

Earth Conscious

UNHCR project brings light, security and fuel-efficient cooking to refugees

A UNHCR programme to provide lighting and fuel-efficient stoves in African refugee camps has helped children with their studies and improved safety for women and girls. UNHCR launched the five-year Light Years Ahead campaign in January 2011, aiming to raise funds to improve the basic cooking and lighting needs of more than 450,000 refugees in seven African countries. To date, the agency has raised US$1.4 million, enabling it to purchase and distribute some 200 solar-powered street lights, almost 15,000 lanterns and more than 8,000 fuelefficient stoves in camps in Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, the Sudan and Uganda. The installation of the street lamps and provision of lanterns and cooking stoves has not only improved the lives of refugees, it has also made their lives safer. The night can be dangerous for woman and girls living

Earth Conscious

March 2012

A solar-powered lantern is put to good use in a refugee camp in Bangladesh. ÂŠ UNHCR/S.Nambu.

in camps that lack adequate lighting in communal areas. The darkness can mean crime and violence go unseen and unchecked. Women and girls are especially at risk of attack and sexual assault when they walk to the latrines or washing areas. And with no source of light in the evenings, children are unable to do their homework. So they are more likely to drop out of school instead of building a platform for the future. The fuel-efficient stoves also play a protection role, because their use means women and girls spend less time out foraging for wood. In isolated areas they are at risk of rape or assault while searching for firewood for their traditional stoves. The new stoves use 80 per cent less fuel. There are also health benefits from using the less smoky stoves. And their use also can help reduce the competition for scarce

firewood resources between refugees and the local community. The technical innovations have been widely welcomed in the camps where they have been introduced. “Now I feel safe walking at night,” said Fatuma, a 35-yearold Somali refugee in Jijiga camp, Ethiopia. She also enthused about the home lanterns because they featured a socket where the owner could recharge a mobile phone – vital for keeping in touch with family. Faisal, a 15-year-old unaccompanied Somali child, has lived in eastern Ethiopia’s Shedder refugee camp for more than two years. “The solar lantern means that we can

Re-using material Submitted by: Li Yu Chiang Taipei, Taiwan

study in the evenings after school,” he said, adding: “I study for about two hours each evening and I am doing well in school.” Amina, a single mother with five children in Shedder, said the lanterns and stoves made her life much easier. “As the stove needs very little wood, I save four hours a day between wood collection and cooking time,” she noted. “With the solar lighting and fuel-efficient stoves distributed through this initiative, we are now seeing the positive impact on the lives of refugees,” said Amare Gebre Egziabher, senior environmental coordinator at UNHCR.

Chair made from used plastic bottled Submitted by: Raquel Santos Brasil, RN

Recycled art in Goree Island. Submitted by: Esther Nshimirimana Dakar, Senegal

March 2012

Earth Conscious

Over 70 per cent of the earth is covered in oceans and major seas. Their health is a prerequisite for the survival of humanity. Yet, they are degrading fast. In order to address this pressing issue the World Future Council (WFC) announced that it will present its Future Policy Award 2012 to the world’s most inspiring, innovative and influential policies on the protection of oceans and coasts. The prestigious Future Policy Award is the first and only award that celebrates policies rather than people at the international level. When announcing the topic of oceans and coasts, Alexandra Wandel, Director of the World Future Council, said: “With the Future Policy Award we want to cast a spotlight on policies that lead by example. The aim of the World Future Council is to raise global awareness of visionary policies and speed up policy action in the interests of present and future generations.” This year’s award ceremony will take place in Hyderabad, India in October 2012. It will be hosted by the World Future Council in partnership with the UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and with the support of the Okeanos Foundation.

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March 2012

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “Ocean ecosystems harbour an incredible diversity of life. Policy-makers have a critical role to play in preserving this biodiversity, as poor management of marine and coastal environments is the root cause of biodiversity loss and degradation of these vital ecosystems.” Monique Barbut, CEO of the Global Environment Facility, commented: “Developing countries are now becoming much more active in restoring and protecting their coastal oceans. With a portfolio of over 100 countries using GEF grants to improve the condition of oceans and coasts, we are delighted to partner with the World Future Council in its endeavour to identify, award, and promote adoption of these critical policies.” Arni Mathiesen, Assistant DirectorGeneral of FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, said: “Humanity depends on the sustainable management of the marine environment to realise the Human Right to Food. Over a billion people rely on oceans as a source of protein and over half a billion people are dependent on oceans and coasts for their livelihoods. This is why it is so important to promote policies that successfully address the multiple threats to oceans and the coastal communities that depend on them for their livelihoods.”

