On the brink!

Barbadian UNICEF Youth Advocate Ashley Lashley is encouraging young Barbadians to take the lead and push state authorities to do more in the fight to protect the environment and the climate at large.

Her comments came during Thursday’s student consultation on environmental issues, at the conclusion of this year’s Barbados Youth Climate Action Summit & Expo (BYCASE) held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

The discussion, which was organised by Lashley’s charity, the Ashley Lashley Foundation, was attended by several students representing various secondary schools. It was aimed at spreading awareness and bringing a greater level of sensitisation among the island’s school population.

In her brief, but candid remarks, Lashley told attendees the climate crisis was at a dire stage.

“Students, today we are living on the precipice of one of the greatest unfolding disasters ever witnessed in the history of planet earth, and if left unchecked it could result ultimately with the extinction of each and every single one of us.”

Lashley stressed the importance for the youth on the island to be vocal in their support for climate-friendly initiatives, geared not only at protecting the planet, but safeguarding the lives of future generations.

“It is up to us as young people to hold our governments accountable for their lack of action and commitment, but also to take our individual steps for our own futures. They say that we as children and young people will be left to face and manage the brunt of the climate crisis, yet their decisions and inactions are leading us to a point of no return.”

“For many children in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean our rights are being compromised as a result of environmental, health, and other socio-economic factors, and the climate crisis as we know it is a child rights crisis.”

Referring to a 2021 UNICEF study which found that around 1 billion children around the globe were experiencing a lack of access to clean water, education and healthcare because of the effects of climate change, Lashley said now is the time to move from just the discussions around climate change, to action.

Local climate activist, Maria Marshall, also told participants that though authorities have long touted the need to take climate change and the protection of the island seriously, their actions have at times told a different story.

“The new stadium that is to be constructed… great idea, but are we going to reuse some of the old material, take up more land, start fresh somewhere else? Will this stadium be outfitted to generate its own energy, will it be multipurpose?

“We had a storm a year ago and our light and power (company) said they would countersink the electric wires to minimise damage, and enable quicker return of service after such natural disasters, but this never happened. Now they want to charge people for the storage of energy… does this mean that getting an alternate source of energy is going to still be expensive,” she asked.

(shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb)