CUC breaks ground on Cayman’s first solar farm

The Cayman Reporter
May 10, 2016

The groundbreaking ceremony for Cayman’s first solar farm was held in Bodden Town on Monday, 9 May.

The 5 megawatt(MW) solar project will allow the Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) to reduce exhaust gas emissions and the use of imported fossil fuels thereby promoting a greener environment. Read the whole story here.

Weather Service: Climate change making Cayman hotter, drier

Cayman Compass
January 15, 2016

The average temperature in the Cayman Islands has risen steadily for the past four years due to the effects of global climate change, according to National Weather Service Director John Tibbetts. He said annual average temperatures have risen 1.2 degrees over the past four years, and he expects the trend of warmer weather and less rain to continue in the years to come.

Over the past 30 years, the average annual temperature rose from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit in 1985 to 82.9 degrees last year. Mr. Tibbetts said the temperature trend is following the model forecasters use to predict the impacts of global climate change on the weather in Cayman.

“We will get warmer and drier,” the Weather Service director said in an interview this week, and the changes to Cayman’s climate could have far-reaching effects on the islands. Read the whole story here.

How Can We Make People Care About Climate Change?

Yale Environment 360
July 9, 2015

Per Espen Stoknes, a Norwegian psychologist and economist, has been doing a lot of thinking about a question that has bedeviled climate scientists for years: Why have humans so far failed to deal with the looming threat posed by climate change?

That question is the focus of his recent book, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming, in which he analyzes what he calls the five psychological barriers that have made it difficult to deal realistically with the climate crisis. Those include: the distant nature of the problem (it’s far off in time and often in other parts of the globe); the Per Espen Stoknes doom-and-gloom scenarios about the impacts of climate change, which make people feel powerless to do anything about it; and the psychological defenses that people have to avoid feeling guilty about their own contributions to fossil fuel emissions. Read the whole story here.

Pope Francis, in Sweeping Encyclical, Calls for Swift Action on Climate Change

New York Times
June 18, 2015

Pope Francis on Thursday called for a radical transformation of politics, economics and individual lifestyles to confront environmental degradation and climate change, blending a biting critique of consumerism and irresponsible development with a plea for swift and unified global action.

The vision that Francis outlined in a 184-page papal encyclical is sweeping in ambition and scope: He describes relentless exploitation and destruction of the environment and says apathy, the reckless pursuit of profits, excessive faith in technology and political shortsightedness are to blame.

The most vulnerable victims, he declares, are the world’s poorest people, who are being dislocated and disregarded.

Francis, the first pope from the developing world, used the encyclical — titled “Laudato Si’,” or “Praise Be to You” — to highlight the crisis posed by climate change. He places most of the blame on fossil fuels and human activity, while warning of an “unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequence for all of us” if corrective action is not taken swiftly. Developed, industrialized countries were mostly responsible, he says, and are obligated to help poorer nations confront the crisis. Read the whole story here.

Global CO2 emissions 'stalled' in 2014

BBC
March 13, 2015

The growth in global carbon emissions stalled last year, according to data from the International Energy Agency.

It marks the first time in 40 years that annual CO2 emissions growth has remained stable, in the absence of a major economic crisis, the agency said.

Annual global emissions remained at 32 gigatonnes in 2014, unchanged from the previous year.

But the IEA warned that while the results were "encouraging", this was "no time for complacency". Read the whole story here.

Clock ticks on Chamber’s cruise survey

Cayman News Service
October 16, 2014

The local Chamber of commerce is urging its members to take its on-line survey about the proposed cruise berthing facility in government before the web-based questionnaire closes at the end of this month. The Cayman Islands Government is proposing to develop a cruise berthing facility in the George Town harbour with two finger piers to accommodate the next generation of mega cruise ships. The construction of this new facility will require dredging of the sea floor, land reclamation activities, construction of retaining walls, drilling and blasting.

The debate about constructing cruise berthing facilities in George Town has raged for many years and the former UDP government committed to develop the facility during the last administration but the project was derailed as a result of a number of issues, but mostly because of the government’s failure to follow due process in its efforts to find a private sector partner to not only construct but also finance the project.

The issue has however remained controversial and although the cruise tourism sector is extremely eager to see the piers built not everyone in the tourism business is supportive and the wider public is divided over the need for such a costly project. Even though government will be seeking a partner to finance the project in the first instance, the investment will be recoupled from the cruise ship passenger fees.

The PPM is committed to the project and has already spent several million dollars on consultants, the strategic business cases and the environmental impact assessment but the Chamber is seeking a definitive position on the project from its more than 700 members.

“This survey has been developed to seek your views on the proposed project and the likely potential impacts associated with the construction and operational phases,” said Johann Moxam as he urged people to participate in the survey and make their voice heard. “All information provided will be kept confidential and will assist the Chamber Council with determining the membership's collective view on this proposed infrastructure project.”

See the survey here.