Guyanese activist Diego Barnett is the most recent winner of the Eric Williams School Bags Essay Competition. After a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the contest, which is hosted by the Eric Williams Memorial Collection Research Library, Archives & Museum (EWMC), has returned. Barnett won the 2019/2020 competition with his essay on how Caribbean governments can implement effective strategies for managing climate change. According to Barnett, his success was due not only to his passion for writing and scientific research, but also his family and faith.
Barnett shared with UWI Today that, as a young boy, education was important in his household. He grew up with his mother, a teacher, and grandparents, all of whom created an environment conducive to his academic success. Barnett affectionately shared the instrumental role his grandfather, Albert Connell, played in his life. Barnett was extremely close to his grandfather who helped him appreciate the value of order and structure both in life and writing. Barnett’s grandfather even provided feedback as he wrote his award-winning essay. He fondly remembers a favourite quote of his grandfather’s, “Give me a fish and I’ll eat for a day, teach me to fish and I'll eat for a lifetime,” recalls Barnett.
A naturally curious person, the essay competition piqued Barnett’s interest; he knew his scientific background, writing experience and desire to serve others promised a win. As he wrote his essay, Barnett said his purpose was “to prepare others so that they can better deal with climate change”. He wanted his writing to reflect an earnest desire to provide people with reliable information. For Barnett, the competition was a platform to shed light on how climate change affects the Caribbean region and offer solutions to the crisis.
A graduate of Queen’s College, Guyana, Barnett also has an Associate Degree in Natural Sciences and is pursuing a BA in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto. Currently, Barnett is on a team of researchers designing and testing a module which uses forward osmosis and freeze concentration technology that treats wastewater from mining sites to reduce water consumption and provide clean water. In addition to his degree, Barnett plans to complete a Certificate in Artificial Intelligence.
Barnett said participating in and winning the competition was a significant milestone in his academic career as it expanded his knowledge of climate change. He was elated that the judges enjoyed his essay and hopes that more people will benefit from his work in the near future.
First held in 2007, the biennial Eric Williams School Bags Essay Competition is open to lower and upper sixth form students in 17 Caribbean countries. The first winner, Dexnell Peters, went on to obtain a PhD from Johns Hopkins University, a Bennett Boskey Fellowship in Atlantic Studies from Oxford University and is now a lecturer at The UWI, Mona. The 2023/2024 competition was announced earlier this year with the theme “Help or Hindrance: Discuss the Impact of Social Media on Civil Society or Politics in the 21st Century”. The deadline for entries has been extended to January 31, 2024.
For more information contact Erica Williams Connell at ewmc@ewmc-tt.org
Below is Diego Barnett’s essay which won the 2019/2020 Eric Williams School Bags Essay Competition.
Over the last millennium, mankind has experienced a proliferation like never before, and our dynamic species is on an exponential rise in the areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the arts. Despite our advancements in these areas, human life, flora, fauna and Mother Earth, as a whole, have been scourged by the drastic and ubiquitous changes in the Earth’s climatic system, ensuring the genesis of new weather patterns that will last for decades (Cronin, 2010). This is the fundamental definition of climate change.
To begin, my intention is to alleviate the scourge of climate change by proposing radical but feasible methods. We have acknowledged the existence of climate change which is pivotal to our discussion, however, we must explore its causes in a pervasive and efficacious manner. How can we combat an issue if we are not cognizant of its origin? Scientists have, for many years, been perplexed by the drastic changes in our climatic weather patterns. Some have held that climate change is due to human activity, while others strongly disagree with this statement. As a young enthusiastic researcher, I adamantly support the perspective that climate change is a phenomenon. Perhaps, after I have presented the following information on climate change, you will be able to come to a rational conclusion.
Some scientists say that because the earth has an elliptical orbit, the sun at times is closer in proximity to it - hence global climate fluctuates. Others say that when the earth’s axial angle increases, summers become warmer and winters become colder. Some attribute climate change to the electromagnetic emissions of the sun, plate tectonics and ocean currents that influence weather patterns. These are all equitable hypotheses. However, the majority of adroit scientists have proved that the variability of the sun’s light intensity is very low. The aforementioned hypotheses could only be attributed to an insignificant level of climate change, in comparison to global warming which is highly influenced by human activity. Fowler and Crystal (2010) defined global warming as a “gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere, generally attributed to the greenhouse effect.” Warm temperatures are vital for the sustenance of living organisms because, without this, the earth would literally be frozen. Extreme temperatures, however, can prove to be calamitous.
