Our new blog, planetPulse, serves as a platform for Eco-Activists to advocate in a manner that showcases their creativity and talent. This New Blog will host short stories, poems, digital art and many of the like to highlight those environmental and ecological issues that impact life on Earth.
Don't Be Shy! Submit your creative pieces through our Editor in Chief and let your voice be heard.
planetPulse 1 - Granny Gaia rests at The Palms.
03/10/2025
By Editor-in-Chief Naomi Barkoye
By Editor-in-Chief Naomi Barkoye
Gaia, a name of Greek origin, refers to the personification of the ‘Earth’. Her personality is deeply caring and responsible, largely reflecting the Earth’s ability to sustain life. Gaia embodies the interconnectivity of all living things, thereby emphasizing dependency that goes beyond the biological, and includes the spiritual.
Even though Gaia is fierce and formidable, the actions of mankind over the last century highlights her delicacy. Centuries of conquest, subjugation and exploitation accelerated the exhaustion of natural resources. Once revered as the fierce goddess of life, Gaia now limps along as Granny- tired, exploited, and tucked away. Granny Gaia is at The Palms, and we not only escorted her there, but also pretended it was the most responsible thing to do.
Now Granny Gaia sends us updates on her health by vomiting up all that we dumped in the ocean in hurricanes and tsunamis. She sneezes violently till buildings collapse and roof tops journey to their family in the countryside. She shows signs of eczema where we cut down trees. Wildlife scatter like restless itches, seeking refuge in places they should not be.
We hear Granny’s groans and complaints in the worsening and more frequent storms. But when the skies clear we carry on the same, mining, dredging or drilling, which cause Granny aches like knee pain. And all the while, she sweats uncontrollably from the heat. Hot flashes were only supposed to plague the peri-menopausal!
But we didn’t abandon Granny earth! We still pay for her maintenance when we plant the occasional tree and sign repetitive international protocol. When we meet and discuss how badly Granny is suffering, we are clearly showing how much we care, aren’t we? Never mind changing how we show love to Granny. Granny can hold on a little longer.
Granny Gaia rests at The Palms, not for healing, but for hospice.
Even though Gaia is fierce and formidable, the actions of mankind over the last century highlights her delicacy. Centuries of conquest, subjugation and exploitation accelerated the exhaustion of natural resources. Once revered as the fierce goddess of life, Gaia now limps along as Granny- tired, exploited, and tucked away. Granny Gaia is at The Palms, and we not only escorted her there, but also pretended it was the most responsible thing to do.
Now Granny Gaia sends us updates on her health by vomiting up all that we dumped in the ocean in hurricanes and tsunamis. She sneezes violently till buildings collapse and roof tops journey to their family in the countryside. She shows signs of eczema where we cut down trees. Wildlife scatter like restless itches, seeking refuge in places they should not be.
We hear Granny’s groans and complaints in the worsening and more frequent storms. But when the skies clear we carry on the same, mining, dredging or drilling, which cause Granny aches like knee pain. And all the while, she sweats uncontrollably from the heat. Hot flashes were only supposed to plague the peri-menopausal!
But we didn’t abandon Granny earth! We still pay for her maintenance when we plant the occasional tree and sign repetitive international protocol. When we meet and discuss how badly Granny is suffering, we are clearly showing how much we care, aren’t we? Never mind changing how we show love to Granny. Granny can hold on a little longer.
Granny Gaia rests at The Palms, not for healing, but for hospice.
‘Granny Gaia’s Plight’
22/10/2025
By Esther Cynthia Kissoon
Ms. Kissoon is a first year Bachelors of Optometry student at the University of Guyana.
By Esther Cynthia Kissoon
Ms. Kissoon is a first year Bachelors of Optometry student at the University of Guyana.
