Almost a month after the closing of the hurricane seasonthe meteorologist Ada Monzón this Wednesday urged the government of Puerto Rico to promote the use of sources of renewable energy to mitigate the effects of climate changelike the extreme heat and the floods.
During the “Hurricane Forum”, organized by GFR Mean and celebrated in the Ferré Rangel School of Communication of the Sacred Heart University (USC), Monzón highlighted the promotion of environmental education in schools as a fundamental strategy to confront climate change based on the Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience Plan to Climate Change in Puerto Rico worked on by the Committee of Experts and Advisors on Climate Change (CEACC).
The increase in the use of fossil fuels –mostly in electricity and transportation services–, in turn, the temperature has increased, which has led to an increase in sea levels. According to Monzón, the effects of the use of these fuels on the environment exacerbate the impact of atmospheric phenomena, such as hurricanes.
“Everything is disproportionately affecting children, older adults, people with special needs and the poorest. So this also becomes an issue of climate justice.”said the meteorologist from the university television studio.
This year, the CEACC, created under the “Puerto Rico Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience Act”submitted to the Legislature his plan to prepare Puerto Rico in areas such as energy, education, health, transportation, agriculture and livestock, but it was not approved during the last session of the quadrennium. The review of the plan was left on the agenda for legislators who are favored in the general elections on November 5, and that will begin operations in January 2025.
The “Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act” established that, by the year 2050, 100% of the energy in Puerto Rico must come from renewable sources. However, Monzón pointed out that there is currently a “total failure” on the part of the government to achieve this goal.
The meteorologist explained that each area of Puerto Rico has particular needs, which is why the CEACC promotes that solutions to address climate change on the island are developed from the communities themselves.
“There has to be a study that is done individually together with the municipalities, together with the community leaders. No one can be left out of the discussion in order to understand the impact, and certainly that requires organization, planning and a conversation so that they can find out (what that impact is),” Monzón detailed in an aside with The New Day.
If measures are not taken in Puerto Rico, there will be a loss of $379,270 in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the study “The cost of inaction on climate change for Puerto Rico”prepared by the consulting firm Technical Studies, Inc.and the company Tetra Tech.
The continued rise in temperatures and sea levels as a result of climate change will threaten housing security, food safety and the health of the communities in Puerto Rico, according to the meteorologist, and will impact economic activities in the coming years, mainly in coastal areas.
Nearly 50 students from different USC faculties participated in what was the third edition of the activity. On previous occasions, the Cataño Convention Center and the San Juan Free School of Music have held their own hurricane forums alongside GFR Mean.
Hurricanes – Emergency Management (pr.gov)
DRNA | Final draft of the plan for mitigation, adaptation and resilience to climate change in Puerto Rico (pr.gov)
Law 33 “Puerto Rico Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience Act” (33-2019) (pr.gov)
Study “The cost of inaction on climate change for Puerto Rico”
“Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act”