Canada, Mexico and the United States Announce Grants to Address North American Environmental Challenges The Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), composed of the ministers of environment of Canada, Mexico and the United States has awarded more than US$1.3 million in grants under the CEC’s North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) program. The grants will support communities in their efforts to address environmental problems at the local level across North America. Eighteen projects were chosen from 500 proposals received as part of a new initiative announced 22 June 2011, at the CEC Council’s meeting held in Montreal. The successful projects span the eco-regions of North America and support environmental action at the community level from the subarctic tundra, to the grasslands of the Great Plains, to the tropical forests of Mexico. Projects address issues ranging from the effects of climate change on Woodland Caribou and the Athabaskan Peoples in Canada, to citizen-powered air quality testing in Louisiana and protecting the health of women and children through the adoption of better, clean energy cooking stoves in Mexico. The 18 projects were selected based on their significance for addressing community and North American environmental issues, their technical or scientific approaches,

Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent, US EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Mexico’s Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources Juan Elvira Quesada announce 18 new environmental grants at a special meeting today in Washington, DC. More info at:http://www.cec.org/napeca (Photo: US EPA/Eric Vance) their emphasis on promoting partnerships, and their plan to produce clear and tangible results. The projects represent a broad base of handson groups and organizations, representing tribal nations, indigenous peoples, community organizations, environmental groups, and academic institutions.

March 2012

Earth Conscious

UNFCCC database showcases business adaptation projects The secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has launched a new online tool that showcases how businesses and communities can adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change. The new Adaptation Private Sector Initiative database on the unfccc.int web site features climate change adaptation activities pioneered by leading private companies. Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Leviís, Nestle and Starbucks are among a slew of large multinational companies who are sharing details of successful, business-friendly practices via the database, alongside a host of other household names. The database contains details of activities both on how companies can make profits or savings, or prevent losses through adaptationrelated activities. “By showcasing private sector adaptation success stories, we intend to help both communities and businesses become more climate-resilient and to put the benefits and business sense of adaptation firmly on the agenda of the private sector. Climate risks which

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March 2012

affect communities around the world are always also business risks,” UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos. In 2011, ninety percent of the recorded natural catastrophes were weather-related. According to the UN’s top climate change official, climate disasters such as extensive drought in Africa or massive floods in South East Asia can have enormous impacts on the operation of any local or global business and consequently on its revenue stream, and both businesses and governments at all levels need to prepare. There are currently around 100 examples of adaptation actions listed in the UNFCCC Private Sector Initiative database, which are both practical and in many cases scalable. The activities are undertaken either alone or in partnership with other stakeholders, from a wide range of regions and sectors, and also cover activities such as the development of climate friendly goods and services and climate proofing the supply chains of companies. Examples of best practices include efforts to make drinking water clean and safe in developing countries and efforts to improve the yield of coffee beans in regions that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. “Governments can take heart from and be inspired by these private-sector initiatives. We have seen good decisions on adaptation emerging from the recent UN

Climate Change Conference in Durban last year, including a decision to launch an Adaptation Framework and a Committee which will provide high-level guidance on adaptation action, as well as a new Technology Mechanism, which will boost cooperation on adaptation technologies,” the UN’s top climate official Ms. Figueres said. “At the same time, the initiatives detailed in the database both show how the private sector can secure early advantages by adapting without waiting for absolute policy certainty at the international level, and how governments and the private sector can work together to respond to climate change now. Public-private partnerships and cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders is becoming increasingly important to ensure successful implementation,” she added. In addition to the new database, the UNFCCC secretariat’s Momentum for Change Initiative provides a platform to showcase successful public-private partnership at all levels that have led to real benefits for both people and the climate. In a nutshell Key examples from the Adaptation Private Sector Initiative database: •

•

Microsoft’s Eye on Earth technology delivers real-time environmental information that can be used to monitor benchmark and understand the effectiveness of adaptation actions; Coca-Cola is working to achieve its goal of returning at least as much water to communities and to nature as is used in its production processes, through water efficiency and other measures; URS Corporation, a global engineering and construction company, has undertaken a climate change vulnerability assessment with recommendations for adapting highways in the UK; Fonkoze, Haiti’s largest microfinance services company, has launched the Microinsurance Catastrophic Risk Organization (MiCRO) to protect the world’s poor from natural disaster risk.

Editor’s note: You can read in greater detail about what companies worldwide are doing and their impact on the unfccc.com website.

Irony shows Camel drinking water in place where water is an asset. Submitted by: Rucha Dande Jodhpur,India

The Philippine Tarsier is a protected specie of tarsiers and is now a tourist attraction in Bohol Submitted by: Chester C dela Cruz DBohol, Philippines

March 2012

Earth Conscious

Green Living Energy bills can burn holes in your pocket

There’s much talk these days about saving energy, and it can be a real waste of energy to try to persuade people that climate change is real. The heated arguments that ensue could even contribute to global warming. “But there’s no such thing as global warming”, some colleagues recently insisted. Well it’s not so much just a matter of warming it’s really about climate CHANGE. You do notice change don’t you? “What are you talking about?” they question, while highlighting the recent cold snaps in Europe. They choose to ignore other parts of the world where there should be rain, but instead drought is the order of the day. Then there are parts of the Caribbean and Guyana where the dry season is getting a good wetting down resulting in flooding. Last year we looked at the difference between the weather where you live and the global climate. There are myths and there’s the science and sometimes it can be a challenge to know which is which.

