In case you haven't felt the heat the lately, it is forecasted that 2007 will be one of the hottest years on record. Scientists say it is all a part of global warming, climate change, where the ice caps are melting and the seas are warming up. And sure we've heard about climate change before but tonight we'll offer you what some say is further proof of it. Here's the story.
Adrian Vernon, Climate Change Witness
"We can get just a little bit of rain, just a little bit of rainfall and you start to see water settling in Placencia. That's something you've never seen here before."
Adrian Vernon from Placencia is a "climate change witness." In this snippet from a documentary produced for the World Wildlife Fund, Vernon gives testimony of the changing climate - as he sees it.
Adrian Vernon,
"Like the whole ground is just saturated after just short periods of rain so I know that we haven't had much rain when it happened so the only other explanation I can say is that the water table itself has come uip."
The documentary is part of a climate change public awareness campaign by the World Wildlife Fund. Sylvia Marin is WWF's regional representative for Central America.
Sylvia Marin, WWF Regional Rep.
"We interview community members, people who live on the coastline, who are directly affected by climate change, to get their stories on how climate change is affecting them, how they are seeing the weather changing, how they are seeing the environment changing, and what impact that is having on their lives."
In Belize the project is being spearheaded by Meso-American Reef scientist Narda Bood.
Narda Bood, MAR Scientist
"People have been saying that they've been experiencing altered temperatures, like the hot season is extended further or rain is not coming during the regular estimated rainy season. People have been saying that they notice impact to the reef, die off due to bleaching and that has affected their livelihood, especially those that are fisher folks. People have also been saying that there is impact aquifer. Like for example in San Pedro the aquifer is pretty much gone and Placencia is experiencing almost the same thing."
But is climate change here? Well meteorologist Ramon Frutos says the answer is yes and it is also - no. He explained.
Keith Swift,
Is climate upon us?
Ramon Frutos, Meteorologist
"Well from a scientific perspective, climate change is upon us because indeed evidence all around us is showing that something is happening to the climate system, it's changing. Some of these changes probably are very localized. Climate change will be more a regional effect that we feel. It is possible with imminent climate change over the next couple of decades, we will see some dramatic changes in the weather patterns in Belize. As we realize or we can recall, 2005 was one of the most unprecedented hurricane seasons we had experienced in the Caribbean basin, we had a total of 18 storms forming. Something like that phenomenon of a super active hurricane season I would as a scientist attribute to a changing climate."
And so if climate change is here, is there anything we can really do? Bood says yes and because climate change affects everybody - everyone needs to do their part.
Narda Bood,
"Don't feel that you are exempt from climate change impacts. Everybody will suffer so just try to advocate as much as possible just to increase your awareness, try to increase your awareness and the awareness of other neighbors and the political parties."
The full ten minute documentary will be aired locally.
