“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace to our present, and a vision for our future”.
2020 was a rough year, there’s no doubt about that. However, as visionaries and dreamers of a better world, it is imperative amidst the circumstances of a challenging year, that we find the light at the of the tunnel and greet it with a spirit of gratitude. In this wrap-up, we do just that by highlighting one Caribbean-centered sustainability win for every month of 2020 as a means to inspire feelings of hope, and an impetus to take greater action as we step into 2021.
JANUARY
Seven Caribbean Countries pledged to bid goodbye to single-use plastics.
The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago all pledged to bid farewell to single-use plastics and polystyrene. This was more than welcomed since these countries are estimated to produce 1.5 kilograms of plastic waste per person per day.
FEBRUARY
Composting Training held in Trinidad and Tobago by New Fire World, The Central Pathfinders Environmental Foundation Caribbean, and JTB Homesteads.
These three powerhouses collaborated to host a 2-part composting workshop, intended to help the country’s waste problem. The session began on January 25th with an informative introduction on the basics of composting and ended with a hands-on experience wherein the participants were able to build their own compost heap. Read the detailed experience here.
MARCH
Rihanna’s Foundation donates $5 million to help fight COVID-19
Our Bajan beauty, Rihanna, took a stand when her education and emergency relief nonprofit, ‘The Clara Lionel Foundation’, donated $5 million toward COVID-19 response efforts. The money was used to support food in the U.S., accelerate testing and care in countries like Haiti and Malawi, and mobilize resources for Native Communities.
APRIL
97 endangered sea turtles hatched on a beach in Brazil
A total of 97 hawksbill sea turtles, which are considered to be critically endangered, hatched on a deserted beach in a north-eastern town called Paulista. These hatchlings were mostly undisturbed as COVID-19 restrictions kept persons away from the nesting sites.
MAY
Trinidad and Tobago got a GEF grant for a low carbon research project
The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Planning Development received a US$5.21 million grant for a national project on the development of low-carbon refrigeration and air conditioning technologies. The ministry said that this is the largest-ever GEF grant-funded project to be undertaken in Trinidad and Tobago. They hope that it will lead to a ‘sustained market change towards the adoption of low–carbon RAC technologies over the next four years’.
JUNE
CARI-BOIS Environmental News Network Launched
THE Cropper Foundation and its multiple partners (including Yugen Stories) celebrated World Environment Day with the launch of Cari-Bois Environmental News Network – a digital environmental reporting platform in Trinidad and Tobago to be powered by citizen journalists. The platform is a part of a larger civil society project funded by the European Union (EU).
JULY
Funding for turtle monitoring in Tobago
The Tobago-based conservation group, the Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville, Tobago (ERIC), received funding from the Green Fund Unit of the Ministry of Planning and Development in Trinidad and Tobago to assist with a turtle monitoring project. The initiative aims to 'achieve a healthy marine turtle population in Tobago empowering the island to attract eco-tourism activities that financially support ongoing underwater (UW) sea turtle monitoring to improve community livelihoods and inform natural resource co-management decisions'
AUGUST
E-Buses for Barbados
Barbados introduced 35 new electric buses to their public transport system. This introduction marks an important step in the country’s climate protection plan which notes the country’s intention to rely on 100% renewable energy and neutralize its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.
SEPTEMBER
Yugen Stories Relaunched as an NGO
I mean, do I need to say more…?
(We love you, by the way, thank you so much for the support!)
OCTOBER
North East Tobago Designated as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve
Tobago’s North-East region was declared a biosphere reserve by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. As such, Trinidad and Tobago joined the MAB Network with the designation of their first site, along with locations like Andorra, Cabo Verde, Comoros and Luxemburg.
NOVEMBER
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
While this was observed worldwide, we saw many Caribbean-based organisations taking part such as Womantra (a queer woman lead feminist organisation engaged in public education, organizing and intersectional analysis and policy reform for women’s rights and gender justice) and Feminitt - an NGO aimed at advancing the Caribbean through education, conversation and social good with an Intersectional Caribbean Feminist Lens. Click here to learn more about the initiative.
DECEMBER
Jamaica takes the lead
Jamaica has been designated the lead national authority among seven Caribbean countries for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) project, which is being undertaken through a US$1.2-million grant. What can we say? - yay Jamaica!
BONUS
(1) CARICOM Nations support Sustainable Fisheries
This year, in light of the Corona Virus pandemic and the implications, that it has had on the world’s oceans. The Caribbean Community indicated its support of the United Nation’s draft resolution on promoting sustainable fisheries. This resolution stressed the importance of nature conservation and the sustainable use of our oceans. It obliges member states to develop, adopt, and implement measures that guide them to this end.
(2) The Caribbean King Crab found to be the remedy to Harmful Algae
Scientists have discovered that the Caribbean King Crab, which is Sunday food to many of us, may just be the key to tackling those instances of harmful algae attacking the world’s reefs. The Caribbean always got the goods, if we’re being real.
So, there you have it! While 2020 was definitely not the dream we all expected it would be...it really wasn’t all bad.
My wish for 2021 is that we take the lessons learned during this period of change and self-reflection so that we can use it to build a better (and, of course, more sustainable) future.
On behalf of the Yugen Stories Team, I happily wish you only the best for this new year.
PS: Feel free to comment about any other positive eco-news you heard about during 2020 to keep us all in the loop! ;)
- Jamala.
Sources:
https://www.busworld.org/articles/detail/5423/byd-entered-the-carribean-with-33-e-buses-for-barbados
After seeing the seemingly never-ending rundowns of bad things that happened in 2020, its refreshing to see all of this good stuff. 2021 will be bigger and brighter :)