Earth Conscious

March 2012

An interesting exercise on the sceptical science website (http://www. skepticalscience.com/ argument.php) has a summary of global warming and climate change myths versus what science says. Anyway, one thing many sceptics seem to have in common is their ability to relinquish any personal responsibility. “Mankind can’t be responsible for all this trouble.” Or to get really personal, “This has nothing to do with me.” Wouldn’t

we all like to be innocent; free from blame with hands washed clean and spotless? No pollution stains on our hands! Even if you don’t accept that you have an impact on the environment consider this: If you leave all the lights on in your house 24 hours a day your electricity bill will increase. If you don’t believe that, feel free to discuss the matter with the power company when your bill arrives. Back in 2009 Earth Conscious published a column “Saving Energy Means Saving Money” in which we looked at several simple strategies to reduce your energy bill. The real incentive for many people to live a greener life is the realisation that there’s money to be saved right now. As the mood of economic uncertainty continues to weigh on our shoulders it’s just plain common sense to look for ways to get more out of what you have and for what you spend. The good news is that there is an ever expanding network of organisations committed to helping consumers reduce

their energy bills and (at the risk of ruffling the sceptic’s feathers) reduce one’s personal contribution to climate change. A quick internet search will reveal hundreds of strategies you can apply around the house that can save you anything from forty or fifty dollars a month to a thousand plus annually. In my family checking on water has proved effective. We drink gallons of the stuff a week and used to buy bottled water in those huge bottles. Then we purchased an under the sink water filter. The initial cost was a bit steep, but after six months it had paid for itself and thereafter we were saving over a hundred dollars a month. Not having to dispose of dozens of plastic bottles was another environmental plus. Staying with water, a dripping faucet can be irritating… tap, tap, tap as the drops hit the sink or concrete in the yard. I was shocked to learn that one drop a second can waste up to 48 gallons a week. And if the faucet leaks hot water, be aware the energy used

to heat that water is costing you money. Ever hear about money down the drain? So get that leaking faucet fixed. The plumber’s fee is a fraction of what you’ll save. Energy saving is money saving so it’s no surprise that businesses are adopting energy conservation strategies. In the Caribbean the sun is very cooperative in this regard. The recent Agrofest in Barbados had as its theme “Renewable energy — powering agriculture to success”. One of the exhibitors showcased a solar-powered hydroponics system with solar energy powering the lighting and pumps in the hydroponic setup. http://www.greenantilles. com/2012/02/27/agrofest2012-solar-poweredhydroponics/ There are compelling economic arguments in favour of going green. The benefits have been visible for many years in small and large communities. Back in 2008 in the USA,

a study by David RolandHolst, economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley found that California created over a million jobs with a total payroll of $45 billion from 1972 through 2006. This happened because money residents saved on energy bills was spread to other parts of the economy. California accumulated $56 billion in savings that were realised by requiring that appliances and buildings adhere to stringent energyefficiency standards. http:// w w w. l a s ve g a s s u n . c o m / news/2008/oct/21/goinggreen-pays/ Development that’s not sustainable cannot be called development. The claim that going green and reducing dependence on fossil fuels will negatively affect industry, and hurt the economy does not hold water. The evidence is all around in the home; in business; industry and city management. With proper planning, saving energy can help us make better use of our resources and save money. Sounds good to me.

Garfield King is an independent radio producer, presenter and writer with almost 30 years broadcast experience.As a trainer, he conducts workshops on public speaking, presentation skills and communication dynamics.

March 2012

Earth Conscious

Family Values

The Commercialization of By Barbara King

“In recent years in particular, there has been a frenzy of academic competition especially among affluent families, giving rise to books such as ‘The Kindergarten Wars: The Battle to Get Into America’s Best Private Schools (2000)’, as well as ‘The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids (2006)’. The latter publication documents a rising trend where privileged adolescents appear to suffer from epidemic rates of depression and anxiety resulting from the climate of materialism, the pressure to achieve and perfectionism fostered by their parents.” These were the words of Tatjana Takševa, Associate Professor at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada presenting at the Conference on Motherhood and Mothering in a Global context, held in Barbados at the end of February 2012. That statement resonated with me as I recalled conversations with friends in the counseling professions about young people in Trinidad and Tobago experiencing depression; cutting themselves; experimenting with various concoctions of caffeinated drinks and alcohol and displaying other troubling behaviours. These are not children from poor families nor “at risk communities”. Not children of single parent households, but affluent or at least financially comfortable households. I had a flashback to the days of my first daughter’s infancy almost 20 years ago – of a salesman trying to sell me a programme that consisted of large flashcards that, he asserted, would help my child be a genius. There were images of body parts, internal organs and other complex ideas that I should show to my infant every day. When I rejected the package the body language and tone of the salesman suggested that I was in some way failing my child. Tatjana’s paper on the subject of: The Commercialization of Motherhood in the Context of the Global Economy: Anglo- American Perspectives continued:

