est. 2007

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The Link(?) Between Garbage And Economic Prosperity

Letters to The Editor Sir, I am writing this letter to you today because I would like your assistance in thanking someone. A few days ago, while driving home from work, I noticed someone throwing their garbage out of the window of a bus waiting at a junction. Sir, it is this individual that I…

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Submitted by Amit, Pull!Push! blog

Letters to The Editor

Sir, I am writing this letter to you today because I would like your assistance in thanking someone. A few days ago, while driving home from work, I noticed someone throwing their garbage out of the window of a bus waiting at a junction. Sir, it is this individual that I would like to thank and I am seeking your assistance in doing so by asking that you publish my letter. What follows is for him (or her):

You see, when you (i.e., the throw-er of the garbage) threw whatever you threw out of the window, you weren’t littering, you were doing your bit for the economy! You were trying to show us that there is another way besides tourism!

You probably figured that if everyone else were to throw their trash out of the windows of buses and cars and trucks and whatever other vehicles that had windows that were available to throw trash out of, that it would result in the SSA going on a mass recruitment drive, or, increasing the salaries and wages of its current employees (as a result of the increase in trash).

You are clever, whoever you are. They (whoever ‘They’ are or were), wouldn’t just let the trash sit there and pile up. No, you knew that someone would come behind you and clean it up at some stage.
You never intended to act in a selfish, dirty, disgusting, shameless and disrespectful manner. You were merely trying to achieve two important objectives: 1) Job creation and 2) Increased wages and salaries! How noble of you!

An increase in employment and/or wages would be good news for everyone! Wouldn’t it? Yes Sir! More people working (and earning more we hope) means more money being spent in the local economy. Hah!

Who needs tourism?

Read full blog on Pull Push.

19 responses to “The Link(?) Between Garbage And Economic Prosperity”

  1. Amit Avatar
    Amit

    Hi David and BU Family,

    Pls. note that while the above was a tongue-in-cheek article, the garbage that I saw being thrown out of the bus was serious.

    Cheers,
    Amit.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    Thanks Amit for reminding us how we continue to abuse our environment.

    Another instance where we are failing as a country to modify current behaviour towards our environment.

    To think that as a tourist destination we should be more proactive at guarding our environment maybe asking too much.

  3. X-man Avatar
    X-man

    How about introducing on the spot fines?

  4. Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados) Avatar
    Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados)

    @X-Man, who is going to be on the spot to apply the fines? It would be nice to believe that people would adopt an honour system and be ready to put money into a collection box at selected places.

    If larger scale littering in the form of dumping cannot be controlled, it’s hard to see how the smaller scale and wider spread problem of casual littering will be controlled.

    Civic pride is clearly missing.

  5. bdysrfr Avatar
    bdysrfr

    hey adrian congrats.
    it all starts with teaching youth to be proud of their community and country.you cant teach old dogs new tricks. work on the puppies

  6. Alex Fergusson Avatar
    Alex Fergusson

    I totally agree:

    The DLP got it wrong, as regards plans for the Sugar Cane Industry, they got it wrong on the economy and on Barbados’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

    The DLP is also getting it wrong on a fishing agreement and on job creation.

    They are also getting it wrong on reducing the cost of living and they got it very wrong on Barbados’ Offshore Oil Programme.

    Will the DLP ever get anything right?

    Even Die-Hard Dems now have serious doubts. The DLP is bad for Barbados.

    The DLP has caused this country to lose millions because they got it wrong on Barbados’ Offshore Oil Exploration Programme, while CLICO continues to pose a major threat to the economy and Barbaians in general.

  7. Young Bajan Avatar
    Young Bajan

    Alex

    You are getting real tired, we know you are anti-DLP, and pro-BLP. Your arguments are the same all the time and completely missing the point most if not all the time. The DLP are in power, get over it, elections are in a few years, make you mark then.

    Real issues are trying to be discussed and you bring partisan crap to it continually. It is going nor getting US as a nation no where. Tired arguments from political supporters that really are a waste of time in some circumstances. How is a man blogging about littering a political issue, that is a human issue if not a pride issue. Leave out the politics.

    Time to grow up, stop complaining and do something different, make a suggest.
    But you would not be Bajan if you did not complain and said ” that is not my issue it doesn’t impact me”.

    Bajans are good at complaing but piss poor at doing anything to change.

