PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands, CMC - A leading international scientist has predicted even worse times ahead for Caribbean economies that are already struggling to cope with escalating oil prices and rising costs of living.

Canadian environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki has warned that fuel prices could reach US$200 per barrel and that situation would have the potential of wrecking Caribbean economies.

"The supply of oil will drop and the price of oil will absolutely skyrocket. The twin crises of ecological degradation and falling oil supplies will have massive repercussions for all countries, but none more so than those of the Caribbean and especially the tourism industry," he cautioned at Monday evening’s opening of the 10th annual Caribbean conference on sustainable tourism development.

Dr. Suzuki further cited the challenges facing the airline industry in the coming years.

"Air travel leaves the heaviest carbon footprint among all modes of transportation and skyrocketing fuel prices are already having explosive effects on the air industry so that the airlines are being hammered by two things - 

too much carbon being generated by air travel and the cost of energy going up," he said.

Dr. Suzuki blamed unchecked growth and unrealistic economic expectations, in part, for the threat which the earth now faces.

"Unfortunately, economists believe economies can grow forever to meet this population's needs," he said.

"They can’t. With that belief system we must eventually ask ourselves, how much is enough? Are we happier with more stuff?"

He added that humans are the first species capable of such destructive power that they are changing the biological, physical and chemical features of the planet on a geological scale.

"We are altering the chemistry of the atmosphere with 30 percent more carbon dioxide in the air now than 150 years ago. It is dissolving in oceans as carbonic acid, acidifying water and threatening plankton," he said.

Citing additional alarming statistics, Dr. Suzuki warned of the dire consequences of continued abuse of the environment.

"Over half of the planet's forests are gone and in 30 years we may have no large, intact forests left. An estimated 50,000 species become extinct every year and the oceans are being depleted. Every large commercial marine species has been reduced by 90 percent. If this continues there will be no commercially useful fish species by 2048," the scientist said.

Despite the challenges, Dr. Suzuki offered hope for a brighter future.

"Are there solutions? Absolutely…We need to focus on our eco-footprint today," said the scientist.

"The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. We can either look at the forest as sacred ground or timber as pulp to be milled for money. Economists think tourism can continue to grow into infinity, but we have to realise that nothing can grow forever. This unchecked growth only accelerates us on a suicidal path," he said.

More than 150 delegates are registered for this year's conference here, an increase of 50 percent over the previous year.

CMC/es/dmb/08