Litter Wardens. Not everyone 
gives much priority to the environment. James Watt, President Reagan’s first Secretary of the Interior, is supposed to have told the US Congress that protecting the natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he allegedly said, “After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.” For what he actually said, if you are interested, see this copy of the Alternative Energy Bulletin. Or, see his entry under Positive Atheism’s Big List of Scary Quotes. It is hard to fight against that type of ignorance coming from a presumably educated man.
I can remember the day when littering was first made an offence in Anguilla. The House of Assembly passed the Litter Abatement Act. That was years ago. Not a single person has ever been prosecuted for an offence under it. To be effective the Act needs Litter Wardens. People were asked to volunteer, and many did. These appointments were essential for enforcing the Act. A Litter Warden could impose a ticket of a $50.00 fine for littering. But, not one Litter Warden has been appointed. I enquired why. My informant tells me the Ministers had a change of heart. They did not want to make criminals of people who only throw bottles and tins out of their car windows. The consequence is that littering is as much of a problem around the island now as it ever was before the Act was introduced. What a joke this law is! What a calamity our Ministers of Government are creating!
How can we as a tourist destination claim to be catering for the upscale market when we cannot keep our island clean? When the tourists start posting pictures of our litter-strewn roadsides on the internet, how will we respond?
Everything I read this week tells me about how we are such a proud people. Hello? Proud people do not throw their garbage on the road.
ReplyDeleteThere is also an act for a place to carry stray animals. Goats who eat your crops. Dogs who mess with garbage and goats.
ReplyDeleteA pound. With a pound keeper who will collect stary animals from your property and impound them.
By my knowledge it is not enforced, there is no pound and no pound keeper. But why, why keep having animals poisioned, when the act is right there, with approved amandments and all.
In his "Legal Notes" column of 3 December 2004 in "The Anguillian" Alex Richardson explained the Litter Abatement Act and then commented:
ReplyDelete"As far as I am aware, this Act is not beng vigorously enforced. I would urge those responsible to do what is required to ensure that persons violating its provisions are made to pay for so doing. In addition to being a revenue source for Government, it would be a powerful deterrent to those who habitually and callously litter and despoil our little island."
Alex has been ignored, and replaying this same sermon seems unlikely to be effective. Anguilla has entered into an Environmental Charter with HMG. It says we will establish effective enforcement mechanisms to control and prevent pollution. It says that HMG will facilitate our doing these things. What does the Governor think that means, what is he going to do about it, and when is he going to do it?
Anguillians respond well to incentives and penalties, just like people everywhere do. Littering in Anguilla has neither incentives nor disincentives. Whether we're responsible about our litter or throw it on the road, the result is the same. Someone else will take it up.
ReplyDeletePeople are what we are. We have to stop hoping people will change, and create incentives and effective penalties. I can't do this alone. We could all do it together, but pigs will fly before that happens. So it has to be done by government. Soon, before we're buried in our own garbage. It's getting worse.
Olasee Davis said, "Because we don't think about the future they will never forget us."
The government doesn't care about the environment, otherwise we would be allowed to install solar panels on our homes (now much more affordable) instead of forbidding it and giving ANGLEC a monopoly.The legality of that monopoly should ber questioned.Why should I not be allowed to produce my own electricity if I am not selling it to anyone else?Why should I continue to use polluting producing ANGLEC electricity if I have a clean alternative?Please look into this Dr. Mitchell.
ReplyDeleteI believe the writer is incorrect. Anglec has a monopoly on the generation of electricity, but there is an exception for solar and wind power, and I believe the equipment required attracts duty at the rate of 0%.
ReplyDeleteI must declare my bias. I dislike Anglec. But they have not done what the writer suggests.
"Not everyone gives much priority to the environment."
ReplyDeleteThat's true.
"James Watt, President Reagan’s first Secretary of the Interior, is supposed to have told the US Congress that protecting the natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ."
It's true that Watt is "supposed" to have said that--but other than that it isn't true.
More on that later.
"In public testimony he allegedly said, 'After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.'"
That's not true.
It was reported as true in an article in Grist magazine, and that article now includes a retraction. Bill Moyers, among others, repeated the quotation without checking it out, and he has issued an apology to Watt subsequent to making the error.
"For what he actually said, if you are interested, see this copy of the Alternative Energy Bulletin."
The AEB does only put things that Watt actually said--but one of them is out of context:
Testifying before Congress, Watt was asked if he agreed that natural resources should be preserved for future generations. His response:
"I do not know how many future generations we can count of before the Lord returns."
Here's the full quotation:
"That is the delicate balance the Secretary of the Interior must have: to be steward to the natural resources for this generation as well as future generations. I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns; whatever it is we need to manage it with a skill to leave the resources needed for future generations."
The one sentence takes on a different tenor in context, doesn't it?
Yes, you're right. And James Watt was still an evil man who represented the forces of greed. So is the current occupant of the White House and I have serious questions about our Missing Minister. I am not alone.
ReplyDeleteIn the House of Assembly on 15 May, Donna Banks angrily attacked the "Social Services Department" for failing to do a whole lot of things. Victor responded by reading a number of social services promises from the 2005 Manifesto and commented that it's time to stop talking and take action. Neil Rogers failed to attend. If they weren't talking about him, who is it they believe is in charge of his ministry and these functions?
The worse roadside litter on the island is within 300 yards of the Chief Minister's residence. How he can drive to work every day and not be outraged at how is neighborhood looks is beyond belief.
ReplyDelete