INDEPENDENT senator Anthony Vieira’s stark warning to legislators and the general public of an environmental “triple-whammy” hung in the air on day one of the Green Infrastructure Conference, hosted by the IAM Movement and the National Gas Company.
Speaking at the Arthur Lok Jack School of Business on January 23, Vieira cautioned that climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss were real and pressing threats.
He warned that vulnerable and wealthy communities alike risked becoming uninhabitable within a few decades.
Drawing on the tragic figure of Cassandra from Greek mythology, Vieira likened today’s scientists to the prophetess, doomed to see the future, but ignored by those who should heed her warnings.
“There’s a paradox,” he said. “While on the one hand, there is no denying that natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense, on the other hand, when scientists warn about climate change, their warnings are being downplayed or ignored.
[caption id="attachment_1135931" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A man walks through the Forres Park Landfill while a tractor moves the rubbish around in 2021. In 2024, Microbes Alive diverted over 71 tonnes of organic waste from landfills. - File photo by Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
“The widespread failure to acknowledge the seriousness and urgency of the situation has turned our scientists and environmentalists into modern-day Cassandras.”
Vieira suggested there was a growing tendency by some governments and lobbyists to dismiss environmental warnings.
“Worse, the triple-whammy crisis remains a low priority for politicians.”
Vieira’s comments came in the wake of controversial actions by US President Donald Trump, whose swift executive orders have reversed emissions rules for oil and gas companies and reopened federal land for coal leasing – decisions critics argued could undermine global sustainability efforts.
As vice president of the ParlAmericas Network on Climate Change, Vieira pointed to rising global temperatures, driven by deforestation and industrialisation, as the primary cause behind the increasing frequency of hurricanes, droughts, wildfires and other disasters plaguing the planet.
He warned Port of Spain and other coastal areas could face catastrophic flooding within the next 25 years.
“A couple of inches of rainfall, and Port of Spain floods,” he said, adding that sites like the Waterfront Complex, MovieTowne and Westmoorings could be submerged in a scenario where sea levels rise by three-seven feet.
Globally, Vieira predicted that cities such as New York, Miami, London, Jakarta and New Delhi could face similar fates.
Despite these dire warnings, he offered a glimmer of hope.
“I believe TT is better off than many other places.”
However, he stressed avoiding disaster would require bold leadership and collaboration across government, the private sector, NGOs and civil society.
“The window is narrower – but it’s open.”
One of the key steps in ensuring the country’s resilience, Vieira argued, is an overdue overhaul
