In charting our development path we must take an increasingly long view and allow for the reality of the twin threats of climate change and resource depletion. To do this we must understand the nature of climate change and its implications for our national security and our economic development. While we recognize the reality of climate change, the effects and causes are poorly understood thus making it difficult to implement policies that would mitigate the harmful effects and protect our people. In this, the wild exaggerations of alarmists on one side, and those that totally deny the observed reality of climate change on the other, are not helpful.
When it comes to resource depletion we should recognize the reality of finite resources of oil, gas, minerals and water. Coupled with their increasing scarcity and the increasing cost of exploration and extraction we are faced with escalating cost of energy and the basic requirement for life on this planet. In addition there is the very real danger of global conflict as huge populations come under increasing threat due to the absence of a safe water supply.
In short, not only will we have to learn to do more with less, but we will have to alter our land use policies to enhance food security and sustainable development of our coastal areas. This may well mean making some tough and unpopular decisions but avoiding them is not an option.
To date we have seen climate change as primarily a coastal zone management issue as the public perception of climate change is global warming and the rising sea levels. Climate change is about much more than rising sea levels and coral reefs. It is an infinitely more complex issue that the global scientific community is still trying to unravel. One scenario envisions the possibility of a mini ice age due to the possible collapse of the Gulf Stream and the removal of its warming effects upon Europe.
When we talk about glacier melt and the rising sea levels the public perception is that the sea will rise equally in all geographic locations, like bathtub water rising with the tap turned on. The reality is much different however as the oceans’ surface has proved to be a rather uneven one with the surface of the Indian Ocean being about 330 feet below the average sea level while the waters around Iceland are about 200 feet above the average. The simple message of rising ocean levels due to climate change has been massively over simplified and the true regional position must take into account winds and currents with gravity and the laws of thermodynamics playing an important role.
To better serve our policy makers in Barbados and the Caribbean region we need to establish a focused research body linked to the foremost climate change research centres around the globe to better understand the science of climate change and its impact upon the region. The public should be exposed to the latest thinking on the issue so that we can develop a regional or national consensus on the actions that we will have to take to mitigate the effects of climate change or to take advantage of opportunities that might present themselves.
A similar approach should be taken with the issue of resource depletion and management of our resources. We can no longer use energy and water like there is no tomorrow. That is not to say that we should reduce energy consumption in a way that will adversely impact our quality of life, but that we should use energy in a more intelligent way, investing in energy efficient equipment and maximizing its productivity.
With the right information there is much that we can do for ourselves to prepare for these 21st Century challenges. We had better get on with the job.
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