ISLAND SCHOOL FOCUSES GCOB ON ENERGY, FOOD, ENVIRONMENT

UNCLAS NASSAU 000147

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, OES/ENRC, OES/IHA

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG EFIS PGOV CASC KPAO BF
SUBJECT: ISLAND SCHOOL FOCUSES GCOB ON ENERGY, FOOD, ENVIRONMENT
FOR 10 YEARS

REF: 08 Nassau 623


1. (U) SUMMARY: A U.S. privately sponsored secondary school
specializing in environmental and marine studies celebrated ten
year's of conservation and education in The Bahamas in February.
The school is an open-air laboratory for practical renewable energy,
sustainable food production, and marine research projects.
U.S.-based journalists, scientists, and educators joined with
alumni, parents, and former teachers, as well as high-ranking GCOB
officials, for two roundtables on environment, education, and
sustainable national development. Social and cultural outreach
events aimed at the local community focused on Bahamian-American
collaboration in environmental protection, renewable energy
innovation, and cultural exchange. Post seeks to assist the Island
School with increasing its national profile and outreach in Nassau
and New Providence in these areas in line with overall public
diplomacy goals. Post will continue to work closely with the Island
School on hurricane preparedness and other consular issues. END
SUMMARY.

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SHOWCASES PRACTICAL PROJECTS
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2. (U) The Island School is a research-based semester abroad
program for high school sophomores and juniors concentrating on
projects in marine resource management and sustainable development
(www.islandschool.org ). Its mission is education, research, and
conservation in an innovative, experiential-learning setting in a
relatively remote and untouched part of South Eleuthera. The Island
School serves U.S. citizens, while an affiliated, private Deep Creek
Middle School - also funded by U.S. donors - offers unique
educational opportunities to local Bahamians as well. A third
entity, the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI),is dedicated to
research, sustainable design, and environmental outreach. The
U.S.-sponsored secondary school celebrated its ten-year anniversary
in The Bahamas February 13-15.


3. (U) The Island School "practices what it preaches" with regard
to sustainable systems, relying heavily on renewable energy from
solar and wind sources, using bio-diesel for vehicles, collecting
rainwater in underground cisterns, and running an innovative project
in aquaponics - a combination of fish-farming and hydroponics - for
self-sufficiency in food production. The school harvests the
invasive, non-native casuarinas pine tree for buildings, furniture,
and other uses, and includes locally-available materials in unique,
environmentally-designed school buildings, which do not rely on air
conditioning. The CEI also conducts marine research projects on
reef health, offshore aquaculture, sea urchins, and sharks.

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U.S. GUESTS HIGHLIGHT POLICY,
ENVIRONMENT, RESEARCH
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4. (U) U.S.-based journalists, scientists, and educators joined
with alumni, parents, and former teachers, high-ranking Bahamian
officials, journalists, and the local community for two roundtables
focusing on conservation policy, ocean health, environmental
education, and sustainable development. A long-time New York Times
writer and editor provided an overview of U.S. environmental policy
since the Nixon administration, highlighting positives and
negatives. A noted marine researcher and National Geographic
Explorer shared her views of the importance of conservation and
marine research for the future health of the planet, given the
relative lack of knowledge of the oceans, well-known problems with
collapsing fish stocks, and potential for severe environmental
deterioration due to climate change. Minister of Environment Earl
Deveaux and Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest
congratulated the school on its ten-year anniversary and reviewed
GCOB environmental policy in creating marine protected areas and
conserving marine stocks, such as the grouper, which are important
to the Bahamian diet and economy.


5. (U) A second roundtabe focused on the importance of deep-ocean
research and general education at all levels of society tofoster
conservation and ocean protection, which re critical not only or a
small-island developig state such as The Bahamas, but for the
entire orld environment. A senior U.S. scientist elaboratd on the
idea of Planet Earth as a "life-supportsystem" for humanity - an
inter-linked structure requiring constant attention, care and
maintenance. She pointed out that "Spaceship Earth" is largely
dependent on the (mostly un-researched) oceans, which represent some
90% of the biosphere and are demonstrably vulnerable to negative
human intervention. She stressed the potential for catastrophic
system failure whether due to climate change or other human actions,
such as indiscriminate or rapacious fishing methods.

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BAHAMIANS -- DEVELOPMENT,
EDUCATION, VALUES
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6. (U) Other speakers, including the President of the College of

The Bahamas and the President of the Senate, raised the question of
what values should be employed in national development or
environmental sustainability in The Bahamas. They called for
increased education across-the-board in science and marine studies,
in which The Bahamas has certain obvious geographic and other
comparative advantages. They also pointed to local history as proof
of the potential for environmental degradation, whether in the
destruction of native marine resources, trees and plants, and even
people. Referring to the Island School's ten years of diverse and
innovate efforts, the President of the Senate spoke of The Bahamas'
potential to be a laboratory not only for similar island states, but
for global environment and energy policy. Rather than simply a
"canary in a coal mine", The Bahamas could be an example to the
world.


7. (U) Three days of social and cultural outreach events aimed at
the local community focused on Bahamian-American collaboration in
education, environmental protection, renewable energy innovation,
and cultural exchange. Numerous U.S. guests interacted with
hundreds of Bahamians from the local villages and throughout South
Eleuthera in art, music, and social programs, including a fun walk
and street fair with many local food and craft booths. The events
were covered by TV and print media, although not with the immediacy
of news and not in the depth or detail which the Island School's
multiple areas of focus would seem to merit.

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COMMENT
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8. (U) Given the intersection of energy, environment, and food
production, and the GCOB's rising awareness of the different impacts
of each on the national economy (reftel),Post seeks to assist the
Island School with increasing its national profile and outreach in
Nassau and New Providence. Post may be able to assist in the areas
of education, environmental protection, renewable energy innovation,
and cultural exchange in line with overall public diplomacy and
commercial goals. Post will continue to work closely with the
Island School administration, which participates in our warden
system, on hurricane preparedness and other consular issues.

ZUNIGA-BROWN