Submitted by Pachamama
Picture Courtesy of http://www.presstv.ir
The recent devastating and unusual weather in the Eastern Caribbean represents the latest manifestations of the effects of human induced climatic disruptions that will only get worse. It should be fairly clear by now that these new normal weather events, in scale and scope, are equal opportunity harbingers of dangers which will leave few on earth unharmed.
We have had extreme weather events from places like New York, the Philippines, Iran, England, China, Russia, Turkey and most world countries. Whether earthquakes, unusual flooding, hurricanes, tropical storms, hail storms, snow storms, tornadoes, cyclones, or droughts, Pachamama seems determined to correct a human imposed environmental imbalance, like she has done several time before. We must avoid this great ‘shaking off’. For her actions are most likely to be felt by small, resource poor, island states which are seemingly on their own in confronting her massive power.
In this regard, Pachamama seems to have no notion about a democratic or equitable distribution of pain and suffering. For anecdotally, she seem to inflict her flurry on developing countries, disproportionately. Countries like Tuvalu, Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia and Thailand. Countries that had little to do with the massive and increasing postindustrial emissions of greenhouse gases. Small island states have benefited little from this most recent phase of human activity which Westerners like to call ‘civilization’ as given us by the British.
The Western powers at the recent COP19 meeting continued to evade their responsibilities for creating the threat to all living things. They continue to disregards old targets which they had agreed to, make new demands from lower emitters, demand that developing countries carry a disproportionate burden for Western emissions and renew their refusal to provide resources to ameliorate the effects of climate change as caused by their actions. The targets set over the last 20 years have all been exceeded. We are now pass the 450 parts per million which the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) had laid down as a tipping point. Yet the Western economic model remains addicted to fossil fuels. While shielding their oil and gas companies from a proper international scrutiny, these extractive industries are indeed expanding operations into new revenue streams, such as fracking, despite inherent dangers, current and as built up since the Industrial Revolution.
As if these challenges to human existence were not enough, the ‘developed’ world has recklessly lurched into more generalized and self-destructive behaviors. Pachamama has been made to watch as ‘humans’ invest more tens of billions of dollars to upgrade nuclear arsenals; attempts to control whether (chemtrails) as an instrument of war; employ genetically modified organisms (GMO) in a frontal assault on nature; enabled the progress of desertification; poison the waters of the world; through ice cap melting, released billions of tonnes of gases into the atmosphere and genetically polluted all living creatures.
The innocence of world is left to pay with their lives for the sins of a few global oil and gas companies. Companies that have inordinate control over the political masters we elect. This control prevents media, for example, from connecting the disasters in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia to the revenue streams of Mobil, Shell, the Simpson Motors group, Chevron, Exxon or the Russian state-owned company, Gazprom. These criminal and interlocking relationships were clearly seen during the handling of the devastation in the Gulf of Mexico, as caused by Mobil, by a feckless and uncaring Obama administration.
On the personal, we have had some of our most pleasant moments in the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, over many years. Our hearts and pocket books should, at this time, be opened to correct a problem that we have caused. Not only in Saint Vincent but in Saint Lucia as well. On the geo-political level, we are again calling on the people who benefited from the slave trade, in these islands. The same people who now benefit from the destruction of mother earth through their extractive industries for an exercise fairness. We are demanding that they bow to the unlimited power of Pachamama and do justice to the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia, and to do so today.
does anyone in barbados seen this on you tube.interesting!
http://youtu.be/lKXspt459LE
how about this one?
http://youtu.be/tNyVRnXCS9w
I do not agree with the sentiments expressed in this post
I am not going to denigrate the poster or rubbish what is written. I do not agree with what is written that’s all.
What is written does not convince me that it is accurate. It seems more speculative than anything else.
These weather occurrences have happened from the beginning of time. Global warming is a myth just like the year 2000 Computer Crashing Myth
Pacha
Like many, you are blindly jumping on the bandwagon that it is mankind’s actions that are causing Global Warming.
Scientifically speaking, the very first and most likely culprit, that should be studied very carefully, would be the most powerful heat/ energy source in the SOLAR System——The Sun. The cleverest Solar Physicists can NOT eliminate the Sun based on scientific process and historical evidence regarding Cycles of various lengths of which the 11 year cycle is the most common.
I do sympathsise with your Socio Political points to some degree. The problems created by man like GMO, POLLUTION must be solved.
(Got to go)
With due respect the term ‘global warming’ has gone out of use. Extreme weather could go in any direction. In fact, the release of green house gases could precipitate another ice age.
