Burning Stuff, It Needs to STOP!
Submitted by Anthony Davis
HOUSEHOLDERS ARE being urged not to burn rubbish or other debris around their homes. “Speaking after smoke from an early morning rubbish fire in the nearby district of Farm Tenantry, St. Peter, prevented classes from starting at the Alexandra School yesterday, Acting Chief Fire Officer Errol Maynard told the WEEKEND NATION that the practice was one that he and the members of the Fire Service would like to douse – Barbados Today
Well, well, well! Here we go again with this burning issue. Successive ministers of health in this Government have promised legislation to deal with the indiscriminate burning of rubbish by people in this country. As usual, all it has become is just another promise. I don’t know who the Government will try to blame this time or which minister will blame the other for hindering the necessary bill from being brought to Parliament for discussion.
This burning needs to be stopped immediately as it not only affects those who live, work or, in this case, go to school – whether teachers, students or auxiliary staff. I find it very callous for people to be burning stuff without a care about who has to suffer. The persons who may be affected may not even live, work or go to school in proximity of the burning, but may be travelling through the area by one means or the other.
My main concern is for those children who suffer from asthma as they can have a bad attack and need immediate treatment. The same goes for the elderly. I think that those people who cause others to spend time and money at the doctor should be made to refund them. It is reprehensible to do things without caring about your neighbours. It is high time that this Government stands by its promise and puts laws on the statute books prohibiting the burning of stuff indiscriminately. This law must have teeth!
A slap on the wrist will not do as the ones burning the stuff do not care one iota about whom it affects. We also have to look at those vehicles which spew clouds of black smoke from diesel engines into the atmosphere. There is a type of catalytic converter which can be fitted into diesel vehicles which would decrease considerably the amount of diesel particulates which get into the atmosphere. We cannot continue to talk about reducing CNCDs only by eating healthy and exercising regularly.
On page 6 of Barbados TODAY, dated 30 January, 2015, under the headline “Foundation combating CNCDs” it states that the Heart and Stroke Foundation is moving to put a dent in the number of chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs) in Barbados through a new partnership with the Mavericks Football Club. It further states: “From next month, the two organizations will host a number of programmes aimed at sensitizing children and their parents about the importance of education, how to shop for nutritious food and provide cooking tips.”
In the BBC NEWS SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT dated 19 November, 2014 it states: “Nitrogen dioxide in cities (British) is illegally high and the European Court of Justice ruled judges must force ministers to clean up the air as soon as possible. The pollutant comes almost entirely from diesel vehicles.”
Physical activities and eating nutritious food are all well and good, but if the air – which we all have to breathe – is polluted we are still all up the creek without a paddle.
Barbados Underground 
Effective and efficient garbage collection would be a good place to start, forget the useless legislation route. I’ve lived on this island for 40+ YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN A GARBAGE COLLECTION VEHICLE ON OR NEAR MY PROPERTY.
LikeLike
And pray tell me who is going to put a stop to this ?
The Prime Minister, when he was Attorney General said that this burning of garbage also affected him. He did nothing. He is Prime Minister now,and obviously his neighbours around Illaro Court do not have to resort to burning garbage, so he is alright, Jack.
Then Donville Inniss ,as Minister of Health promised that legislation to curb the burning of rubbish would be coming soon, rather than later. And nothing has been done ,even later.
Looks like we have to take the advice of former PM Sandiford, ‘like it or like it.”
LikeLike
It ain’t only bush n rubbish dat burning des days….. I doan understand why some people cannot see tis Barbados adrift now fa years, wid a mojo at the keel. Why only 2 weeks ago it did garbage,next up Carrion, today Leboy and Mara et al CLICO….time to jump ship !
LikeLike
@ old onion bags February 3, 2015 at 4:20 PM
So what would be happening with the smoke from the Lowe-Dung burning 24/7 WTE plant and Estwick’s co-generation sugar industry factory burning river tamarind and bagasse all day long, morning, noon and night in and out of sugar crop harvesting season?
Would the smoke be directed out to sea or stored underground to heat up Harrison’s cave?
LikeLike
BTW Miller……..I hear Kellman planting D smokeless brand of River Tamarind….and Esse $500 Mil money gine end up like Four Seasons and Lowdung open a new bank account in ee grandmudda name for D garbage plasmaticasm….stay tune for mo burnin answers…
LikeLike
@ old onion bags February 3, 2015 at 9:15 PM
Onions, boi, the miller will soon be rich like our boy Bushie or even Moneybrain.
I have just patented the design of a River Tamarind harvester. It’s called the “Bajan LumberJack”. The only problem is that it can only work during the dry season.
You think Denis Lowe would still ask for his cut from the Transtec Manufacturer?
LikeLike
So when we run out of River Tamarind, like we just did with sugar cane, what are we going to use in the $500 million crows generation plant? Termite infested lumber from the dog houses in Church Village and Lancaster?
LikeLike
Has Carl Moore given up the fight?
Is it that he too has no balls for the job?
Has he morphed into an eunuch?
LikeLike
Are you aware that the final report of the Task Force on Solid Waste Management back in 1996 recommended that burning of refuse in residential neighborhoods be prohibited by law? No action has ever been taken on this report.
LikeLike
@Cawmere Boys
Do we have to rename Combermere the Louis Lynch?
Teachers appear to be dropping like flies, no mention of students though.
LikeLike
A precedent has been set. This may be the end of Combermere as we know it. Like Louis Lynch Secondary School , the building will be condemned , and the students distributed to other secondary schools. The Redlady is on a run.
LikeLike
…what is all the furore about now?……you you Luddite boys …what are U all talkin about?
LikeLike
The next government building on the “sickness ” agenda is one situated in a southern parish, and is downwind of a redundant landfill, which has been burning internally for almost two decades . This is quite noticeable after a brief shower.
Maybe someone should try tapping the Methane Gas underneath and selling it to the mega supermarket ,and the new Public Hospital earmarked for this area.
LikeLike