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March 2012

“As consumers and mothers we are caught up in consuming things related to childrearing as a means of validating ourselves and our abilities to look after our children in a socially desirable way, and proving our worth as good mothers (Rudick). Market research specialists are advising marketing executives to appeal to mothers as the “new super consumer.” In the words of one such specialist, “we are here to say that the best way to mom’s heart is through her children. Whether she has an infant, tween or teen, a mom today wants to be the best mom she can possibly be for that child and that means an awful lot of what she does, what she buys, and what she demands of her family is centered around her children” (Coffey, 2006, ix). Because “ the relation between mother and child may be the most genuine, natural, spontaneous and exquisite love there is” (Thurer, 333), in a commercialized world propelled by manufacturing needs and desires that tap into our psyches, mothers make the perfect consumer. A mother’s self-esteem becomes bound up in achieving her children’s happiness and proving to herself and to those around her that she is a good mother, which in a consumer culture is achieved to a large degree through purchasing.” My mind flashed to an image of shopping trip in Trincity Mall (North-East Trinidad) trying to buy school shoes – not sneakers - for my two teenage daughters (a very challenging task). In a shoe store I sat on the seating provided while my daughters browsed. A few feet away from me stood a woman and man with a girl about six or seven years old. The girl’s tiny feet were clad in knee-high suede boots and she was examining a display of

children’s fashion boots and pointing. The adults with her watched indulgently, but silently as the shop assistants joyfully encouraged the girl to get a new pair. The female with the child picked up the boot, her face was blank, emotionless. She asked the child: “These are the ones you want?” I wanted to butt in and scream: “What are you teaching that child?”

Our roles as mothers and fathers have been and continue to be contaminated by overhyped, guilt based consumerism. We are being fed messages that suggest we have to buy, pay, subscribe, sign up or sign our children up for various “things” to be considered good or good enough parents. Consumer be aware! My gratitude to Tatjana for permission to use excerpts from her paper. She can be contacted directly at: Tatjana.Takseva@SMU.ca

Barbara King is a professional facilitator and parent educator. She is the presenter of Baby Talk on Music Radio 97, conducts parenting talks and workshops for T&T Innovative Parenting Support and Creative Parenting for the New Era and is editor of Parenting Support Newsletter. Email: baking@tstt.net.tt

March 2012

Earth Conscious

AOSIS Chair Identifies Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation as Main Challenges In a welcome statement marking her start as Chair of the Bureau of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Ambassador Marlene Moses of Nauru identified the Alliance’s main challenge over the next few years as working with the international community to achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation. Ms. Moses, Nauru’s Permanent Representative to the UN, became the AOSIS Chair in January 2012, succeeding Ambassador Dessima Williams of Grenada. Highlighting the current and forecasted impacts of climate change on island communities, Ms. Moses noted that the international community’s response to climate change has been less than what is required, both to protect island people and all of the world’s inhabitants. She said AOSIS, therefore, is investigating ways to increase the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions ambition and to partner with committed countries to find the additional reductions that science shows is needed. With regard to climate change mitigation, the challenge is to work with the international community to stabilize GHG emissions at a level that ensures the survival of all nations. With regard to adaptation, it is to provide the resources vulnerable communities need to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, and develop sustainable futures.

Rejuvenating the spirit of tree-planting to save our planet. So good its youth-led. Submitted by: UnyimeAbasi Essien Uyo, Nigeria

Earth Conscious

March 2012

WELCOME MESSAGE FROM AMBASSADOR MOSES “On the first of the year, I assumed Chair of the alliance after the position rotated to the Pacific region. It is a critical time for island communities around the world who are at front lines of climate change. Sea level rise, coastal erosion, prolonged droughts and ocean acidification are just some of the impacts already affecting our communities. These impacts and others are forecasted to become more frequent and intense as the planet’s temperature continues to rise. Being from the Pacific, I know firsthand the devastating impacts of climate change. In the past few months alone, we survived a record-breaking drought in Tuvalu and catastrophic floods in Fiji. Even more terrifying, sea levels are projected to rise by a meter or more, which would completely inundate Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and Kiribati unless greenhouse gas emissions are dramatically curtailed. Severe impacts are not limited to my region of course – the low-lying Maldives and Seychelles in the Indian Ocean are at great risk from surging seas and more intense and frequent storms and hurricanes threaten the islands of the Caribbean elsewhere around the worlds as well. We know that the international response to the climate crisis falls well short of what is needed, not just to protect island people, but all of the world’s inhabitants. To that end, we are looking at ways to ratchet up emissions reduction ambition and to partner with committed countries to find the additional reductions that science shows is needed to give all of our members a fighting chance for survival. This will be our manifest challenge over the next few years: to work with the international community to stabilize emissions at a level compatible with the survival of all nations, and provide the resources needed to help vulnerable communities adapt to impacts that may now be unavoidable, and develop sustainable futures. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am confident that together the world’s small island countries and people everywhere who our concerned about leaving a safe climate for future generations can bring about the change we need.

