Credit to Nostradamus
Here is Minister of the Environment Denis Lowe talking up a storm in France – see video – funded by the taxpayers of Barbados. […]
Yet in his own backyard there exist a sluice gate at Graeme Hall with the broken rotting gate, canal sides broken down, plastic bottles and garbage floating in the water among the thick mat of aquatic plants covering the surface.
Graeme Hall Canal
The aquatic plants cover the entire surface of the canal which will cause oxygen depletions and fish kills. Is this overgrowth of aquatic plants due to raw sewage from the sewage plant leaking into the wetland? See a link to comments by Minister Boyce in Barbados Today dated November 04 2015. Lack of oxygen and dead fish will mean more mosquitoes spreading Dengue and Chikungunya in Minister of Health Boyce’s constituency. What is he and Minister Lowe doing about the situation apart from attending conferences and blaming the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) who were in office 7 years ago.
No reminder required that the gate is located on one of the more popular recreation areas for locals and tourist alike.
To the minister of the environment Mr. Denis Lowe. I’m very puzzled at what you are saying, and what I’m seeing. This situation isn’t something that just happened a few years ago. I have seen this before on Barbados Under Ground. And in all honesty. You and all the elected officials who are responsible for the HEALTH,WEALTH and WELL BEING for all the people of Barbados, ARE DOING A VERY SORRY JOB. And it’s time that all of you STOP the BULL SHIT and CORRECT ALL THE PROBLEMS. It make NO difference who done what. But you were chosen by the people to do a better job than the ones who were previously in office. BLAMING OTHERS has to be a thing in the past. The people that elected you, because they BELIEVED IN YOU, TO DO RIGHT BY THEM AND TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT WERE NEEDED. This is such a sad, sad situation that ALL OF YOU NEEDS TO CORRECT. ALL OF YOU ARE ALLOWING BARBADOS TO GO DOWN THE DRAIN SLOWLY BUT SURELY. But I gather it doesn’t make a difference to any of you, as long as you are getting payed, and living the life styles that all of you have grown accustomed to. At the EXPENSE of the TAXPAYERS, who are have A VERY POOR QUALITY OF LIFE.
YOU CAN FOOL SOME OF THE PEOPLE SOME OF THE TIME. BUT YOU CAN’T FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME. I hope and pray that the same people who aren’t doing what you have been elected to do for them, DON’T STOP TALKING, AND START ACTING.
SO MAN UP AND FOR ONCE IN YOU SORRY LIVES DO WHAT’S RIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE IN BARBADOS;
I HOPE THAT 2016 WILL BE A MUCH BETTER PERIOD THAT THE PREVIOUS YEARS. MAY ALL THE GOOD PEOPLE IN BARBADOS CONTINUE TO BE BLESSED BE THE MOST HIGH;
BU is of the certain knowledge there is a conspiracy between traditional media and other structures along with the political and deep pocket elite. Our country will continue to sink because of it.
Worthing Beach= my boyhood beach in the background.
In the late 50’s early 60;s Donald Elcock , who worked for the gun club in the swamp usd to look after th sluice gate.
GP….it’s a shame, it’s now been years since this situation was allowed to deteriorate and all you hear from them is more talk.
For sure you wont get coverage from the furriner fellow at the Advocate.He was bpought with a dishonoured BCM.The Nation Trinidadian owners say they not rocking the boat,they about making profits selling all the news about crime and violence such that not a Nation can be found at any upmarket hotel in Barbados.It has a reputation of being a rag newspaper.
Heard Boyce reading from what sounded like a Phd dissertation today addressing the staff of the QEH.Poor chap.He is the proverbial bull in a china shop.Can’t write a speech if his life depended on it.
“plants due to raw sewage from the sewage plant leaking into the wetland”
Sewage is not LEAKING into the wetland, it’s being deliberately discharged from the sewage treatment plant into Graeme Hall wetland as the discharge pipe out into the ocean has been non-operation for the past two years or more. The Normal outflow pipe off shore of the Hilton Hotel has been plugged or non operational for at least two years. Graeme Hall wetlands are now considered non brackish(several reports over the last few years).
The aquatic plant buildup by the sluice gate is a direct result of the sewage treatment plant discharging untreated affluent directly into the Graeme Hall wetland. The sewage treatment plant only removes solids from the waste, ie: nappies, toilet paper etc. and passes on all other effluents containing, pesticides, herbicides, chlorine’s, phosphorous etc.
It would appear that this is a government approved philosophy to destroy the Graeme
Hall wetlands so that the Government can designate the area for future development into commercial/residential and line their pockets with some more graft $’s.
