Minister Dorsett Remarks - Forestry Symposium

REMARKS MINISTER KENRED M. A. DORSETT FORESTRY AWARENESS SYMPOSIUM COLLEGE OF THE BAHAMAS 18TH MARCH 2015 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY RT. HON. PERRY GLADSTONE CHRISTIE, PRIME MINISTER OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS, RODNEY SMITH, PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE OF THE BAHAMAS, PERMANENT SECRETARY CAMILLE JOHNSON, DIRECTORS IN THE MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND HOUSING INCLUDING MY DIRECTOR OF FORESTRY, CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL AND TO ALL OF OUR DISTINGUISHED GUESTS ASSEMBLED HERE TODAY, GOOD MORNING. THE GLOBAL THEME FOR 2015, WORLD FORESTRY DAY/INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FORESTS IS “FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE.”AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS ANTICIPATED EFFECTS IS SOMETHING I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT. SINCE COMING TO OFFICE IN 2012, I HAVE TRAVELED TO MANY MEETINGS LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS AND FORGING PARTNERSHIPS.

ALL IN AN EFFECT TO HELP

CRAFT SOLUTIONS TO ENABLE US TO SURVIVE THE

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DEVASTATING CHANGES IN OUR CLIMATE DUE TO INCREASING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (I.E. GLOBAL WARMING).

FORESTS ARE AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT IN DECREASING GREENHOUSE CLIMATE

GAS

CHANGE.

EMISSIONS CARBON

THEREBY

DIOXIDE

IS

FIGHTING A

MAJOR

GREENHOUSE GAS BEING EMITTED. GLOBALLY, FORESTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING LARGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE. THEY ACT AS BOTH SINKS AND SOURCES OF CARBON DIOXIDE. FOREST VEGETATION AND SOILS CONTAIN ABOUT HALF THE PLANET’S TERRESTRIAL CARBON AND TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS HAVE THE POWER TO SEQUESTER EVEN MORE CARBON DIOXIDE THAN IT PRESENTLY DOES. FORESTS

ABSORB

CARBON

DIOXIDE

THROUGH

PHOTOSYNTHESIS STORE IT AS CARBON AND THEN RELEASES IT THROUGH RESPIRATION, DECOMPOSITION AND COMBUSTION. THIS CARBON SINK FUNCTION OF FORESTS, INCREASES WITH THE FOREST’S RATE OF GROWTH AND PERMANENCE WITH WHICH IT RETAINS CARBON. FORESTS BECOME SOURCES OF CARBON WHEN 2

DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION OCCURS WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 17% OF THE WORLD’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

HOPEFULLY,

NOW YOU REALIZE THAT WHAT WE DO IN AND TO OUR FORESTS

DOES

MATTER

AND

CAN

HAVE

MAJOR

REPRECUSSIONS. CURRENT

RESEARCH

FROM

THE

UNITED

NATIONS

ADMONISHES THAT THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON FOREST ECOSYSTEMS IS BECOMING EVIDENT AROUND THE WORLD AND FURTHER IMPACTS ARE UNAVOIDABLE IN THE SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM. IN SOME CASES, THEY HAVE FOUND THAT CLIMATE

CHANGE

IS

IMPAIRING

THE

ABILITY

OF

FORESTS TO DELIVER CRITICAL GOODS AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, SUCH AS WOOD AND NON-WOOD PRODUCTS AND CLEAN WATER. ALL OF THIS CAN AND WILL BE EXTEREMELY DELETERIOUS TO THE LIVELIHOODS OF FOREST DWELLERS, FOREST-DEPENDENT COMMUNITIES AND

OTHERS

WHO

BENEFIT

FROM

FORESTS.

ADDITIONALLY, RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT WHILE SOME

FORESTS

WILL

BENEFIT

FROM

INCREASED

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TEMPERATURES AND CHANGES IN PRECIPITATION, MOST WILL EXPERIENCE LOSSES OF IMPORTANT SPECIES, DECLINES IN YIELDS, AND INCREASES IN THE FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF STORMS AND OTHER DISTURBANCES. THUS, MY FORESTRY UNIT IS PROACTIVELY PREPARING NOW TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES. A MAJOR PART OF OUR STRATEGY IS TO MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS AND THE ISSUES AFFECTING OUR FORESTS. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE ORGANIZED THIS SYMPOSIUM FOR YOU TODAY. THIS IS WHY WE DESIGNED THIS WEEK OF ACTIVITIES FOR YOU. THIS IS WHY WORLD FORESTRY DAY/INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FORESTS IS CELEBRATED

EVERY

YEAR

(RAIN

OR

SHINE)

IN

COUNTLESS COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. MY FELLOW BAHAMIANS, I INVITE YOU TO CONTINUE TO MARCH ON BUT PLANT MORE TREES ALONG THE WAY NOT JUST FOR BEAUTIFICATION BUT COGNIZANT THAT THEY SERVE A PURPOSE. REMEMBER TO PROTECT YOUR ENVIRONMENT AND MAY GOD BLESS THIS PARADISE WE CALL THE BAHAMAS !!

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