It seems that the PM of Antigua is the only one to roll up the sleeves and show some tangible support for St. Vincent.
four stars ;;;;;;;good article
Thomas Sankara
<
p align=”justify”>Dear In the wake of the recent deadly rainstorm Roy Morris Kaymar Jordan Eric Ron Smith David King Ian D Bourne I don’t know if this will be considered news worthy for you all to use your medium to bring awareness of what could happen in the near future. None of us where around in 1755 when Barbados was struck by a tsunami which was triggered by an earthquake thousands of miles away in Portugal. I don’t want to panic you or your readers but risk mitigation makes more sense than hiding the inevitable then seeking to manage risk. Should volcano Cumbre Vieja collapse the displacement of water can reach the Caribbean in just under 6 hours as a tsunamis if in doubt ask the people at UWI or Judy Thomas at CEDMA http://www.livescience.com/42212-el-hierro-volcano-eruption-threat.html
<
p align=”justify”>
<
p align=”justify”>
<
p align=”justify”>
<
p align=”justify”>New Eruption May Be Brewing at El Hierro Volcano
<
p align=”justify”>livescience.com
<
p align=”justify”>Two years after a new underwater volcano appeared offshore of El Hierro in the Canary Islands, earthquake swarms and a sudden change in height suggest a new eruption is brewing near the island’s villages.
<
p align=”justify”>
SO WHAT IF THE WEATHER PATTRENS HAS CHANGED? The only authority that speaks of this impending changed of the weather pattrens is the Hebrew Scriptures; as far as my knowledge is concern.
And I am quite sure you understood as well as I, that there a is Biblical narrative which gives voice to the fact that these natural disasters are the signs of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mathew 24:7 tells us in clear and convincing terms that, ” For nation shall rise against nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows. Now, it is true that man’s intervention has no doubt contributed significantly to the forces that have given rise to the extraodinary phenomena that is associated with the weather.
But, it would be wrong I think, to attributed this unusual phenomena solely to man’s intervention, without paying homage to Divine- Prophecy.
It is certain that the negative effects of man’s distructive behavior has contributed tremendously to things such: (1) Global Warming (2) Biodiversity Effects (3) Ozone Depletetion (4) Defosestration and many more facts and factors that have not been mentioned here, has obviously given rise to the pattren of Weather we’re currently experiencing.
To all of you on BU who asked whether we have other important issues to discuss, what about this one? Is this important enough for you?
To all of you on BU who asked whether we have other important issues to discuss, what about this one? Is this important enough for you?
It is amazing that we tend to put all man’s destructive actions at the feet of God! What puerile escapism deceivingly couched in religious dogma; or is it some form of warped religiosity that stops us from accepting the facts as presented here by Pachamama? I guess soon the disconnected amongst us will blame the impending or is it imminent doom of the current world economy as an act of nature as well totally beyond our jurisdiction. Thereby dastardly allowing the greed and corruption of world powers to go unpunished. It used to be :when you try everything and it has failed tried Jesus. Now it is when we screw up everything :blame God/nature. .
What is the effect of fracking?
What about military experiments e.g. below the ground explosions etc?
Why when ordinary citizens asked these question the establishment slams the door?
Moneybrain…….i do believe fracking is a contributor, though not the only one, to destabilizing Mother Earth, total disrespect and naked greed has been shown to the earth for centuries by various so called ‘super powers’. The earth has minerals etc within for a reason, call me sentimental but when mankind takes it upon themselves to remove the earth’s contents, again because of greed, i do believe the earth in trying to retain/maintain balance has to do what is necessary, unfortunately, it’s the innocent and not the greedy end up paying the ultimate price.
Recently saw a video on the oil sands in Alberta and the way the oil is extracted and the sands disrupted, apparently no one thought of planting trees after digging into the earth, again, they are all consumed with greed………no respect, and watching that video, there is no way what they are doing is not affecting the earth, the flooding and total devastation in Calgary earlier this year comes to mind.
Man is beset by a calamitous mind and spirit.
Every new development is considered to be the end of the world
Idiots !
well when it comes to man taking blame for the small things that impact their personal lives it is always everybody’s else fault. now on the bigger issues not surprising that the same mindset would be apparent . man has disrespected the laws of nature. everything was put in place for a reason to shield guide and protect us . man has become arrogant and know it all. now it has become abundantly clear that as mother nature like a good parent makes necessary corrections to this earth and its environment ,that along the way some would suffer, .we can boldly and stubbornly keep going along the same path or we can retreat and do things the way nature had intended.
I remembered quite vividly, way back in 1970 as a young boy 5 years of age attending the Roebuck Boys Primary down town Bridgetown.
When my elder brother came through the torrential – rain of the 1970 Flood to take myself as well as my brother home. And let me tell ya: the Rain was falling like the Earth was about to end that evening . And my elder brother had to put me on his shoulders because, had he not done so I might have probably drown that evening in question; especially when the water around the Coke Factory and the Global Cinema had almost reached my stomach.
Now, correct me if I am wrong but we haven’t had that kind of weather since then. And that’s a good thing because who in their right mind would want to experience that kind of weather ever again? But one thing that haven’t really escaped my noticed as far Biodiversity is concern, is the fact that: just after the rain had fallen in those days there used to be a lot of Frogs around.
