seven identified cases. Temperature rise will likely bring more Aedes
aegyptimosquitoes as carriers.
A new study published in the journal Sciencein July 2003, based on
data that British scientists compiled from 263 separate coral reef sites
in the Caribbean, painted a grim picture of their health: Over the past
three decades, the amount of coral cover has dropped 80 percent. As
long ago as 1990, Jamaican authorities estimated it would take $462
million (in U.S. dollars) to protect coastal tourism on its island alone.
According to Clifford Mahlung of Jamaica’s National Meteorological
Service, “Climate change is likely to bring declining soil fertility,
droughts, flooding and deforestation, and the displacement of many
who depend on coastal resources.” Mahlung cited amplified problems
with the disposal of sewage and solid waste. At the country’s famous
white-sand beach of Negril, 33 feet washed away between 1995 and
- There was a 60 percent reduction of rainfall in one Jamaican
parish, and some hillside temperatures are up an alarming 7.2° F.
With climate change as its primary focus, the Caribbean islands
have come together with their counterparts from all oceanic regions of
the world to form an Alliance of Small Island States, established in
1989 and now having forty-three members and observers who meet
regularly at the United Nations. The 2003 World Water Forum held in
Kyoto, Japan, resulted in formation of a Joint Caribbean-Pacific
Program for Action on Water and Climate. Particularly noted was the
high water demand needed to sustain tourism (in Jamaica, e.g., the
tourist sector demands 10 times more water per capita than the domes-
tic sector).
Still, as Challenger said during our interview: “We will do what we
can, in terms of improved efficiencies, but globally it’s a drop in the
bucket. When you look at the amount of greenhouse gases that we
emit, it is less than a small town in the U.S. Even less than probably
one factoryin the U.S. And if Antigua and Barbuda should set a stan-
dard of 50 miles per gallon for our vehicles, it means nothing. We are
dependent on Western standards, because that’s the reality of the
world. So if the U.S. continues to finesse us up, whatever we do in the
long term is spinning a top in the mud. We’ll be trying to do things that
are futile.”
76 Dick Russell