Tag: mining

Happy Mother Earth Day

May 12, 2024

Today is Mother’s Day in Jamaica. Jamaicans take this day very seriously. Happy Mother’s Day memes flood social media. Sentimental music floats across the gardens of Upper St. Andrew and down through the narrow streets and lanes of downtown Kingston. There is a roaring trade in teddy bears, imported roses wrapped in cellophane, and more. … More Happy Mother Earth Day

“Striking the right balance between resource extraction and environmental preservation”: Jamaica’s Statement to the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority, July 25, 2023

July 30, 2023

Sometimes, the nature of things is more or less nothing, to misquote the writer Aldous Huxley. Here is the Statement from Jamaica at the International Seabed Authority headquarters in Kingston, as the future of our oceans hangs in the balance. And “balance” is a word politicians love to use when talking about the environment. That balance always turns out to be tipped in favour of development. … More “Striking the right balance between resource extraction and environmental preservation”: Jamaica’s Statement to the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority, July 25, 2023

The vulnerable Blue Kite Swallowtail needs your help

April 4, 2023

In November, 2020, I wrote a post about the Blue Kite Swallowtail, an exquisite butterfly that is becoming increasingly scarce. It is currently listed as Vulnerable. Scientists are currently reevaluating its status as the reduced numbers observed in recent years would seem to suggest that this assessment may no longer be accurate. Please keep an … More The vulnerable Blue Kite Swallowtail needs your help

Bahamas National Trust expresses concern over proposed mining project on North Andros

August 19, 2022

In my previous post, I wrote about the fragility of our Caribbean coastlines and the wildlife that clings to an increasingly precarious existence there – including migratory shorebirds. Here is a classic example of the threats faced: a proposed limestone quarrying and housing development on the island of Andros in the Bahamas. Here is the … More Bahamas National Trust expresses concern over proposed mining project on North Andros

The threat of deep sea mining hangs over our ocean as negotiations in Jamaica close

April 5, 2022

To me, it is quite terrifying to imagine that in just over a year’s time, deep sea mining may be given the go-ahead. Greenpeace USA was at the meeting in Kingston, Jamaica of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and has been sounding alarm bells since it began. The meeting ended last Friday, April 1, 2022. … More The threat of deep sea mining hangs over our ocean as negotiations in Jamaica close

Jamaica’s private sector calls for transparency, adherence to rules in Bengal mining plans at Puerto Bueno

January 22, 2022

Today, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) expressed concern in a press release today about what seems to be a volte face by the Prime Minister on the matter of mining permits for the Bengal area of St. Ann (Puerto Bueno or Dry Harbour Mountain), which for a while appeared to have been abandoned … More Jamaica’s private sector calls for transparency, adherence to rules in Bengal mining plans at Puerto Bueno

The environment AND climate change: shuffled out in the Jamaican Government’s “reshuffle”

January 17, 2022

Apart from the collective “meh” among most Jamaicans that greeted the Prime Minister’s “Cabinet reshuffle” announced a few days ago, one thing struck me immediately. Where has the Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change gone? It seemed to be settling down a little, under the leadership of Minister Pearnel Charles, Jr., who … More The environment AND climate change: shuffled out in the Jamaican Government’s “reshuffle”

Concentrating minds: the Caribbean at the UN in 2021 was shorter and sharper

September 26, 2021

Fast forward to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2021 – and what a difference two years can make. In my last post, I offered a critique of Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s somewhat unfocused speech at the UNGA in 2019. Well, the world has changed. Ms. Mottley’s 2021 speech hit home and gave the … More Concentrating minds: the Caribbean at the UN in 2021 was shorter and sharper

Another chance to see Jamaican environmental documentary, “Fly Me to the Moon”

February 25, 2021

There is another opportunity (in case you missed it, or want to watch again) for you to see Jamaican director Esther Figueroa’s 2019 documentary film “Fly Me to the Moon” at no cost. It will be aired as part of the Honolulu African American Film Festival on Sunday, February 28 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard … More Another chance to see Jamaican environmental documentary, “Fly Me to the Moon”