You don’t need a PHD to take care of the Graeme Hall problem, or make sure that Garbage is picked up at least once a week from every home in Barbados. Then again, I doubt he really has a PHD in anything.
Check out the following Web sites & Reports…….
http://graemehall.com/press/releases/mangrove-wetland-disappearing/index.htm
http://graemehall.com/press/releases/barbados-endangers-wetlands/index.htm
http://www.terrainstitute.org/pdf/Val_Study_20080718.pdf
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/last-remaining-mangrove-wetland-in-barbados-disappearing-due-to-unchecked-pollution-and-government-inaction-93020534.html
http://www.unesco.org/csi/pub/papers/parker.htm
http://labs.eeb.utoronto.ca/mcandrews/PDFs/HoloceneEcologicalGraemeHallSwamp_2005.pdf
https://www.iisd.org/itn/2010/02/10/claimant-seeks-enforcement-of-environmental-laws-in-notice-of-dispute-alleging-expropriation-of-barbadian-nature-sanctuary/
http://globalarbitrationreview.com/news/article/33552/barbados-wetlands-give-rise-treaty-claim
http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTE_20091203_OTE0004/canadian-cries-foul-over-barbados-government-endangerment-of-key-wetlands
http://repeatingislands.com/2009/11/20/barbados-in-environmental-hot-water/
And people wonder why Barbados has a UN designation as “THIRD WORLD Underdeveloped”.
PHD — definition — Piled Higher and Deeper
2010 Report —
http://www.graemehall.com/press/papers/Graeme%20Hall%20043010%20MEA%20%28report%20only%29.pdf
Do any of you really think that either Donville or Dennis care about sluice gate or dengue. They care about the big fat juicy pay offs and big checks wid their BMW’s and all the other fancy cars. Barbados voted for people who had nothing and was using politics to get a dollar and thy find avenues to get millions. None of the johnnies come lately care and that is exactly why the people who are not looking for the guts full like these as Owen Arthur said will boys should be put into office again to bring back some respectability to this country..
This Minister of Environment was rescued from his childhood misery in Cane Garden by some Godly persons and taken to the USA, he must have been well look after to the stage where he can claim up to PHD Education ,but somehow the Godly persons must have failed at inculcating Godliness in him, or was he purged by the curse of the fatted calf
Bajan Boy you remind me so much of prodigirl,are you two one of the same? what is the latest in your camp re Maria Agard?
Y’all seem to forget Lowe told us all in no uncertain terms not that long ago to go f+#k ourselves as no-one was going to get rid of him or get him to resign. So whatever you expect from him – forget it!
I am tired writing on this blog. I going home to Barbados for Xmas. Bye bye people.
Let us not forget Lowe was a Peter Allard stooge. One can only imagine how many others in Cabinet are stooges for others.
On 11 December 2015 at 18:41, Barbados Underground wrote:
>
People like Lowe will get their just rewards. His may not even be as quick and decisive as his original boss (and apparent hero) David Thompson experienced…
People who betray the trust placed in them by poor people HAVE to be brave as shiite….
knowing that there is a woman called ‘Karma’ awaiting their wicked tails….
As ‘the end’ nears, we can expect the work of Ms. Karma to accelerate and intensify…
It will NOT be pretty….
We know that his health is a little shaky. Some people have their conscience at the bottom of their feet.
David,
This whole situation with Peter Allard and the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary (GHNS) could very well cost the taxpayers of Barbados over thirty five million dollars United States Dollars if Allard is successful in his claim against the Government of Barbados. That does not include legal fees and costs.
See below excerpt form a GHNS press release of March 02, 2015.
“Mr. Peter Allard, the Chairman and ultimate sole shareholder of Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, has sought to have the government of Barbados act to remedy these problems and to compensate him for the damage to his investment. Although Barbados attempted to have Mr. Allard’s claim dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, the Arbitral Tribunal refused to so. In particular, on June 13, 2014, the Tribunal released an award confirming that Mr. Allard is the true owner of Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, that he made a lawful investment that is protected by the Canada-Barbados treaty and that any limitations period defences should be dismissed or left to a final hearing on the merits.
On February 27, 2015, after a temporary suspension of the arbitration, the Tribunal set a new timetable for the hearing of the remainder of the case. The timetable envisages a final hearing on December 7, 2015.”
http://www.graemehall.com/press/releases/sanctuary-wins-first-round/
Does anyone know if there was a hearing of the Tribunal on December 07, 2015 and if so the outcome?
Our Heritage
http://i.imgur.com/L4aPe1Q.jpg?1
A quick internet search returned the following:
Summary of matters at issue
Details of investment
Ownership of a wildlife sanctuary consisting of 34-acre natural wetlands.
