Bahamas News

Bahamas Waterkeeper President Joseph Darville Addresses 2016 Annual Waterkeeper Alliance Conference

Published

8 years ago

June 23, 2016

Rising Sea Levels, Hotter Temperatures, Extreme Storms

On Horizon for The Bahamas
Save The Bays Chairman, Bahamas Waterkeeper President Joseph Darville Addresses Country’s Most Pressing Environmental Concerns at 2016 Annual Waterkeeper Alliance Conference in North Carolina

According to the U.S. National Weather Service, if you live anywhere near the Atlantic Ocean, this isn’t the best year to let your guard down while you soak up the sun.

With a record three named storms already on the books since the start of hurricane season on June 1, the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season is projected to be among the most active ever with as many as 14 named storms and six hurricanes before the season ends November 30. Moreover, experts predict at least two of those hurricanes could be major, reaching Category 3 or stronger on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, suggesting “devastating damage” could occur.

With 80 percent of the land mass in The Bahamas essentially at or slightly above sea level, the country is even more vulnerable to devastation than most when catastrophic storm systems rise up out of the Atlantic.

“Massive flooding from rising sea levels poses a very real threat to one of the most, if not the most beautiful, spots on this planet,” said Save the Bays Chairman and Bahamas Waterkeeper President Joseph Darville during a recent presentation at the 2016 Annual Waterkeeper Alliance Conference in Wilmington, N.C.

Headed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who was reelected for another two terms as president at this year’s conference, Waterkeeper Alliance is recognized as “the voice of the world’s waters.” With volunteers of licensed Waterkeeper affiliates monitoring rivers, lakes, oceans, ponds and wetlands in dozens of countries, Waterkeeper Alliance is among the largest and fastest growing non-profit organizations, its sole focus on clean water. The four-day conference in North Carolina brought together 295 waterbody stewards from every corner of the world to discuss the effects of the global warming crisis on their communities.

“Probably the most frightening of our concerns over climate change is the increase of tropical storms, which are now spawning right in our waters,” Darville said, citing the destruction wrought in the southern Bahamas last October by Hurricane Joaquin. “They no longer have to originate off the west coast of Africa.”

According to Darville, unregulated development is one of the largest contributing factors to the accelerated rate at which the shores of The Bahamas is eroding, further escalating the chance of cataclysmic flooding when powerful storms strike.

“This erosion results not only from the sea level rise, heavier storms and storm surge, but is dramatically associated with unregulated and basically unsound major developments,” Darville said. “Whether it’s the absence of qualified marine engineers, or simply an ignorance of the nature of our coastal geography, structures and walls are built without the slightest knowledge of how winds and tides naturally flow.”

Additionally, Darville points to developers’ insatiable desire for oceanfront golf courses as further compounding environmental hazards created by rampant and unrestricted development.

“They are usually plunked right along the sea front, resulting in the run off of all the chemicals which just glory in the destruction and death of our coral reefs,” Darville said. “We have lost hundreds and hundreds of acres of what used to be a scene of magnificent beauty. They also once served as significant barriers for storms and storm surges.”

Darville’s greatest long-term concern – an issue that could affect the ability to inhabit The Bahamas — is the looming loss of the country’s drinkable water. Because the fresh water lens in The Bahamas is only around three to four feet from the land surface, any erosion of land increases salt water intrusion into the water tables.

“Already after major hurricanes, we have had to wait months before the water was potable due to the infusion of salt water,” Darville said. “As the sea level continues to rise, and are exacerbated by major storms, we face real danger of a nation being in a constant state of thirst.”

Bahamas News

Get your laugh on, March On, family drama by Gea Pierre, debut this weekend in Turks and Caicos

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale again this weekend, the show debuts Friday night.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew where shows are set for Brayton Hall, for Friday May 10 at 8pm and Saturday has two showings; matinee at 4pm and evening, 8pm.

Tickets are $75 VIP. General admission is $60.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attentattention.

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. The full team returns on Friday, May 10 with the comedy production being held under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stop laughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”

Bahamas News

The Bahamas Successfully Hosts Its Fourth World Athletics Relays

Published

4 days ago

May 12, 2024

Shanieka

NASSAU, Bahamas – Hundreds of people from around the world turned out in full force for the BTC World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 that took place at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, May 4 -5, 2024.

