Dominican Republic takes stand on climate change at International Court of Justice

[Dolores]

Boni Guerrero Canto / Diario Libre

The Dominican Republic made history this week by becoming the first Caribbean nation to address the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the urgent issue of climate change, Diario Libre reports. The country’s legal team, led by Boni Guerrero Canto, Legal Affairs director at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, presented a compelling case for immediate global action to mitigate the effects of climate change, Diario Libre reported.

“The Dominican Republic firmly believes that the ICJ is uniquely positioned to assist the international community in addressing this existential threat,” Guerrero Canto stated during his address to the Court. “Climate change is an unprecedented challenge to civilization, and we need immediate decisions to confront it.”

The DR’s appearance at the ICJ comes as small island nations and coastal states worldwide...

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[CristoRey]

The climate has been changing since day one but now it's BIG BU$INE$$.
Complete and total nonsense.

 

[windeguy]

Did the DR tell them that they will build more oil and coal fired power plants as needed (just like all developing nations will as well) ?

The DR’s legal team also called on the ICJ to affirm the fundamental right to life, the right to development, and the obligation to respect the territorial integrity of nations in the context of climate change.

 

[windeguy]

Mitigation will be the path taken regards to climate change. People won't cut back on using electricity, if anything it will grow and more fossil fuel plants will be needed over time. Climate change advocates don't seem to understand this.

 

[Father Guido]

I think the fact that lately I have no 'luz" 2-4 hours a day proves the fact the DR is doing its part to battle climate change

 

[Ecoman1949]

It’s window dressing, nothing more. The DR has bigger fish to fry with the Haitian intervention spiraling downward. Speaking at the ICJ could be a way of gaining access to some of the billions of compensation dollars the developed nations are promising the impacted developing nations.

DR environmental compliance has been appalling in so many ways. The previous and current administrations anything for a buck development philosophy undermines any attempt at environmental enforcement and compliance.

Spending other countries money on a few feel good environmental initiatives would give the appearance of the government actually caring and moving in a good direction at no cost to the government.

 

[windeguy]

Econman, no small developing country in the world can afford to be environmentally conscious. It is illogical and irrational for them to do so while still trying to develop.

So, the ony way climate change will be fought is through mitigating the changes that will surely come. Build walls, move inland, etc. People just don't have the will power to cut back with the exception of a small percentage who will make most of the noise and be ignored.

 

[Ecoman1949]

Econman, no small developing country in the world can afford to be environmentally conscious. It is illogical and irrational for them to do so while still trying to develop.

So, the ony way climate change will be fought is through mitigating the changes that will surely come. Build walls, move inland, etc. People just don't have the will power to cut back with the exception of a small percentage who will make most of the noise and be ignored.

I agree with most of what you say Windy but there will be a big pot of gold available for developing and impacted countries for things like mitigation. The DR could use some of the developed countries money to wean themselves off coal fired plants and reduce their fossil fuel emissions. As you’re well aware, the DR power grid is a mess and an ever increasing population is putting more pressure on it. Any new plants should be more environmental friendly. That’s just one example.

People get motivated to change quickly when they lose their homes, neighbourhoods, and lively hoods to uncontrollable forest fires, more powerful hurricanes, and extended drought periods.

 

[Manuel01]

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well well well...... the pork is selling cosmetics. Start by cleaning up your own rivers before open your mouth to the international community. The DR is lucky that the image that most foreigners have of us is; nice beaches and palm trees. This gives a false image of credibility.

 

[drpesson]

I sure hope they dont put those ugly windturbines everywhere. When i drive by a farm of them i always see about 15% broken. There is alot of backlash in the usa now with off shore ones

 

[reilleyp]

Is this news story from “the Onion”?

 

[windeguy]

Is this news story from “the Onion”?

It might as well be. Almost nobody really cares about this stuff.

 

[bob saunders]

well well well...... the pork is selling cosmetics. Start by cleaning up your own rivers before open your mouth to the international community. The DR is lucky that the image that most foreigners have of us is; nice beaches and palm trees. This gives a false image of credibility.

absolutely correct. They brag about ecotourism but really have no plan or initiatives to keep the air, ground, and water clean.

