Above: Grenadian PM Tillman Thomas

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas is urging young scientists in the Caribbean to place greater effort on finding solutions to the region’s pressing problems, from food security to climate adaptation.

Thomas was speaking at the 10th Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World Young Scientist Conference earlier this week.

The Prime Minister said developing these strategies will “require a paradigm shift from the old and familiar, to the new and adventurous.”

“It requires a new thinking that will add value to the resources found in our region for the benefit of our people,” he said. “The marriage of youth and its accompanying adventurous spirit, with science and technology, provides a platform that has the potential to move this region forward.”

Thomas called for the enhancement of the region’s research and development capability to take advantage of the green economy, with an emphasis on wind, solar and thermal energy.

He also called for a focus on the so-called “blue economy,” that is, developing the resources in the region’s marine environment.

““We must be mindful of our need for balance as our rich heritage and our fragile eco-systems must harmoniously coexist, if we are to bequeath a sustainable region to the next generation,” Thomas said. “The people of this region are eagerly awaiting your solutions to enhance our independence, to improve our health care, our living conditions, our employment opportunities and our standard of living.”