March 2012

Earth Conscious

Big boost for wildlife conservation: 23 new SOS projects

Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) Photo: Julie Langford. www.limbewildlife.org

Beginning in January 2012, top species conservation experts from around the world have determined the allocation of $US 3.3 million to 23 species conservation projects. Gorillas, cockatoos, and frogs are just a few of the multitude of threatened species that are receiving a helping hand from SOS (Save Our Species), a global species conservation fund initiated by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the World Bank and the GEF (Global Environment Facility). Drawing on species conservation knowledge accrued over decades by IUCN, for the first call for proposals SOS focused on species groups that were completely assessed on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species™ and already had specific conservation action plans in place.

Earth Conscious

March 2012

According to IUCN’s Red List, one in three amphibians, one in eight birds, and one in four mammals are at risk of extinction in the wild. Nineteen different organizations will use these funds to conserve threatened animal and plant species and their habitats. “The dire situation facing the world’s biodiversity calls for an action and response. SOS is seeking to bring knowledge, expertise and funding together in order to address the plight of threatened species,” says Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN’s Director General. “Through these exciting projects we hope to show that, if properly implemented, conservation works.” A high variety of different species is crucial for ecosystem health and SOS aims to conserve a multitude of threatened

creatures, focusing on Asian and African mammals, amphibians and birds with the new round of funds. SOS supports a variety of mammal projects such as conservation programmes targeting the critically endangered Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) and Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) in Africa, in addition to the endangered Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) in Pakistan. Mammals represent the largest portion of the SOS portfolio, but they are not the only species at risk. SOS also supports bird and amphibian projects, protecting the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) in Asia; a project to reintroduce the Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia); and an initiative preserving the Golden Mantella Frog (Mantella aurantiaca) in Madagascar. “Ignoring species conservation means ignoring a world in which species are currently disappearing at a rate 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal. The loss of wild plant and animal species is a real threat to human well-being, sustainable development and poverty reduction. In these times of economic turmoil, it would be wise not to further damage nature—our ultimate safety net,” says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director of IUCN’s Global Species Programme and SOS Director. “By implementing on the ground conservation action, the projects SOS select help protect entire habitats which both people and wildlife depend on.” SOS has so far raised over US$9 million in financing in order to build a global coalition to protect threatened species and their habitats. This unique international alliance aims to raise awareness of biodiversity conservation and looks for participation from innovative companies across all industries. “SOS was established to use the charisma of wild animals to explain the role of nature, generate interest in the plight of threatened species, and shed light on the complexity of

conservation work,” says Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF and Chair of the SOS Donor Council. “Today, with our core funding we are adding 23 new projects covering a large number of threatened species, including around 60 that will be closely monitored. So far we are on track. The only thing missing now is the private sector’s commitment to join our endeavour to save the planet’s captivating wildlife before it is too late.” This decade has been declared by the United Nations as the Decade of Biodiversity. Issues surrounding species survival will be discussed at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, Republic of Korea, from 6 to 15 September 2012.

Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

March 2012

Earth Conscious

Global farmer leaders unite to address the challenge of climate change Representatives of farmers and rural producers from all over the world gathered at the Rome headquarters of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the Fourth Global Meeting of the Farmers’ Forum in February. Coming from the floodplains, hillsides and dry lands of the different regions where IFAD operates, attendees represented the voices of millions of smallholders, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers who face serious climate-change challenges every day. The Forum took place in conjunction with IFAD’s annual meeting, the 35th Governing Council, and focused on the links between overcoming poverty and food insecurity, and improving sustainable agriculture development. “The sea is empty, which means that our nets and our plates are empty as well,” said Herman Kumara Wijethunge, General Secretary of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement and the World Forum of Fisher People at the opening of the meeting. He further emphasized that institutions like IFAD help facilitate policy dialogues and that the Farmers’ Forum is a key vehicle to attract attention to the needs of fishers. All 92 farmer leaders attending the Forum agreed on the need to jointly address the global challenges of food insecurity and climate change. And they highlighted the important role of IFAD in placing the needs of smallholder farmers, pastoralists and fishers on the international agenda.