Now, have you noticed that after the Rain has fallen for quite sometime these days that we no long see the large volume of Frogs we used to see in the 70’s as well as the early part of the 80’s?
USGS Release: Earthquake/Tsunami Hazard in Caribbean Higher Than Previously Thought (12/20/2013…
http://www.usgs.gov
Is it not reasonable to believe that as small island states we should see the benefit of being a strident lobby on the issue of climate change? For obvious reasons of course.
rhe problem with the Caribbean nations is lack of good leadership.. maybe in this instance it could be due to the fact of not having scientific knowledge and the lack of exposure and expertise might be somewhat hampered or limited in the decision making on such matters. ,the notion that many of these islands are not properly equipped and lacked proper training in the area of meteorology should be a cause of concern especially when lives are involved , ,one would think that after the Haiti disaster that untimely occurrences such as these would have brought with haste and speed immediate attention and focus on preparedness .such not was the case as it was evident on christmas eve when most of these islands were caught off guard and many people were caught in harms way plainly after seeing the mayhem and damage.. even though climate change can be attributed to the formation of these natural disaster one can conclude that more efficient plans /planning by govt towards preparedness and education of its people would go along way in saving lives and money.
now look at this an important issue to do with the environment and the dangers and challenges which man has to face in order to stave off a Armageddon global meltdown can only generate about twenty responses in about an 18hr, period.. while another article with in house fighting which was literally and factually about “garbage”” generates ten times as much response in about little over the same period,,, now thats’s bajan…..
Wuh dat is probably your fault ac, the way that you, Mark Fenty and Iabingy jump into this blog, …most others probably felt that “where ignorance is bliss…….”
LOL Ha Ha ahhhhhhhhh
Down in the Antarctic a Russian ship has been trapped in the ice. A Chinese ice breaker ship, on its way to give assistance to the trapped ship, encountered ice as thick as 10 feet ,and growing, and had to abandon its effort.
One would have thought that with the almost apocalyptic Global Warming warnings that we have been fed for the last decade or so, the ice at the south pole would have been thin enough for an ordinary port tug, to smash through.
Renowned American linguist, philosopher and political commentator Noam Chomsky warns that the world is racing towards “environmental catastrophe” and “nuclear war” in 2014.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/12/29/342669/chomsky-world-racing-towards-nuclear-war/
Has anyone been following the smog being created by Chinese industrial cities? The developed countries of the world will resist clean energy because their wealth and power is built on fossil based energy.
The entire concept of global warming was based on a biased UN report in the early 1980s that 66% of the scientist involved refuse to sign as a minority had change the factual findings to achieve a more politically result. All these bogus scientist models so far have been grossly overstated.
I do think mans impact does contribute somewhat to climate, but climate swings have been going on forever. The hottest decade was in 1910, not now. We have also more media reporting the big events and spreading the BS than before.
Let’s not be sheep!
@Konkieman
Was there cracking and nuclear testing in 1910?
You are being brainwashed to be brainwashed.. and thinking outside the box is screwing up brainwashers program. Keep questioning and using your mind to rescue mankind from total bent governmental control. They will call you racist for questioning and holding to account white society aka new world white rule
A 4.1 earthquake off the Dominican Republic tonight.
The simple truth is that we refuse to highlight the environment in any fashion. In most Caribbean nations, ten minutes of heavy rains, result in flooding. We are also refusing to dispose of garbage properly and continue to build homes that essentially are.power sappers. It is therefore no surprise that the excellent posting by Pachamama will not generate a huge discussion. Imagine that the rains on Xmas eve are costing Dominica $45 million EC ! With most island economies circling around 20 % unemployment, it is obvious that poor roads and drainage systems have a direct effect on these struggling economies We now have ordinary citizens driving 8 cylinder trucks and other high powered vehicles that should only be used for commercial purposes but are devouring gasoline and so on. We are caught in a very retrogressive approach to development. We are going no where very fast ! The entire Caribbean environment will be a major drain on our economies if we do not develop a regional environmental policy and enforce it .
@David King, interesting to note an environmentalist in China informed me a couple days ago that a Chinese company is one of three companies short listed to build a $800M Plasma Gasification Plant. Spoke to an engineer from BL&P and they like others think the proponents of this 40MW pipe dream need to come clean with the public. In others words who gine pay for the plant and don’t expect cheaper electricity. Perhaps Dr Denis Lowe can tell the public if Sir Charles Williams company Williams Industry or any of its subsidiaries is one if the three short listed companies. Oh Dr Lowe did you thank Sir Charles Williams for his honest and solid endorsement when he proclaimed publicly that you were one of the most hardworking ministers?
man barbados weather change serious since i was boy in late 1960 compared to now. more rainy days and ocean seems different,tides and the sun seems hotter and the temperatureis hotter or the humidity.
i lived away for 20 years so i really notice it when i come back.
and dont even talk about prices and the amount of cars.
it is a blood mess is what it is.sad .all in the name of progress.
we kill ourselves and our island.the world has changed.i can see it.
peoples demeanor has also changed.
it is dog eat dog alreadu.
lordy when i was a boy we had a 4 diget phone number and no tv.
redifusion is all you had.and so ans so forth.wunna know.
sems to me end times are coming and the sighns are already sterted.
but i am not a expert it just feel so to me.
