When talking about small island nations like The Bahamas, I always quote the words of Dr. Adell Thomas: “Half a degree of global warming matters. Each year matters. Each choice matters.” The UNESCO Caribbean Youth Network on Climate Change, of which I am part, has a sentiment, “do or we die.” We decided to “do,” and we need everyone to work with us.
We must be honest that we lack humanity and come from a position of privilege when we ask people to prioritize a seemingly intangible future, when most Bahamians are operating in “crisis mode” and have never put their faces underwater. To paraphrase a respected fisher friend, “When all you see is darkness, you can’t imagine a light.”
We must ask ourselves, “How do we have these conversations within our science and conservation community in the Bahamas, which is very foreign, to make sure that there is this attentiveness to equity and that we can lovingly resolve disparity? How do we tangibly establish resilience in communities in ways where the communities are the ones leading these conservation programs?”
When our entire community becomes scientists and participates in exploration, data collection, analysis, and the communication of science, this allows all of us to invest in our collective future.
Lovingly, we must become aware of when we’re in a position of dominance and use the privilege that we have to create opportunities, to help, uplift, and support each other. That requires each of us to develop the skills to listen, take a beat, and move away from our head and into our heart. This is why I spread ocean love, care, and compassion.