Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Greenify your life!

October 2009

Our deadly littering habit

Posted Thu, 29/10/2009 - 08:27 by Monique

Thursday, October 29th 2009

Sanitary T&T citizens-will it ever happen? Or are T&T's citizens cursed to scourge the land as litterbugs forever?

The tattered streets and public spaces- malls, parks, schools, markets, night spots, rivers, beaches etc- tell a vivid story.

Litter is ever present throughout the length and breadth of the country-Tobago being an exception. What's more, the litterbugs exercise their deadly habit without shame of correction or fear of criminal prosecution.

How is littering deadly you might ask? Accumulated litter in waterways (drains, rivers) is a recipe for water stagnation, which creates breeding areas for mosquitoes such as the aedes aegypti-carrier of the deadly dengue virus.

An island for an island

Posted Wed, 28/10/2009 - 09:01 by Monique

The following information was forwarded to GreenTnT.org. Please have a read.

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The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is planning to reclaim a sizeable portion of the southern coast of the Gulf-of-Paria to create an industrial island. The project implementors are the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NEC). Earlier last year the NEC commissioned an Italian firm, TECHNITAL, to do the feasibilty study for the project and then follow up with a design concept as well as apply for the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) for approval of the industrial island. The island will be built in the shallow nearshore zone known as the Oropouche Bank and will be linked to the mainland at Mosquito Creek by a causeway.

Smelter case resumes 02 Nov 2009 in Appeal Court

Posted Wed, 28/10/2009 - 08:58 by Monique

The EMA / Alutrint / AG appeal continues at the Appeal Court, top floor, Hall of
Justice, Port of Spain on 02 November 2009, probably for the whole of that week,
starting at 0900 h each day.

Hearings on 7, 8, and 9 Oct were not sufficient to finish the case.

The appeal is by EMA against the quashing of the Certificate of Environmental
Clearance for the aluminium smelter near La Brea.

On 02 Nov, Fayard Hosein for Smelta Karavan will continue his presentation, to
be followed by Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and then EMA/Alutrint/Attorney General
again.

Express concern by being present, if you can.

Msg from Peter Vine.

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopthesmelter/message/1223

Alutrint profitable in five years

Posted Wed, 28/10/2009 - 08:54 by Monique

Anthony Wilson
Published: 22 Oct 2009

On September 16, the local aluminium company Alutrint held a function at the Hyatt regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain to launch a brochure on the aluminium industry in T&T.After the formal part of the function, I spoke with Energy Minister Conrad Enill and Alutrint chief executive Phillip Julien.
Here’s an excerpt of both interviews:

AW: Among the issues that have been raised by those who are opposed to the smelter is the issue of the economic viability of the Alutrint smelter project. Is it viable?
CE: The Government took the decision that we would enter into the industry and therefore in the long term it would be viable on the same basis that the Point Lisas development project is viable.
Any industry that we are getting into for the first time would require us to put into that industry a development-type input. This would be the same. But if you look globally and in the long term, the smelter would be economic.

BP chief: Global energy role for natural gas

Posted Wed, 28/10/2009 - 08:50 by Monique

Published: 21 Oct 2009

Natural gas is definitely a bridge fuel, but can be much more, said Tony Hayward, chief executive at BP. “Natural gas has often been described as a ‘bridge fuel’ to a lower carbon future. It’s definitely that,” he said, adding, “it can be much more.”

Hayward, one of the vocal advocates of gas as a clean future source of energy, was speaking at the 24th World Gas Conference, which was held in Argentina from October 5-9. The conference was organised by the International Gas Union. “Using the technology we have available today, greater use of natural gas can provide us with the quickest, most realistic path to achieving the largest emissions reductions at the lowest cost. “It can be a ‘destination fuel’—a fundamental fuel in a lower carbon world. Natural gas is here. It’s now. It’s cleaner. It’s more affordable. So, what are we waiting for?” Hayward said.