    Instead of belittling all the time, help them out, it would be for your own good as well, cause you still have to live here and in the mean time assisting in however you deem best i’m sure would be appreciated, but you don’t understand good criticism from totally overboard ignorance.

  8. Alex Fergusson Avatar
    Alex Fergusson

    How is a man blogging about littering a political issue, that is a human issue if not a pride issue. Leave out the politics.
    ++++++++++++++++

    This country is really in serious crisis:

    Climate change; the environment; flooding, the underground water supply, rats; mosquitoes, flies and public health threats – should I go on?

    Fool! Then why did Prime Minister Thompson establish a Ministry of Water Resources and the Environment?

    Why are 98 world leaders gathering in Denmark soon.

    You have to be a dem and each time people like you blog, it becomes clearer to local and overseas Barbadians – the extent of the current national crisis.

  9. Alex Fergusson Avatar
    Alex Fergusson

    More Praise for Guyana President. First Prince Philip, then world leaders now a regional academic:

    +++++++++++++++

    According to GINA, Professor Clement Sankat, Pro Vice Chancellor and Campus Principal, said President Jagdeo has emerged as one of the Caribbean’s leading statesman – not only speaking on the matters of the environment but also over the years he has been speaking on food and agriculture production and food security for the region.

    During his lecture, Jagdeo gave a detailed background on the climate change scenario noting that the solution to resolving the problem of cutting greenhouse gas emissions is quite clear – more renewable energy, greater efficiency and cutting deforestation rates around the world are needed.

    He noted that rainforest countries are trying to correct the “most important and glaring omission” of forests as part of the abatement solution from the Kyoto Protocol.

    Pointing out that deforestation generates about 20 per cent of greenhouse gases he again argued that to leave forests out of the solution would make it almost mathematically impossible to achieve the targets set for 2050.

    “We are trying to change that. As the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end 2011-2012, the new agreement in Copenhagen must include forests as an abatement solution”, he was quoted as stating.

    http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/stories/12/03/guyana-grafting-climate-coalition/

  10. Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados) Avatar
    Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados)

    As discussion drifts to President Jagdeo, worth noting that he has reportedly been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, for his efforts on climate change, see http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/stories/12/02/jagdeo-nominated-for-nobel/

  11. Alex Fergusson Avatar
    Alex Fergusson

    @ Dennis Jones and Chris Halsall:

    Now you understand why people like Dr. Tennyson Joseph was calling for a reshuffle of the quasi-CARICOM Cabinet.

    Now you know why Regional Heads selected him to lead talks with President Obama.

    Now you know why faced with the same global financial crisis, the Guyana economy grew by 3.8% last year and will grow by 2.5% this year, while Barbados is in perilous crisis and plunging even further.

    Now you know why Guyanese are going back home.

    ++++++++++++

    By the way – there are 27 days remaining before the DLP show us the 30,000 Guyanaese it said are are here illegally.

  12. Young Bajan Avatar
    Young Bajan

    LOL, I am not a DEM neither a BEE, hahahahh. Isn’t your ignorance bliss hahaha. He set up the ministry to clean up after the same lazy people who throw their garbage out the window. lol
    But i guess that means what you support the establishment or want it demolished??

    As for the other environmental issues you mentioned I am all for them being looked at carefully and finding the best solutions, but politics has a way of skewing such results.

    As for you calling me a fool, well i would rather be a fool for a day than a fool for life. You still haven’t seen the point, not everything has to or ever will be solved with policy nor politics. Learn it, people have to do somethings for themselves.

    Yes i understand we have serious environmental issues, but your gesturing is not providing any solutions nor encouraging any.

  13. Young Bajan Avatar
    Young Bajan

    Don’t lose yourself, if we wait on politicians to do everything, let alone come up with policy we will have more fundamental issues.

    I am not against you, i’m simply tell you that it’s time for us as a people to walk on our own two feet and create solutions that produce the results that we so desire.

    Otherwise you would be very right, we will have issues not even the PM nor the richest men here will be able to solve, that is if they even want to.

  14. Alex Fergusson Avatar
    Alex Fergusson

    Reduction of emission: America, China and Britain. Who can solve this climate change issue – ordinary people or politicians?

    What if Obama does not get a climate change bill?

    Look, you are alright. I can talk politics but I understand and know what it is to be a Barbadian by birth.

    I mean you no ill-will. But I know when and if to get in the gutter.

