Trinidad and Tobago is using our planet as a C02 dump – it is the second highest per capita producer of greenhouse emissions in the world. Data from a study back in 2010 showed that even then, when they were rated 5th worst in the world, they were producing more than 40 million tonnes of greenhouse emissions annually. Over 80% was coming from the growing petrochemical and power generation industry there.
Phytotriades auratus (c) Andrew Gray
The graph above shows the country’s CO2 emissions per decade compared to the global average: in 1990-1999 emissions were on average 17.4 tons of CO2 and in 2011 the figure was 42.4 tons. Since 1990 the rainforest in Trinidad has also been reduced from 47% to 44%, which adds to this impact. Sadly I recently discovered that the only endemic frog to Trinidad, the Critically Endangered Golden Tree Frog, Phytotriades auratus, has lost much of its habitat and its future still hangs precariously in the balance. It lives in just one plant (a giant bromeliad) on the highest mountain tops where the trees on which the plants grow aren’t safe from being cut down or burning. The Ministry in Trinidad is mainly ‘out to lunch’ on vacation, or down the local KFC, so it seems there is little hope of the frogs’ conservation for now.
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