Ministry attempts to raise climate awareness

| 03/09/2024 | 34 Comments
sustainable development in the Cayman Islands, Cayman News Service
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(CNS): The Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency has launched a Climate and Energy Challenge to raise awareness about climate change in the Cayman Islands. As the UPM’s commitment to prepare the country for climate change and create a more sustainable future appears to be waning, the ministry is hoping to engage the public and inspire residents to take action in their daily lives.

From now until 13 October, people can download a Climate and Energy Challenge calendar with links to videos, activities and instructions, culminating in a quiz where people can opt into a random prize giveaway.

Since Wayne Panton was ousted from the office of premier in a coup last year, the reshuffled government appears to have done nothing to address the pressing problem of climate change. It is even working on amendments to undermine the National Conservation Act and weaken the already very limited powers of the National Conservation Council to do its job.

The long-awaited, ambitious and comprehensive climate change policy document, which was destined to go to Cabinet before the coup, is now gathering dust. The current minister, Kathy Ebanks-Wilks, recently said the document, which was written by scientists, had been “edited” by MPs.

The minister told parliament in July that it had been re-submitted to caucus but could not say when the document would be adopted.

Speaking about this campaign to raise awareness about the pressing issue of climate change, Ebanks-Wilks said that a similar version of this challenge had been hosted for civil servants earlier this year. Now it is being rolled out for all residents of the Cayman Islands.

“Climate change has the potential to impact all aspects of life for Cayman Islands residents and we want to ensure our community is empowered with the knowledge of what those impacts may be,” she said. “I hope this Challenge will encourage the public to participate and to consider opportunities for building up their own resiliency to climate impacts while offering a chance to win some great prizes.”


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Category: Climate Change, Policy, Politics, Science & Nature

Comments (34)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    This is laughable. They rubbing stamping every development and paving through the mangroves and they are talking about climate awareness??? They really take us for fools. Everyone of them needs to be voted out!

  2. Anonymous says:

    YES he has the Hatteras…and it a beautiful boat…i love to fish on it with him…so whats your problem…

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Another waste of public funds. Pretty sure everyone is aware that we have a climate.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Please tell me one polluting product that was not approved by our government? I’ll wait.
    Somehow, it’s our fault.
    Dart, what do you say?

  5. Anonymous says:

    Let’s see this start with the politicians! Take away their big cars, give them a Honda Fit and no driver. Limit their gas cards to $50 per week. One trip off island pr Yr. Cut their allowance (why do they need this) and salary (prorated pr meeting attendance). This is our money they are throwing away every day, let’s begin seeing some value for money.

  6. Anonymous says:

    but wait…didnt central planning just gavevpermission to dig up sea bed for fil?

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Former minister for sustainability still got that Hatteras

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  8. anonymous says:

    Is this a joke? This is the best they can do months before an election? Must have been Kenneth who dreamed this up. I recall he running around to all the business leaders begging prizes for his last contest where offered the same BS for people to go and get an unnecessary COVID booster. The clown car rides again.
    VOTE EM OUT before they F’up anything more in this country.
    One gift for you – one gift for me ,,,,,,
    Makes me sick.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I am wondering which MLA can intelligently add or takeaway anything from the document written by scientists without appearing as mere jackasses. When you think they cannot get any more silly they show you that yes they can. one foot forward and two backwards!

  9. Anonymous says:

    Blah, blah, blah! This is a pile of BS. Once I see our politicians take this crucial matter seriously, then, and only then, will I believe this is more than a political tactic as new elections linger in the near future.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    This from government hell bent only on gaining votes while paving over paradise. Lipstick on a pig.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Didn’t they just cancel the regen project which would have actually helped our environment?

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Oh yes, they are succeeding in razing climate awareness into the ground.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    What do you all want us to do about ‘climate change’? Create a fund to contribute to the Paris Protocol carbon tax? Engage in the Cap and Trade?

