How has Hurricane Irma affected iguanas, and why is it so important to care about them?

Structure and content of an oral presentation

1. Context of document (What is the social political culture context that makes this article seem
pertinent to its readership?)

The document we are studying is an online article written by journalist ROLANDO ARRIETA and
published on the website of NPR, or National Public Radio, which is an American broadcasting network.

It is from September 30, 2019, a date that needs to be put into context because a few days before this date,
the notorious hurricane Irma took place. Irma is the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic
Ocean, generating winds of almost 300km/h, and has had important repercussions in various spheres
analysed in the text, notably biodiversity.

2. Four-sentence summary of document point of view and your point of view. (Overall, what do they
think and why, what do you think and why?)

To put in a nutshell, in his article, the journalist shows the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Irma
and highlights its negative consequences on the fauna of the affected region of the Caribbean, using the
example of the iguana population in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but also its effects on other areas
of society, such as climate and health.

Indeed, I was initially surprised to learn that I was going to work on a text that dealt with the impact of
Hurricane Irma on the Caribbean iguanas, a subject that may seem innocent, but which is much more
interesting. The hurricane had a profound effect on the region, but to think of its effects on the fauna, and its
effects on the local population, testifies to the magnitude of this disaster.

3. Summary of document: facts and point of view: What does the document say and what are the facts
that support it? Does it make sense? Is it well-supported by the facts it presents?

To briefly summarise the text, the author first emphasises the considerable damage caused by Hurricane
Irma.

The damage is first and foremost material: the violence of the winds was such that it destroyed houses,
trucks and planes, and damaged the region's electricity network (I liked the images that the journalist used to
illustrate the extent of the damage). In addition, the hurricane had a profound effect on nature itself,
uprooting forests and destroying vegetation, with tragic repercussions for wildlife, including the iguana
population.

The hurricane destroyed their habitat, the canopies, which prevented them from living and hiding from
human populations, as well as from being hit by cars, and their feeding on flowers such as hibiscus and fruit.
But it's not just the iguanas that are affected; the fact that there has been a lot of rain has contributed to a
large increase in mosquitoes in the area.

But why is the focus on iguanas so important? Well, one reason is health. Mosquitoes are carriers of
dangerous diseases, such as Zika, and iguanas feed on mosquitoes. So if they are impacted, then the human
population is impacted, and becomes more vulnerable to these diseases. They are also important for a more
societal reason, even affecting the tourism sector. Indeed, although some people hate them, others love these
animals because they are tame and social, and constitute a tourist attraction for the region. Finally, as the
whole region is affected by the hurricane, even the surrounding islands, the iguanas may be threatened with
extinction as they have nothing left to eat: a danger to biodiversity.

However, if one solution is to eat them, as recommended by a native of St. Thomas, their presence is still
essential for protection against mosquitoes.
4. Commentary on document: What do you think about the document’s argument and why do you
think it? What’s your point of view and why do you think it?

Altogether, I found this text particularly interesting because it invited me to reflect on issues that are deeply
present in the current debate.

First of all, I agree with the journalist on the importance of considering animals. Indeed, although they are
omnipresent in our lives, the importance we attach to animals is purely domestic. I think it is important to
consider the totality of the fauna because it plays an essential role in biodiversity. The example of iguanas
and mosquitoes shows the importance of the food chain in biodiversity, where an imbalance can be harmful,
not only to the population concerned but also to others (such as humans here).

However, the journalist then shows at the end of the text a certain dependence on these animals. I think it
would be appropriate to find solutions so that we do not depend only on these animals to protect us from
disease.

But of course the subject treated by the journalist obviously raises questions about ecology. In a time and a
society where climate change is more than present, the text also invites us to consider the ecological
question; initially in the protection of fauna and flora, in order to prevent potential extinction in the event of
a disaster such as Irma, by adapting the natural environment in order to promote their survival, for example;
but also to predict these natural disasters themselves, which are directly linked to global warming.

Of course it’s good if we can protect the animals, but I think that the harm comes mainly from the climate
issue. Indeed, the climate is disturbed by human activities through the use of fossil fuels which cause an
increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Thus, limiting our carbon footprint
could limit the risk of disasters, and therefore the dangers to fauna and flora as well as to humans more
generally.

5. Close: Make a brief summary of document and your commentary. Fit again into context. Make a
general observation?

In summary, although presenting itself at first sight as a disconcerting subject, the subject dealt with in this
text is in fact particularly rich. Taking place in 2017, Hurricane Irma was devastating materially but also for
biodiversity by affecting the population of iguanas in particular. This then has a significant effect on various
areas of human life, such as health and tourism.

The text then questions the importance of the ecological question today, by questioning the possibility of
predicting this kind of disaster, in particular by limiting our carbon footprint. Of course, it is difficult to
drastically change our habits, but it is up to our generation to propose solutions in order to ensure the good
of future generations. Speaking of which, COP 27 began a few days ago, the main issue of which is
precisely the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions: perhaps an important step for change?