Its getting Hot in Here!

Wow the resources keep pouring in.

Today's interesting topic is Climate Change, a serious problem affecting the world and its effects are being felt here in Jamaica with an increase in the natural disasters and the intensity of these disasters.

Think about it the first big storm of our generation (people born in the 80's in Jamaica :o) ) was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Then for 20 plus years the severity of the storms affecting Jamaica was minimal until around 2004 when the famous Hurricane Ivan hit. Since then there has been Dean and Gustav but interesting to note, Gustav was a tropical storm when it hit Jamaica and look at the damage it did ... I don't even want to imagine what it would have done as a Hurricane.

I am sure individuals from other parts of the world can identify with this trend.

Anyway just check out this link. Its very cool, interesting and fun to read. Its about Climate Change and Human Development and it was written by Youth for Youth (United Nations Development Programme and Peace Child International collaboration) so no boring text or diagrams.

I am sure you will enjoy it.

Two degrees of separation between Hope and Despair: http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/Two_Degrees_En.pdf

Young Consumer's Guide to Eco-Friendly Living - Check this out!

Young Consumers' Guide to Eco-Friendly Living

UNEP and UNESCO Announce a New and Updated Edition of the Popular YouthXchange Training Kit. Paris/Nairobi – October 1st, 2008.

How to balance looking cool and feeling cool with the need to combat climate are among the key tips in the new United Nations YouthXchange Training kit. This updated version of the guide also gets to grips with the mountains of waste emerging across the globe as a result of today's fast throw-away society from mobile phones to fashion.

The 2008 Training Kit on Sustainable Consumption, produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is now in its second edition. YouthXchange is a train the trainer tool that aims to promote sustainable consumption patterns among young consumers worldwide. Among other novelties, this updated guide includes a chapter on how to find a balance between youths' consumer aspirations of dressing cool and fashionable while at the same time being aware of the impact of their consumption on, for example, climate change.

Young people today establish their identities through what they buy and seek social inclusion by purchasing the newest and "coolest" products on the market. Yet, when unguided, this consumption contributes to problems such as ozone depletion, climate change and hazardous wastes that not only affect our daily lives but impact the entire globe. Through their daily actions, people can increasingly reduce their environmental impact.

Well aware of this, UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) and UNESCO decided to update the 2002 guide to include today's trends. It provides statistics, case studies, games, examples of companies going greener, and alternatives for more sustainable lifestyles. New to the guide are the following features: a clear link between our consumption patterns and climate change, a more substantial e-waste section, updated data and scientific information and two new chapters: one on the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development and one on fashion.

Notes to editors: For the 2008 YouthXchange version, please visit: http://www.youthxchange.net/main/english-guide.asp. The UNEP Tunza Programme seeks to engage and involve young people through awareness creation, information exchange and capacity-building and through involving them in environmental decision-making processes globally and in the regions.

For more information on UNEP's youth and children program, please visit: http://www.unep.org/Tunza/

About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Created in 1972, UNEP represents the United Nations' environmental conscience. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, its mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Island at Risk

I was browsing the web today and found an interesting study called 'Island at Risk' written by Elizabeth Burch, a Professor of Communications study at Sonoma State University in California.

The study speaks about the difficulty that local journalists have with regards to reporting on environmental issues. It starts by saying that 'Environmental reporting in Jamaica is affected negatively by the small country's libel laws, low pay and westernization'. This is very true as no one has the time to focus on preserving natural beauty when people are being killed, or the economy is doing bad. However at the end of the day is'nt it the land that we may have to depend on to sustain us, to protect us? You be the judge.

Link to 'Island at Risk' http://www.ejmagazine.com/2007a/07a_pdfs/jamaica.pdf

I welcome your comments :o)