In the midst of Carnival, Antigua & Barbuda will witness a special collaboration this year. The hot topic of climate change will be the theme for tomorrow night’s Jaycees Caribbean Queen Show, where the contestants will be challenged to integrate the environment into their presentations.

The focus of the 49th production of the Jaycees Caribbean Queen show, “A Tropical Fantasy: Embracing the Effects of Climate Change,” has led them to join forces with the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) and the Antigua & Barbuda Waste Recycling Corporation (ABWREC). Both institutions are generating inspirational ways of getting information out to the public.

To begin with, a Climate Change Summit was held on Wednesday, July 14, at City View Hotel. The opening speaker was Chief Environment Officer Ambassador Diann Black-Layne, who provided an insightful political/environmental approach towards the changing climate.

Black-Layne explained that there are two things we must do to cope with climate change: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation is an attempt to slow down climate change by reducing our “carbon footprint.”

This is achieved by cutting down on energy use – on an individual and at a national level. In addition to this, adaptation is about dealing with the consequences of climate change as best as possible, and planning ahead for such repercussions.

EAG Board Member Ashton Williams, the second speaker of the morning, took us below the surface of the ocean with his underwater photography of the coral reefs surrounding Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda.

He used his images to show us the current effects of climate change below the surface. Coral bleaching is already a major concern. Hard, stony corals are made up of millions of tiny coral polyps, shaped like honeycomb, which coexist with the microscopic algae that live inside of their cells.

This algae provides the coral with food through photosynthesis, but during “bleaching” the algae is expelled from the cells, causing the coral to die off very quickly, exposing the white skeleton.

If the coral continues to die, many of the plant and marine species that rely on the coral will start to disappear as well, disrupting the entire reef ecosystem.

On the Summit Day, Carol-Faye George, ABWREC’s manager, spoke of the relationship between recycling and climate change.

Some of us, though not as many as we would like, recycle. And most of us are also aware that the climate is changing. But is there a relationship between recycling and climate change?

As a matter of fact, yes. George explained that the energy used in the industrial processing of virgin materials and in their transportation involves the extraction and burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline, diesel and coal. These are all major sources of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

If you’re not yet convinced that we should recycle, listen to this: just one person recycling their newspaper, magazines, plastic, glass and metal for one year is enough to save 471 pounds of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere.

Imagine if you don’t recycle it, a plastic bottle would take 450 years to decompose in a landfill.

The summit was indeed educational, and we hope to hold more of such events in the future.

But education did not stop with the summit. Yesterday morning, the EAG organised a short hike for the Jaycees contestants to Carpenter’s Rock in St Paul. In addition to being a great photo opportunity – footage will be shown at the pageant – the contestants were able to experience the environment from that vantage point. The event demonstrated the fact that the condition of the environment impacts everyone.

Following the hike, ABWREC invited the contestants to a reception at the recycling plant where a demonstration was given on the beginning stages of the recycling process. A fruitful question and answer session ensued.

This year, the pageant promises to be one not to be forgotten and not to be missed. Be prepared to experience the beauty and knowledge of these Caribbean representatives, all competing for the coveted crown of Ms Jaycees Caribbean Queen 2010 and the chance to be the first ever prestigious Climate Change Ambassador to the region.

So bring your family, tell a friend and support the Jaycees Caribbean Queen Show, at 8 pm on Friday, July 30, at ARG.

Win tickets through the EAG. The first two people to correctly answer the following questions will win tickets. Call 462-6236 or enter answers online at  HYPERLINK “http://www.eagantigua.org/page4.html”

Q: What number plastics do we recycle in Antigua & Barbuda? Do you recycle?

Q: Can you name the 4 Rs of good environmental practices?

Q: Is there a relationship between Recycling and Climate Change?

Q: Are Global warming and Climate Change the same?