@Kammie
The government may have a philanthropist on board and like with Sandals some concessions might so the trick.
@ David[BU]
If there is a tsunami and i pray that there is none, everyone along the Batsrock to Holders Hill on the Coast Road will suffer some serious injury.
I liken their situation to being one similar to the corrals that Sir Hilary built for students at the UWI.
You know, the chutes to manage the student cattle when they get on the buses – only one way in and then one way to get out.
Not a man Jack or Dennis (Lowe) dont give a fcuk about providing an alternative route out of that ‘accident waiting to happen’
By the way David [BU] is there a national plan for Bajans to resort to in the event of a tsunami or earthquake?
I guess that not one of the Ministers, neither the existing DLP or the former BLP could see a way to develop some literature that detailed the steps to use should something like this happen, and get a kickback from doing what is their job.
@PUDRYR
Perhaps the government is operating with plan that one cannot really be prepared for a tsunami.
But David at least you give people a means to get to higher ground after of course putting up a public notification system that sounds an alarm so that all and sundry can hear it
There is no public alarm system, so if my phone home (or it off or get tief) or my radio is off (or wusser still, de grans got it pun Lil Rick Hypadog) do onliest way i gine know that a national emergency of this tpe happening is when i see people driving like mad
We have no national emergency plan…what the hell dem paying Jeremy Collymore and dat nex woman for?
Mr. William Skinner, I have an instinctive propensity to respond to your infinitesimal critique of what I’ve written, but I feared that it would have exacerbate what amount to be a rather informative and civil discussion regarding the negative effects of the weather. So let me just give voice to a concern I have with respect to your thinking process!
You know, I am somewhat disappointed by the manner in which you utilized your vitriolic as well as sophomoric expressions, in a failing attempted to invalidate the validity of what I’ve written above.
Moreover, when you respond with insults and condescension, it really speaks to the level of your intellectual development and your inability to get your point across without engaging in gutter language. Now, I have stated my position categorically and unequivocally, fearing no contradiction from you or anyone else for that matter and if you’re resistant to the religious worldview. Oh well!
As man Fenty, Bushie got two questions fuh yuh!
1- what exactly did you do in the army for those 4 years?
2- what excuse did Uncle Sam give to get rid of you…?
@ Mark Fenty,
Mr Fenty, you are the very first to have accused me of such since I have been contributing to this blog. I must state that no where in that piece did I behave in any gutter language. As a rule, I stay away from debates about religion. My business partner is a reverend/christian and have been my close friend since 1964 (fifty years of genuine friendship). I hope that you will understand that I am not very welcoming of getting into personal back and forth. David can attest to this, in his capacity as the head of this blog. That being said if my comments have indeed offended you or any of my blogging colleagues, I sincerely apologise.
@ Mark Fenty
Have you ever heard about a woman called Miss Malaprop? Or are you her husband?
BL&P has done a modeling with the help of international experts on the effect of a tsunami on their generation plants. Judy Thomas and others have tsunami alert coming to their phones but by time they get around to informing us three hours would have been lost.
@ Kammie Holder
Sometimes Bajans don’t seem to remember that the island is only 166 square miles and barely above sea level. A tsunami of moderate size is capable of doing catastrophic damage to the whole country, not only the people in coastal areas. And, we maybe ‘attacked’ from more than one coast at the same time.
How many Bajans know that an emergency radio station exist? The Bridgetown Evacuation Exercise was a joke for a simulation and must be given an F. Every time we get a heavy down pour that causes flooding its takes over an hour to drive from Roebuck Street to Collymore Rock. Cellphone towers become overloaded and persons start to panic while a solitary policeman is expected to direct traffic. We don’t understand the difference between Risk Mitigation over Risk Management. The recent tremor was a dry run and my 12 year son and I have our own emergency evacuation plan in place to get him from school in the shortest possible time. We intend to equip wife and son with FRS/GMRS radios after applying for the stupid punitive license
@Pachamama, do see the modeling from the USGS on the tsunami threats from the Canary Island and Kicking N Jenny as well as the Puerto Rico Trench. Some think to do nothing and pray to God will protect them. May common sense replace blind faith! Off to work later.
Pachamama, I don’t think I have … But I am quite familiar with her big sister tautology and her younger brother verbosity.
Pachamama, my childhood inspiration Dr. Don Blackman, have been accused of confabulating through the verbal medium of Malapropism as well. So your misrepresentation is what I would define as being quite common!
@ Mark Fenty
Don Blackman’s name could only be injected into a conversation when one’s intellectual development is still captured by events of 1986 (circa). Given the known political ignorance that his intervention proved to be, we are at a lost as to why, on issues he knew nothing about, and given his present involvements, this man’s name is supposed to influence a debate or debaters discussing present climate issues.