    Let us PLEASE concern ourselves with conservation. Let us clean up our waste, mitigate the [expletive] DUMP, stop polluting the waters and land and groundwater.

    Later on, 15 years from now when technology has improved, we can adopt EVs and when solar/wind/wave power technology improves to a point where it is viable, we can shift away from fossil fuels. To try to do so now would be to kill our already endangered economy. It is the same in the U.S. You cannot legislate innovation. When it happens, and it is a good deal for everyone, you won’t have to trick people into it, they will FLOCK to it.

    I would love to drive an EV. Our infrastructure doesn’t support the charging, nor the repair of it. It’s just the way it is. We need to clean up those things which are obvious.

    While we are fretting about single use plastics, we can re-use those bags and bread bags and everything else that is foisted upon us. Beneficial change happens by degrees, and we can wish for great changes, or we can make a small, individual difference right here, right now, every day. Get your reusable shopping bags. Reuse the plastic bags which you food comes in. Make a difference.

    • Anonymous says:

      Times have already changed. I drive an EV bought on island that has a warranty, charges from a regular outlet, and has people on island trained to fix this car. Just need to shop around, it’s here.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Good for you. Most people cannot afford the EV you bought, nor can they afford the power that charges it. I have looked into dozens of EVs.

        I hope if something goes wrong with yours or the battery wears out, you can find someone who will repair it. Warranty doesn’t mean diddly if it is from Finland.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Finland? You are just a troll.

        • Anonymous says:

          No one said it was cheap or that everyone can afford one, they are expensive, as are solar panels and many other environmentally responsible choices. I wish things were cheaper and that there weren’t barriers like CUC to powering your own house for instance. But saying “Our infrastructure doesn’t support the charging, nor the repair of it.” is not true any longer.

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      • Anonymous says:

        How will you dispose of the battery that you are charging with current generated by the burning of fossil fuel?

        • Anonymous says:

          If you think the emissions to charge a car with power generated by an industrial size diesel generator are the same as those of a tank of gas in an internal combustion engine in a vehicle, then I have a bridge to sell you.

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        • Anonymous says:

          I’ll throw it in the dykes with the rest of them. Helps prevent mosquito breeding too, bonus.

  14. Anonymous says:

    That room must be full with papers by now. It’s really sad that all of that work was for nothing.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Bwahahaha you can’t make this stuff up!

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  16. Anonymous says:

    In the meantime we will continue to provide big Chevy Tahoes for our MP’s to drive themselves around in, in order to serve their bar attendance needs.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    When most (if not all) Ministers are CUC shareholders or relatives to those who run CUC, the country’s monopoly electricity / power provider, please, for the love of god, stop talking SH*T! about any “commitment to prepare the country for climate change and create a more sustainable future”.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Prizes, really? Are we little kids?

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  19. Anonymous says:

    An app? a random prize giveaway? are you kidding me? This is the government’s attempts to prepare this very low lying country for the inevitable crisis that climate change poses to this nation? What a joke! The problem is the unabated burning of fossil fuels globally for energy and transportation. Copious beef farming and consumption also makes a note worthy appearance in the naughty list. Sure I live my life as sustainably as I reasonably can, but make no mistake, these are expensive habits to create in ones life. Individuals making personal sacrifices in their daily comforts and impulses is a part of it, but without a doubt the lion share (understatement) of the impact on global climate change must come from policy initiatives enacted by governments across the globe and here in Cayman. We can start by breaking up the CUC stranglehold on this country, but we all know that was the part the MPs changed in the policy document written by scientists. I assure you nothing changed in that policy was for the wider community benefit. Vote them all out!

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  20. Anonymous says:

    cayman climate action….downloadable calender and quizzes…..zzzzz
    welcome to wonderland.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    It is almost impossible to do sustainability in a political and economic climate that emphasises overdevelopment above all else.

    Cayman is run like an extraction economy. But without any commodities to extract.

    Sad to see the political and economic mismanagement of a territory that should have been a shining jewel.

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