Summary of the dispute
Claims arising out of alleged environmental damage and indirect expropriation by the Government of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, a wildlife sanctuary in Barbados owned by the claimant.
Amount of compensation
Claimed by investor
35.00 mln USD
http://investmentpolicyhub.unctad.org/ISDS/Details/505
Only in Barbados
http://i.imgur.com/nuHoJrp.jpg?1
Thanks Colonel, have been posting your pics on Bajans Against 700 million,
@Ping Pong
See extract from Alicia’s summary of the agreement:
An agreement on climate change has been attained. Barbados is presumably a signatory to the agreement. See the complete text in the following link.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2646001-Final-COP21-draft.html
I hope that someone from the Barbados government will explain the implications of this agreement for Barbados. What commitments did Barbados make? How will the agreement affect the lives of the ordinary Barbadian? Specifics please no vacuous generalities and pithy slogans.
I readily admit that I have very little knowledge in the matter of climate change or the effectiveness of international agreements but I believe that I can safely bet the rent money that whatever is going to happen with the climate is going to happen regardless of this agreement. I hope there is some money for Barbados in this agreement.
Even those who believe that Man is primarily responsible for climate change do not think that this agreement will achieve much. see
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/12/james-hansen-climate-change-paris-talks-fraud
Not withstanding my cynicism, I cannot fathom the policy position of the Barbados government. It talks about a green economy etc but makes any effort to implement change prohibitively expensive.
David
thanks for the “heads up”. Do we have the capacity to request and receive technical and material assistance? I am told that some years ago Japan and Korea wanted to give Barbados money to install photo voltaic panels in schools but an inability by our Ministry of the Energy to write technical papers detailing the request caused the aid to be deferred.
@Ping Pong
As usual you ask the hard question. You may recall the same occurred to an IADB facility we missed out on a couple years ago.
@David, thanks. @PingPong, the Barbados negotiating position as part of CARICOM and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) was for increased financing for climate change adaptation, among other things. The Paris Agreement falls down in that while gives commitment by developed countries to provide financing, it does not state how this financing is to be provided. Barbados has already received some technical assistance, capacity building and finance through loans from various sources, including the IDB, CDB. But this has not been enough and will need to be on-going given the enormity of resources needed for adaptation. There are already mechanisms for funding such as the Caribbean Investment Facility. In terms of accessing the funds, there is the challenge. There was a Green Climate Fund meeting here last Monday though.In terms of our commitments, those are included in the INDC document we submitted in September and are basically the commitments we plan to take to reduce our emissions, including targets for reducing electricity consumption and promoting renewable energy, Agreed it would be nice if these things were explained to us but like many things, the onus is on we the citizenry to educate ourselves on these issues and hold our governments to account.
@Ping Pong & David,
Government can contract a “consultant” from “overseas” who has the expertise, to write technical papers.
Actually the capacity already exists in the corridors of Goverment. What seems to be missing is leadership and a sense of mission to ensure that Barbados succeeds. The only thing that seems for some in authority is “hogging” the limelight, going on the travel junkets and lining their pockets.
The per diem for the France trip must be a pretty penny.
Is the Babados INDC document public? What is our carbon footprint and how do we plan to reduce same? Minister Lowe should account to Barbadians as to what was achieved in Paris and what are the next steps following the agreement.
@Pingpong: All countries’ INDC documents, including Barbados’ document are public and available here on UNFCCC’s website: http://www4.unfccc.int/submissions/INDC/Published%20Documents/Barbados/1/Barbados%20INDC%20FINAL%20September%20%2028,%202015.pdf
An extract from the Barbados document:
“Barbados intends to achieve an economy-wide reduction in GHG emissions of 44%
compared to its business as usual (BAU) scenario by 2030. In absolute terms, this
translates to a reduction of 23% compared with the baseline year, 2008…The above emission reduction contributions will be achieved through the mitigation actions
in the energy and waste sectors, which accounted for the vast majority (88%)
of GHG emissions in Barbados in 2008.”
@Alicia
Do you know if plasma gasification technology is considered green/renewable energy?
@David, while I don’t lay claim to being a scientist or expert on the technology, from my readings during my research on the CAHILL issue, there appears to be a divergence of opinion. PGT is touted as an environmentally friendly renewable energy technology as less GHGs and other toxins like mercury etc are believed to be emitted than under traditional waste disposal methods. But then there are other studies which are skeptical. The plants themselves are also extremely expensive.
Thanks caribbeantradelaw. You have given me a lot to read.
@Pingpong you’re most welcome!
Its seasonal. Not the pile up of garbage all across Barbados, but the predictable news that the SSA’s fleet has once again been reduced . This time from 25 units to 15,a loss of 40%. And to think that a company I once worked for would not settled for anything less than a fleet availability of 90% every month,and this figure was often exceeded.