Earth Conscious

March 2012

Amjad Hussain sorting top quality maize seeds from his maize crop in his house in village Kafal Gurh, Bagh District, AJK (Azad Jammu Kashmir), Pakistan. Through agriculture empowerment project under IFAD funded AJKCDP (Azad Jammu Kashmir Community Development Program) they have learned the modern agriculture technics, to get maximum production and how to get top quality seeds. 13farmer in this village benefitted from this project.

Sardar Khan (driver) taking his vegetables to the market from his field in a village Dopatta Mera Dadu, Muzaffarabad District, AJK (Azad Jammu Kashmir), Pakistan. FAD funded AJKCDP (Azad Jammu Kashmir Community Development Program) built a 2.59 km long irrigation channel to irrigate this land which benefitted 750 households. The total cost of this project was 1.49 million rupees (Approximately 15,600 US$). This channel irrigated 240 hectares of land.

A woman collecting potato for the field to sell them into the market in their village Dopatta Mera Dadu, Muzaffarabad District, AJK (Azad Jammu Kashmir), Pakistan.

“Partnerships are central to IFAD’s work,” said IFAD’s President, Kanayo F. Nwanze. “And farmers from developing countries are our most important partner of all. They are the experts and the agents of change in ensuring enough food for an ever-growing population. We need them and their knowledge to do our job – to help grow more food and increase the resilience of smallholder farmers worldwide who currently feed one-third of the global population.” Smallholder farmers in developing countries suffer most from the changes in climate patterns and the degradation of natural resources. They live and earn their livelihoods in the most ecologically and climatically vulnerable landscapes, relying on weather-dependent natural resources.

Increasing volatile and uncertain weather patterns, water scarcity, soil erosion, declining soil fertility and salinization of arable land are all undermining agricultural production in many parts of the developing world. “Solutions to climate-related challenges and the enhancement of environmental sustainability is not only a question of technology, but also one of the right policies,” said Jean-Philippe Audinet, who leads IFAD’s work with the Farmers’ Forum. “Farmers’ organizations play a central role in representing smallholders in policy dialogues to ensure that policies respond to their needs and realities.” The Farmers’ Forum was initiated in 2005, with the first meeting taking place in 2006, to institutionalize the continuous dialogue between smallholders and rural producers, IFAD and governments of its Member States. All Photos by ©IFAD/Asad Zaidi March 2012

Earth Conscious

Nigeria’s Ugochi Anyaka Wins UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award A radio journalist from Nigeria has won the United Nations Environment Programme’s Young Environmental Journalist Award (YEJA), beating over 120 entries from reporters across Africa. Ugochi Anyaka (29) received her award at a special ceremony held during the 12th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. The winning report, entitled ‘Saving the Trees for Paper Briquettes’, was broadcast on ASO Radio in Nigeria, where Ms. Anyaka works as a journalist and presenter. The radio feature profiled a project in a lowincome suburb of Abuja that manufactures briquettes from waste paper, in order to

Earth Conscious

March 2012

provide an alternative fuel to traditional firewood. The project aims to reduce the health risks associated with indoor use of wood fuel, reduce deforestation and provide a source of income for the briquette makers. Ms. Anyaka’s report also discusses the role of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). “This story was done to show the opportunities in a changing climate - and not just the woes,” said Ugochi Anyaka. “It also seeks to show the conflicting view points about the Clean Development Mechanism. But ultimately, it tells the story of what some Nigerians are doing to protect their vulnerable environment and save their very existence. Winning the UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award is the greatest moment of joy in my career. It is such an honour to be recognised in this manner,” she added. The YEJA jury described Ms. Anyaka’s winning entry as a “well-researched report that clearly explained the essence of reducing green house gas emissions and the need for creating environmental development in Africa”. The winner was presented with her specially-commissioned trophy by Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, Joseph Murphy, US Permanent Representative to UNEP and UN-HABITAT and Patricia OkoedBukumunhe, the winner of last year’s Young Environmental Journalist Award Ms. Anyaka hosts an environmental radio show “Green Angle” on ASO Radio and also works as a producer, reporter and continuity announcer with the station. She writes an environmental blog, Eco Nigeria, at www. greennigeria.wordpress.com Editor’s note: Special congratulations to Ugochi whom I had the pleasure of meeting and working alongside at the recent Durban climate change conference hosted by the UNFCCC.

