April Karen Baptiste

Climate change knowledge, concerns, and behaviors among Caribbean fishers

The Caribbean, as a collection of Small Island Developing States, has been a hotspot for climate change research. Many studies have examined the consequences of climate change. However, few studies have examined the ways in which marginalized groups in the Caribbean view climate change. What are the levels of knowledge, concerns, and behavioral practices among marginalized groups in the Caribbean? This paper begins to explore this question using Caribbean fishers as a case study. The survey study of 241 fishers is done in one of the largest fish-landing sites in Jamaica. Fishers are asked about levels of knowledge about causes of climate change, concerns and the consequences, and actual adaptation behaviors. Using descriptive and inferential statistical tests, the paper explores the actual levels of knowledge, concerns, and specific strategies used to adapt. However, its goes further by examining the factors that drive the aforementioned variables. This study begins to not only contribute to the environmental psychological literature on the Caribbean, but it also helps to better understand ways in which marginalized communities might be assisted in the adaptation to climate change.

“Experience is a great teacher”: citizens’ reception of a proposal for the implementation of green infrastructure as stormwater management technology

This paper examines citizen receptivity to green infrastructure (GI) development in three neighborhoods in Syracuse, New York. Data from 208 surveyed residents were statistically assessed to determine levels of environmental knowledge (EK) about and stated willingness to implement rain barrels, rain gardens, trees, porous pavements, and curbside extensions. Respondents had high levels of EK about GI as a measure for stormwater control and strong stated willingness to implement GI measures. There were no statistically significant relationships between either EK or stated willingness to implement, and sociodemographic variables, with the exception of age. However, there was a statistically significant positive relationship between EK and stated willingness to implement GI. This article, grounded in environmental psychology, argues that there may be nuances in the type of EK that can explain the observed relationships. Specifically, knowledge obtained from a common shared experience of combined sewer overflows flooding, rather than EK gained through formal education, explains the results. It is within this framework, that policy-makers must make decisions about GI implementation.

Knowledge, perceptions, concerns, and behaviors—moving forward in the Caribbean context

The Caribbean region is well-known for its beautiful white sand beaches, crystal clear blue ocean waters, laid back lifestyle, and a false perception of an idyllic paradise that tourists can visit for a short period of time to recoup and regenerate. Over the past few decades, there has been increasing research on the significant environmental challenges that the region has faced not only from the effects of mass tourism on the resources, but also now the threats of climate change which have manifested itself in the region. The region has now been documented as one of the most vulnerable to climate change in the world (Fry 2005; Nurse et al. 2014; Mertz et al. 2009, Mimura et al. 2007). Moreover, with the recent spate of hurricanes like Irma, Maria, and Harvey all above category 3 bearing down on the region, leaving behind death, devastation, and destruction, the conversation about climate change is now at the forefront of political debate nationally, regionally, and internationally again. Climate change is no longer something that is predicted and will happen in a few decades for the Caribbean region. Rather, it is here and now, and its impacts are here to stay. In a recent special issue (2016) on BClimate Justice and the Caribbean^ published in Geoforum, multiple authors made the case of the need to address climate change in the region, particularly given that most of the islands have contributed small quantities to the global carbon footprints, yet they suffer the most devastating impacts of climate change. Following up on this debate on the need to focus on climate justice in the Caribbean is this symposium making the claims that environmental psychological variables associated with climate change are essential to address climate change. One of the questions that are always asked about climate change is whether there should be a focus on mitigation of climate change or adaptation to climate change. Regardless of whether one is chosen or the other, the deeper question to be addressed is how do we get individuals, policy makers, communities, and nations to engage in actions that either mitigate or adapt to climate change. This is where environmental psychology comes in. Environmental psychological variables include measures such as knowledge, perceptions, concerns, and behaviors (Lin 2013; Ortega-Egea et al. 2014). These measures provide an understanding of the ways in which groups think about and respond to climate change. From a global perspective, environmental psychological variables have been widely examined for climate change (See Leiserowitz 2006, 2017; Baptiste (forthcoming), Bord et al. 1998; Capstick et al. 2015; Vignola et al. 2013). The results have been mostly consistent with knowledge playing a significant role in understanding climate change and thereby influencing behaviors. What have not been as widely examined are the environmental psychological variables in those places that are most vulnerable to climate change threats like the Caribbean. This symposium was an attempt to add to the body of literature highlighting specifics on how different communities in the Caribbean think about, perceive, and ultimately respond to climate change. Each paper within the symposium raises unique themes that contribute to understanding a different aspect of environmental psychological variables. This conclusion paper will proceed by giving a brief summary of the main themes in each of the featured papers, followed by a synthesis of commonalities among the papers and themes that are not addressed. It concludes by raising larger concerns that must be considered for the Caribbean as it deals with the effects of climate change. * April Karen Baptiste abaptiste@colgate.edu

A framework for collaborative climate change research

There is a growing understanding in the scientific community that the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of indigenous peoples and other local communities is both different from data collected by scientists and crucial to a more complete understanding of changes occurring due to global warming processes. Despite the increase in collaborative projects between scientists and local communities aimed at bringing together TEK and scientific ecological knowledge (SEK) in the last decade, no systematic analysis of what makes for an effective approach to the integration of the two knowledge systems has yet been undertaken. Through an extensive review of the interdisciplinary literature on such collaborations that identified common factors appearing across multiple studies, we propose a framework for evaluating the quality of collaborative research and, ultimately, predicting its quality. The value of such a framework lies with its broader application for researchers engaging in climate studies across regions, strengthening the quality of the research produced through both replicability and comparability of studies.

