marciatinto@yahoo.com
The climate story began in 1938 when British engineer and amateur scientist Guy Callendar proposed that the Earth was warming because of increasing carbon dioxide emissions from industry.
His ideas were dismissed by many leading scientists, who believed humans could not influence something as vast as the Earth’s climate.
Twenty years later, American scientist, Charles David Keeling, began measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide from the summit of Mauna Loa in Hawaii.
His observations confirmed that carbon dioxide levels were steadily rising because of fossil fuel use, providing one of the strongest pieces of evidence for human-caused climate change.
For decades, the climate story has focused on two priorities: mitigation—reducing greenhouse gas emissions—and adaptation—preparing for unavoidable climate impacts. But there is another equally important story: the human story.
Climate change is already affecting people’s health, livelihoods and wellbeing through rising temperatures, stronger storms, floods, droughts and food insecurity.
These impacts are especially severe in Small-Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Caribbean.
I began working in climate change in 1998, helping Trinidad and Tobago fulfil its commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This focused on education, training, public awareness, participation and access to information—the human dimensions of climate action.
It recognised that people need knowledge and skills to understand climate change, adapt to its impacts and become part of the solution.
The historic Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015 by 195 countries including Trinidad and Tobago, reinforced this commitment through Article 12, while the Glasgow Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) strengthened it further in 2021.
These international agreements recognise a simple truth: people are not merely victims of climate change but agents of change. Environmental education equips people and communities with the critical thinking and practical skills needed to respond effectively.
Changing the climate story therefore means empowering people to share responsibility for protecting our future. For Caribbean SIDS, climate change is not a distant threat but a daily reality. Children, women and vulnerable communities bear the greatest burden. Heat, flooding and extreme weather disrupt education, threaten nutrition and food security, reduce livelihoods and increase many climate-related health risks.
The call to limit global warming to 1.5°C has become a rallying cry for vulnerable nations. In the Caribbean, “1.5 to stay alive” is more than a slogan—it reflects what is needed for our survival.
Every fraction of a degree matters for our health, ecosystems, and economies.
Changing the climate story also means embedding the Sustainable Development Goals into national decision-making, especially those concerning good health and wellbeing, quality education, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.
The region’s first multisectoral agenda on climate change and health—Research for Action on Climate Change and Health in the Caribbean: A Public, Private, People’s and Planetary Agenda—highlights the importance of coordinated action across society to protect public health.
Caribbean leaders have repeatedly warned about the impacts of climate change on health, livelihoods, food security, water supplies, infrastructure and economic development.
Health systems are already facing increasing pressure from heat-related illnesses, mosquito-borne diseases, extreme weather events and growing mental health challenges such as climate anxiety.
The Caribbean Action Plan on Health and Climate Change emphasises increasing awareness and strengthening the capacity of health professionals to respond to these emerging threats. Building climate-resilient health systems is essential if we are to protect our communities.
However, signing international agreements is not enough. Their implementation must reach communities, schools, workplaces and households.
Climate policies are only effective when people understand them and see how they relate to their everyday lives.
This is why the six pillars of the Action for Climate Empowerment framework—education, training, public awareness, public participation, public access to information and international cooperation—are so important. They help people understand both the risks and the solutions, encourage behavioural change and inspire collective action.
Nature itself offers many of the solutions we need. Forests absorb carbon dioxide, regulate water and support biodiversity. Wetlands and mangroves reduce flooding and protect coastlines. Oceans regulate climate, sustain livelihoods and provide food security.
Protecting biodiversity strengthens ecosystem resilience while supporting healthier communities. Investing in these nature-based solutions is therefore both a health and a development strategy.
Public-private partnerships are equally important. Governments, civil society organisations, community groups, academic institutions, youth organisations and businesses all have valuable contributions to make. Community-led initiatives often create the lasting changes needed to build resilience.
The climate story should not be defined only by the challenges before us, but by the actions we choose to take.
Changing the Climate Story means recognising climate change as a critical public health issue, strengthening our health systems, and investing in sustained public education campaigns to empower every citizen to become part of the solution.
Together, we can write a healthier and more hopeful story for the future for T&T, the Caribbean and the world.
Marcia Tinto has an MSc in Education for Sustainability Expertise: Climate Change Education and Negotiations; Youth, Civil Society, and Private Sector Engagement; Climate and Gender; Public Policy; Environment and Development
The foregoing is a weekly column by EarthMedic and EarthNurse NGO to help readers understand and address the climate and health crisis.
