EDITORIAL - Keeping the country clean a priority

Over the years, environmental groups have hosted clean-up campaigns on several beaches and in gullies across the island. Thousands of tonnes of illegally dumped garbage and debris were removed by hundreds of Barbadians from beaches and illegal dumping sites over time, but several other similar venues are still being plagued by a few perpetrators.

Lack of education
Even though these campaigns demonstrate an understanding and willingness to safeguard the environment, the question must be asked, if Government institutions and private enterprises did not come forward to host and encourage these clean-up drives, what would Barbados look like in a few years? There seems to be a lack of education where littering and illegal dumping is concerned and steps must be taken to watch out for and prevent people from carrying out these acts.

Years ago, environmental health officer, Keith Cadogan, said, “We have laws on the statute books for illegal dumping but they are not enforced and I think we need litter officers who would be just out there looking for things like that, because the environmental health officer has so many things to do that he cannot concentrate on looking for people who dump illegally.”

Similarly, there have been many problems with regard to marine littering and it was highlighted that the “things people throw away do not just disappear”, and they can find their way into another environment which people may want to enjoy at another time.

In a similar vein, Barbados is now experiencing problems along the South Coast with regard to a sewage spill and this has been affecting businesses and residents in that area. This spill has the potential to cause ‘health hazards, damage to homes and businesses, and threaten the environment, water and beaches’. Therefore, a national awareness drive about the necessity of a clean environment can bring many benefits for Barbados in the future, in addition to the required clean-up.

Internationally, there is a lot of talk about going green and implementing environmentally-friendly alternatives, some of which are as simple as incorporating recycling in garbage disposal regimes in households. The benefits of this to Barbadians range from the health-related to financial opportunities, since in recycling new products can be
created. The health benefits alone make total recycling an initiative worth considering.

Way of life affected
Many illegal dumpers fail to recognise that this practice contributes to an increase in the rodent population, mosquitoes, blocked drains and flooding and it can affect the island’s water supply, crops, the marine environment and the economy overall.

There are incidents of people throwing empty containers out of the car windows, to those who leave home with an old appliance to discard in a bushy area or gully.

It is distressing to see the examples that some adults are setting for the younger generation, as well as the dangerous and unclean environment that they are leaving for the youth to live in. The time has come for Barbadians to recognise the benefits of keeping their country clean for all who inhabit it.