Regional scientists/policy makers meet to discuss climate change

Over the next three days, scientists, policy makers and communication experts from across Central America will be meeting in Belize City to discuss Climate Change within the region. According to the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Change Program Coordinator, Nadia Bood, the idea behind the event is to stress that climate change is a real threat and that realization should dictate the way we live.

Nadia Bood, Climate Change Program Coordinator, WWF-C.A.
“Although, some people still perceive climate change as a problem for yonder, for the first world countries, we as a third world country, we are at a disadvantage because we might not have the infrastructure in place, we might not have the resources and the financial resources to be able to increase our ability to cope. So we need to start thinking about that and how best to improve this. So we might not be able to much in terms of reducing our greenhouse gas emission because we are thought of as being more of a sink rather than an emitter but then there are still local based things that we can do at home. We should try our best to try and investigate those local based things and try to apply them as much as possible. And that’s the purpose. Simple things like at the household level you can try to reduce your energy usage. Use florescent bulbs as opposed to incandescent bulbs, try to walk more and drive less. Try to cut off your appliances in your home if you are not using them and surprisingly, you will see differences in your electrical bill as well.”

Bood emphasises that a direct impact of climate change to Belize is the fact that sea surface temperatures have been linked to stronger hurricanes, as demonstrated in the 2005 season. The climate change sessions are open to the public free of charge and start at nine in the morning at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. The workshop ends on Friday.