NO, TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN SCHOOLS!

Oct 13, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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The introduction of biodiversity and climate change studies into the schools’ curricula and the creation of a top-class biodiversity centre at the University of Guyana are not priorities for students at the moment.
They may be priorities for the administration keen on impressing the international community that it is serious about climate change, but the resources that are going to be spent on introducing climate change studies into schools would be better spent in helping our students develop greater proficiency in biology and other natural science subjects.
The idea of introducing climate change studies within the schools is ill-thought out and yet another one of the brainwaves to come out of the government. Does the government have any idea of what the syllabus of such a programme will entail? Does it appreciate the limited laboratory facilities in most schools in the country? Has it addressed its mind towards the all-important question as to where the teachers will be found to teach climate change studies in school? Would some of the fat-paid consultants who are paid to undertake climate change work in Guyana be willing to offer themselves in our schools?
Just how the government comes up with these ideas is unknown but they should consult with knowledgeable persons before making these announcements. There is no way that climate change studies can be introduced as a subject area within schools. There is simply no room for an additional subject area and there are insufficient resources to ensure that it can be taught in a fair number of schools.
Instead of introducing a new subject, the government should try to improve the teaching of biology within the school system so that sufficient graduates can be produced that would have an interest in undertaking climate and biodiversity studies at the tertiary level.
The government must also show where the climate change jobs are going to be generated so as to encourage persons to enter into these fields. There are not many such jobs in Guyana so why should students want to enter a field for which they will not secure employment. Will these kids be given jobs in climate mitigation and adaptation professions when the Norway funds begin to pour in? Or will these jobs be reserved for the children and associates of the members of the ruling elite?
The University does not now need a state-of-the-art biodiversity centre. The University of Guyana has long had such a centre which for years has not been given the sort of resources that would have allowed it to become a centre for quality research. Why all the years was more resources not pumped into the biodiversity centre at the University of Guyana? Why only now?
The answer is obvious. The government wants to show that it is undertaking some soft initiatives to complement the large scale projects that it has in mind for the use of the funds from Norway.
But if there is need for a soft, green development project, what about a few bio-digester to help with waste degradation?
These bio-digesters are not costly and they can make back the investments. Just, for example, placing small bio-digesters near to the main municipal markets can see the massive amount of vegetable waste that is dumped each day converted to fertilizers which can then be sold. The project will also help create jobs for some of the persons who frequent the markets and do odd jobs.
Two massive bio-digesters will help in the degrading of animal and vegetable waste at the proposed dump site. It will help in the rapid decomposition of vegetable and animal waste and again convert these wastes into substances that can be used as manure. They will also save landfill space and costs.
What Guyana needs is green development that does not fill the pockets of consultants and contractors. It needs green development that creates jobs for the hundreds of poor people in Guyana who can be employed in green development projects.
But is the government interested in these goals or is it interested in making a name for itself in the international arena? This is just a pipe dream.
Climate change is a problem, but the powerful nations of the world are throwing crumbs at poor countries like ours and we are shamelessly scrambling for these crumbs from the rich man’s table.  Climate change negotiations are going nowhere; there is not going to be any major deal on this issue and therefore the big bucks that we presumed that we would gain from preserving our forests are not going to materialize.
Guyana has got to wake up and realize that it is being used. Climate change has become another pretext for the rich countries to pass off their responsibilities for reducing emissions, to the poor parts of the world.
Climate change negotiations are not going anywhere even though some persons are hoping that it may take them somewhere and even allow them to make a name for themselves.

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