I shake my head , every time I hear the same old excuses, given by management and the minister.
http://www4.unfccc.int/submissions/INDC/Published%20Documents/Barbados/1/Barbados%20INDC%20FINAL%20September%20%2028,%202015.pdf
Excerpt – “Renewable energy: contributing 65% of total peak electrical demand by 2030. The country has made huge strides in this regard; for example distributed solar
photovoltaic (PV) installation is growing exponentially and this trend is expected to
continue. Other planned measures include waste-to-energy and biomass generation
plants, wind, distributed and centralized solar PV and capture and use of landfill gas
for energy generation.”
Why does this document speak of the waste-to-energy plant as a done deal? I thought we were led to believe it wasn’t. How can we tout this as an expected achievement when any person with an iota of knowledge about climate change and green energy knows this is rubbish? I often wonder and worry about the future of my country.
David King
Just now
EMERA, the parent company of BL&P appears to be willing with Provinces in Canada to build clean energy solutions. In Barbados are we able to discern what is the local policy? Or will the government move forward with other partners like a Cahill.
Nova Scotia’s Emera Inc eyes Alberta to grow its clean power business
@ David December 16, 2015 at 1:26 PM
Bajan Minority shareholders in the former BL&P have now been forced to “sell out” their shares to a foreign entity just because of the shortsighted greed and unparalleled incompetence of the current DLP administration.
@Miller
You obviously have not accepted Dr Robinson’s explanation for the dump?
If raw sewage is being released into the Graeme Hall swamp, the last thing the government will want to do is fix the sluice gate and have all that sewage end up in the sea. They are screwed.
@Colonel:
Who put the garbage in the piles seen? Cajans too nasty!!! Even if they have garbage to dispose of they can make the places tidy. Every community disposes of garbage. Go to Toronto, see how the communities dispose of their garbage and learn. This type of behaviour would not be tolerated either by the neighbours or the municipality. The authorities would be down your neck in a hurry. Even if the garbage is not collected they are in plastic bags neatly tied. As I say, BAJANS TOO NASTY!!
@ David
What does Dr. Robinson have in common with the people squeezing those minority shares from Bajans…..?”
…like the politicians’ wives in Fingall’s calypso..
…he is not-Bajan.
millertheanunnaki December 16, 2015 at 4:47 PM
@ David December 16, 2015 at 1:51 PM #
“You obviously have not accepted Dr Robinson’s explanation for the dump?
There is no financially-based commonsense reason in his explanation to accept, is there?
What will the NIS board do now with the proceeds aka mess of pottage? Buy the NHC built units at the Grotto for a song to rent out for peppercorn rent to unemployed Bajans?
What about investing it (the sale of shares proceeds since the NIS is awash with cash) in the new printing press producing junk bonds for the local market proving a perfect case of import substitution to prop up the foreign reserves to finance an untenable conspicuous lifestyle based on the importation of processed food, luxury items and trinkets?
My friend, the NIS had the option of converting their shares into foreign investment instead of the ‘here-today-gone-tomorrow’ cash in true paro style financial behaviour.
Do you understand the serious ramifications the NIS has to confront to meet its future obligations to those 60 years and under in the coming years?
Of course you will dismiss the contributions of the lowly unknown foreign-formed miller as the rants and ravings of a sissy and a Mia disciple of doom and gloom.
Maybe a word of confirmation from Walter Blackman well known to both Piece of De Rock and Artaxerxes would convince you of the impact of the straw that broke the camel’s back as far as the economic enfranchisement of Black Bajans in their quest to be shareholders and controllers of Private Sector Barbados.
Future pensions of Barbadians cannot be paid out of the bricks and mortar in Warrens backed by permanently accrued (unpaid) rental income and paper IOU’s but out of the cash proceeds of viable investment decisions.
David (BU):
The mis-post of the above to another thread is regretted.
Cheers, mate!!
@Miller
Will repeat the BU’s comment.
You obviously give no credence to Dr. Worrell’s proclamation that the recent issue of savings bonds was an unqualified success?
@ David December 16, 2015 at 5:05 PM
Neither should you.
The IMF, the credit rating agencies and certainly not Owen Arthur would trust anything coming from that source unless verified by ‘independent’ assessment.
We will listen to him when an ‘informed’ account is given for the $300 million of foreign reserves that disappeared between March-May 2013.
If you going to measure “unqualified success” by lending a paro administration money to pay the wages for mostly unproductive public sector workers and to provide social services without commensurate investment in economic areas to build capacity for future growth and to widen the tax base for future social demands with an aging population then by all means Ergo Unqualified Success!
http://www.deltro.ca/solar/