Introduction to Sustainable Shifts

Sustainable Shifts: 

 A Brief Introduction 

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     The Caribbean region, like the rest of the world, is undoubtedly faced with a myriad of issues that affect its development and long-term sustainability. UWI STAT (The University of the West Indies Students Today Alumni Tomorrow) persists as an entity that aims to promote regionalism, enhance the academic experience of students, develop the leadership skills of students, and foster a strong community among the alma mater, current students, and university alumni. UWI STAT Ambassadors accordingly work to fulfil its mandates which collectively target some of the central areas of concern that arise around the development and wellbeing of the region. One of these essential areas is Disaster Mitigation and Climate Change. 

    

     Concurrently, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly hindered the capacity of people to come together and work collectively on large and impactful projects, as well as actively promote climate action and activism. This presents the need to convert climate activism to a virtually accessible mode of delivery that focuses on the role of each citizen in making individual but collective changes that secure the betterment of our environment. 

   

     Considering this, the Sustainable Shifts Blog aims to raise discussions and promote awareness on an array of topics surrounding realistic and sustainable shifts that can be made at the individual capacity to encourage healthier climate practices and environmental outcomes. It is fundamental that we acknowledge that small progressive changes at a large scale can create a positive impact. 

   

     One of the first sub-initiatives of this blog is the ‘Grow Your Own Food’ initiative. Food insecurity and a reliance on imports are significant issues among many nations, including third-world countries. Gardening and small-scale farming can become simple methods of reducing the severity of food scarcity among certain groups and might further reduce the reliance on imported foreign food sources through quick-growing seasonal food crops. Growing more local crops can encourage better environmental and health attitudes, and support local ecosystems. Discussions on crop-growth might also raise awareness on the impact of climate change and natural phenomena on plant-life. 

    

     Our second sub-initiative further seeks to highlight the importance of the five R's, which include 'Reduce', 'Reuse', 'Recycle', 'Repair', and 'Rot'. Each of these play a key role in fostering sustainability and maintaining eco-friendlier low-impact livelihoods. Discussions on the five R's can surround tips for repurposing both non-compostable and compostable waste items, as well as amplifying the importance of proper waste disposal and waste reduction. 

    

     The last primary goal of this blog is to highlight and make local eco-businesses more accessible to students and citizens who read this blog and that are interested in supporting them by making sustainable shifts. It is imperative that the application of environmentalism is made available to all citizens, so that they can do their best to make responsible and environmentally friendly choices. Supporting local and small-scale businesses is similarly a productive method of developing our region and creating a stronger community. 

     

    Additionally, other important and interesting updates might be featured on this blog that are relevant to our passion for environmentalism. Brief visual summaries of each blog post will be posted on our Instagram  page @uwistatsta. Follow our social media page and blog to learn more about things that we can do to help our environment, and to keep updated on our latest uploads! 

   This blog targets students and related groups, but is open to all climate enthusiasts and activists. We look forward to hearing any feedback, suggestions, and experiences that you might have to offer! ♻