Young Caymanians representing Cayman at COP27
(CNS): No government officials from the Cayman Islands will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt this week. Instead, three Caymanian university students, accompanied by National Trust Education Programmes Manager Cathy Childs, will be representing Cayman at this critical conference.
Premier Wayne Panton, the minister for climate resiliency, said he was unable to go because he had been scheduled to attend the UKOT Joint Ministerial Council in London this week. Although this was cancelled at the last minute, he did not have time to rearrange a trip to attend COP27, which started on 6 November and will continue through 18 November in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
The three Caymanian students who travelled to the UN conference are Aleigha General, who is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Sociology at the University of West London; Reon Porter, who is pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science with Flight with a minor in Sustainably and Communications at the Florida Institution of Technology in Melbourne, Florida; and Bella Rooney, a BSc Hons Zoology graduate from the University of Exeter who hosts her own podcast, “Protecting Paradise”, focused on environmental issues here in the Cayman Islands.
At a virtual meeting hosted by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, the premier spoke with them at the weekend before they left for Egypt.
“I am confident that these bright, young Caymanians will do a phenomenal job of representing the people of our Islands, but in particular the youth of our country as ambassadors for the Cayman Islands on the global stage,” he said in a social media post. “Our youth are standing up for their futures, for the world they want to be a part of, and for the legacy they want older generations to leave for them. The cost of doing nothing is their future.”
The delegates also had a virtual meeting with Governor Martyn Roper, who said afterwards that they had spoken “about this being a crucial decade for action on climate change. We discussed the move towards renewable energy and the opportunity for Cayman to become a role model in the region.”
Roper added, “I emphasised that there is an openness and willingness from the premier and the Cayman Islands Government to speak to young people about the important issue of climate change and for civil society and governments to work together to improve things for future generations.”
In his opening address on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a dire warning to delegates that the Paris goals were “on life support” and humanity was getting dangerously close to the point of no return. “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator. Our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible,” he said.
The conference comes at a time when the world is severely affected by a geopolitically hostile climate generated by the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. According to Reuters, more than a dozen US and European finance leaders have said they are pessimistic the climate conference in Sharm El Sheikh can make clear progress.
The delegations from India, Russia and China, three of the world’s most polluting countries, are small and include no heads of state, and US President Joe Biden will arrive late due to the mid-term elections, missing the heads of government meetings. The UK’s ministerial delegation includes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the new Minister for the Overseas Territories, Zac Goldsmith.
Read the bios for Aleigha General, Reon Porter and Bella Rooney.
Follow them at COP27 on the National Trust social media pages.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Climate Change, Politics, Science & Nature, World News
I am sure the three, Aleigha, Reno and Bella will do our proud. The difference between them and the Premier is that their hearts are in it. The Premier, well, he would have gone and drag through it somehow with no enthusiasm or passion.
By the way, be aware that EV and salt water is a dangerous mix.
https://www.winknews.com/2022/11/02/ian-exposed-potential-fire-risk-posed-by-electric-vehicles/
https://www.winknews.com/2022/10/08/cape-coral-firefighters-urge-ev-owners-to-beware-fires-after-submersion/
I think you’ll find that driving in the ocean is not a great idea in any vehicle.
Smarty pants.
SWFL is still recovering from hurricane Ian. People were still living in shelters as of the last week. Thousands piles of debris are waiting to be picked up. Hundreds of cars got submerged into sea water. Not all businesses had recovered. Some were completely destroyed including a pet hospital, doctor’s offices etc. Beach sand is still being sifted from thousands tons of crap. Some places still have no electricity and or internet. Some have a curfew.
Cayman is flat, so the next big one might bring a powerful storm surge that would certainly submerge cars, electrical or not.
One living on a small flat island must be aware that his EV could become a fire hazard if it gets submerged into salty water
Its the top of mountain, storm surge needs long inclines to be devastating.
why were all cars destroyed by Ivan?
Ian was few miles short of category 5. And it was beating SWFL for 9 hours. Caymanians should count their blessings.
Ian caused more deaths in Florida — at least 114 — than any hurricane in almost 90 years.
True of all cars. Plenty of gasoline combustion engined cars burned out from electrical fires after Ivan. Ask me how I know. This is why you don’t buy back your insurance claimed wreck and pretend it is roadworthy.
Never ever in the history of humanity people were so stupid.
By the way transitions from fossil fuel takes decades, not months, but transition to what? Solar and wind is a joke.
pretty sure you’re not an expert or you’d know it isn’t a joke.
Prehistoric humans were far smarter than us. Today Without internet and electricity we are dead in a month. Skilled people might have a chance.
Well stated and correct!
nice one wayne and no-plna-pact….send kids/students to the most important environmental summit of all time….zzzzzzz
none of your ‘world-class’ civil servants available????
It’s a big jolly. Almost everyone flying in. COP27 restaurants are serving meat, fish and dairy menus, sourced from another continent. It’s been likened to giving out cigarettes at a lung cancer symposium.
The biggest irony is that G20 leaders are flying in for IEC petro-negotiatons and supply meetings happening concurrently on these sidelines. Most aren’t there to attend any of this. Fingers in their ears.
Good exposure for those kids.
exposure to what tho?
It’s fantastic to see three young people attend this important event.
Sadly though the new headline tonight is that the Cayman Islands is no longer going to be recycling any glass. The recycling of glass reduces CO2 emissions and is an important element of the fight against climate change.
The powerful Premier of the Cayman Islands can’t rearrange a business trip ?
If he goes away he might not be Premier on his return.
Is Wayne Panton the Premier? I thought Andre Ebanks was Premier and Chris Saunders was Deputy Premier.
This is getting confusing. I even thought Kenneth Bryan was Deputy Premier at one point.
Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians. Or, in this scenario, too many Indians and not enough Chiefs.
Laughable stuff. Our recycling capability has been reduced by approx 1/3 https://caymannewsservice.com/2022/11/dart-stops-glass-recycling-citing-safety-concerns/
and we still spout nonsense about ‘the children are our future’….garbage.
The planet had a decade, a decade ago. That time is now up.
No Prenier Panton ? Has he already run out of energy ? I guess saving moon worshippers from DUI charges is hard work
At this point, there should really be a requirement that G20 national-level delegates pass a basic reading comprehension exam on the UN IPCC’s Feb 2022 AR6 in order to qualify for a lanyard. Even John Kerry is still talking about buying and selling offset credits in avoidance of materiality, like this is a replay of Kyoto in the 90s. We are so far past that now. #eatingourwaytoextinction