Final logistical details to boost the opportunities and outcomes of Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development to be held next June in Rio de Janeiro, will be key among discussions between UN officials and Members of the National Congress of Brazil and other representatives of the Government of Brazil next week. With the host country expecting as many as 50,000 participants, Rio+20 will address actions that can allow countries and communities to move towards a green economy that benefits all people and accelerate efforts to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development. Countries will also be considering measures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of global institutions that support sustainable development—development that simultaneously promotes prosperity, improves the quality of life and protects the environment. Rio+20 Secretary-General Sha Zukang will brief Brazilian parliamentarians on the political and logistical preparations for Rio+20 and proposed ways of putting sustainable development into practice. As head of the UN’s Rio+20 planning mission to Brazil, Mr. Sha and other UN colleagues will work toward the finalization of several key logistical preparation issues for Rio+20. “Preparations are gearing up for Rio+20,” Mr. Sha said. “We look forward to continuing our efforts in working closely with the Brazilian government to ensure that the conference will have the greatest opportunity for success and maximum impact to bring the world together to find solutions for some of our greatest global challenges, such as food, energy, water, cities, oceans, jobs and

disaster reduction, that are as intricately connected as we are.” The negotiating process for the outcome document at Rio+20 formally began in New York in January with discussions of a “zero draft,” entitled The Future We Want, which was based on more than 6000 pages of submissions from UN Member States, civil society groups, businesses and others. The next steps for finalizing the outcome document for Rio+20 will occur during a series of negotiating sessions. The next two sessions will be held in New York 19-27 March and 23 April to 4 May, with the final Preparatory Meeting taking place in Rio 1315 June. “The rigorous negotiating process is a clear call for the outcome of Rio+20 to be one that takes bold, decisive action that sets us on course for a more sustainable future,” Mr. Sha said. Speaking about ways the world may maintain and advance sustainable development at Rio+20, Mr. Sha noted there was particular interest among the discussions in establishing a set of Sustainable Development Goals. The proposed goals, which would need further elaboration, would act as a series of benchmarks for countries to strive for, to ensure that a wide range of targeted issues related to sustainable development are actively pursued. Mr. Sha also noted that one positive development is that there are growing expectations for voluntary commitments— perhaps as many as 1,000—that will ensure continued support for sustainable development by all stakeholders. These voluntary commitments will be made in Rio by countries, businesses, civil society groups and others. March 2012

Earth Conscious

The humbling history of the tiny wasps that upset a Jurassic Park/Noah’s Ark narrative By Mike Shanahan from “Under the Banyan” blog

A typical landscape from the south of Grande Terre. Strange forests occupy the north of the island.

It’s the land that time forgot, a remote island whose strange life forms have survived in splendid isolation since the time of the dinosaurs. Or is it? Because while biologists have long thought this, geologists disagree. Now, genetics detectives may have closed the case with a study of tiny wasps. Their findings are a reminder that we are just part of a much bigger picture and of a story that never ends. The Jurassic Park in dispute is Grande Terre, the main island of New Caledonia, an archipelago in the southwest of the Pacific Ocean. Unlike many other Pacific islands that grew out of the sea when volcanoes belched out fresh lava, Grand Terre is terra firma, part of a largely underwater continent whose name — Zealandia — few people know. When dinosaurs roared and roamed and ruled the Earth, Zealandia was part of the supercontinent Gondwana, along with modern day Africa and South America, India and Arabia, Australia and Antarctica. Over time, Gondwana’s component continents split and drifted toward their present positions and when Zealandia — a great slab of land the size of India — parted company with

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March 2012

More than 1000 kilometres from the nearest large land mass, New Caledonia (red square) has been isolated for tens of millions of years.

Australia around 80 million years ago it then mostly slipped down beneath the sea. Today more than 90 percent of Zealandia remains submerged but biologists have long held that Grande Terre was among the few parts of the continent that were never drowned. As evidence they pointed to the island’s strange species, many of which live nowhere else on Earth.

Ficus leaf and figs and a Dolichoris fig wasp. Note they are NOT to scale. The wasps are just a couple of milimetres long and must enter the figs to lay their eggs and pollinate the fig flowers.

Some are ‘living fossils’ that have changed little over tens of millions of years, like the shrubby trees of Amborella trichopoda. They are the closest living relatives of the first ever flowering plants and their wood lacks the vessels found in modern tree species. Many of Grande Terre’s animals are unique to the island too. They include the world’s largest pigeons and geckos and skinks, and a curious creature called the Kagu, a flightless bird with no close living relatives. One more piece of evidence for Grande Terre being a lost world is its list of what biologists call obligate mutualisms — pairs of species that simply cannot survive without each other and so must always disperse to new places at a similar paces. For all these reasons, biologists have described Grand Terre as a kind of natural Noah’s Ark, a refuge for lines of life that have persisted in isolation for 90 or more million years and whose nearest neighbours perished beneath the ocean waves when Zealandia kissed Australia goodbye. It’s a nice story and it held sway for a long time, but in recent years geologists came along and killed the romance. Then geneticists began to ask awkward questions. The geologists say the sea covered the island until just 37 million years ago — long, long after the last dinosaur drew its last breath. Now Astrid Cruaud and colleagues may have settled the debate with a look at some of

