Category: Americas

Insect Populations are Declining Around the World. How Worried Should We Be?

February 17, 2019

This article by Editor in Chief Marilyn Hoff is republished from ensia.com as a follow-up to my previous post. Insect populations are declining around the world. How worried should we be? Widely reported studies this year and last led to headlines globally of an “insect Armageddon.” The real story is more nuanced — but probably … More Insect Populations are Declining Around the World. How Worried Should We Be?

Updates From the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade On The Acquisition Of The 49% Shareholding In Petrojam Held By PDV Caribe

February 12, 2019

This morning, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith held a press briefing updating journalists on the current situation regarding the Jamaican Government’s planned repurchase of the 49 per cent shareholding in Petrojam held by Venezuela’s PDV Caribe. This move, which the Minister stressed was a purely economic one to safeguard the … More Updates From the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade On The Acquisition Of The 49% Shareholding In Petrojam Held By PDV Caribe

Why Do People Love to Visit Captive Dolphins?

February 9, 2019

I wonder why. Here are some thoughts from Erica Hamilton, who is spearheading the opposition to the planned (and approved!) captive dolphin facility in Discovery Bay, adjacent to Puerto Seco Beach and jutting out into the pristine fish sanctuary in the Bay. There is some very useful and thought-provoking information in this article – do … More Why Do People Love to Visit Captive Dolphins?

Corruption Perceptions Index 2018: Jamaica Standing Still Locally, Slipping Backwards Globally

January 29, 2019

There was another “heavy” topic that preoccupied us last year, which I barely addressed – again because of the holidays and my New Year of the Broken Wrist. This one is probably the most important of all. Yes, it’s corruption. It’s the elephant in the room that never moves away (although sometimes we think it … More Corruption Perceptions Index 2018: Jamaica Standing Still Locally, Slipping Backwards Globally

Audubon, Earth Day and Haiti

January 21, 2019

Originally posted on ancillenodavis:
Thinking about what it means when someone calls a Caribbean nation a “shithole” (sorry for the profanity, but the word is presidential now). Not long ago, I gave a series of presentations telling ornithologists and bird enthusiasts about the race, gender and nationality of the history of ornithology. One of the…

More Support for Jamaican Music Festivals

January 14, 2019

Jamaica’s cultural calendar is a year-round phenomenon, and it’s expanding. While this is not the only aspect of our creative industries, it is gratifying to see more support for reggae music evolving. Digital media entrepreneur Tyrone Wilson (who celebrated a decade in business last year) is busy again, breaking new ground. Over Christmas last year, … More More Support for Jamaican Music Festivals