A green island?

Fairly progressively (and hearteningly), the Turks & Caicos government – under Premier Michael Misick – has promised that the islands will create the region's first "green island".

The island in question is the 2.5-mile Salt Cay, which was once upon a time was the centrepiece of the Bermudan salt industry.

The announcement was made in conjunction with press about the upcoming 10th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-10), which will take place in the Turks & Caicos islands (TCI) 28 April - 1 May. The theme will be "Keeping the Right Balance: Sustaining the Caribbean Coastal Product".

"It is hoped that by doing this conference, we are seen as leading the way in sustainable tourism development, but also it would help to educate some of the various people in the tourism industry and the people of the TCI of the need to preserve the environment, the need to have a clean surroundings," Premier Misick said.

The conference will feature a number of renowned speakers, including Canadian naturalist David Suzuki. For more information, visit the www.onecaribbean.org.