Jhannel Tomlinson

The faces in environmental activism have become younger in recent times, with 17-year-old Greta Thunberg, a teenage activist from Sweden, who has become the face of the youth climate change movement.

A similar trend is taking place here in Jamaica with young persons, such as Chevaughn Brown, national coordinator of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network – Jamaica. The 26-year-old stated that he was influenced into the space, based on what was happening in his community in Old Harbour, St Catherine, where he grew up in the protected area of the Portland Bight.

“I visited the Caribbean Coastal Area Management which manages the Portland Bight Protected Area a few times, as a student; and I saw at first hand some of the damage to the mangroves caused by the activities of man. Therefore, what I want to do is to initiate a transgenerational change as to how individual persons interact with the environment,” he declared.

Brown currently trains young people, passing on information about how to protect and be stewards of the environment.

A student at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental science, Brown said that the environment provides a platform from which young people can raise their voices.

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“As young persons, we should get out there and let others know that we are serious about sustainable development and preserving the environment,” he said.

Jhannel Tomlinson is on a similar path as Brown. As the Prime Minister Youth Awardee for Environmental Protection, she has committed to youth advocacy in an effort to contain the impact of climate change in the Caribbean.

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