admin

August 13, 2015
856

Jamaica phases out use of ozone-depleting compound in foam manufacturing industry

Jamaica has successfully phased out the use of a key ozone-depleting substance that was being used in the foam manufacturing industry. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were being used by SEAL Sprayed Solutions Limited to make spray-in-place insulation that controls moisture and temperature within buildings. The climate-friendly and ozone-friendly alternative, methyl formate, is now being used in the manufacturing process. Most HCFCs have a high…
Read More »
August 13, 2015
916

Barbados renews call for debt relief for the Caribbean

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC)– Barbados Wednesday renewed a call for an international debt relief programme for developing countries like those in the Caribbean saying it was not enough to speak “almost disparagingly” about the debt situation. Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Chris Sinckler addressing the 11th annual meeting of the group of Latin America and Caribbean debt management specialists (LAC Debt Group)…
Read More »
August 12, 2015
1,329

Guyana strengthening cyber security against hackers, fraudsters

Guyana is moving to insulate a number of loopholes and so drastically reduce the possibility of cybercrimes ranging from website hacking to fraud, officials said Wednesday. Experts are being trained in cybercrimes legislation and enforcement while plans are on the drawing board to enact several laws related to cyber security. Cyber Security attacks on websites such as defacement and other…
Read More »
August 11, 2015
406

Region’s Nurses lauded for contributing to one of the world’s highest immunization rates

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean can boast of having one of the highest immunization rates in the world – even better than the United States, and credit for this must go to the Region’s nurses. Assistant Secretary General for Human and Social Development at the CARICOM Secretariat Dr. Douglas Slater made the point as he addressed the…
Read More »
August 11, 2015
993

Statement by the Caribbean Tourism Organization on the influx of Sargassum seaweed

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Tues 11 Aug 2015 – The seasonal influx of Sargassum seaweed on Caribbean beaches has got the attention of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and tourism policymakers and practitioners across the region. Sargassum is a natural occurrence believed to originate in the Sargasso Sea, a two million-square-mile body of warm water in the north Atlantic near Bermuda, although…
Read More »
August 11, 2015
1,025

The United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda

The Post-2015 Development Agenda From 25-27 September 2015, the United Nations will convene a Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda; and approximately one hundred and thirty-one (131) Heads of Government/State have, to date, confirmed their attendance. The Summit will consist of plenary debates and a series of round tables. The Post-2015 Development Agenda will succeed the Millennium…
Read More »
August 11, 2015
964

President Barack Obama’s Climate Change Plan 2015

United States’ President Barack Obama is set to launch a new energy programme to cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of his ongoing bid to combat climate change. The Clean Power Plan is designed to reduce GHG emissions from US power stations and the programme will focus on renewable energy sources including wind and solar power. Power stations are the…
Read More »
August 11, 2015
1,234

Belize continues to bet on energy efficiency

As part of a regional effort to improve energy efficiency in CARICOM member states, the Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities (MESTPU) of Belize has partnered with the OAS Department of Sustainable Development, and in cooperation with the OAS Belize Office, launched the “Standards and Labelling” component of the Energy for Sustainable Development in Caribbean Buildings Project…
Read More »
August 10, 2015
1,065

Alternative ways of measuring development must be found

The United Nations (UN) is upbeat about advancing the process to reshape policies governing access to international public finance. Developing countries have been lobbying for a revision of current development financing policies to encompass a multi-dimensional approach as distinct from the current primary criterion of GDP per capita income. Assistant Administrator and Director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional…
Read More »
August 10, 2015
993

WHO says world on the verge of an effective Ebola vaccine

CONAKRY, Guinea, Friday August 7, 2015 – A newly developed vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus is proving to be “highly effective”, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The positive results were obtained during a trial of the VSV-EBOV vaccine in Guinea, one of the West African countries affected by the recent outbreak. “This is an extremely promising development,” said WHO Director-General Dr Margaret…
Read More »