conference magazine - Caribbean Environmental Health Institute

is the role that Communication for Development (ComDev) plays
in facilitating social learning experiences and in helping to identify
viable adaptation options. Despite the significant contribution it can
make to CC adaptation, ComDev is rarely planned for, budgeted
and mainstreamed within sustainable development efforts. It is the
missing “C” from the equation. ComDev practitioners are seldom
part of research and project management teams and communication
is too often thought of as ‘public relations’ or ‘general public
awareness.’ In the face of the urgent need for CC adaptation however,
the region cannot afford to overlook the value-added that
ComDev can bring to the table.
Fortunately, through the global Communication for Sustainable
Development Initiative (CSDI), the Caribbean is benefitting from
the practical application of ComDev to local adaptation and preparedness
measures. This paper will provide an overview of how the
CSDI-Caribbean programme is using ComDev to facilitate food
security and CC adaptation measures in Jamaica, St. Lucia and
Dominica.
Cellulosic Ethanol Technology as Waste Management tool –
the Belize Potential by Ruben Contreras-Lisperguer and Kevin de
Cuba
Waste is an indigenous energy rich source that can be converted
into power or transport fuels critically important to build resilience in
an age of global energy crises and volatile energy supply and
costs. Furthermore, the proper use and conversion of waste to
generate energy is a suitable alternative to its dumping at saturated
landfills, mitigating climate change, creating new jobs, and addressing
land use management challenges, especially in the agricultural
and forestry sectors. Therefore, finding an optimal solution for
waste collection, treatment and disposal in small developing states
is increasingly an important paradigm in sustainability. This applied
research concludes that production of cellulosic ethanol (CE) derived
from agricultural and forestry residues and municipal solid
waste (MSW) in the near future will become a suitable waste management
tool and transport fuel production alternative to supply the
domestic market in Belize with potential use as an export commodity.
Solar Powered Automated Greenhouse Irrigation System Installation
- Lessons Learned by Kevin Harris
Food and nutrition security has become a focal point for a number
of small Caribbean states including Jamaica. The Ministry of Agriculture
and Fisheries has been actively promoting a return to Agriculture
using technological aids to improve efficiency. The integration
of greenhouse design, rainwater harvesting techniques and
solar powered automated irrigation is one way for sustainable production
of high quality produce to meet the demands of the market.
This presentation specifically examines the effects of the integrated
technologies (solar, greenhouse, rainwater harvesting) in mitigating
key risks affecting the agro sector including increasing production
costs, flood and drought damage, and low quality assurance. The
presentation focuses on Pepper production – in a Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) sponsored Solar Misting project at the
Rural Agriculture Development Association (RADA) Nursery in
Lucea, Hanover, Jamaica.
Solar Irrigation provides a viable opportunity to match peak watering
demands (between 7:30 am and 3:00 pm) with peak energy production
(sunrise to sunset). This minimises the need for large battery
banks for energy storage. Automated, self-sustained systems provide
clean, cheap and dependable solutions and contribute to cost containment
and standardisation of the production process. Using the
solar irrigation system the delivery of water through high-pressure
misters is automated. The electricity to power the timer, pump and
valves is provided by an 80W solar panel. It also maintains a fully
charged battery to provide backup energy if required.
The system comes on 3 times daily and provides an option for misting
three zones within the house, which contains twelve 20ft tables.
This zone option allows the saving of water in the event that the
house is only partially stocked with seedlings during the sowing process.
The high-pressure anti-leak misters expel very fine droplets (130
microns), preventing droplets dislodging the seeds in the trays prior
to germination. The roof is guttered for rainwater harvesting to fill a
1000-gallon tank thereby diversifying the water supply.
What is the ‘Green Paradox’ and what it could mean for the Caribbean?
by Benjamin Jargstorf,
Hans-Werner Sinn is a German economist. In his recent book, “Das
grüne Paradoxon“ (The Green Paradox), he touches on a sore point.
Climate change is a new challenge for mankind. Sinn analyses the
climate-policy measures in Germany, Europe and other regions of the
world to examine the extent to which they are meeting this challenge.
He does not question the goals of climate polices but shows that the
instruments of these policies are ineffective and to a large extent
counter-productive because they disregard important economic
mechanisms. With this approach Sinn closes a gap between the
scientific and societal discourse on the climate issue.
The paper discusses the key arguments which form the Green Paradox,
namely:
1. Human beings are making the earth increasingly warmer;
2. Germany and other European countries spend lots of money for
Green electricity and still achieve little with this support because
Europe already has an emissions market that has determined
the amounts of emissions;
3. Giving the tank priority over the plate creates poverty and unrest
in the world;
4. European climate policies have accelerated climate change
because they have given the resource owners cause to extract
their fossil fuels faster in anticipation of a further worsening of
their sales options by policy-makers;
5. Only a universal, worldwide emissions trading system and a
source tax on the capital gains of the resource owners are suitable
for effecting a postponement of resource extraction and for
slowing down climate change;
and checks the validity of each argument and its possible impacts on
the current discussion of climate change mitigation.
The second part of the paper analyses what medium- and long-term
effects the Green Paradox could have on the countries in the Caribbean
and if a policy change for climate mitigation measures worldwide
and in the Caribbean is needed.
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FIFTH BIENNIAL CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM AND EXHIBITION