The artwork Granny Gaia's Plight presents a humanized embodiment of Earth, portrayed as an elderly woman suffering from ailments that symbolize environmental crises and climatic disruptions. Inspired by the short prose Granny Gaia Rests at the Palms, the piece depicts her lying in a hospice, weary and distraught, capturing the emotional toll of ecological decline.
planetPulse 2 - Dependence Despite Dominance
14/11/2025
By Editor-in-Chief Naomi Barkoye
By Editor-in-Chief Naomi Barkoye
“The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites use all. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”
- Chief Settle’s Letter to All (December 1854.)
- Chief Settle’s Letter to All (December 1854.)
The spider, an 8 eyed and 8-legged creature, though variant in colour and size, exists as a timeless artist. His livelihood is spent creating webs whose uniqueness and intricacy is rivalled only by their delicacy. Consider this, the spider only takes 30 to 60 minutes to weave a web (varying by size and species), and yet by the mere wave of a hand, the entire structure can collapse.
There are a plethora of designs that spiders can imagine and create with their webs. Each design possesses admirable detail and instinctual engineering prowess. For instance, every spider web is erected with functional threads. Those are the threads that exist on the side-lines but hold the very structure together. They are foundational to the existence of the other threads. If life on Earth is a web, as posited by Chief Seattle, then the earth itself exists as the functional threads. Moreover, if man is merely a thread in the Web of life, a mistreatment of this functional thread via compromising biodiversity and marine life through economic activity, is a mistreatment of mankind himself.
Unsurprisingly, man likely sees himself as the spider rather than the thread. He may credit his ‘superior intelligence’ which is founded in the scientific method and theories of the metaphysical. (Don’t forget apposable thumbs!). Yet, it is mankind who is responsible for his own destruction. Is it brilliance or blindness that drives us to profit from our own undoing?
The Stockholm Declaration highlights in its very first principle that “Man is both a creature and a molder of his environment.” This sentiment is repeated in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development where the ‘integral and interdependent nature of the Earth’ is highlighted in the preamble. A careful read of this introduction indicates that while mankind views itself superior, the reality is that man’s relationship with nature is founded on our dependence, not our dominance.
Perhaps, by virtue of the Web being a production of the spider’s own body, mankind may be both the spider and the web. Mankind is himself and his actions. He is a direct cause and consequence and of the kind of earth he traverses.
Notably, the web itself does not stand alone. Its crutch is the environment that the spider inhabits. The spider needs its environment to be all that it demands for its survival. The spider cannot afford to compromise the structural integrity of its own home. The spider therefore exercises caution and builds strategically. The spider understands that despite its engineering incomparability, the web remains vulnerable. After all, one brush alone can destroy all that the spider has worked towards. The spider is never the instrument of its own destruction. Can mankind truly dare to believe himself the superior being?
There are a plethora of designs that spiders can imagine and create with their webs. Each design possesses admirable detail and instinctual engineering prowess. For instance, every spider web is erected with functional threads. Those are the threads that exist on the side-lines but hold the very structure together. They are foundational to the existence of the other threads. If life on Earth is a web, as posited by Chief Seattle, then the earth itself exists as the functional threads. Moreover, if man is merely a thread in the Web of life, a mistreatment of this functional thread via compromising biodiversity and marine life through economic activity, is a mistreatment of mankind himself.
Unsurprisingly, man likely sees himself as the spider rather than the thread. He may credit his ‘superior intelligence’ which is founded in the scientific method and theories of the metaphysical. (Don’t forget apposable thumbs!). Yet, it is mankind who is responsible for his own destruction. Is it brilliance or blindness that drives us to profit from our own undoing?
The Stockholm Declaration highlights in its very first principle that “Man is both a creature and a molder of his environment.” This sentiment is repeated in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development where the ‘integral and interdependent nature of the Earth’ is highlighted in the preamble. A careful read of this introduction indicates that while mankind views itself superior, the reality is that man’s relationship with nature is founded on our dependence, not our dominance.
Perhaps, by virtue of the Web being a production of the spider’s own body, mankind may be both the spider and the web. Mankind is himself and his actions. He is a direct cause and consequence and of the kind of earth he traverses.
