Climate Summit vigils continue

Thursday, December 31st 2009

The highly anticipated Final UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen has come and gone but regional attention to the critical status of our own islands in the Caribbean that are especially vulnerable to already threatening effects of climate change, remains a top priority.

During the past months, as a build up to the summit, various organisations around the world as well as here in Trinidad and Tobago held wake-up calls, vigils and masses to capture the attention of participating officials and ensure their positive decisions and commitments to avert catastrophic climate change.

Trinidad and Tobago is already feeling the subtle changes that signal the onset of climate change. As is the case in the rest of the Caribbean, our coastlines are being eroded at a rate faster than anticipated. The south western peninsula of Trinidad is a prime example of land loss in the number of coconut stumps and logs left at the mercy of the breakers that have claimed their expanse. With the passage of each year, the high tide mark moves further and further inland.

Members of the eco-conservationist group HUDHUE were almost stranded last year when higher than normal breakers claimed an entire beach along the north coast. Remembering this experience, the group continues to hold candlelight vigils with the hope that positive follow-up action by leaders would follow climate talks and so avert such disastrous effects along our coastlines.

Last year environmental and community groups along the north coast reported extensive loss of habitat during the crucial nesting time of the leatherback turtle. The season of the beaching and nesting of the leatherback coincides with the rough sea period in this region. The sands that usually accommodate the pregnant turtles were so eroded by the sea that high banks remained, rendering it well nigh impossible for the turtles to climb and procreate. Those that had already succeeded in laying their eggs returned only to see eggs fully exposed along the high banks or washed away altogether.

Diving is a number one eco-attraction of the Caribbean Islands and a major contributor to the economies of most islands. Because of the changing ocean temperatures and higher than normal seas, reefs are specially vulnerable to these changes. Losses in coral content and subsequent migration of species that colonise and breed in these habitats will spell disaster for dependent eco-tourism communities.

The reefs of T&T are known for their rich diversity because of the mix of Orinoco fresh water brought by the Guyana Current and the saline water of the open Atlantic and the Caribbean. This rich blend spawns some of the most attractive diving sites in the Caribbean and indeed the world. Changes in weather patterns and sea level rise are already threatening the very life of these reefal habitats.

Now that there is local, regional and global attention on the precarious position of our life here on planet earth, we as stakeholders must ensure that decisions made to avert the negative effects of climate change are followed up by continuing action on the part of our leaders.

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_features?id=161576365