The Caribbean’s carbon footprint has drastically increased, as there are more carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles and industrial sites, due to the combustion of fuel and other organic chemical reactions. There are many developing Caribbean countries that have established industries with the goal of maximising their productivity and profits. However, parsimonious efforts are made towards environmentally-friendly projects and sustainable development. We have intensified the effects of climate change with our advancements, is it not then fitting that we correct our actions?
Furthermore, carbon dioxide is responsible for more than half of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, and its concentration in the atmosphere is currently 40 percent higher than it was when industrialization began. This rise in carbon dioxide levels can be attributed to the high levels of deforestation in the Caribbean where our forestry, home to a multiplicity of species, is under constant threat. Haiti is the epitome of the existence of deforestation. In the colonial era, the French cut down trees in order to establish sugar cane plantations (“Deforestation in Haiti,” n.d.). Haiti was the first Caribbean country to become an independent nation and, as the French severed all links to the country, its people struggled to further develop it. The most economical method was selling lumber, or charcoal production. Thus, one of the major dangers to biodiversity and nature, as a whole, is deforestation where both plant and animal species are lost. The Caribbean’s forestry management needs to be subject to national legislation, and sector- specific policies must be implemented in a timely manner. Governments should seek to establish and enforce policies that aim to protect and conserve our environment. These conservation sites would prove to be invaluable assets in the battle against climate change. Additionally, any wood production industry should be limited to a portion of our forestry, with policies that promote sustainable development, such as making it mandatory for these industries to participate in afforestation on a large scale. However, since many Caribbean countries depend on timber exports, it will not be feasible to halt all operations.
Since agriculture contributes significantly to the Gross National Product and Gross Domestic Product of many Caribbean countries, numerous Caribbean agricultural practices promote climate change. Many farmers are oblivious to the fact that when livestock digest feed and egest faecal matter, methane is released. Even during combustion, methane is released. Why is methane so detrimental? The heating effect of methane is approximately 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. To relieve this, governments can install gas systems to collect methane from landfills and livestock operations, then refine the contaminated methane to a certain biological standard.
Farmers are also ill-served because of the poor services of ‘Extension Officers’. These are individuals hired by governments to relay pertinent and updated information to farmers about sustainable practices. Governments need to disseminate up-to-date, accurate and relevant information to Extension Officers, and they also need to establish sectoral policies relating to agriculture. These policies should limit the use of, or eradicate, synthetic fertilisers, nitrous oxide, herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals that release greenhouse gases. Organic farming must be promoted in its stead. Governments should ensure that any feed provided to livestock farmers, whether from local or international sources, is of a high quality, with frugal additives. The feed should contain a mixture of plant extracts, such as medicinal herbs and spices which are known to be conducive to meat and milk production at an optimal level, while reducing methane production and mitigating the effects of climate change. But is awareness sufficient to combat climate change?
In Caribbean homes, refrigerators release chlorofluorocarbons, and air-conditioning systems release partially-halogenated and perfluorinated hydrocarbons. These all increase the warmth of the Earth. Government legislatures should ban refrigerants that contain hydrofluorocarbons, as this carbon compound heats the earth 9,000 times more than carbon dioxide.
Now that we have explored all of the major origins of climate change, why should you be concerned about it?
Caribbean countries’ dependency on the environment to stabilise and promote the rapid growth of their economies is ever increasing, as countries’ natural resources are usually the raw materials for many industries. But, eco-tourism can also be an outlet for a multitude of countries to earn revenue. In 2019, at the world’s largest tourism trade fair, Internationale Tourismus-Börse in Berlin, Germany, Guyana was acknowledged as the best eco-tourism destination. Wilson (2014) found that the travel and tourism industry made a total contribution of 9.2 percent to Guyana’s GDP, and it contributed a total of 7.6 percent to Trinidad and Tobago’s GDP in 2012.