 

[RDKNIGHT]

absolutely correct. They brag about ecotourism but really have no plan or initiatives to keep the air, ground, and water clean.

this is putting the cart before the horse they should try teaching some folks how to not throw trash and litter in the streets and have respect for others while driving also teach people how to enter a circle/ roundo esp the one entering Punta Cana this comes way before climate control

also not piss and poop in the rivers and streets while their kids are in the car monkey see monkey do affect

 

[josh2203]

I sure hope they dont put those ugly windturbines everywhere. When i drive by a farm of them i always see about 15% broken. There is alot of backlash in the usa now with off shore ones

While I agree that non-functional wind turbines are obviously useless and should be repaired, I honestly don't see much negative in those. We get currently about half of our electricity from wind turbines. Obviously depends on if it's a windy or not that windy day, but on average. As I'm clueless of US electricity sector, what is the problem with off-shore ones there?

There are a number of wind turbines in east of POP, and we've passed by those countless times, I don't honestly see them ugly, but of course they may deteriorate if not maintained properly.

 

[reilleyp]

While I agree that non-functional wind turbines are obviously useless and should be repaired, I honestly don't see much negative in those. We get currently about half of our electricity from wind turbines. Obviously depends on if it's a windy or not that windy day, but on average. As I'm clueless of US electricity sector, what is the problem with off-shore ones there?

There are a number of wind turbines in east of POP, and we've passed by those countless times, I don't honestly see them ugly, but of course they may deteriorate if not maintained properly.

I am sure some of them break, however, some of those turbines that appear to be nonfunctional actually have internal brakes to stop the wind turbine on a very windy day so as to avoid damage.

 

[Ecoman1949]

While I agree that non-functional wind turbines are obviously useless and should be repaired, I honestly don't see much negative in those. We get currently about half of our electricity from wind turbines. Obviously depends on if it's a windy or not that windy day, but on average. As I'm clueless of US electricity sector, what is the problem with off-shore ones there?

There are a number of wind turbines in east of POP, and we've passed by those countless times, I don't honestly see them ugly, but of course they may deteriorate if not maintained properly.

Josh2203. There is a perception that offshore wind turbines create problems for commercial fish harvesters. Interference with migratory fish species,and decline of local species due to habitat alteration. Some claim the frequencies generated by the blades interfere with whale migration. None of these impacts have been documented well and some are pure speculation. Studies have been conducted on offshore fields in Britain and other EU countries by regulatory agencies. Nothing definitive has been found. Studies are being conducted in the US.

The hard sell for wind turbines is they are massive, ugly, and a big recycling problem. NIMBY syndrome (Not in My Backyard) is the main reason for public pushback, aesthetic reasons not environmental reasons. The DR has a few things going for it. Decent mountain ranges and fairly constant Trade winds. There is some potential for land based wind turbine farms. Can’t see it happening off the coastline as that might have a negative effect on DR tourism’s sacred cow, AI resorts.

The DR‘s ICJ grandstanding on Climate change is laughable. They need to clean up their own backyard before they attempt to use developed countries environmental mitigation funds. I’ve walked the North Coast beaches and travelled the countryside for years. I’ve seen things go from bad to worse. If the promised new resorts are built in the Playa Dorada- Bergantine area, the congestion and traffic along that section of the highway will increase significantly And so will the number of traffic related deaths. The old adage about a quart of shite in a pint bottle applies here. The previous administration’s Maimon cruise port environmental assessment was a joke. The list of DR environmental sins is lengthy.

 

[chico bill]

The DR does it's part by throwing its trash into rivers instead of methane producing landfills

 

[fuchs4d]

some of those turbines that appear to be nonfunctional actually have internal brakes to stop the wind turbine on a very windy day so as to avoid damage.

See time index 02:30:

Alexander

 

[josh2203]

I am sure some of them break, however, some of those turbines that appear to be nonfunctional actually have internal brakes to stop the wind turbine on a very windy day so as to avoid damage.

This is true, aside from the fact that wind turbines need to be - if not turned off with the breaks - taken off from the grid if there's a risk of over capacity, which could be a serious issue for the grid. This happens often where we are at the moment as well. However, controlled shutting down of a turbine for various reasons and them being damaged due to non-maintenance are two different things.