Cuba acknowledges climate change threats in its constitution
IT WAS THE ONLY CONSTITUTION ON THE BALLOT
Cuba has become the latest country to enshrine the fight against climate change in its constitution — provoking a mixed response from the scientific community.
In late February voters approved a new constitution that included amendments directing Cuba to "promote the conservation of the environment and the fight against climate change, which threatens the survival of the human species". The country joins ten other nations, including Ecuador and Tunisia, that mention "climate" or "climate change" in their constitutions...
But others doubt that the move will amount to meaningful action.
The climate-related language in the constitution is "a nice sentiment", says Rolando García, an atmospheric chemist and Cuban expat at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. But efforts to address climate change in Cuba seem to proceed slowly, he says. “The aspirational goal enshrined in the new Cuban constitution does not change anything.”..
Others say that the move is also political — a thumb in the eye of the United States...
It's not yet clear whether the development will change how climate research is conducted in Cuba. Juan Carlos Antuña Marrero, a physicist at the Camagüey Meteorological Center in Cuba, hopes that the amendments might translate into actions such as increased funding and the modernization of computer capabilities, but isn't sure if they will.
Antuña Marrero's team studies sulfur aerosols, which help to cool the atmosphere. But Cuba's slow and unstable internet connection makes it difficult for them to stay up to date with the scientific literature...
“We’re a group of scientists trying to overcome the limitations of the country’s poverty,” says Antuña Marrero, ... In response, Cuba has begun mapping areas at high risk for sea-level rise, moving its citizens out of those regions and razing their homes... says David Guggenheim, a marine biologist at the environmental non-profit group Ocean Doctor in Washington DC.
These efforts are part of Cuba’s 100-year plan, called Tarea Vida (Project Life) — a roadmap to guide the country in dealing with the effects of climate change.
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In late February voters approved a new constitution that included amendments directing Cuba to "promote the conservation of the environment and the fight against climate change, which threatens the survival of the human species". The country joins ten other nations, including Ecuador and Tunisia, that mention "climate" or "climate change" in their constitutions...
But others doubt that the move will amount to meaningful action.
The climate-related language in the constitution is "a nice sentiment", says Rolando García, an atmospheric chemist and Cuban expat at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. But efforts to address climate change in Cuba seem to proceed slowly, he says. “The aspirational goal enshrined in the new Cuban constitution does not change anything.”..
Others say that the move is also political — a thumb in the eye of the United States...
It's not yet clear whether the development will change how climate research is conducted in Cuba. Juan Carlos Antuña Marrero, a physicist at the Camagüey Meteorological Center in Cuba, hopes that the amendments might translate into actions such as increased funding and the modernization of computer capabilities, but isn't sure if they will.
Antuña Marrero's team studies sulfur aerosols, which help to cool the atmosphere. But Cuba's slow and unstable internet connection makes it difficult for them to stay up to date with the scientific literature...
“We’re a group of scientists trying to overcome the limitations of the country’s poverty,” says Antuña Marrero, ... In response, Cuba has begun mapping areas at high risk for sea-level rise, moving its citizens out of those regions and razing their homes... says David Guggenheim, a marine biologist at the environmental non-profit group Ocean Doctor in Washington DC.
These efforts are part of Cuba’s 100-year plan, called Tarea Vida (Project Life) — a roadmap to guide the country in dealing with the effects of climate change.
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