@Kammie
You are correct about the lack of ANY coherent communication plan to the population addressing the issuing of disaster alerts and the response expected. It begs the question what is the value and purpose of our disaster relief organization.
@ David
It begs the question what is the value and purpose of our disaster relief organization.
There you go again …playing you don’t know the answers to your own questions (What a blog master!!) 🙂
1 – Jobs for the boys and gals who could never find gainful employment otherwise, but who are party faithfuls
2- The international organizations need to see a structure in place – else they won’t give a cent
3- Um is easy work…. Mostly not doing one shiite, and only occasionally having to go on TV or radio to embarrass themselves.
The sweetest part though David are the things we call the DEOs (District Emergency Organizations)…. These are designed on the premise that we will never have a serious disaster.
…think bout here sweet nuh?
@Bushie
The media practicioners are usually embedded at the emergency centres, you are saying they have not been able to discern the deficiencies you have posted?
LOL LOL. Ha Ha
MEDIA PRACTITIONERS???? !!!
…like who David…?
…call a name man….
David Ellis, Stetson Babb, Emanuel Joseph, Roy Morris, Peter Thorne and co
Nice to see this piece gaining some traction. The biggest threat to Barbados’ future is not the current debacle, re:foreign exchange but the way we build, eat, live , etc. our current trajectory is on point to health, and environmental disasters. We are already the amputation capital of the world. We have not yet been able to get our one public hospital managed effectively , in good or bad economic conditions. Our coastline is disappearing; tons of garbage in our gullies; vehicles that pollute our lungs every second. Non communicable diseases affecting citizens not yet in their late 20’s. We could go on and on. It is imperative that the points being raised here be given full ventilation. We are on a course that will devastate our island state if the care of the environment and proper emergency services/communication are left to function in a mindset of the 1930’s.To put it bluntly: Barbados is an environmental accident waiting to happen.
@Willaim
What it is; we have become fat and lazy and therefore negligent about these kinds of things. Unfortunately it will take a hit to create the kind of thinking necessary to get our heads in the game.
@ David,
All we need to do is accept that ALL of us have played a part in what is happening now. My DLP/BLP friends and yes me as well in the NDP camp. In order to save ourselves from the emerging political/ environmental/health crisis , we must be politically and intellectually honest. For example we knock the public servants but do we recognise that the traditional/white corporate elites are sophisticated beggars? We talk about motor cyclists keeping noise but do we ever question the impact of our own neighbours playing their stereos loudly all day and nite? We talk about the youth drinking and smoking herb but what about political meetings during elections and under age boys and girls being given free alcohol? We talk about transparency in public life. Why dont our gay parliamentarians and other high flyers come out of the closet and join the HIV/AIDS cause and defend our gay community against constant attacks by those who commit crimes against gays and harass gay people?. Where are our gay lawyers in the struggle for equality?
Yes David we may be eating wrong and not exercising enough or not properly disposing our garbage but our real crisis is a very deep hypocrisy which we must now all fight against.
We either swim/float together or drown/sink together!
@ David
We beg to differ. Even the spectre of ‘a hit’ will not cure this social malady in Barbados or elsewhere!
David knows that full well Pacha.
What hit what?!?
So do we have fire exits in town now? – post Campus Trendz?
Wunna know how EASY it is to pass off EXCUSES for non-performance to brass bowls?
…we waiting on Town Planning…who waiting on Health…
…we didn’t have the money…
…the bus was late
…government took too long
…the rain was falling
… I had a headache
….Bushie stopped off by Islandgal… 🙂
…it is just a brass bowl thing…..
BAJANS ARE JUST DOCILE -LAZY–CRISIS -REACTIONARY MFs
Tomorrow night instead of the usual New Year’s Eve or Old Year’s Night, as Bajans would say, parties we might want to start celebrating with End of Earth parties instead. We known Noam Chomsky and have been trying for some time to convince him how grave the two problems that he recently highlighted are. Not that he was totally unaware but he was more optimistic that these problems could have been solved. That he has now brought his considerable intellect to bear on these matters should be instructive.
It amazes me the credence that individuals give to the power that humans can create as compared to the vast power that Mother Earth has naturally at her disposal.
Mother Earth over eons,with out the the help of the humanoid has cooled and warmed herself with the help of her buddy the Sun.
The human species by its activities cannot affect this planet,they can only destroy themselves.
@Just Asking
Why would you use an Absolute to describe the collective Bajan organism? Now, even though I agree with you to some extent, you ought and must not use an Absolute to characterized any group of people. Because in doing so, you’re actually doing a disservice to those elements that aren’t party to such conduct. Believe me, I understand where you’re coming from but there are obviously exceptions to the general rule that you ought to take into consideration.
@Vincent
Is humanoid connected to Mother Earth?
David…..that is a good question…to which I do not have an answer….nor anyone else for that matter…..you have to define connected….
