Bahamas RC holds climate change competition

What do three Bahamians in a tub do?
They win a film competition, and in the process, highlight the global environmental issue of climate change.

The National Climate Change Short Film Competition was launched to sensitise the people of the Bahamas about climate change and how it affect the country and the world, as well as highlight the contribution others can make to risk reduction programmes.

Climate change is seen as an environmental problem, not a humanitarian one. But the Bahamas Red Cross (BRC) says it is now realised that climate change will lead to more weather extremes, more floods, heat waves, droughts, intense hurricane aims and typhoons. These disasters will mostly affect the most vulnerable people.

“We had a lot of fun making this video which is entitled, ‘Three Bahamians in a tub’,” stated eventual winners Lindsay Delaplaine and Matthew McCoy.

“First, we wrote the script and then invited three of our friends to come along and be actors in our short film. We put them in a little Abaco dinghy just off Hope Town, and they did an excellent job of acting out our script.”

The competition was open to the public and ten entries were received. The entries, each four minutes in duration, were viewed on large screen at the ZNS Television studio and adjudicated by a panel of judges.

Delaplaine and McCoy, both keen environmentalists, received a cheque for US$1000 from BRC Director General Marina Glinton, at the Red Cross headquarters in Marsh Harbour.

“All of the entries were of a very high standard, but the winning entry was exceptionally good and stood out above all the rest,” stated Ms. Glinton. Second and third place winners were both from Nassau.

‘Three Bahamians in a tub’ and all of the entries are expected to be shown on ZNS television.

Similar competitions are expected to be held in each Caribbean territory. The winning entries will be incorporated into a promotional film on climate change and how it is affecting the Caribbean.

The film will be produced by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Adapted from a story that appeared in The Abaconian, August 1