Notably, the web itself does not stand alone. Its crutch is the environment that the spider inhabits. The spider needs its environment to be all that it demands for its survival. The spider cannot afford to compromise the structural integrity of its own home. The spider therefore exercises caution and builds strategically. The spider understands that despite its engineering incomparability, the web remains vulnerable. After all, one brush alone can destroy all that the spider has worked towards. The spider is never the instrument of its own destruction. Can mankind truly dare to believe himself the superior being?
planetPulse 3 - Will they mourn us on the front line? The developing world’s response to first world pressure.
09/03/2026
By Editor-in-Chief Naomi Barkoye
Ms. Naomi Barkoye is a second year Bachelor of Laws Student and Editor-in-Chief of the Eco Trust Society (2025-2026).
By Editor-in-Chief Naomi Barkoye
Ms. Naomi Barkoye is a second year Bachelor of Laws Student and Editor-in-Chief of the Eco Trust Society (2025-2026).
According to Cheick Sidi Diarra, “Climate Change affects all, but it does not affect us equally. Nor do we possess the same capacity to respond to its challenges” (Sem & Moore, 2009). The Paris Agreement concurs as it is founded on the “principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”. It is this premise that provokes a discussion on responsibility of developing territories, particularly in the face of a seemingly unabashed and imposing developed world.
Frequently, when the roles of developed versus developing states are discussed on international forums, developed states tend to acknowledge they have a duty and thereafter pledge a sum of money toward new initiatives despite falling behind on agreed targets, leaving a persistent lacuna between commitments and execution. At the time of the signing of Paris 2015, the Secretary of Public Policy for Nicaragua argued that the limited pressure on the largest emitting countries did not coincide with historical responsibility, or the demands of the goals intended by the Paris Agreement. He said, voluntary responsibilities “is a path to failure” (Jiménez, 2016).
Notably, the United States of America, the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions withdrew from the Paris Agreement first in 2020 and again in 2026. President Trump claimed that the terms of the agreement were unfair to American business and citizens, and in a custodial act he withdrew. At the initial announcement in 2017, Trump said, “I cannot in good conscience support a deal which punishes the United States”. (CBS News, 2017) This reasoning was maintained under Executive Order 14162, Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements (The White House, 2025).
From the perspective of a developing country, the word punish underscores the unspoken. To the developing world, suggesting that the Paris Agreement is a punishment may be an admission that one’s country is a remorseless contributor to the global issue.
When developed nations operate in their national interest as illustrated above, it becomes unsurprising when developing territories in turn argue that their economic interests must be protected.
In his address at the Stakeholder Engagement at the National Energy Transition Forum in Ghana, Minister Ken Ofori-Atta noted eight identified industries in which the country may invest to achieve green and sustainable growth. These included wind turbine manufacture, assembly of grid solar systems, production in bioethanol, inter alia. This remark was preceded by an acknowledgement of pressure from the develop world to abandon Ghana’s oil industry. He says, “Ultimately we are left with a situation where the global approach to remedying a universal challenge fails to consider the urgent need to industrialize and develop across our continent”. But he explains that, both the oil industry and these greener industries can operate concurrently while meeting carbon emission quotas. (Ministry of Energy, Ghana, 2022)
Similar sentiments were expressed by President Irfaan Ali in his interview on ‘HARDtalk’. He lectures the interviewer that even with the greatest exploration that Guyana has, Guyana would still be net zero (African Diaspora News Channel, 2024). In this way, there is room for developing countries to engage in industrialization while supporting the climate effort. It was criticised, however, that Guyana does not specify its managed and unmanaged forests leading to claims that the country may be overestimating its carbon absorption rates. Forestry expert Michelle Kalamandeen opined that “the government is doing well at protecting the rainforest but should not classify it all as managed by the state” (Leo, 2025).
So then, what is the best response of developing countries to developed world pressure?
