Wild Tobago

  Dr Anjani Ganase has referred to the green economy and the blue economy as appropriate for small islands. Here, she explains the concepts of Green and Blue The Green economy is an economy that is aligned with the health of the environment. It is based on the deep understanding that human beings are fundamentally reliant on the environment for lives and livelihoods. The air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, our healthcare, are dependent on our natural ecosystems. Unfortunately, at the moment we do not budget environmental degradation – carbon emissions, land clearing, chemical discharge - into human activities. To our detriment, we bear the brunt of the impacts; annually over three million people worldwide die from air pollution (WHO); and we are using way too much resources without replenishment. To shift to a green economy, we need to first reduce excessive or inefficient consumption of natural resources by instilling more sustainable p...

Dr Anjani Ganase, marine scientist, talks about new developments for Tobago in the face of climate change and Covid-19. Living with Covid-19, what do you think is the main challenge(s) for business in Tobago? Businesses in Tobago will be hard pressed to recover financial losses in the short term, while trying to secure livelihoods in the long-term against future threats – diseases but also threats related to climate change. While Tobago is the beneficiary of an oil and gas economy, its other natural resource – rich biodiversity and island beauty - has driven a fairly passive tourism industry. Unfortunately, both industries are high risk ventures as the world moves away from fossil fuels., Small islands are also at risk they continue to be ravaged by extreme storm events, flooding and severe water shortages.   It’s time we started protecting our natural environment for our own benefit. If and when, there are visitors again, they can enjoy wi...

Pat Ganase draws on the recommendations of the current IPCC report on climate change, and imagines a more hopeful future for Tobago and Trinidad. 2019: will it be a year for more of the same; or a year marked by the radical change that is required at environmental, societal and economic levels. How do we move forward? These are the circumstances that now determine our immediate future: climate change (the world), economic growth (the nation) and personal fulfilment.  Let us consider the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The October 2018 release is an impassioned plea (from thousands of scientists) to persuade world leaders and the most impactful nations that we need to keep global warming within 1.5C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900). A slip to 2.0C would have disastrous consequences for millions around the world: greater sea level rise; loss of habitats; migration of species; limited food and water in certain regions; spre...

The Blue Economy defines the values and benefits to be derived sustainably from the ocean. In this introduction, Dr Anjani Ganase presents the outline for countries’ relationship with the ocean. In future features, she will expand what the blue economy should mean for Tobago and Trinidad. Humans have utilised aquatic and marine resources over centuries for food, water supply, extraction of materials and avenues of transport for trade and exploration. We have benefitted from the ocean as it moderates temperature and atmosphere and climate – it stores 90 % of our heat and 30 % of our carbon emissions. If we were to quantify the assets that we receive from the ocean (fisheries, coastal protection, tourism, carbon sequestration, transport etc.), the ocean would have Gross Marine Product (GMP) that would equate to some ~ 24 trillion USD (equivalent to the 7th highest economy in the world). Note that this value does not include the value of offshore oil and gas, nor does it include a va...