The Next Decade's Top Sustainability Trends

By Warren Karlenzig
WorldChanging Team

What trends are likely the next ten years? One thing for sure, 2010 through 2019 will be one day looked at as 1) the turning point for addressing climate change by using effective urban management strategies, or it will be remembered as 2) the time when we collectively fumbled the Big Blue Ball...read full story.

Focus on sustainable tourism

By Joe Shooman, joe@cfp.ky
Caymanian Compass

The head of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation has said that 2010 presents some challenges and will see an increase in focus of the effects of climate change and sustainable tourism.

In a New Year message, John Maginley, chairman of the organisation, said that its responsibility was to sustain the purity and beauty of the region and grow the tourism sector to its full potential.

An upcoming Sustainable Tourism Conference is due to be announced in which renewable energy strategies and new ideas to support Caribbean–wide sustainable tourism would be discussed, he said.

“The global landscape has changed and the Caribbean has an opportunity to contribute fresh, forward–thinking ideas while demonstrating leadership in the quest for a green economy,” he said. “We know that the coming year will not be without challenge; but let’s be thankful for the positive signs we’ve experienced in our tourism industry.”

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Apocalypse Fatigue: Losing the Public on Climate Change

by Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger
Yale Environment 360

Last month, the Pew Research Center released its latest poll of public attitudes on global warming. On its face, the news was not good: Belief that global warming is occurring had declined from 71 percent in April of 2008 to 56 percent in October — an astonishing drop in just 18 months. The belief that global warming is human-caused declined from 47 percent to 36 percent.

While some pollsters questioned these numbers, the Pew statistics are consistent with the findings by Gallup in March that public concern about global warming had declined, that the number of Americans who believed that news about global warming was exaggerated had increased, and that the number of Americans who believed that the effects of global warming had already begun had declined...Read full story

Beach erosion, reef & fish decline cited as priority

Cayman News Service
Posted on Wed, 12/09/2009

(CNS): While world leaders are still convening in Copenhagen to decide how humanity can address the problem of climate change on a global scale, the local national climate change strategy workshop has come to a close. According to a release from government, at the end of the three day event, beach erosion, reef and fisheries decline, rising energy, food and water costs, and higher insurance premiums were cited as the issues requiring priority attention in Cayman’s climate change strategy, which was described as a “big leap forward” by the environment minister.

Addressing participants at the end of the workshop, Minister of Environment Mark Scotland said much more work needed to be done but Cayman that had “taken a big leap forward in arriving at a climate change plan that lists priorities as well as possible mitigation and adaptation strategies and policies.”...read full story.

Editorial: In 2010, let's set a goal to become green

Cayman Net News

As we start the New Year, one resolution that should be made by all stakeholders, both public and private, is to make a determined and effective effort to tackle a number of environmental issues, in particular, the longstanding problem of Mount Trashmore … the unsightly, smelly and environmentally unsafe (well over three decades in the making) garbage dump.

Previous governments have promised much but delivered little, especially when it came to the environment in general and the garbage dump in particular – which have been the target on many money-grabbing schemes by wily local businessmen.

In fact, generally speaking, over the years politicians in the Cayman Islands have paid scant regard to and have not put sufficient emphasis on preserving either our national heritage or environment...read full story.

Stingray City bar protest planned

By Joe Shooman, joe@cfp.ky
Caymanian Compass

A protest against the new Stingray City ‘floating bar’ boat is to take place in Heroes’ Square, George Town on Monday. A bar boat facility was granted a retail liquor licence and a music and dancing licence at the 10 December Liquor Licensing Board meeting.

The vessel will sail out to anchor and operate in the area of Stingray City, contingent on passing other legal requirements from Department of Environmental Health, Port Authority, Liquor Inspector and the Commissioner of Police...read full story.