"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
Government and non-profit organisations deserve kudos for working together recently to launch a major mangrove restoration programme, but we fear their work will be for naught if comprehensive changes aren’t …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Mangrove planting is great, but new laws needed too”
The Virgin Islands will soon see a mangrove reforestation project designed to help mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change, according to Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley. …
As a few large countries delayed needed action at the United Nations Climate Change Conference this month in Spain, people are dying from storms, rising sea levels, droughts and other …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: COP25 a call to climate action”
The BVI International Arbitration Centre is well positioned to become a leader in handling disputes related to climate change, according to a London-based lawyer who delivered the third Dr. J. …
As sea levels continue to rise in the coming decades, entire communities in the Caribbean and elsewhere probably will be forced to relocate even if large nations keep the pledges …
Continue reading “Sea rise likely to displace Caribbean towns”
NEW YORK CITY — With climate change expected to bring more frequent natural disasters to the Caribbean, mental health experts are changing the way they talk about post-traumatic stress disorder. …
NEW YORK CITY — At the United Nations on Friday, Benito Wheatley told world leaders about the Virgin Islands’ struggles to get help from abroad after it was devastated by …
NEW YORK CITY — In a formal briefing at the United Nations Climate Action Summit last Monday in New York City, UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner addressed concerns expressed …
NEW YORK CITY — As carbon emissions climb, global temperatures spike, oceans rise and storms grow more intense, the effects of climate change get closer to a course that scientists …
Continue reading “Island leaders announce climate goals at UN summit”
Hurricane Dorian’s tragic destruction in the Bahamas was yet another dire warning to the entire Caribbean. Scientists expect climate change to bring more frequent and more intense storms to the …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Dorian a tragic warning as global climate warms”
When Hurricane Dorian brushed the Virgin Islands last week, it was still a Category 1 storm, and no major damage resulted, said Department of Disaster Management Director Sharleen DaBreo-Lettsome. However, …
Continue reading “In the BVI, Dorian brought 83 mph winds but no reports of major damage”
We are thrilled that the new government appears to be moving ahead with a badly needed law that could go a long way toward better protecting the territory’s increasingly beleaguered …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Eco-law could be a huge step forward”
The government appears to be moving ahead with long-promised legislation that would dramatically reform the largely outdated patchwork of laws currently in place for protecting the territory’s delicate natural environment. …
Government has not appointed any members to the Climate Change Trust Fund Board since the membership of all six previous appointees was revoked on April 24. Premier Andrew Fahie told …
The new government’s bumbling on climate change is endangering the territory’s future. On April 24, the Cabinet decided to revoke the membership of the Climate Change Trust Fund board, a …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Government is dropping the ball on climate change”
The Virgin Islands’ Recovery to Development Plan promises to make the territory “near carbon neutral.” But what does that mean exactly, and how would it get done? The Beacon recently …
Continue reading “How to be carbon neutral: A Q&A with Bhutan’s former prime minister”
On April 24 the Cabinet decided to revoke the membership of all six appointed members of the Climate Change Trust Fund board. The board’s enabling legislation, however, doesn’t appear to …
The government will pay Claude Skelton-Cline’s firm Grace Consultants $98,000 over a six-month period for wide-ranging services related to a renewable energy unit, negotiations with telecommunications providers, small business assistance, …
Continue reading “Skelton-Cline to get $98k for 6-month consultancy”
About a month ago, excavations began along the beach in the north end of Cane Garden Bay as part of a government project designed to protect a shoreline that slips …
Continue reading “Shore fix in Cane unlikely to last, experts say”
In April 2017, legislators passed the Environmental Protection and Tourism Improvement Fund Act, establishing a $10 levy for non-cruise-ship visitors entering the Virgin Islands. The law — which took effect …
Continue reading “Eco-levy cash caught in government debate”
More than a dozen Caribbean leaders, including Premier Dr. Orlando Smith, gathered in Montego Bay, Jamaica last week for the 39th Caribbean Community heads of government meeting. During the three-day …
Continue reading “CARICOM backs OTs in public registers spat”
PUERTO RICO CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM — When you approach St. John from the water now, the United States Virgin Island at first appears untouched by hurricanes Irma and Maria. …
Continue reading “Islands Adrift: Trump politics hinder USVI climate change prep”
PUERTO RICO CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM — Dinelle Henley fears for her native Cane Garden Bay, one of the most iconic and pristine beaches of the Caribbean. Like much of the …
Continue reading “Islands Adrift: As climate warms, Caribbean ill-prepared”
