Solar Head of State Jamaica Community Solar Challenge
Solar Head of State has just launched the first Jamaica Community Solar Challenge. It’s a national competition for young people from across the country to learn more about the benefits of renewable energy. Young Jamaicans between the ages of 12 and 26 are challenged to design a creative project (a …
Jamaica produces a guide to energy efficiency and conservation standards
The Jamaica government has produced an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Standards Guide, as part of its effort to reduce that country’s energy consumption, starting with the public sector: Developed by the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) through its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programme (EECP), the Guide contains standards to which …
Striking images illustrate Caribbean impacts of sea level rise
Via Climate Central, a series of science-based illustrations that demonstrate the impact that rising sea levels, resulting from climate change, could have on Caribbean cities: According to Climate Central: The first image in each pair … shows projections of post-2100 sea level rise that could be locked in following 4°C …
Jamaica agencies co-operate to raise awareness about the dangers of open burning
In Jamaica, a multi-agency effort is underway to raise awareness about the hazards associated with the open burning of waste and debris, and to eliminate the practice of open burning: The activities are being spearheaded by NEPA’s GEF/IDB Integrated Management of the Yallahs and Hope River Watershed Management Areas Project …
European Union support for energy efficiency in Jamaica
The European Union is providing Jamaica with US$10 million in grant funding to support increased energy efficiency, particularly in the public sector: The Government has received additional funding support for its Energy Management and Efficiency Programme (EMEP) through a €9.17-million (US$10-million) grant from the European Union (EU). This is being …
Reducing plastic bag use in Jamaica: ban or fee?
The Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) has recently completed an assessment of two policy options—imposing a ban vs. applying a tax/fee—for reducing the use (and subsequent disposal) of plastic bags in Jamaica (where plastic carrier bags are also known as “scandal bags”). Their key findings and recommendations: Both methods examined have disrupted …
Volunteers remove more than 70 tons of garbage from Jamaica’s coastline
On International Coastal Cleanup Day 2017, nearly 10,000 volunteers helped to collect over 72 metric tons of garbage from Jamaica’s beaches and coasts. The Jamaica Observer reports: A record 160,628 pounds of garbage, including nearly 300,000 plastic beverage bottles, was collected from beaches across the island on International Coastal Cleanup …