Chandler et. Al (2002) justified the focus on developing countries’ emissions by prophesying that “greenhouse gas emissions from developing countries will likely surpass those from developed countries within the first half of this century.” This happened in 2008 (Castro, 2014). Thus, despite the political and hypocritical pressure from the developed world, there remains a responsibility on developing nations to reduce their carbon emissions. Consequently, the response to this pressure must be threefold. The developing world must first acknowledge and fulfil their responsibility in the fight against the climate crisis. Secondly, they must reinforce the historical realities that shape the difficulties of today, including the exploitative relationship between the developed and the developing. Finally, in the face of collective upbraid, the developing world must forge and maintain relationships with fellow developing countries. As the old adage goes: one hand cannot clap.
Will developing countries ever escape criticism from the first world?
This author argues that geopolitical hierarchy is an undying challenge to the development of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Amazonas, and other developing regions. Consequently, the developing world must expect, but not accept, the predictable hypocritical sentiment from developed nations. Moreover, notwithstanding the irksome nature of such sanctimony, developing countries must also fulfil their responsibilities. Climate change remains a universal issue which requires a hand from all stakeholders.
Frequently, when the roles of developed versus developing states are discussed on international forums, developed states tend to acknowledge they have a duty and thereafter pledge a sum of money toward new initiatives despite falling behind on agreed targets, leaving a persistent lacuna between commitments and execution. At the time of the signing of Paris 2015, the Secretary of Public Policy for Nicaragua argued that the limited pressure on the largest emitting countries did not coincide with historical responsibility, or the demands of the goals intended by the Paris Agreement. He said, voluntary responsibilities “is a path to failure” (Jiménez, 2016).
Notably, the United States of America, the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions withdrew from the Paris Agreement first in 2020 and again in 2026. President Trump claimed that the terms of the agreement were unfair to American business and citizens, and in a custodial act he withdrew. At the initial announcement in 2017, Trump said, “I cannot in good conscience support a deal which punishes the United States”. (CBS News, 2017) This reasoning was maintained under Executive Order 14162, Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements (The White House, 2025).
From the perspective of a developing country, the word punish underscores the unspoken. To the developing world, suggesting that the Paris Agreement is a punishment may be an admission that one’s country is a remorseless contributor to the global issue.
When developed nations operate in their national interest as illustrated above, it becomes unsurprising when developing territories in turn argue that their economic interests must be protected.
In his address at the Stakeholder Engagement at the National Energy Transition Forum in Ghana, Minister Ken Ofori-Atta noted eight identified industries in which the country may invest to achieve green and sustainable growth. These included wind turbine manufacture, assembly of grid solar systems, production in bioethanol, inter alia. This remark was preceded by an acknowledgement of pressure from the develop world to abandon Ghana’s oil industry. He says, “Ultimately we are left with a situation where the global approach to remedying a universal challenge fails to consider the urgent need to industrialize and develop across our continent”. But he explains that, both the oil industry and these greener industries can operate concurrently while meeting carbon emission quotas. (Ministry of Energy, Ghana, 2022)
Similar sentiments were expressed by President Irfaan Ali in his interview on ‘HARDtalk’. He lectures the interviewer that even with the greatest exploration that Guyana has, Guyana would still be net zero (African Diaspora News Channel, 2024). In this way, there is room for developing countries to engage in industrialization while supporting the climate effort. It was criticised, however, that Guyana does not specify its managed and unmanaged forests leading to claims that the country may be overestimating its carbon absorption rates. Forestry expert Michelle Kalamandeen opined that “the government is doing well at protecting the rainforest but should not classify it all as managed by the state” (Leo, 2025).
So then, what is the best response of developing countries to developed world pressure?
Chandler et. Al (2002) justified the focus on developing countries’ emissions by prophesying that “greenhouse gas emissions from developing countries will likely surpass those from developed countries within the first half of this century.” This happened in 2008 (Castro, 2014). Thus, despite the political and hypocritical pressure from the developed world, there remains a responsibility on developing nations to reduce their carbon emissions. Consequently, the response to this pressure must be threefold. The developing world must first acknowledge and fulfil their responsibility in the fight against the climate crisis. Secondly, they must reinforce the historical realities that shape the difficulties of today, including the exploitative relationship between the developed and the developing. Finally, in the face of collective upbraid, the developing world must forge and maintain relationships with fellow developing countries. As the old adage goes: one hand cannot clap.
