Bahamas News
Navy Secretary Reaches Out to Caribbean Nations in Fight Against Climate Change
By Jim Garamone
US Department of Defense
#TheBahamas, March 27, 2023 – Climate change in the United States is a matter of concern with droughts, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires and more happening with greater severity and more often.
In the Bahamas, it is more than a concern, it is an existential threat.
“Climate change is a matter of life and death for us here in this country,” said Bahamas National Security Minister Wayne R. Munroe. “There is a choice – if there is not a reverse – to either become refugees or die. It is that serious a matter for this country.”
The United States takes climate change seriously and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro journeyed to the island nation off the coast of Florida to pledge support for the Caribbean nations fighting for their very existence.
Del Toro made the trip — the first by a secretary of the Navy to the Bahamas – to hear from those fighting against climate change and to find out how the service can help in the struggle. Daniel P. Erikson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Western Hemisphere affairs, accompanied the secretary. 
“The consequences of our changing climate are an existential threat,” Del Toro said during a speech at the University of the Bahamas in Nassau. “The increasing severity of those consequences are already being acutely felt here in the Caribbean. You are on the front lines of the climate crisis.”
Del Toro emphasized that all nations of the region must cooperate to address climate change and put in place policies to halt the rise in global temperatures and mitigate the effects that will surely happen given the changes already evident.
“Climate change does not respect borders or multilateral groupings,” he said. “Hurricanes do not care what passport you carry, whether Bahamian, Jamaican or American. Islands around the world — including those that are part of the United States, such as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — share similar climate challenges.”
In that light, Del Toro praised a partnership between the University of Hawaii and the University of the Bahamas. The two university systems will work together to combat and mitigate climate change. Del Toro also announced an upcoming partnership between the Naval Postgraduate School and the University of the Bahamas.
Hurricanes have slammed the Bahamas, with five major hurricanes hitting there in the past eight years. One of those – Dorian – killed 50 people and more than 1,500 are still missing.
“We know that many other storms, minor storms that bring more rainfall than they did in the past, are now also more frequent, causing landslides and flooding that take a devastating human and economic toll never giving you a chance to fully recover, to come up for air before the next storm threatens once again,” Del Toro said.
But climate change also means sea-level rise, and the Bahamas and many other island nations in the Caribbean are in danger. The highest point in the Bahamas is just 200 feet above sea level. The rise that has already occurred has meant coastal flooding, saltwater intrusion into groundwater, and more extreme temperatures. “They are severely impacting not just the environment, but people’s daily lives and livelihoods, especially in the critical tourism industry,” the secretary said.
The nations of the region are responding to this threat, and the secretary pointed to PACC 2030 — the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis. Vice President Kamala Harris announced the initiative in June 2022. The two main strategic goals of PACC 2030 are to strengthen energy security and to promote climate adaptation and resilience.
“The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps team has been working on climate and energy security for a long time, and we are accelerating and broadening those efforts,” Del Toro said.
“We know that urgency is in order. Time is not on our side,” he continued. “We are in the critical decade to make meaningful progress so that we can avoid the worst climate scenarios. We must act now. We view the climate crisis much the same way as damage control efforts on a stricken ship. This is an all hands on deck moment.”
The Department of the Navy is stepping forward with Climate Action 2030, a broad, multi-pronged approach. The Navy is working to improve efficiency of ships, electrifying vehicles and greatly reducing emissions. “We are upgrading water and electrical infrastructure right here in the Bahamas at our Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center,” he said. “We are bringing on more renewables, which means fewer fossil fuels and lower emissions. Over the last decade, we have added more than one gigawatt of renewable energy to the grid.”
The Navy is also funding efforts to help restore coral reefs and is eager to pursue further efforts on coral reef research, regrowth and even creation.
Climate action requires partnerships, he said. “The plan calls for partnerships. We want to share and trade information, resources and expertise with governments and [non-governmental organizations] around the world,” he said. “Everywhere from Vietnam to Ghana to right here in the Caribbean, we are collaborating on projects, enabling best practices to cross-pollinate. Climate Action 2030 will help ensure that great ideas, like climate change itself, have no borders.”
The Department of the Navy works alongside other U.S. government agencies to address crises brought about by climate change. “We recognize that the resilience of our friends and neighbors in this region is of critical importance
to our own security, and we want to help,” the secretary said. “That’s why key elements of our involvement in the Caribbean are training exercises, as well as medical and engineering expert exchanges, to empower strong and collaborative regional responses to emergencies.”
This covers everything from responding to health needs after a storm and also building greater resilience and local capabilities to prevent, identify and safely respond to vector-borne diseases, which are becoming less predictable and more prevalent as the climate changes, he said.
He noted that the USNS Comfort, the Navy’s 1,000-bed hospital ship, is a common sight in the Caribbean and plays a vital role in the wake of climate change disasters.
The Navy is putting its money where its mouth is, as Navy engineers have planned, designed and carried out dozens of projects in the Caribbean from humanitarian assistance to military construction projects. “In fact, since 2008, our engineers have executed nearly $100 million in construction projects in the region,” he said.
These projects include airfield improvements and an emergency operations center in the Bahamas; upgrading a pier in Barbados; an operations center and other disaster relief infrastructure in Dominica; emergency response facilities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and expanding the hangar and warehouse at the airfield on Exuma Island, which is an essential disaster response hub.
The engineers also worked in Jamaica, St. Lucia and Haiti. “And we are scoping a future project with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force at Coral Harbour,” he said.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
