BEST & College To Hold Eco Lunch & Learn
BEST [Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce] and Bermuda College will hold an Eco Lunch & Learn series presentation tomorrow [Nov 30] featuring Aaron Critchlow, the founder of Bermuda Is Love.
A spokesperson said, “BEST and Bermuda College are pleased to invite the community to attend their second presentation of the Eco Lunch & Learn series of the season. The presentation is free and no registration is required. On Thursday, November 30, Aaron Critchlow will explain Bermuda Is Love’s vision is to create a Bermuda where everyone’s basic human needs, including food, clothing, housing, education, healthcare, a healthy environment, and access to justice, are met and guaranteed by law.
“Aaron will discuss the limitations, impact and potential significance of Bermuda recognizing a new human right, that being the right to a healthy environment.
“In November, Bermuda Is Love launched the #1Planet1Right campaign in collaboration with Bermuda Environmental Action to advocate for the right to a clean, healthy, safe, and sustainable environment.
“A clean, healthy, safe, and sustainable environment is essential for the enjoyment of a wide range of human rights, and permits us to protect a person’s rights to life, health, housing, food, water and sanitation.
“Our human lives are inseparable from nature and our human rights and lived experiences are intertwined with the environment we live in. Without access to a clean, healthy, safe, and sustainable environment, our ability to meet our basic needs and to provide the basic material standards for human welfare and dignity are challenged.
“Moreover, the deepening global and local impacts of the climate crisis, in addition to immediately visible environmental hazards such as air pollution from the BELCO power station, the protection of Bermuda’s local ecosystems, and ongoing difficulties with waste management practices in recycling, dumping, landfilling, and incineration pose a direct threat to the environment and sustainability of Bermuda.
“If left unaddressed, these problems have the potential to cause significant harm to our environment, and ultimately, to the livelihood of all persons residing in Bermuda.
“Bermuda Is Love believes that the right to a healthy environment is a fundamental keystone for a dignified human existence. Supporting the right to a healthy environment is crucially a recognition of the natural, inherent value of nature, meaning that nature must be recognized and valued not just for how it may benefit humans, but as having inherent value and shared rights to survive and thrive of its own.
“We all depend on the environment in which we live, and the present and future wellbeing of Bermuda depends on the health of our shared environment and planet. Let us all come together and advocate for the right to a clean, healthy, safe, and sustainable environment.
“Aaron Crichlow is a 28-year-old Bermudian who is passionate about human rights, social and economic justice, and climate activism.
“He is the founder of Bermuda Is Love, a community organization, whose vision is to create a Bermuda where everyone’s basic human needs, including food, clothing, housing, education, healthcare, a healthy environment, and access to justice, are met and guaranteed by law.
“Aaron is an associate attorney at Cox Hallett Wilkinson Limited, a Bermuda law firm, in the litigation department. His areas of practice are employment disputes, personal injury, claims landlord & tenant matters, family law, and human rights.
“He holds an MA in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from the University of Birmingham, an MSc in Law, Business, and Management from The University of Law, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Kent, and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Dalhousie University.”
Amy Harvey, the Earth and Environmental Science lecturer at the Bermuda College, said, “Bermuda is Love charity is commendable in their approach to connecting our community with our environment at a time when we can become overwhelmed by all of the negative news and events surrounding the environment. This young, passionate group brings innovation to the projects that they spearhead and dignity to the people that they work with. We look forward to this inspiring talk.”
Jennifer Flood, BEST Executive Officer, said, “Given the horrendous climatic disasters of this past year – drought, floods, fires, crop failures, spread of disease – it is abundantly clear that the planet – our one and only home – is under tremendous stress. Whilst Bermuda has escaped the immediate crises, we have experienced very unusual weather affecting infrastructure, ocean temperature rises along with its increasing acidification.
“We also depend almost entirely on other countries to provide food and materials, so directly contribute to their environmental issues. Research has shown that air pollution affects almost all of the global population [99%], causing illness and death.
“Informed, dedicated, determined action is needed to reverse these trends – and it is possible as shown by the countries that have already begun the process of providing legal rights to various areas of their natural environment – notably Ecuador where Article 71 of the redrafted constitution states that Pachamama [Mother Earth] not only has the right to exist but also to have its “maintenance and regeneration of its life cycles, structures, functions, and evolutionary processes” respected. Let’s protect our home, and all its inhabitants with legally binding resolutions.”
The spokesperson said, “Join us for this important presentation by Aaron on this very relevant topic for the future sustainability of our country.
“The community is invited to attend on Thursday, November 30th from 1:00pm to 2:00pm, either in person at The Bermuda College, Athene Room H100, or on Facebook or YouTube. The presentation is followed by a lively Q&A.”
Read More About
Category: All, Environment
