Our next trip – our next book!

Surreal landscape of Barbados

Time came for us to pack our bags and travel again! Off we go to Barbados, where we will start work on our next book “Barbados Highlights”. We will photograph there several spots, including some fine landscape and landmarks, such as an old sugar wind mill, now under care of Barbados National Trust.

Then we will visit Dominica. It will be our fourth visit to that amazing island, and we plan to photograph there picturesque Indian River, couple of waterfalls, and also Kalinago people – one of only two last remaining Carib tribes in the whole Caribbean. I am quite excited about this rare photo opportunity.

Material from this shoot along with interview by Margaret will be used for a story in Real Life Caribbean – fine lifestyle magazine from Cayman Islands.
We will also photograph amazing eco-resort in Dominica called Secret Bay. Beautiful place, we are happy to return there.

What else?  ZING, Liat Caribbean airline in-flight magazine published our story and photographs presenting fine architecture by Lane Pettigrew, known Caribbean architect.

Also another Caribbean magazine MACO used lots of my photos for their 10 page story on mentioned above Secret Bay. My photo of Secret Bay bungalow at night also landed on their cover.
Long overdue, Maco!

and last news for today: We will be publishing a fine art book of paintings by known artist devoting his work to the beauty of tiny island of Bequia. Bequia is a tiny island between St Vincent and Mustique – another fine place we visited when working on our first book, Tropical Homes of the Eastern Caribbean.
Stay tuned – you will be the first to see photos from our trip – and soon! And, as always – click Like or Share, if you like these short updates from our work! Cheers!
Derek

5 Ways the Caribbean Uses Green Power

A small stream in the middle of tropical forest in Dominica offers fine drinking water for passing drivers.

While travelling and working in the Caribbean, we are always impressed with many ways Caribbean region embraced “green technologies”. While here in Western world it is rather a talk of the future and a big business with solutions available mostly for rich people (therefore defying its purpose), the Caribbean, being rather a poor region – uses “green energy” everyday, because it is convenient, inexpensive – and simply better.
Today, I invited a guest blogger and expert to tell us a bit more. Hope you enjoy. So, here is Shelly Mirriam, until next time, cheers!

Derek
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In the United States and other parts of the world, there is always the debate of when and how the switch to green energy will come. But did you know that the Caribbean is already using it on a large scale? To prove it, we have gathered five ways the Caribbean is using green power.

1. Solar water heaters – In the tech world, there is a debate between traditional tank water heaters and tankless. There is even a huge push in the United States to use the more environmentally sound tankless kind. But did you know that there is such a thing as solar water heaters? Because people in the Caribbean have low incomes and limited access to electricity, they often rely on solar heaters. Barbados itself is said to have 32,000 solar water heaters and the second highest per capita usage of them in the world.
2. Water recycling – In other countries, rain water is left to run where it falls. However, in the Caribbean this water is often harnessed, stored, and reused. Often referred to as rainwater harvesting or water catchment in the U.S., it is simply known as collecting rain water to be used in gardening, washing, etc. in the Caribbean.
3. Hydroelectric power – In addition to recycling, did you also know that water can also create electricity? This is called hydroelectricity and is best known in dams such as the Hoover Dam. However, streams, rivers, lakes, etc. can also produce hydroelectricity. So much so, that in the Caribbean and Central America, it’s production has tripled from 1980 to 2006. There is even a large use of waterfall energy in the island of Dominica.
4. Geothermal – Often the topic of science fiction, geothermal energy is harvested by drilling into the Earth, both a potentially rewarding and dangerous source of energy. But there is already a plant in Guadalupe that has been in operation since 1984. There are even plans to get the benefits of building similar plants in Dominica, St. Lucia, and Montserrat.
5. Wind energy – With so many beaches and so much natural wind, it makes sense to have wind energy in the Caribbean. A company from the Netherlands felt the same way and installed the first windmill in the region at a hotel/resort in Grenada. Similar plans for future ones are also in the works.

Shelly Mirriam is a science student and also writes for Masters inEnvironmental Science which helps students find the right environmental science degree.

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