Knowledge, perceptions, concerns, and behaviors to climate change—the Caribbean context: an introduction

The small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean region are identified as being on the front lines of climate change due to high biophysical and socioeconomic exposure to slow-onset and extreme events along with limited adaptive capacity. However, in spite of the region’s global significance for biodiversity, central location to economic trade routes, and importance as a global tourist destination, the Caribbean has been largely neglected in the environmental psychological climate change literature. This symposium aims to address the research gap in studies exploring knowledge, perceptions, concerns, and behaviors to climate change for Caribbean SIDS. The five papers of the symposium explore these issues from different viewpoints, for different stakeholders and for a number of islands in the region. This introduction to the symposium details the importance of understanding how community members engage in climate change issues and provides an overview of the articles included as part of the symposium.

Freedom and/or development? Scale and intersectionality in an industrial public debate

ABSTRACT Industrialization projects have been promoted as one of the main drivers of economic regional integration for the Caribbean region. However, surrounding residents to industrial projects are often concerned about the impact on their community, health and the physical environment. Their opinions often become part of a public discourse involving a range of stakeholders, including the community, state and international actors. Using a politics of scale and intersectionality framework, grounded in environmental justice, this article examines how scale and marginality play a role in explaining why regional industrial projects are often difficult to implement, using the case of a proposed Alutrint smelter in Trinidad. Content analysis and thematic coding was applied to 296 national newspaper articles that documented the public discourse on the Alutrint smelter. Quotes on the arguments made by various stakeholders were categorized into international, regional, national and local scales. The results indicate that themes of rights, economic effects, and concerns for health and safety were central to the discourse. However, there was a breakdown in communication across the scales resulting on local community choosing freedom over development.

Factors Influencing Perceptions of Climate Change Among Caribbean Coastal Artisanal Fishers: Case Study of Old Harbour Bay, Jamaica

Climate change impacts on Small Island Developing States have been well-documented, highlighting the disproportionate effects on many communities in these regions. Coastal communities have been listed to be at the forefront of climate change impacts. For the Caribbean the exposure to climate-related hazards, together with socioeconomic factors and the adaptive capacity of the community, all affect overall vulnerability. Understanding how coastal communities or subsections thereof adjust to the impacts of climate change on their daily activities is important, especially in cases where livelihoods are threatened by these impacts. The current chapter seeks to understand the levels of knowledge regarding climate change, perceptions related to the impacts of climate change on livelihoods, and current strategies that are being used to adjust to climate change among fishers. The case study of Old Harbour Bay, Jamaica, will be used to articulate patterns within the broader Caribbean context. For fishers, there are high levels of knowledge about the causes of climate change. Additionally, there is a clear, perceived relationship between climate change and threats to the physical environment and to livelihoods. Taking these perceptions into consideration, the question that must be addressed is the notion of what type of strategies, if any, are being used to adjust to the threats to livelihoods.

Richard M. Mizelle Jr.: A review of Backwater Blues: The Mississippi Flood of 1927 in the African American Imagination

Backwater Blues examined a number of timely themes ranging from environmental racism to the role of charity in environmental disaster relief. Using music as one of the primary methods through which we understand the experiences of African Americans in the Mississippi Flood of 1927 flood, the author captivates the reader drawing them into the pain and often brutal reality that blacks faced in experiencing environmental hazards. More so, the book highlights some current themes of environmental justice though this is not the main thrust of the book. One of the main themes highlighted in Backwater Blues is that of race dynamics particularly for African Americans in understanding environmental disasters. In Chapter 1, Mizelle lays the foundation for the theme of race specifically blackness and citizenship in America. Using the 1927 flood as the main example, it was clear that African American deaths were not recorded. Such death tolls were under-represented. This indicated the lower status of African Americans at the time but might also be similar to the Hurricane Katrina experience. Further, those blacks that survived were threatened with murder. In addition, Chapter 1 has the underlying theme of humans’ attempt to control nature for the region’s development, which may have contributed to the 1927 flood in the first place. Levees were primarily used to control the Mississippi River. Protection of areas against floods was the responsibility of landowners in the early nineteenth century. With this struggle to control nature and hence protect property, there were class differences that were seen. For example, with the construction of the levees in the early nineteenth century, poorer areas had less developed and designed levees compared to richer areas. This is a typical example of how marginalized populations had less access to resources and hence were in a more significant vulnerable position to floods. Hence, when the 1927 flood took place, African Americans were obviously much more affected than whites. This was not only seen in terms of loss of life and property damage, but also, given the marginality of African Americans, access to relief was also highly racialized. Further, the issue of reconstruction also raised concerns of race, class, and the exploitation that was not only new nor limited to a major disaster like the 1927 flood, but reiterated the notions of institutionalized racism in environmental disaster recovery. The author brings out the complexities of disaster relief and reconstruction throughout the book. First, the issue of reconstruction is raised, highlighting the exploitative nature of the relief camps. There is indication of the Red Cross camps being seen as labor camps and compared to slavery where blacks refused to be exploited in this manner. The author highlighted on several occasions the brutality associated with forced labor on the levees, the low wages—often not paid—that African Americans received, the peonage that people were subjected to and even the extreme conditions that they worked under. Given these conditions, the author also raised the issue of how relief in the form of charity also had race and class issues deeply embedded in the narrative. Race is central not only to charity but also to relief provided by both governmental and non-governmental organizations. In Chapter 3, Mizelle draws out the intersection between race and charity as it deals with environmental disasters. The Red Cross is critiqued for not only controlling charity but also for not adequately providing relief to African Americans. Charity is seen as a form of social control and exploitation (p. 76). Blacks did not receive proper aid unless they were in specific designated relief camps unlike whites who got relief * April Karen Baptiste abaptiste@colgate.edu