Belize feels heat but contributes little to greenhouse emissions
A majority of the world’s scientists tell us that at this point in our planet’s history the world is growing warmer. The cause, they say, is human activity … and unless we change our ways the consequences of our actions will lead to some far reaching negative repercussions. Today Belizean climatologists took stock of how we may be contributing to the problem.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
The greenhouse effect is the term given to the condition that results when increased levels of gases like carbon dioxide and methane are released into the atmosphere
Carlos Fuller, Chief Meteorologist
“Man is now adding more and more of these green house gases into the atmosphere because of electricity production, the cars we are driving, the landfills that we are doing, all these things emit green house gases. So our blanket is getting thicker and that is why the atmosphere is warming up and why we are seeing global warming.”
But before you decide to trade your S.U.V. for a bicycle, the good news is that Belize has not really been contributing to the climate change. Since the year 2000, the country’s experts have been making estimates of just how much green house gases are being emitted from Belize.
Carlos Fuller
“We can’t do that by sampling the atmosphere because the winds move around the gases, so we can’t measure it directly so what we would do is find out how many cars are there in Belize and then how much emissions are coming from the cars, how much is coming from electricity, how much is coming from lime production. So we do an inventory to see how much we are emitting at the source.”
While preliminary findings from the two inventories conducted are encouraging, Fuller says that does not mean we should become complacent. We still need to find ways to improve in areas that have been affecting the earth’s atmosphere.
Carlos Fuller
“Well first of all, Belize as a non-industrialised country is a very low emitter of green house gases. In fact, most of our emissions come from the land that is as we are developing our land, changing our forest into agriculture production, or creating new developments; that is where our emissions are coming from. However we are also absorbing because we are also replanting a lot, so we are not really contributing very much to global warming. In fact we have been absorbing many of the green house gases that other countries are emitting.”
The reports were presented during a poorly attended workshop that targeted the private sector.
Carlos Fuller
“Our consultants have come up with some data. They now need to ask the public is this data correct. For example, we did an inventory of just how much cattle we have, how much goat, sheep and so on and that data is hard to find so we need to hear from the public is this data that we have been collecting correct or is there a better data source somewhere else.”
“I am rather disappointed by the turnout. However our target audience had a lot to do with the private sector and I know they may not have gotten their invitation in time or they may be tied up in other activities. So we need o find out why they could not make it and maybe make changes to ensure that the next time we come around asking for their input we get that input.”
“It will take us about two years to complete all of the studies. Not only the inventory but other parts of the study will indicate how vulnerable is Belize to climate change, what does Belize need to do about climate change, what resources do we need to make those things happen.”
As Belize enters the hottest part of the year, we should have plenty to think about.
