Bahamas: US Coast Guard deliver aid to stranded people
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O’Niel Leadon, a young climate activist and conservationist from the Bahamas headed to the COP26 climate summit to take part in talks with The Extreme Hangout, a youth-led hub and event space at the COP. Having built up a huge following on Instagram for his work, the young leader has been making waves in the climate activism space and is furious with the Prime Minister for abandoning the Commonwealth of Nations.
He launched an attack on Mr Johnson for sending mixed messages on climate, saying that while he appears to be championing the cause of climate awareness, he still supports controversial projects like the Cambo oil field.
Oil drilling and explorations are a huge source of climate emissions, and with the Bahamas being a country that will likely feel some of the most severe impacts of climate change, Mr Leadon has been devastated by Mr Johnson’s actions and wants him to do more.
He told Express.co.uk: “It’s like a slap in the face for people like us.
“The support is lacking so tremendously for Britain’s overseas territories, and the homes of individuals who live there are the most at stake.
“I’d personally like to make an appeal to Boris Johnson to not forget these people.
“These people are on the front line of the climate crisis, and considering what the British Government does for its citizens, and I feel the Caribbean overseas territories have been forgotten and it’s saddening.”
Mr Leadon also hit out at COP26 organisers for ignoring the voices of both young activists and political figures from Britain’s overseas countries.
“My friends from these Caribbean territories could not get the accreditation to attend COP, they could only get it through random entities that were willing to sponsor our youth group, and not UK badges.
“There are ministers from the Caribbean in Britain’s overseas territories who could not get the accreditation to come to COP, and that can be so discouraging.”
Mr Leadon said he was expecting much, much more support from the Government.
He continued: “Although these people from Britain’s overseas territories, like the Camen Islands, Monserat or Angola obviously identify as whatever their country’s name is, when you open your passport it says that you are a British citizen.
“Although the Bahamas is formerly British, I still relate to people from these countries 100 percent and it’s something I find very saddening.”
Being a low-lying island, rising sea levels due to global warming’s melting of ice caps poses a real and immenent threat to the Bahamas.
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Mr Leadon warned that, by 2080, some scientists have predicted that the island will be entirely underwater.
He said: “Every time I say that I get so emotional because that is within my lifetime and its not hard to imagine that me and my friends will be dead by the end of the century.
“It’s devastating to think that I might even have to physically leave my home as a climate refugee.”
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