Tag: UNEP

Coral apocalypse! And White River’s rescue mission in Jamaica

January 21, 2024

The White River Fish Sanctuary in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, will be celebrating its sixth anniversary next month. I visited them with the team from Voices for Climate Change back in 2019, when we took an exciting boat trip to see the coral gardens planted in the sanctuary. The boundaries are marked with red and … More Coral apocalypse! And White River’s rescue mission in Jamaica

Jamaica has not (yet) signed some key environmental agreements. Why not?

September 29, 2023

“May the seas help us see healing and hope; May we sing out the ocean’s survival and revival.” Amanda Gorman On the evening of Saturday, March 4, 2023, the High Seas Treaty was agreed on at the United Nations headquarters in New York, after many years of negotiations. There is a good breakdown of the … More Jamaica has not (yet) signed some key environmental agreements. Why not?

“Deep Sea Matters”: Young Jamaican activists take a dive into the issue of deep sea mining

February 10, 2023

The ambitious event organised by a group of collaborators to highlight the issue of deep sea mining was highly successful. On a warm and very breezy lunchtime on Thursday, January 26 at the University of the West Indies Mona campus in Kingston, there was a full house audience consisting of university students, high school students, … More “Deep Sea Matters”: Young Jamaican activists take a dive into the issue of deep sea mining

Deep sea mining: an undercover video, the French say “Non!” and an upcoming event you cannot miss

January 23, 2023

Quite a lot has been happening regarding the ongoing campaign against deep sea mining. Here goes… First, a quick reminder of an exciting event at the University of the West Indies Mona campus (Undercroft) on Thursday, January 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It will include a Panel Discussion (starting at 12:00 noon), booth … More Deep sea mining: an undercover video, the French say “Non!” and an upcoming event you cannot miss

Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance Statement on COP27: Bold, urgent, accelerated action needed

October 30, 2022

The Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance has released a Statement ahead of the UN Climate Conference (COP27), which will take place from November 6 – 18, 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Right now, technocrats are busy getting their documents in order; emission-unfriendly planes and private jets are being boarded; and political leaders are polishing up their … More Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance Statement on COP27: Bold, urgent, accelerated action needed

On World Wildlife Day, the Animal Kingdom is not thriving

March 7, 2022

There comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness . . . that time is now. Wangari Maathai Last week (March 3) was World Wildlife Day with the theme “Recovering Key Species for Ecosystem Restoration.” In Kenya, it was also Africa Environment Day and Wangari Maathai Day – … More On World Wildlife Day, the Animal Kingdom is not thriving

Caribbean Environment Week: Stepping Up to a Sustainable Future

November 5, 2020

Just take a look at the photos and videos from the past three or four weeks, as Tropical Storms Zeta and Eta hovered on our doorstep: eroded hillsides sliding onto roads and blocking them; large (and deep) flooded areas, potentially creating major health problems; we even had a “mini tornado” in Portland. We can no … More Caribbean Environment Week: Stepping Up to a Sustainable Future

Jamaica’s Net Zero Energy Building: What It’s All About and Why It’s Important

December 12, 2017

Did you know that Jamaica now has the first and only Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) in the Caribbean? We are all concerned about energy savings and efficiency, as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their impact on climate change. In 2010 buildings accounted for 32 % of total global final energy use and 19 % … More Jamaica’s Net Zero Energy Building: What It’s All About and Why It’s Important

What a (Lot of) Waste! Thoughts on the Recent Caribbean Waste Management Conference

August 17, 2017

Waste management isn’t one of those “sexy” topics, I know. Yet, it is becoming an increasingly important conversation across the region. It is simply something that we have to deal with. I had a conversation recently with Vincent Sweeney, who heads the Caribbean Sub-Regional Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Kingston; and … More What a (Lot of) Waste! Thoughts on the Recent Caribbean Waste Management Conference