Following the aftermath of Hurricane Maria over a year ago, concerns have grown over the potentially impact that climate change may have on Caribbean nations.
The Caribbean is abundant in natural havens that many seek out for relaxation and refreshment. Many islands in the Caribbean are frequented with little thought of the locals that live there.
As far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro recently won the Brazilian Presidential elections, environmentalists around the world’s worst fears came to reality.
Since the introduction of coffee as a staple in morning routines worldwide, it has become one of the most traded commodities on the planet; in fact, it was second only to oil this year (teleSUR 2018). The sudden demand for coffee helped to launch Latin America into the industrial age, with countries like Brazil and Costa Rica (which now leads world coffee production at around 45 million 60 kilogram bags per year) setting prices and international standards for the industry.
Climate change has a serious impact on the world’s fresh water supplies, especially in many developing countries that are already struggling with scarce water resources and increasing water conflicts and where water security and water equity are burning issues on the agenda of national governments and local authorities. As discussed recently in the Latin American Research Review , the problem is particularly urgent in mountain regions where fresh water supply mainly comes from glacial melt water.
If you have heard anything about the Paris climate conference—formally known as the 21st Conference of Parties, or COP21—then you know that lots of people seem very excited about the recently adopted 2 degrees Celsius agreement. “I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world,” said U.S. President Barack Obama. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared, “What was once unthinkable has now become unstoppable.”1,2 But what does this number mean?