    Read this friend:

    Drastic cuts in carbon emissions may not be sufficient to avoid the worst ravages of global warming and the world will need to suck carbon from the atmosphere to avert permanent damage to the climate, according to a leading world authority on climate science.

    In an interview with The Times, Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), proposed that new techniques should be applied to help to mop up atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide that have been pumped into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels.

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6938298.ece

  15. Alex Fergusson Avatar
    Alex Fergusson

    @ Young Bajan, David and Chis Halsall

    What are your views on a carbon tax?

    I know we already have an Environmental Levy, but should Prime Minister Thompson now introduce a tax to further protect the environment, beach erosion and so on.

    If so, isn’t that what the same Air Passenger Tax our PM critised, is suppose to do for Britain?

    Secondly, having criticised the Air Passenger Tax, should our PM now repeal Barbados’ Environmental Levy legislation?

    ++++++++++++++

    Please read here:

    Dr Hansen, an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute in New York, argued that the only effective way to control global warming was to institute an increasing “carbon tax”, not “cap and trade”.

    “We are going to have to move beyond fossil fuels at some point. Why continue to stretch it out longer?” he said. “The only way we can do that is by putting a price on carbon emissions. The business community and the public need to understand that there will be a gradually increasing price on carbon emissions.”

    He proposes that the “carbon tax” start at the equivalent of about $1 per gallon of petrol but rise in future years. The tax revenues should be returned directly to the public in the form a dividend, he said.

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6941974.ece

  16. Young Bajan Avatar
    Young Bajan

    I read that already, and the TIME magazine and all the other articles that come out daily. I have an interest, have always, so i fully understand where you come from.

    As a young person in Barbados though, i’m a little tired of the politic squabbling over things that they all stand to benefit from as a people, but polliticians simply forget that when politics is done they too, become like us, simply human again, not the “superior beings” they may think they are.

    Let me put it to you this way, if the PM was serious about his green economy, he would have mandated and subsidise solar panels for house holds here, which in the long term is fundamentally cheaper than depending on an oil price which we have no control of at all.

    But none of the MPs seem to be on board with that.

    Here is something for you to think about, what happens to the QEH (our only hospital) if we get 1-2m see water rise?? then again our so called tourism and water resource, salt water intrusion maybe??

    Politicians spend time on things they should not all the time get themselves caught up in, but we will see what happens.

    I understand your fight, i know the feeling.

  17. Young Bajan Avatar
    Young Bajan

    Carbon tax, it is what the British governemnt is doing. However the intent is sometimes flaw, because it is/was suppose to target business practice but it hassimply been passed on and in terms of the air passenger tax, it will not necessarily work. How else will most of them get to the Caribbean.

    The carbon tax policy may work better on produce but still has to be watch, especially in a place like Bim. Otherwise it is simply a flawed tax that will make taxpayers even more pissed and defeats the purpose of encouraging change in the regard that it was intended.

    Fine and penalties might work better providing they are collected and enforced, though they to can be passed on in the long term.

  18. foolishness Avatar
    foolishness

    Forgive me if I am wrong. What de ass Liz Thompson know about oil exploration and development. She only know what the technocrats at the Ministry of Energy told her. These same people are still running the Oil exploration programme. All of a sudden these experts get foolish?
    Steeuuuupse
    Make some time and make a call and talk to them informally and see what they say.
    Some Bajans so stupid. Do you really think that intl conglomerates would pay the same premium for a bidding block with Oil at $45 or $70 that they would have paid when it was $140 and predicted to go to $200. when the price start to fall do u think they would be in such a hurry to commit to a bid?

    Common sense really aint common to you Alex Fergusson. I don’t even know why I bothered. It is amazing that elections due in 2013 and you ppl start the campaign already. No interest in Barbados weathering this storm. just focussed on getting ahead. The politicians I can understand. To them it is a game and they utilise each others policies anyhow but big men and women. y’all need to find something to do. Half the reason Barbados is the way it is is because big men and women from both parties who should know better are prepared to to say and do anything to get or keep their party in power and they feel that they should get paid once their party is in power.

  19. Alex Fergusson Avatar
    Alex Fergusson

    Listen fellow.

    Senator Thompson’s speacialty is in ENERGY.

    She holds an MBA in ENERGY POLICY MANAGEMNENT IN DEVELOPING COUUNTRIES.

    I beleive she is also now finishing a LLM specialising in the Energy Sector.

    The United Nations recognised her for her contribution to the environment.

    And what is your your point again.

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