The Healthy and Environment-friendly Youth (HEY) Campaign has launched a series of joint interviews with young people from across the world on climate change and health. This is an interview with two Psychology students Jaimmie-lee and Sojourner from Barbados.
Jaimmie-lee is a 23-year-old HEY Campaign Ambassador pursuing a degree in psychology at the University of the West Indies, Barbados.
Sojourner is an 18-year-old student of psychology at the University of the West Indies, Barbados.
YOU IN ONE WORD?
Jaimmie-lee: Thoughtful and Responsible
Sojourner: Enthusiastic
DESCRIBE NATURE IN YOUR COUNTRY: THE PLACES AND SPECIES YOU CHERISH, VALUE AND WANT TO PROTECT.
Jaimmie-lee : I’m from the small island of Barbados, the most eastern country in the Caribbean. My island is surrounded by crystal clear seas and on the island you can often see green monkeys playing in the trees. I would like to protect our sea and beaches and the green monkeys who are treated as pests when humans are the ones building on their territories.
Sojourner: My beautiful island Barbados is blessed with picturesque beaches and greenery all over the land. The beaches and “forest” are the main two places that are valuable and have lots of species that are needed to be protected, such as the green monkey, indeed, but also sea turtles. We also have coral reefs to protect.
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR ENVIRONMENT IS CHALLENGED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS. TELL US WHAT FRUSTRATES YOU THE MOST WHERE YOU LIVE, CAN YOU THINK OF ANY SOLUTION TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS?
Jaimmie-lee: Some acts that frustrate me are- people burning their garbage instead of recycling and the dumping of home appliances (fridges, stoves, etc.) on the side of the road. I believe educating the public about the dangers of burning can be one solution. For roadside dumping the government should supply a number for a collection service that would collect these items at a reasonable price.
Sojourner: One inappropriate behavior that frustrates me is also littering, whether on beaches or the side of the road. There was a time where I was littering and I was educated on the dangers and consequences of this activity. There should be laws in place for people who are caught engaging in such behaviors and education on the way littering affects our sea life.
WE ARE IN 2030, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC LEADERS HAVE TAKEN ACTION ON CLIMATE. SHARE YOUR WISH LIST OF WHAT HAS CHANGED (IN YOUR COUNTRY OR THE WORLD).
Jaimmie-lee: My wish list would be that 1) plastics are banned from commercial use; 2) use of electric cars are encouraged; 3) bulk supermarkets have become popular in Barbados.
Sojourner: Mine is that 1) we make recycling mandatory; 2) protect our coral reefs; 3) take an initiative to stop over-fishing our oceans and 4) promote solar energy until it becomes mainstreamed.
