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Richard Branson leads effort to create ‘Caribbean Marshall Plan’

Branson is putting together a team to head up what he is calling the “Disaster Recovery Marshall Plan.” The focus of the plan will be the replacement of outdated fossil-fuel power grids with new renewable energy-based systems with the ability to withstand extreme weather conditions while boosting economic development in the region.

The reference to the Marshall Plan, officially known as the European Recovery Program (ERP), was an American initiative to aid Western Europe economies in rebuilding efforts after World War II. The program lasted four years, beginning on April 8, 1948. The cost at that time came to $13 billion, or approximately $132 billion in current dollar value as of October 2017.

Residents stand amid wreckage September 22  2017 in Roseau  capital of the Caribbean island Dominica...

Residents stand amid wreckage September 22, 2017 in Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island Dominica, four days after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
Lionel CHAMOISEAU, AFP/File


Disaster Rick Reduction Conference
Branson came up with the idea after he was invited to Washington earlier this month by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, to talk about recovery from the hurricanes.

Branson, who rode out massive category-5 hurricanes Irma and Maria last month on his private Necker Island in the British Virgin islands, compared the devastation throughout the region to that of a nuclear blast, as was reported in Digital Journal several weeks ago.

He also told the gathering in Washington that with climate change, hurricanes could only get worse. “Another storm could strike within the coming weeks,” he said. “The Caribbean must seize the opportunity and take the leap from 20th-century technology to 21st-century innovation.”

The Caribbean island of St Martin  under Dutch-French control  was devastated by Hurricane Irma

The Caribbean island of St Martin, under Dutch-French control, was devastated by Hurricane Irma
GERBEN VAN ES, DUTCH DEFENSE MINISTRY/AFP/File


Branson and Prime Minister Keith Mitchell of Grenada had already been working to bring together heads of state of the Caribbean, the international community and business leaders to discuss the recovery issues. The founder of the Virgin Group conglomerate has also been in talks with a number of the world’s top multilateral lenders and foundations to set up a fund to finance his recovery plan.

Branson plan may include debt reduction for Caribbean nations
In an interview with Reuters in Miami, Richard Branson said: “We want to move the Caribbean countries into clean energy and make them more sustainable, which will make dealing with hurricanes much easier,” adding, “The Caribbean Heads of State agree with one voice that this is a good idea.”

British billionaire Richard Branson said Thursday that

British billionaire Richard Branson said Thursday that “whole houses” on his private island in the Caribbean had been swept away by Hurricane Irma
JUSTIN SULLIVAN, GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File


Branson also revealed that when he met up with Christine Lagarde, International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief earlier this month, she was happy to help with setting up meetings with Caribbean nations and creditors to discuss debt relief options. “We will talk to the Caribbean heads of state and see if they would be interested in that- it could save them a lot of money.”

One particularly bright spot? The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank have already agreed to participate in the Caribbean recovery efforts, with the World Bank working on lowering borrowing costs to implement more recovery efforts.

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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