the island’s most ancient species, a group of those obligate mutualists — several ancient fig tree (Ficus) species and the wasps they cannot reproduce without. All fig trees depend on specific kinds of tiny wasps to pollinate their flowers. The wasps meanwhile can only breed inside specific kinds of figs. This relationship has existed for at least 70 million years, and today there are more than 800 fig species each with its own wasp partners. New Caledonia has 24 fig species that occur nowhere else on Earth. The fact that they and their species-specific pollinator wasps are present together on Grand Terre would seem to supports the idea that the island is a refuge. But the new study by Cruaud and her colleagues throws cold water on the notion that they have been there since the time of the dinosaurs. And while it does, its findings are no less remarkable. The researchers compared the genetic material of 28 species of the island’s figpollinating wasps, as well as eight less closely related fig wasp species that live elsewhere, including two samples that were trapped and fossilised in amber between 16 and 20.4 million years ago. They were able to estimate dates for the origin of each species and the Grand Terre group as a whole. Based on this, they say the wasps and their figs are on New Caledonia because March 2012

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their ancestors dispersed there 32-46 million years ago, and not because these ancestors were already there when Zealandia broke away from Australia some 34-48 million years earlier. The researchers also reviewed other recent studies of the genetics of another 24 plants, 24 arthropods and 6 vertebrates from New Caledonia. In most cases, both the colonisation and diversification into different species were relatively recent, contradicting the idea that life on Grande Terre had survived in isolation since it was part of Gondwana. If not, then how did the figs and their wasps arrive on the island, and close enough in time for their mutualistic relationship to persist? The wasps, after all, live for only a couple of days as adults and must find figs of the right species and right stage of development to lay their eggs in. The fig trees meanwhile depend on birds and mammals to spread their seeds. And apart from Vanuatu, some 400 km away, the nearest large areas of land are the Solomon Islands (1000 km to the north), Australia (1220 km to the West) and New Zealand (1700 km to the south). All are too far for even the strongest fliers to carry seeds. But it was a different world 37 million years ago, when geologists say Grand Terre emerged again from the sea. New Guinea had not yet formed. Sulawesi was two separate islands not one. And there was an arc of volcanic islands that would have formed stepping stones for fig trees and their wasps on their eastward journey. Flying fig eaters are likely to have spread fig seeds across this volcanic chain, just as fruit bats and pigeons have in recent centuries helped fig trees to recolonise volcanoes whose eruptions eradicated all life — like Krakatau in Indonesia, and Long Island, Papua New Guinea, where I studied this process in 1999. These fig-loving animals can easily carry the small fig seeds more than 50 kilometres in their guts before pooping them out in distant lands.

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March 2012

The wasps may be short-lived but are even more capable of long distance travel. My former colleagues at the University of Leeds showed that fig wasps in Namibia can carry pollen ten times further than any other insect pollinators — up to 160 kilometres. Why does all this matter, other than to suggest the geologists are right and the botanists wrong about Grande Terre? After all, under either scenario the land has been exposed and occupied for ten of millions of years. It matters because fig trees feed more species of wild animal than another other group of plants, but only if their wasp partners are there to pollinate there flowers. So knowing how each group gets around is useful in a modern world turned into patchwork by our own species’ success. It matters too because it shows once again that the 70-million year old partnership between figs and their wasps can cross continents, colonise new lands, create new species and continue to put our own short spell on Earth into humbling perspective. Reference: Cruaud A, Jabbour-Zahab R, Genson G, Ungricht S, Rasplus J-Y (2012) Testing the Emergence of New Caledonia: Fig Wasp Mutualism as a Case Study and a Review of Evidence. PLoS ONE 7(2): e30941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030941 Picture credits: •

Grande Terre photograph by Wikipedia user Bananaflo

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Fig and wasp images by Astrid Cruaud et al. (published in PLoS One)

Mike Shanahan is a Press officer with the International Institute for Environment and Development. He writes a blog at http:// underthebanyan.wordpress. com

~ Kahlil Gibran ~

EARTH CONSCIOUS magazine Presents

The 2nd Youth Forum on Climate Change, Trinidad and Tobago

‘The Future we want: Green Economy, Sustainable Society’. June 09, 2012, Hyatt Regency, Trinidad

The • • •

one-day forum will include discussions on: What future do we want; are we developing a green and sustainable future? Green careers– building sustainable careers Green Economy: Sustainable Society: what is my responsibility?

Among the main goals of this year’s Forum are: • To continue creating awareness among youth on issues of Climate Change • To encourage environmental activities • To build the next generation of leadership in sustainable development and climate change adaptation

For more information contact: Caribbean PR Agency Tel: (868) 645-0368; Cell: (868) 686-9797; Email: hutchlin2@gmail.com