Change has come to the United States, and as usual this means change has come to the rest of the world as well. The election of Joe Biden and Kamala …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: A new day in the US — and the Caribbean”
November 16, 2020
October 30, 2020
VI wary as US heads to polls
An old adage proclaims, “When the United States sneezes, the world catches a cold.” As the country heads into a presidential election next Tuesday amid the Covid-19 pandemic, that wisdom …
March 10, 2020
EDITORIAL: Mangrove planting is great, but new laws needed too
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 …
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January 20, 2020
VI to see mangrove restoration
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. …
December 17, 2019
EDITORIAL: COP25 a call to climate action
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 …
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November 25, 2019
IAC advised to target climate disputes
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. …
November 13, 2019
Sea rise likely to displace Caribbean towns
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 …
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October 16, 2019
Constant PTSD in climate change age
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. …
October 6, 2019
VI, others take climate case to UN
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 …
October 3, 2019
UNDP pledges to up support to SIDS
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 …
October 1, 2019
Island leaders announce climate goals at UN summit
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 …
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September 17, 2019
EDITORIAL: Dorian a tragic warning as global climate warms
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 …
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September 6, 2019
In the BVI, Dorian brought 83 mph winds but no reports of major damage
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, …
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July 30, 2019
EDITORIAL: Eco-law could be a huge step forward
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 …
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July 25, 2019
15 years later, draft eco-law on the way
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. …
July 9, 2019
Climate board still has no members
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 …
July 9, 2019
EDITORIAL: Government is dropping the ball on climate change
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 …
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May 15, 2019
How to be carbon neutral: A Q&A with Bhutan’s former prime minister
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 …
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May 9, 2019
Climate Change Trust Fund board revoked
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 …
April 18, 2019
Skelton-Cline to get $98k for 6-month consultancy
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, …
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March 12, 2019
Shore fix in Cane unlikely to last, experts say
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 …
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November 29, 2018
Eco-levy cash caught in government debate
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 …
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July 13, 2018
CARICOM backs OTs in public registers spat
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 …
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April 29, 2018
Islands Adrift: Trump politics hinder USVI climate change prep
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. …
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April 20, 2018
Islands Adrift: As climate warms, Caribbean ill-prepared
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 …
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