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29 April 2017

By Jonathan Starling 

Greenrock was invited to review the Baseline Report by Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Analysis & Monitoring Programme, which can be read in its entirety online here.

The report makes for some distressing reading for anyone concerned about the environment. We knew that fish catches were too high in the 1970s and had not recovered fully in the 1980s - what this report indicates is that the large predatory fishes, the apex predators of our waters, still haven't recovered and remain at critical population levels. Apex predators such as our groupers/rockfish are crucial for our nearshore ecosystems - they are the tigers or lions of our local environment. 

The ocean is the cornerstone of Earth's life support system - it shapes climate and the weather - and our nearshore not only feeds us but protects us from storm events. The argument is simple - if we lose our large predatory fish, then we will lose our coral reefs, and that will have dire consequences for our future. 

Environmentalists are fond of the saying 'think globally, act locally'. That is very relevant to what this report speaks to. Our reefs are already stressed - and likely to see more stress - due to rising sea temperatures, rising sea levels, ocean acidification and ocean deoxygenation - all consequences of global climate change. Added to this stress is the lionfish invasion and the critical population levels of our large predators.

We can act locally by actively caring for our nearshore and taking steps to reduce our own contributions to greenhouse gases.”

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27 February 2017

• Education
• Eco-Schools
• Americas Cup

What a great month it’s been! I’ve been hitting the pavement making new friends and connections all for expansion and enhancement of our schools programmes.

We’ve welcomed two new Eco Schools this month. Devonshire Pre-School and Dellwood Middle School have both taken on the Eco Schools programme and Dellwood has also shown interest in the Water Explorer Programme. I’m so excited to have them on board and I’m looking forward to seeing their learners get excited about the sustainability.

This month has also seen us build and strengthen relationships with other organisations within the community. We had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of Landrover BAR’s 11^th Hour Racing Zone in Dockyard. This interactive exhibit comes with lesson plans designed to ignite young people’s interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

Eco-schools can spend a day in the west if they travel further into Dockyard and visit Dolphin Quest. Learning about their education programs which are tied to the Cambridge curriculum is a great supplement to our Biodiversity and Water pathways and we’re happy to have them as a delivery partner.

If the west is too far for schools then Bermuda Zoological Society is an ideal option. BZS’s programmes are complementary to our Biodiversity and Water pathways and are compatible with the Cambridge system as well. It’s good to know that our students are able to have quality educational experiences outside of the classroom. I can’t wait to see what next month brings!

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27 February 2017

• Education
• Eco-Schools
• Young Reporters
• End-to-End

Greenrock is proud to be one of the four charities selected by End-to-End to benefit from this year’s fundraising drive. This support will go a long way to supporting our environmental education programmes for the 2017-2018 school year. The monies raised will be used specifically for our Eco-Schools and Young Reporters for the Environment programmes.

Greenrock is joined in this by the Adult Education School, Age Concern and Raleigh as the other charities benefitting this year. Additionally, a fifth charity has the opportunity to receive up to $30,000 through this year’s People’s Choice Special Anniversary Award. Charities that may win this are YouthNet, BUEI, Society for the Blind and the Duke of Edinburgh programme.

We invite all of our supporters to sign up for this year’s End to End – it helps Greenrock and four other great charities!

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27 February 2017

• Earth Hour
• Bermuda

Organising and related activities are gathering pace for Earth Hour 2017, to be held this year on Saturday, March 25^th.

This year, we will be holding Earth Hour at City Hall, and during the day we will be hosting a Living Green Expo on the grounds of City Hall, featuring local green businesses. Live entertainment will begin the evening in the run-up to Earth Hour itself, which starts at 8:30pm. At the start of Earth Hour we will start our 5k Glow Fun Walk & Run throughout the City, beginning and ending at City Hall.

The registration website for the 5k Glow Fun Walk & Run is now open, for both individual and corporate teams – please sign up now!

We still need volunteers for Earth Hour, particularly for road marshals. Want to help out? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. now!

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27 February 2017

As February comes to an end here at Greenrock, we are busy with organising Earth Hour on March 25^th, as well as our regular workload. February is also the start of the Budget debate, and we will be carefully reviewing the Budget and resulting debate to see what, if any, sustainability aspects there are in it.

In environmental matters globally, there is an interesting shift going on where discourse appears to be increasingly shifting from the concept of ‘sustainability’ to that of ‘resilience’. While this shift began over a decade ago, with the 2004 UN report ‘Living with Risk’, it has more recently begun to eclipse the concept of sustainability.

While the two terms are often used interchangeably at the moment, conceptually they have two very different meanings. Resilience implies being best able to withstand global climate change and its related crises, whereas sustainability seeks to avoid these crises altogether and ensure a sustainable development for humanity and our planet, rather than a ‘survival of the fittest’ social and economic Darwinism. 

This leads to an interesting question for those of us committed to a more sustainable world – and in particular a more sustainable Bermuda. Do we want sustainability or do we want resilience – what is it that we should be working for?

Although it is true that we do want a Bermuda that is resilient in the face of climate change and its crises – Greenrock has long been calling for an urgent focus on ‘climate-proofing’ our island’s infrastructure – we do not feel that we should limit ourselves to a resilience only position. Resilience isn’t a solution – it’s a necessary precaution for the short-term. And from our perspective a focus on sustainability is the only viable approach to ensure the resilience of all, including future generations and the biosphere.

Greenrock will continue to work for a sustainable Bermuda - sustainability remains core to Greenrock’s focus and actions.