Thus, it is abundantly clear that climate change has been negatively affecting our environment. Many Caribbean countries and the Netherland Antilles are susceptible to hurricanes. The tropical waves and depressions, that begin in the Eastern Atlantic and follow the trade winds, are developing faster wind speeds and are measurably stronger. Caribbean hurricanes are more intense and often catastrophic. Stronger hurricanes threaten human life, food security, potable water, biodiversity and important architectural structures. In addition, extreme temperatures ensure the melting of polar ice caps and other glaciers, and countries like Guyana that are below sea level will be devastated by flooding. As weather patterns become more variable, certain areas will have more rainfall, while others will experience longer droughts and pernicious heat waves. This will drastically affect crop and animal production, and Caribbean countries that rely on agriculture will suffer considerably.
Warmer temperatures promote the proliferation of vectors, such as mosquitoes, that can lead to an epidemic. These include diseases such as Zika, dengue fever, filaria and malaria. Since climate change, then, affects every Caribbean nation, any mitigation effort must be a collaborative one, with a hands-on approach. It is predicted that the earth will continue to heat up irrespective of the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The fact is that climate change cannot be eradicated, merely alleviated. So, what methods can be employed to alleviate climate change?
We have analysed the origin and effects of climate change in order to educate others. Nelson Mandela stated, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” That being said, we should expect Caribbean governments to implement strategies that raise awareness of the existence and catastrophic effects of climate change. Governments can do so by creating elaborate and informative advertisements over telecommunications networks that would be able to reach the wider population. In addition, public addresses, seminars and workshops should be held in schools and in other fora, sponsored by governmental and non-governmental organisations in every Caribbean nation, to ensure that everyone is cognizant of climate change. These informative sessions would teach citizens simple strategies they can use to combat it, and how they can reduce individual carbon dioxide emissions by using energy efficient bulbs, unplugging appliances, washing clothes with cold or warm water, and eating a balanced diet rich in plant materials. In other words, encouraging citizens to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Also, governments should promote personal sustainable modes of transportation by urging citizens to cycle, and by providing the necessary infrastructure to accommodate cyclists. They should establish efficient public transportation services, employing electric vehicles, to discourage citizens from driving as a multitude of vehicles will promote greater greenhouse emissions. In addition to carpooling and other sustainable and economical modes of transportation, biofuels can also be used in vehicles. Many Caribbean people enjoy the luxury of their own vehicles, therefore it is not realistic to confine citizens to public transport alone. Thus, policies need to be developed and enforced that ensure vehicles are in proper working condition, because faulty vehicles usually increase the probability of incomplete combustion, and this leads to more soot and pollutant emissions. Also, traffic laws should be reinforced with penalties such as expensive fines and community work because, for every kilometre driven at a certain speed, carbon dioxide emissions increase considerably. Each litre of fuel a car uses equals 2.5 kilo of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere (“Fuel Consumption and Carbon Dioxide,” 2014). Policies should specify that every vehicle must have a hydrogen fuel enhancement, which adds hydrogen to the air-fuel mix to promote complete combustion. This reduces pollutant emissions. I urge governments to implement policies that will ensure every vehicle has a “WeNow” device that monitors carbon dioxide emissions. This informs drivers of strategies to lower carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption.
Biodiversity and climate change are closely affiliated. Statistics have shown that terrestrial and marine ecosystems absorb roughly half of the carbon dioxide emissions that humanity generates. In addition, trees divest the air of dangerous pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone, and they are actively involved in carbon sequestration as carbon is stored in the bark, thus reducing global warming. Nature is more than competent to alleviate the adverse effects of climate change, but nature is under threat by humans.
With respect to the fishing industry, ecosystems are put at risk by overfishing and improper waste management. Therefore, Caribbean governments need to establish ‘No Fishing’ and ‘No Dumping’ areas, and strict penalties, such as jail time and large fines, to discourage citizens from participating in such harmful activities. Reserved aquatic areas must be established to protect our coastal ecosystems, like mangroves, coral reefs and beaches, as these ecosystems utilise carbon dioxide in their biological systems. They provide natural shoreline protection from storms and flooding, and even create nurseries for fish. Our oceans and marine life are vital to the fight against climate change, since an ocean stores large quantities of carbon. We can aid in the fight by applying minerals, like iron, to our oceans to enable plankton to absorb more carbon and we can promote other geoengineering practices.