The known believed facts are that Earth is 100s of billions of years old,had innumerable ice ages and asteroid hits during that period and was inhabited at various stages by creatures that no longer exist.
The known believed facts on the Humanoid is that it appeared around a quarter of a billion years ago at the ending of Earth’s last ice age,experienced some asteroid hits and evolved into what it is today.
We can proceed to speculate as much as we want from these believed facts.
@Vincent
What is not speculation is that the grand designer of Mother Earth created the humanoid for a reason. The emphasis is to be places on designer.
David….you are presently speculating that their is one designer and said designer did Earth and Humanoid…..
Word of caution for those of us here: we ought to think about our thinking, before we endeavor to express our opinion. Words as you well know, have a proclivity to cause psychological as well as emotional paralysis in some who aren’t in full command of their mental faculties.
We see what you mean Mark…. 🙂
@Kammie
The 10% in the initial phase but according to the spokesmen of the BL&P the number will love with time no?
David, Charles Darwin’s, Natural- Selection/ Survival of the fittest / Evolutionism has all but lost its credibility in the world of academia.
Application as Climate Change Refugee
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/kiribati/10474602/Kiribati-climate-change-refugee-rejected-by-New-Zealand.html
David, you would be glad to know that Grand Designer of Mother – Nature, is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Don’t let anyone fool you brother, because Jesus is and have been the answer.
we can speak about the “great designer ” whatever or whoever he ; she or it maybe ,one thing is for certain that the earth continues to evolve as we speak, for whatever mans throws in its way so far the earth has been able to handle . one thing for sure nature is committed to getting all things in natural order…..can say the same for man .
Reality check. Our neighbors are hurting.
http://www.trust.org/item/20131230160647-0jqg7/?source=hppartner
ac waxing philosophical —LOL
Mark Fenty | 30/12/2013 at 1:43 pm | Reply
@Just Asking
Why would you use an Absolute to describe the collective Bajan organism? Now, even though I agree with you to some extent, you ought and must not use an Absolute to characterized any
THAT IS HOW WE SPEAK
UNDERSTAND OUR CULTURE PLEASE
I HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO SAY SOME WHEN MAKING SUCH STATEMENTS BUT IN MAKING THE STATEMENT , IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS.
A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF BAJANS ARE SUCH, THEREFORE I CAN GENERALIZE TO THE WIDER POPULATION . IT IS ALSO ACCEPTED REGIONALLY AND LOCALLY THAT BAJANS ARE SUCH
DOCILE .
REMEMBER THE DOCILE OBEDIENT SLAVES WERE TAKEN OFF THE SLAVE SHIPS AT BARBADOS AND THE ROWDY ONES SENT FURTHER ALONG THE ISLAND CHAIN–AS FAR AS —-JAMAICA -LOL —
the question should be ‘WHy are our neighbours hurting” aren’t we supposed to be the most intellectual of the species.. ? don;t we have all the latest and newest inventions known to man, then the question is why is there so much suffering,,,,,,,,and who brought it upon ourselves,,,,,,,,even with climate change nature still feels our pain and steps in ,to make all the necessary corrections.,,,
Interesting article don’t you think?
Well the government is about to sign of on a plasma gasification plant to generate 40MW of electricity. Wow this is overly ambitious as Light & Power current peak output is 4 160MW. Thus we can expect to be paing more for garbage v collection as somebody has to pay for the garbage to be imported. Expect more cancer deaths and mysterious ailments to increase as no organization in Barbados test for particulates such as pm2.5.
@ Kammie Holder
We have not looked at this technology in recent years but seem to recall it had some problems.
What do you want to bet that Bizzy Williams will get this project. We have emails from 7 or 8 years ago where Bizzy was bragging that it was a done deal. New government, same result. No?
We have colleagues that submitted several proposals but never got a shoo-in.
Correction, Barbados Light &Power peak output is 160MW and they will not allow no more than 10% of their peak capacity from off grid suppliers to ensure reliable service. If Dr Denis Lowe could find it in his heart to embrace Principle 10 which he so vociferously spoke about in 2007 in Independence Square we would know the real purpose of this Greenwashing plant. John Public,should be able to impeach government minister for misfeasance and political parties would have members who would be found guilty in the court of conscience and public opinion.
Kammie
If you don’t know what you are talking about you should ask a question. Such a plant would not be classified as “intermittent” and the BL&P limit would thus not apply.
What calculations did you do to work out that local garbage would be insufficient?
We are going to die anyway. ….If it is not from cancer from the plant, it will be from poverty caused by having to pay for fossil fuels, cancer from eating mock foods, poisons in the water…..or worst of all, from over-exposure to the idiocy of ac on BU…..
So what exactly is your beef?
