Creative Jamaicans Encouraged To Enter Climate Change Logo Competition

Creative Jamaicans, aged 12 to 25 years of age, are being encouraged to submit entries for the Climate Change logo competition.

The competition seeks to identify innovative ideas and visually brand the work of the Climate Change Division in the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, while encouraging youngsters to buy into the idea of adapting to, or mitigating the effects of climate change.

The competition, which was officially launched today (September 18), is open until November 14, 2014.

Speaking at the launching ceremony at the offices of the Forestry Department in St. Andrew, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, challenged entrants to become change champions in response to climate change.

“I encourage you to help our country to not only respond, but to survive and thrive against the impacts of climate change,” he said.

The Minister  urged  them to create a future full of opportunities, innovations and smart decisions that will ensure public safety, increased resilience, robust infrastructural investment and enhanced economic growth.

Mr. Pickersgill  said changing the trends toward climate change and its attendant risks, means changing behaviours and mindsets.

“It calls for us to become more climate resilient in a country and a region that is projected to be at the forefront of climate change impacts in the future,” he noted.

The Minister added that while climate change presents people with immense challenges, it also presents opportunities for smart and innovative policies, projects and investments.

He explained that  the competition is crucial to informing youngsters about the negative effects of climate change on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), such as Jamaica and other countries in the Caribbean.

The Minister said these countries are among the most susceptible to the dangers of rising sea levels and changing climates, which will undoubtedly affect the basic requirements for maintaining healthy people and ecosystems, through the provision of clean air and water, sufficient food and adequate shelter.

Providing an overview of the competition, Senior Technical Officer, Adaptation, Climate Change Division, Dr. Orville Grey, said the entries will be judged by a panel consisting of representatives from the visual and performing arts.

He informed that the top three entries will receive various prizes. There will also be awards for honourable mentions and prizes for  schools with the most entries in the top 20.

“The best entries will be combined into an e-publication and will be launched on our climate change website as soon as that is prepared, and we expect to have that in place by the end of the competition,” Dr. Grey said.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Alwin Hales, said that all high schools and tertiary institutions have been sent letters outlining the various components of the competition.