A young changemaker from St. Lucia is spearheading a new campaign to get like-minded teens at the forefront of climate action.
According to the St. Lucia Times, Genesis Alfred launched a Climate and Technology Hackathon at this year's Caribbean Youth Environment Conference, which was a first for the region. Those involved were encouraged to come up with systems to help with everything from farming and water monitoring to storm warning and climate data analysis.
The young advocate is no stranger to climate justice. She serves as the program manager for both the Caribbean Climate Justice Project (CCJP) and Youth IRIE, as well as the regional delegate for the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund. In Alfred's latest foray at the conference in Kingston, Jamaica, she encouraged others to combine technology with this global issue.
"The hackathon focuses on youth and ensuring they meet technology where it meets climate change, while keeping justice and fairness at the centre," she explained about the program.
Alfred's community in the Caribbean gets a front-row seat to the effects of climate change. As oceans get warmer, storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean has become more volatile, pummeling the Caribbean with hurricanes that get more frequent and severe each year.
Record-high temperatures also affect the well-being of marine life in the region. The pattern has had devastating effects on coral reefs, causing unprecedented levels of coral bleaching. The migratory patterns of birds and whales in the Caribbean are also drastically impacted by warming ocean waters.
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The work that Alfred and other climate activists at the conference do not only sheds light on the myriad issues, but they also amplify the region's ability to take action.
Projects like the Climate and Technology Hackathon will pilot tools that can make a difference in tackling climate change, whether it's developing methods for tracking migratory patterns of native species or anticipating violent tropical storms.
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