THE average American produces about 40,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Together, they use nearly a million dollars worth of energy every minute – night and day – every day.

Now extrapolate that for the many countries of the world, taking into consideration their level of development and what you find is that the chilling predictions of global environmental catastrophe due to global warming – fuelled by an ever increasing level of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – may not be so far-fetched after all. You realise, too, that the developed countries that are largely responsible for greenhouse gas emissions are not the ones that stand to be worse affected; it is those of the developing world.

It is for this reason that climate change is to be a major focus of this year’s Green Expo to be hosted by the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT) from June 5 to June 7 at the National Arena.

“Jamaica and the other islands of the Caribbean contribute a miniscule amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere compared with countries, such as China, India and the United States. Unfortunately, it’s the small, developing nations such as ours that stand the most to lose,” said Dr Michael Taylor, head of the Climate Studies Group at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona.

The increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases, which also include methane and nitrous oxide, has raised concerns that human actions, such as burning fossil fuels like oil and clearing land (deforestation) are resulting in an increased rate of global warming.

A recent review published in The Lancet medical journal supports Taylor’s allegations. The scientists say there is now a near-unanimous scientific consensus that rising levels of greenhouse gases are directly responsible for climate changes, resulting in death and disease across the world through flooding, environmental destruction, heat waves and other extreme weather events – and it is likely to get worse.

Anthony McMichael of the Australian National University in Canberra is just one of the scientists who believes greenhouse gases are causing irreparable damage.

“The advent of changes in global climate signals that we are now living beyond the earth’s capacity to absorb a major waste product,” he said.

The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP’s) resident representative in Jamaica, Minh Pham, said climate change will also undermine international efforts to combat poverty. Looking to the future, he notes that the danger is that climate change is expected to stall and then reverse progress built up over generations, and not just in eliminating extreme poverty, but also in health, nutrition, education and other sectors.

Pham added that climate change will, too, impact agricultural productivity, water security, coastal life and extreme weather events.

Taylor concurred, explaining that for the Caribbean these climate changes translate into variable rainfall patterns, warmer temperatures and possibly more powerful hurricanes. A globally warmer climate, he said, will reduce competitive advantage with regard to tourism in the Caribbean even as the region’s health sector could be burdened by increased incidence of diseases, such as dengue fever and malaria. At the same time, agriculture is expected to suffer as a result of extended periods of drought and/or excesses in rainfall.

Taylor said humanity is now left with two options – mitigate against the effects of climate change by engaging in activities, such as using renewable energies, recycling and reforestation, that will eventually reverse its consequences; or adapt lifestyles to suit a new extreme weather reality, such as investing in weather-resistant construction technologies, official islandwide setback zones, and early warning systems for epidemics.

At the same time, Taylor contends that education is critical in the fight against global warming, whether through mass public education campaigns, school curricula, or events such as the Green Expo which are crucial to raising the awareness of the Jamaican public – from schoolchildren to the corporate world – of the dangers of environmental degradation.

This sentiment is supported by the UNDP which, in their bid to increase the level of awareness on climate change issues in Jamaica, has singled out Green Expo as an effective medium for targeting schools, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, government agencies and the general public.

This year, the UNDP’s booth at Green Expo will showcase the work of some of its partners, including the Meteorological Service and their work on Jamaica’s Second National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The two-day expo will also feature suppliers of solar and other alternative energy systems, energy-efficient appliances and insulated construction systems, along with low cost financing options for implementation.

Event sponsors for Green Expo include the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), the UNDP, the Jamaica Tourist Board, RJR Communications Group, the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Jamaica Observer, the Forest Conservation Fund/Jamaica Protected Areas Trust, the Jamaica Public Service, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Pear Tree Press, Wray & Nephew Limited and Jamaica Energy Partners.