This is the sixth edition of the relays and the fourth time that The Bahamas has hosted the event, which actually made its debut in The Bahamas in 2014.

President, World Athletics, Sabastian Coe said after three very successful editions from 2014 to 2017, the World Athletics Relays has quickly become one of the World Athletics vibrant competitions, developing a culture of fun and innovation that gives it a unique flavour.

He thanked the Bahamas Government, the local World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 committee and the Bahamian people for agreeing to host the relays. However, his main thanks were to the “world’s best sprinters” travelling from all the continents to compete in preparation for the road to Paris, France, in two months’ time.

During the opening ceremony, the athletes were given words of advice from Carl Lewis, one of only four Olympic athletes to have won nine Olympic gold medals, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

He said, “Keep it simple, do not try to do anything extra. Do what your coaches said. Leave on time, leave on time, leave on time.”

The athletes and crowds were treated to the sounds and sights of Junkanoo at the end of the opening ceremony. The Junkanoo performers stuck around for the two days of competitions, playing for the sprinters as they competed on the track.

Teams competed in the Women’s and men’s 4x100m, and the women’s men’s and mixed 4x400m. A total of 14 teams at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 automatically qualified for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Both days of competition were important, as day two offered another chance for qualifications for those teams unsuccessful on day one.

In fact, The Bahamas was able to take advantage of the second day of competition.

Bahamians were made proud as the country set a new national record during the mixed 4x400m relays thanks to the efforts of 16-year-old Shania Adderley, a student of Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

The team came first in their heat on Sunday evening after not being able to gain a spot for the Paris Olympics on the first day of competition.

Other sprinters on the team included Alonzo Russell, as well as Olympic champions Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

(BIS Photos/Kemuel Stubbs)

Bahamas News

PM at World Relays 2024 Opening: ‘Tonight, the eyes are on The Bahamas’

Published

4 days ago

May 12, 2024

Shanieka

NASSAU, The Bahamas – During his remarks at the Opening Ceremony for the World Athletics Relays 2024, on May 4, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis welcomed the special guests, athletes, officials, and “all lovers of athletics from around the world” to the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium here in the “vibrant heart” of Nassau, Bahamas.

“This weekend, the world’s finest athletes gather on our shores to embark on a journey that is not only about speed and strength but also about dreams and determination,” Prime Minister Davis said. “From the serene beauty of our islands to the historic grandeur of Paris, this event marks a crucial path to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.”

He added: “Here in The Bahamas, we are no strangers to world-class athletics or the warmth and exuberance that such international gatherings bring. It is a distinct honor to once again welcome the World Athletics Relays back to our islands. This event holds a special place in our hearts, symbolizing a bridge between nations brought together by the universal language of sport.”

Prime Minister Davis noted that that year’s theme, “Paradise to Paris,” captured the essence of that journey.

“It is here, amidst the splendor of our sun-kissed beaches and the rhythmic sway of our palms that the chase towards Olympic glory begins anew,” he stated. “We are thrilled to offer a backdrop of unparalleled beauty, where every sprint, every baton pass, and every victory lap is set against the picture-perfect canvas of our islands.”

He added: “To our athletes, I say this: as you stand on the precipice of your dreams, ready to catapult yourself into the annals of history, know that you are part of a legacy of excellence and determination. This weekend, you are not only competitors but also ambassadors of your countries and the spirit of sport. We are especially proud of Team Bahamas, who carry the weight of their performance and the hopes and pride of our nation. You embody the spirit of The Bahamian people, and we are behind you every step of the way.”

Prime Minister said that to the international visitors, he extended “the warmest Bahamian welcome”.

“Over the next few days, as you revel in the thrill of competition, take a moment to bask in the beauty of our island,” he stated. “Discover why we proudly say, “It’s Better in The Bahamas.” Whether it’s the hospitality of our people, the tranquility of our waters, or the rhythm of our culture, you are in for an experience that captures the heart and rejuvenates the soul.”

“Let us celebrate the unity and friendship that sports foster, cheering every athlete and savoring the spectacle of human potential at its best,” Prime Minister Davis added. “I hope the races are swift, the results are inspiring, and the memories are lasting.

“Welcome to The Bahamas, the paradise where champions chase their dreams to Paris. As your host, it is my immense pleasure to declare the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 2024 officially open. Let the games begin.”