#Nassau, September 24, 2019 – Bahamas – Minister of the Environment and Housing the Hon. Romauld Ferreira has endorsed the Climate Crisis Declaration prepared mainly by the Thought Leaders and Policy Team of the Cat Island Conservation Institute (CICI), which is a nonpartisan institute that is community driven and serving.
During a press conference at his office, Friday, September 20, 2019,
Minister Ferreira endorsed the Declaration as part of the Ministry’s agenda of
supporting Non-Governmental Organizations who are trying to make a difference
in the fight against climate change.
“We at the Ministry of the Environment and Housing, and I in my capacity
as the Minister of the Environment and Housing, acknowledge that we are in a
national climate crisis and the country is facing a national climate
emergency.
“We are committed to doing all that needs to be done to alleviate and
remediate the effects of climate change and build resiliency for future
events.”
He explained that in the beginning when climate change came up there
were some skeptics out there and there still are, but the data is clear.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, in 2019 Northern
Hemisphere meteorological summer (June through August) was
the hottest in the 140-year climate record, tied with 2016.
The 2019 Northern Hemisphere land and ocean surface temperatures for
the period were 2.03 degrees F (1.13 degrees C) above average.
However, Minister Ferreira stressed that the problem with
scientific evidence is that it does not give a person ethics: “It cannot tell
you what to do, and what the right thing is to do, and what kind of right
responses to take.”
Therefore, he endorsed the Declaration created by the CICI.
The Minister stated that the next step involves the Prime Minister
making a declaration and then he would approach the Speaker of the House to do
the same. “Thereafter, we look at long-term adaption.”
Charles Hamilton, a founding Thought Leader, CICI, explained that The
Bahamas, by making this declaration will show itself to be a leader as the
first small island developing state and the seventh country at a national level
to adopt this stance.
He said the idea for these kinds of declarations first started in the
city of Darebin, Australia, whose city government passed the first declaration
of a climate emergency in December 2016. As of July 17, 2019, 19
countries, 1007 governments (primarily the local level) have passed a climate
emergency declaration.
CIBI works in communities and co-creates programmes that help persons
better understand the needs of their community. The organization
also trains community scientists who work as direct collaborators with
professional scientists to gather robust and quality data required for us as a
nation to make evidence based decisions.
CICI Bahamas thought leaders span various strata of society from
fishermen, engineers, scientists, teachers, realtors, economists, public
health, activists, and community members, and represent youth and the young at
heart, who will be inheritors of a Bahamas and a planet that has to cope with
the effects of climate change.
Two young alumni of the organization, Ricardra Thurston and Shamor
Thompson read the Declaration.
By Llonella Gilbert
Release: BIS
Photo Caption: Minister of the Environment and Housing the Hon. Romauld Ferreira endorsed the Climate Crisis Declaration prepared mainly by the Thought Leaders and Policy Team of the Cat Island Conservation Institute (CICI) during a press conference at his office, Friday, September 20, 2019. Founders of CICI, Nikita Shiel Rolle and Charles Hamilton are pictured on either side of Minister of the Environment and Housing the Hon. Romauld Ferreira. Two young alumni of the organization, Shamor Thompson and Ricardra Thurston read the Declaration.
(BIS Photos/Raymond A. Bethel, Sr.)