@bush tea. My beef is that we will continue to be financial slaves to the money brokers who fund the campaigns of the political parties. In the presence of sunshine it’s suspect that a government which spoke of participatory democracy now seeks to secretly sign off on this plant. In Dominica a fee is added to your Light bill for garbage collection. How many realize that we now pay for garbage collection. 70% of municipal waste in Barbados is now recyclable and the government is paying lip service to greening in its bid to burn garbage. The Future Centre Trust calculations suggest the feedstock for this Waste to energy plant will be insufficient. If garbage has will must be imported, for this plant to be efficient who will pay garbage or will be further taxed. Why do we take the stupid approach we gine die anyway which is a very callous approach. If you don’t value your health at least show concern for the well being of those without a voice such as future generations
What is the biological carrying capacity of our soil for the slag and other by products of this plant. All material generated from this plant will not be used in construction. Can any of you share with the public what’s the PM2.5 level in Barbados or how often is air quality testing done. why do we have to send air samples overseas for testing? Even better why does EPD treat the air quality data private? Why is the Roebuck School report is private and the only thing the public got was a ministerial statement. I will not trust any bajan politician in the absence of them being accountable from Iill deeds done in office and the deliberate suppression of information. It’s amazing how we fight among ourselves like crabs and not against the 30 actors who use trickery, comedy and theatrics to literally feed.
Some say global warming and othere say a new Ice Age, whatever it is , you have to agree that systems are off the charts , This system that affected the islands could be compared to monsoon type wehater . Thhis is the new norm people stope depating th eobvious and take steps rtto mitigate what you can and prepare to respond to and recover from the rest of it
“… Don’t let anyone fool you brother, because Jesus is and have been the answer….”
All the Jesus fearing nations, including the United States, are now borrowing from China; a nation of mainly Buddhists that has very little to do with Jesus.
So Kammie….how does the pollution factor from burning garbage compare with our CURRENT fossil fuel burning arrangement – PLUS the pollution caused by creating land fills; PLUS the pollution caused by landfill gasses; PLUS the fact that the soil is currently contaminated with about 80% of our raw garbage anyway?
You speak as though we are coming from a pristine situation to start incineration of garbage!!!
Also, instead of importing garbage, one can grow biomass as fuel to supplement such a plant can’t we? This could even lead to a revitalization of agriculture.
It is not as simplistic a matter as you seek to portray…
In Bushie’s humble opinion, a biomass plant which can also dispose of unwanted garbage while generating needed energy and reducing fossil fuel imports is the way to go….
….However if any of our politicians either B or D, have anything to do with it, Bushie is on Kammie’s side. 🙂
@ Pachamama | 29/12/2013 at 11:55 am | Reply
“With due respect the term ‘global warming’ has gone out of use. Extreme weather could go in any direction. In fact, the release of green house gases could precipitate another ice age.”
First, let me wish you and the rest of the BU family all the best for the new Gregorian year. May Pachamama and Father Sun provide the resources and environment to allow us to enjoy healthy lives during the year.
I wanted to comment earlier on your observation quoted above but better late than never. I must express my association with your most interestingly insightful comment on the possible consequences of “extreme weather” to human life on this planet called Gaia. I sense the planet is about to enter one of the many phases of climate adjustment that could pose a tremendous challenge to mankind. I believe that within the current long cycle of natural global warming there could be “sub-phases” of paradoxical cooling in the form of mini ice-ages.
What could be different about the probable pending one are the incontrovertible effects of human activities in the form of dumping billions of tons of CO2 back in the atmosphere. Gaia, through her little tree helpers, took millions of years to remove dangerous levels of carbon from the atmosphere to make it habitable for humans to evolve (and to be genetically engineered or “formed”) into what we could describe only as budding environmental terrorists with parasitic mentalities. These same self-centered materialistic global vagabonds have achieved in paradoxical fashion a reverse catalytic feat in less than 300 solar years and which can have cataclysmic results for themselves as a species.
It should be noted that the last known occurrence of any ‘significant’ mini-ice-age in the current long cycle within Earth’s climatic behaviours pulled by the Sun in its Long Year galactic journey was around 13,000 to 11,000 years ago with the consequential effects of the inevitable natural warming as recorded in Sumerian mythology in the tale of Gilgamesh and plagiarized by the old Hebrew scribes during their stay of enlightenment in Babylon and narrated in rather simplistically childish fashion in the Biblical tale of Noah and the Flood.
Maybe, just maybe, Mother Earth (as a result of the parasitic behaviour of humans forcing the issue with their manufactured carbon emissions) is about to enter the early phases of a “Little Ice Age” before the full effects of a mini ice-age.
We shall see if the Gulf Stream ‘acts up’ as a result of the melting ice sheets in Northern Hemisphere plunging Western Europe and definitely the British Isles in a prolonged period of extremely cold winters and very wet summers. This could create weather conditions that might force mankind to rethink and revisit the much “dissed” theory proposed by Thomas Malthus.
BTW, the above comments are mere speculation and not based on evidence or special knowledge; except of course the story of the Epic of Gilgamesh (LOL!!).
