She was born in 1927. My oldest living relative, an aunt is 98 years old. Sister Annunciata is her official name but we call her Sister Barbara. She is a Sister of Mercy, living her entire adult life in the Alpha Convent in Kingston and working in the Alpha Boy’s School, an institution noted for its influence in nurturing many of Jamaica’s early musical pioneers in ska, jazz and reggae.
When Sister Barbara was born Global CO2 levels were 304 parts per million. By the time one of her younger sisters, my mother, was born in 1935, Global CO2 levels had increased to 309 parts per million. They both lived through Hurricane Charlie which barreled through Kingston in 1951. Global CO2 levels were 310 parts per million in 1951. I remember the stories of Charlie as a child. It was always hushed and serious descriptions from those who had experienced it. It was a Category 3 hurricane which were rare in making direct hits on the island, usually skirting to the south. Apparently our 7,400 feet Blue Mountains having something to do with deterring the worst of the storms away from us.
When I was born in 1962, global CO2 levels had increased to 318 parts per million. Fortunately, I never had to endure a full onslaught of a hurricane though we had several that passed by and we always prepared just in case, making sure to have enough water and food stored. We never had a generator and enduring multiple days with long power outages were common up at Cooper’s Hill where my father and other family had homes. I loved the fog that would descend on us up there at about 2,500 feet elevation and the torrential rain that came in, usually always from the south. We could watch it approach from the St. Catharines plains, a bank of grey mist approaching enveloping the hills below us.
I left the island in 1977 when global CO2 levels were 334 parts per million. Sister experienced Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, also a Category 3 but way more deadly than Charlie. By this time Global CO2 levels had increased to 352 parts per million. Gilbert caused thousands to be homeless and took 45 lives. Ivan, also a Category 3 storm went south of the country in 2004 and caused 17 deaths. Global CO2 levels in 2004 were up to 378 parts per million. In 2007 Hurricane Dean, a Category 4 storm also went south causing a lot of flooding and damage. Global CO2 levels in 2007 were 384 parts per million.
The last time we saw Sister was in 2017. We went to visit her up at the Alpha Convent Retirement Home in the St. Andrew hills above Kingston.
Fortunately, we were there for a family reunion and it was her 90th birthday so she was delighted to see her last remaining brother and 3 sisters who were alive and about 15 of her young nieces and nephews come to visit. The convent retirement home is in a stunning location overlooking Kingston, the Liguanea Plains, Kingston Harbor and the Palisadoes strip of land leading to Port Royal. You can easily make out the high-rise hotels in New Kingston, the blue and white Pegasus where I spent many days swimming after school and in summer holidays with my friends. And the Hilton beside it. You can make out the National Stadium near where my mother and I lived in Mountain Terrace from up there and the bauxite factory. You can see all the planes land and take off from Kingston International Airport on the Port Royal strip. I revisited all those places this past weekend in my mind re-watching Dr. No, filmed in 1963 when Global CO2 levels were 310 parts per million. Sister would remember our family friend Reggie Carter who played the driver that picked up James Bond at the airport.
The grounds at Sister’s retirement convent home up in the hills is surrounded by mature flowering fuchsia bougainvillea featuring an enclosed little garden with red hibiscus flowers and a large white statue of the Virgin Mary, her hands in prayer position.
We needed those prayers this week. Sister is one of only two retired nuns remaining at the Sisters of Mercy Convent retirement home with their caregiver. On our family call this past weekend, one of my cousins said she had spoken to the caregiver who said they were staying put up there in the hills. I said this was worrying. Why weren’t they taking them off the hill. We were hoping they would be taking them down to the main convent residence at Crossroads where at least they would have access to medical care if they needed it. The caregiver said they had food and water for a week. But what about landslides and being completely cut off and inaccessible I said. It sounded crazy to stay up there.
Last year, Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 storm didn’t make landfall but caused a lot of damage in Jamaica. Global CO2 levels were 426 parts per million. This is 2025. Hurricane Melissa was Category 5 with winds of 185 mph when it hit Western Jamaica this week. Global CO2 levels are now 427 parts per million. The death toll is still being tallied, and the western parishes took a very big hit. Maybe the Blue Mountains did keep the worst of it away from Kingston.
I am grateful to hear that Sister and her companions are safe. Trees are down at their property.
I mourn with all Jamaicans the loss of life and the destruction that happened in the Western parishes. I applaud the foresight of the government that put in place a Catastrophe Bond some years ago that they can access to help with reconstruction.
I was fortunate to be in New York City last month and attended the final events of Climate Week NYC where climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe gave the closing address at the Museum of Natural History. One thing she stressed in her talk was that there are many more people concerned about climate change than the algorithms of technology and loud voices selected to be amplified in media would lead you to believe. She said if you feel anxious, worried or overwhelmed by the issue of climate change, you should know first of all that you are not alone. Neuroscience says if we don’t know what to do we will shrug it off. She said 60% of us are worried about it but not activated and have psychological distance from it. She stressed speaking about it in relation to how it’s affecting you in the activities you enjoy, or the things or places you love. Let it be something we do talk about, let it be personal and let it be shared within your community. It’s not something to be silent about or think it’s too big and collapse in despair about. Earth is changing. That’s a fact.
Next year I’m teaching an undergraduate ecopsychology class that will include an assignment inspired by something shared with me by climate educators in New York. It’s an assignment with learning objectives to connect large-scale climate trends to personal and family history in order to foster deeper emotional and intellectual engagement, to reflect on how climate change has evolved with your lifetime and the implications for future generations. It’s titled Climate Change: A Family Story. This is mine.
Recommended book:
How to Live in a Chaotic Climate: 10 Steps to Reconnect with Ourselves, our Communities and our Planet by LaUra Schmidt
I love this story
Let it be personal! Let it be shared! Thanks for showing us how!!