…reminds of climate change impact
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- WITH climate change continuing to impact the region through droughts and storms, Dr. Carla Barnett, CARICOM Secretary General, has commended the media's role in disseminating critical information.
Timely dissemination of information is crucial for saving lives, as highlighted by Dr. Barnett. She reminded the audience of the harsh realities the region faces due to climate change, citing the impact of Hurricane Beryl on Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“It was a sobering visit and a painful reminder of the urgency of the climate crisis facing the Caribbean and other Small Island and Low-lying Coastal Developing States (SIDS). These regions, which contribute minimally to climate change, continue to bear the disproportionate and increasingly onerous burden of its consequences,” Dr. Barnett said.
She noted that the Caribbean faces escalating costs related to the repeated replacement of critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, and the restoration of essential services like electricity, water, and telecommunications. These ongoing destructions erode the progress made by these territories.
Against this backdrop, Dr. Barnett praised the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) for its advocacy in climate justice, emphasizing the crucial role the regional media plays in disseminating information on disaster preparedness and major weather events.
“As we amplify our call for climate justice, the CARICOM Secretariat aims to strengthen its partnership with the regional media. You are uniquely positioned to provide a platform for scientists, activists, and policymakers to communicate directly with the public; to present the impacts of climate change in an accessible way; and to counter misinformation,” the Secretary General asserted.
She urged the media to closely scrutinize international efforts to reduce carbon emissions and to demand accountability for the negative effects of climate change on small countries.
“Even if SIDS do everything possible to eliminate our already minimal carbon emissions and continue to build our social and economic resilience, the inevitable warming of the oceans and sea level rise will continue to threaten our existence unless major carbon emitters take necessary actions to reduce their emissions in time,” Dr. Barnett added.
Her call to action comes as Tropical Storm Ernesto hits the region, wreaking havoc on infrastructure. The urgency is palpable.
Scientists warn that we are at risk of failing to keep global warming within the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit, which is crucial for our survival as a civilization.