@Bush Tea, the Future Centre Trust has being doing a lot of work with their CORE initiative or what is know as community recycling and you need to stop pouring cold water on the guy
s concern. I was amazed to know the Future Centre Trust is made up of all volunteers who dont talk but try to protect our environmental health for which they get no help from government. At my daughter`s school we were able to collect over 10,000 bottles in one term and they even arranged a donation to build a recycling hut.Imagine if each person played their part and recycled? What if the government instituted legislated recycling? It would generate more employment than a Waste To Energy plant while earning much needed foreign currency but perhaps this is more about graft and keeping the poor poor. Why cannot the same $800,000,000 be used to equip at least 80,000 households with solar power plant at a volume discount of $10,000 per system.
In addition something is very fishy with this Waste To Energy Plant and the RBPF must with the help of Land Registry and Financial Institutions monitor all Politically Exposed Persons, Friends and Family. Perhaps guys like Gline Clarke and Michael Lashley can tell us why they don`t travel to the US. As an accountant I am amazed at what is alleged that some of my colleagues do in conjunction with lawyers. CLICO is a manifestation of collusion and corruption and we seem not to have learnt from it. Shameful.
@ Accountant
Bushie has to admit that you bring a different perspective to the table, even if it sounds a bit idealistic at first glance.
Are you saying that the current reality of centralized power generation and distribution is a dispensable paradigm?
If it is not, then it is reasonable to explore the options of large scale generation that reduces the need for imported fossil fuels and at the same time addresses another issue of solid waste disposal.
Now if the Trust is proposing a revolutionary paradigm change can they truly hope to do so by just objecting to the natural exploration of ideas such as the WTE plant?
….or should they be offering COUNTER PROPOSALS as you have outlined?
Just collecting plastic bottles won’t cut it….and there are issues with each home having an independent solar electric system too..(like rainy days and every night LOL)..how will these be addressed.
Perhaps you could assist Kammie with a proposed model of this new paradigm…
@Miller
Well written. The problem should be Framed as Pollution! The Pols are keen to turn this into a TAX/ Revenue gathering exercise which is totally impractical if we dont have the support of China, India and Eastern Europe.
The West would be increasing costs while more jobs would be funneled to the non-compliant countries. Shanghai had a pollution day last month that was 25 TIMES the maximum allowable Particulate levels!
If Canada enforces strict codes and Taxes offenders in our borders it would amount to NOTHING since most of our pollution, 75%+, is created in the USA! Europe and Nth America have to convince China et al to reduce emissions or TRADE STOPS! Which politician has the desire or power to conduct themselves thus???
This concept that we are in end times etc is resurrected everytime there are clusters of catastrophes. The historical fact is that Earth is a very dangerous place that has various Cycles and Cycles within Cycles! There was a time not that long ago that an eclipse of the Sun was the END! Probably still true in remote communities in the Amazon, Papua New Guinea etc.
The Gulf Stream has traditionally warmed the UK and Northern Europe but with the proportion of melting ice increasing, that warmer water will not reach those geographies and the result will be much colder Winters. Indeed, North Africa had snow last year for the first time in eons!
Hail stones were experienced on St.Andrew/St.Thomas border around 1966/7.
A Russian ship stuck in ice off Cape De La Motte in east antartica,two attempts by the”Aurora Australis” have failed due to forming ice.
How can these two happenings be explained in the context of Climate change and Global warming?
Hail stones were experienced on St.Andrew/St.Thomas border around 1966/67 . December 1965 ,according to this document http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/1520-0450(1967)006%3C0339%3AHIITT%3E2.0.CO%3B2
@VH
Hail in Bim etc These actions have happened periodically throughout history.
In 1857 serious Solar Storms wiped out the Telegraph lines in the US. When the Solar Storms intensify as they will again the Electric Grid could be FRIED for months! No Cell phones, computers etc for 6 months!!! No Just in Time deliveries of various foods and other essentials, could be big trouble!
Britain’s coast battered by 30ft waves, high tides and giant hailstones as fiercest storms in 20 years leave trail of destruction… and there’s more on the way
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2532595/Swathes-Britain-remain-flooded-waterlogged-storms-Governments-Cobra-emergency-committee-meets.html
……………………………………………………………………….
And in spite of its own calamities, the United Kingdom has offered some tens of thousand of Pounds Sterling in relief aid to St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia and Dominica, and a blogger yesterday questioned why Guyana should contribute to the relief fund when she needs the same money to maintain its own infrastructure.
Barbados Gets Loan from CDB for Flood Hazard Reduction.
………………………………………………………………………
Want to hazard a guess as to which contractor will be awarded this project? But with all of those people employed in the Drainage Unit, up until the 31 December, it appears as if there were no equipment and/or expertise made available to do any construction work on a moderate scale , similar to what MTW ,and its predecessors ,used to carry out in the past.
Imagine having a Minister and Director,and God knows how many other highly paid, so called technocrats, basically supervising the low tech operation of cutting bush and weeding gutters.