Will developing countries ever escape criticism from the first world?
This author argues that geopolitical hierarchy is an undying challenge to the development of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Amazonas, and other developing regions. Consequently, the developing world must expect, but not accept, the predictable hypocritical sentiment from developed nations. Moreover, notwithstanding the irksome nature of such sanctimony, developing countries must also fulfil their responsibilities. Climate change remains a universal issue which requires a hand from all stakeholders.
References
African Diaspora News Channel. (2024, April 19). Guyana President Irfaan Ali Calls Out BBC Reporter For Asking A Disingenuous Question. Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=218&v=Z44A7SQWpiA&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY
Castro, P. (2014). An Introduciton to the Clean Development Mechanism. Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries : A Critical Assessment of the Clean Development Mechanism, 3. Cheltonham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
CBS News. (2017, June 1). Full Transcript: Trump's Paris climate agreement announcement. Retrieved from CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-paris-climate-agreement-withdrawal-announcement-full-transcript/
Jiménez, E. (2016). Nicaragua: the Paris Agreement is a path to failure. Retrieved from The Organisaiton of American States: https://www.oas.org/en/sedi/dsd/IWRM/Documentspot/Nicaragua_the_Paris_Agreement.pdf
Leo, J. (2025, September 10). Forest carbon accounting allows Guyana to stay net zero while pumping oil. Retrieved from Climate Home News: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2024/04/08/forest-carbon-accounting-allows-guyana-to-stay-net-zero-while-pumping-oil/
Ministry of Energy, Ghana. (2022, february 22). National Energy transition Forum: Stakeholder Engagement on Energy Transition. Retrieved from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/energymingh/videos/national-energy-transition-forum/681246093056657/
Sem, D. G., & Moore, R. (2009). The Impact of Climate Change on the Development Prospects of the Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. New York: Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island DEveloping States (UN- ORLLS).
The White House. (2025, January 20). PUTTING AMERICA FIRST IN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS. Retrieved from The White House Washington: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/putting-america-first-in-international-environmental-agreements/
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (2016). Paris Agreement Publication. Retrieved from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/parisagreement_publication.pdf
African Diaspora News Channel. (2024, April 19). Guyana President Irfaan Ali Calls Out BBC Reporter For Asking A Disingenuous Question. Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=218&v=Z44A7SQWpiA&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY
Castro, P. (2014). An Introduciton to the Clean Development Mechanism. Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries : A Critical Assessment of the Clean Development Mechanism, 3. Cheltonham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
CBS News. (2017, June 1). Full Transcript: Trump's Paris climate agreement announcement. Retrieved from CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-paris-climate-agreement-withdrawal-announcement-full-transcript/
Jiménez, E. (2016). Nicaragua: the Paris Agreement is a path to failure. Retrieved from The Organisaiton of American States: https://www.oas.org/en/sedi/dsd/IWRM/Documentspot/Nicaragua_the_Paris_Agreement.pdf
Leo, J. (2025, September 10). Forest carbon accounting allows Guyana to stay net zero while pumping oil. Retrieved from Climate Home News: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2024/04/08/forest-carbon-accounting-allows-guyana-to-stay-net-zero-while-pumping-oil/
Ministry of Energy, Ghana. (2022, february 22). National Energy transition Forum: Stakeholder Engagement on Energy Transition. Retrieved from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/energymingh/videos/national-energy-transition-forum/681246093056657/
Sem, D. G., & Moore, R. (2009). The Impact of Climate Change on the Development Prospects of the Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. New York: Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island DEveloping States (UN- ORLLS).
The White House. (2025, January 20). PUTTING AMERICA FIRST IN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS. Retrieved from The White House Washington: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/putting-america-first-in-international-environmental-agreements/
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (2016). Paris Agreement Publication. Retrieved from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/parisagreement_publication.pdf