Plan for our Savannah

Posted Wed, 28/10/2009 - 08:47 by Monique

Gary Voss
Tuesday, October 20th 2009

The capital cities and towns in the countries of the Caribbean have for the most part been allowed to grow and expand over the years with little overall planning or control. As a result, most of them now consist of a motley collection of buildings, old and new, with streets that are too narrow for today's demands, and often choked with traffic. While there are some open squares, there are few large promenades or unbuilt areas, and even fewer urban parks.

The one Caribbean capital, however, that does not fit this pattern is Port of Spain. Partly responsible for this is the city's well laid out grid of wide streets, with alternate one-way traffic flows, but the main difference between Port of Spain and other Caribbean capitals is the Queen's Park Savannah. The city literally revolves around this beautiful park - the focal point of the capital: the lungs, the heart, perhaps even the very soul of Port of Spain.

Conserving the environment

Posted Wed, 28/10/2009 - 08:45 by Monique

...one student at a time
Cherisse Moe
Published: 19 Oct 2009

Environmental issues such as global warming and climate change will be topics of discussion at next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), to be held in Port-of-Spain. Future leaders are learning more about these pertinent issues and ways in which they too can help preserve the world around them, as the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) gears up to host its second annual Eco Song School Competition.

The competition, held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, calls on students in Forms One to Three throughout T&T to bring their best voices forward as they articulate their views through music and song. Senior environmental officer at the EMA Tisha Maraj says the competition was introduced to “fill a void” in environmental awareness activities and encourage positive environmental attitudes and behaviours.

Green spaces ‘improve health’

Posted Wed, 28/10/2009 - 08:44 by Monique

Published: 19 Oct 2009

There is more evidence that living near a “green space” has health benefits. Research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health says the impact is particularly noticeable in reducing rates of mental ill health. The annual rates of 15 out of 24 major physical diseases were also significantly lower among those living closer to green spaces. One environmental expert said the study confirmed that green spaces create “oases” of improved health around them. The researchers from the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam looked at the health records of 350,000 people registered with 195 family doctors across the Netherlands. Only people who had been registered with their GP for longer than 12 months were included because the study assumed this was the minimum amount of time people would have to live in an environment before any effect of it would be noticeable.

ALUTRINT AD: Freedom of disinformation

Posted Wed, 28/10/2009 - 08:39 by Monique

Published: 20 Oct 2009
Wayne Kublalsingh

Alutrint is an economic bust. It is the worst economic fit for T&T. It is ruinous to the health, the ecology and economy of the republic. Not a ton of newsprint, a thousand gallons of printer’s ink could paper over these facts. Alutrint’s latest propaganda, a double-page newspaper ad titled “Alutrint Ltd: Freedom of Information Act Statement 2009 Update,” is an attempt to paper over the fact that it is hiding critical information from the public, the ultimate stakeholders of the company. It is simply unable to publish, as is required by law, its annual accounts, or to provide any cost-benefit analysis to prove its economic viability. The following facts illustrate how Alutrint is subverting, with a face of stone, the concept of freedom of information. In April 2006, one year after Alutrint was incorporated, the head of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, Senator Mary King, called on officials of Alutrint, the Natural Gas Export Task Force, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, the National Gas Company (NGC) and the National Energy Corporation (NEC) to appear before her to answer questions on Alutrint’s economic viability.

Schools learn about animal conservation

Posted Wed, 14/10/2009 - 10:44 by Monique

Catherine Copeland
Published: 13 Oct 2009

The Emperor Valley Zoo, in conjunction with the San Juan Rotary Club and the Zoological Society of T&T, visited the San Fernando TML School, with several animals in tow. The Zoo to You programme allowed the pupils to learn about and touch the animals. Zoo handler Walter Bonyun and researcher Shari Wellington explained how to handle and care for the animals, including Mustard, an albino Burmese python, and Spike, the prehensile-tailed porcupine.