Playing My Part to Mitigate Climate Change

Tamaira Rowe

Published on November 17, 2023

by Taton David, St. Lucia

The global need for energy through burning fossil fuels has driven not only our innovations and advancements but also climate change. As a result, we have been experiencing high temperatures and frequent and often severe storms here in the Caribbean. So we cannot ignore the effects of climate change. Now more than ever, we must act; everyone must contribute to climate change mitigation. 

This summer, my contribution, albeit small, has been through an internship with the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE). In a nutshell, the CCREEE aims to fill the gap in the Caribbean regarding information and data surrounding the energy sector and promote renewable energy and energy efficiency use and development. Against this backdrop, my task as an intern was to collect data from stakeholders in the energy sector across Saint Lucia.

Before starting the internship, I had many doubts because this was to be the biggest internship I had ever taken part in. Although I had prior professional experience, I still felt I did not have sufficient skills for the task at hand. However, once I started, I realised I was definitely the right person for the job. 

My first week was nothing short of excitement and enthusiasm once I got going. I realised the skills I had gained from my physics research were very beneficial to what I needed to do. As I continued to work, I learned so much about my country and the energy sector, and lots of information from social studies, which I had ignored when I was younger, became relevant. As someone keen to work in the energy sector someday, I felt motivated by some of the plans I discovered while collecting data. 

Additionally, through the internship, I benefited from weekly team meetings, in which we heard from professionals in the sector whose backgrounds and journeys were different. This was an eye-opener because it allowed me to appreciate the diverse energy sector and its varying prospects. Those weekly meetings were also an opportunity for us to meet with the CCREEE representatives, who assisted us with everything we needed during the country updates.

Although there were many great moments during the internship, there were also some not-so-great moments. My biggest challenge was contacting the various stakeholders. If you have ever tried to message or call a friend only to hear from them long after, this is exactly what happened with some stakeholders. Understandably, though, these people are busy with their work, so I could not fault them. However, it was exhausting calling and emailing them in vain. The other challenge I faced was the feeling of repetition. Our task was to collect data, so we did the same thing every day. 

All in all, I can honestly say this internship was an incredibly rewarding experience, and it was a pleasure to network with fellow interns across the Caribbean and meet the various presenters.