Biodiversity is critical, because variation in genes and species allows organisms to better adapt to unpredictable and unfavourable conditions. Thus, we shouldn’t interfere with the environment’s mechanism to combat climate change.
And there is even more that governments can do. Have you ever wondered where electricity comes from? Einstein proposed that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another. Fossil fuels are ubiquitous in the generation of electricity. They are burned to generate steam that drives large turbines that produce electricity. However, this contributes greatly to climate change as large quantities of greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere. Are there alternatives to fossil fuels? Yes! Governments need to utilise renewable sources of energy generation such as wind, water and solar. Budgetary allocations should be made for the establishment of large turbines that will generate electricity, depending on wind speed. Also, they should invest in hydro-power plants that store water in vast reservoirs with turbines that turn, generating electricity by the conduit of water. Governments can also utilise hyper-efficient photovoltaic cells that convert light energy to electricity.
With respect to solar energy, what if your country cannot accommodate solar panels on land? Then improvise and use floating solar panels. Yes, floating solar panels! Governments can purchase the innovative and durable sea surface solar panels that provide solar energy through underwater cables. Each unit is 196m², with a capacity of 24kWp and a lifespan of thirty years.
Renewable sources of energy, however, have proven to be inconsistent, therefore, they must be complemented by other sources. Nuclear power can be an alternative to fossil fuels, as it is more environmentally-friendly with the correct waste disposal mechanisms. Nuclear fission entails the splitting of atoms in a nuclear reactor which generates immense quantities of energy. Nuclear waste is usually disposed of in mine repositories, deep boreholes, underwater canisters, storage ponds and vaults, just to name a few. These are all efficient waste disposal techniques.
Governments should also seek to promote sustainable development in industries, specifically through the use of biofuels and renewable gases. Many Caribbean industries involved in wood production and sugarcane processing find it difficult to get rid of waste, but this can be processed through cascaded chemical reactions and machinery to fuel other processes. Caribbean countries are able to ferment sugarcane and other plant materials to extract ethanol in alcohol production, and this ethanol can be mixed with other fuels such as gasoline, to lower its carbon emission content.
Let’s be practical, though, many Caribbean countries are still developing, so may lack both the wherewithal and equipment to efficiently produce biogas and biofuels. Therefore, Caribbean governments should seek to establish multilateral agreements with developed countries to supply raw materials to fuel this process, on the condition of receiving biofuels as compensation. This mutual relationship would increase the use of biofuels, while lowering the dependency on fossil fuels.
Furthermore, Governments can reform tax and budget systems to reduce fossil fuel subsidies, increase fossil fuel and carbon taxes in order to discourage industries from utilising fossil fuels. But is this all that can be done to combat climate change?
Statistically, buildings are a large portion of greenhouse gas emitters. Therefore, environmentally-friendly techniques must be employed to lower this aspect of greenhouse emissions. As mentioned before refrigerants, for example air-conditioning units containing hydrofluorocarbons, should be banned, and energy-efficient cooling systems installed. These cooling systems involve embedding pipes into building structures and passing treated waste water through them. The water traps the heat, as water has a high specific heat capacity, and lowers it in the thermal mass of the building spaces. This provides a cool atmosphere and reduces the use of air conditioning units. Hybrid Positive-Economy Building concepts can also be employed to optimise the use of buildings, promote self-generation of resources, and enhance the well-being of users via sensors and data analysis (“Solutions to Protect the Environment,” 2019).
Yet even more can be done to combat climate change, proper waste management being one of them. Governments must establish or reinforce policies to prevent citizens from burning garbage, which releases greenhouse gases, dioxins, carcinogens and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Citizens must be prevented from dumping garbage into landfills as, over time, methane and carbon dioxide are released. Only landfills with gas collecting systems should be used. Citizens must be encouraged to compost domestic waste in order to fertilise their gardens. And governments must ensure that garbage collection is both efficient and frequent. Waste taken to a waste unit must be sorted, recycled, reused or disposed of effectively.
Lastly, governments should establish laws to permit the use of imported goods that are of an environmentally-friendly origin. If governments, as well as citizens, implement these radical proposals, then there is no doubt that Caribbean countries will gain ground in the fight against climate change. The environment will be conducive to the progression of our youth, our future - essential to the development of any nation.
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