Tag: NRCA

Environmentalist Diana McCaulay’s tribute to a Jamaican legal giant, who led a landmark case against a major hotel development

February 12, 2024

There have been many outpourings of regret and sadness at the recent passing of a retired eminent lawyer, Justice C. Dennis Morrison. Apart from his tremendous legal skills, I understand that he was much loved and appreciated for his empathy, humour and his fundamental humanity. Here I am focusing on Justice Morrison’s role as a … More Environmentalist Diana McCaulay’s tribute to a Jamaican legal giant, who led a landmark case against a major hotel development

Land of Wood and Water, or Land of Concrete and Congestion? A Jamaican biologist comments on the proposed Mammee River Development Project

February 2, 2024

Wendy Lee, who attended the January 11 public meeting on the proposed Mammee River Development Project convened by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), is a Jamaican citizen, a St. Ann resident, and a biologist and environmentalist with over 45 years of experience. Biodiversity, simply put, means the huge variety of life on Planet Earth that … More Land of Wood and Water, or Land of Concrete and Congestion? A Jamaican biologist comments on the proposed Mammee River Development Project

Citizens Rights to the City insists on transparency, accountability from lax Government agencies

January 16, 2024

The issues surrounding the proper monitoring, oversight and approval of the numerous building projects springing up all over Kingston & St. Andrew neighbourhoods have been accumulating for some time now. To use a completely non-tropical metaphor, imagine rolling a snowball uphill. As it goes, it picks up more and more snow; in the end, it … More Citizens Rights to the City insists on transparency, accountability from lax Government agencies

The public is invited to a consultation on a large housing project in St. Ann, Jamaica

January 10, 2024

I am putting the word out. Here comes another huge project, in Mammee Bay, St. Ann, that will have a major impact on the North coast (already overbuilt with mega-hotels and private villa developments) of Jamaica’s environment and implications for the preservation of Jamaica’s heritage. A public meeting will take place on Thursday, January 11. … More The public is invited to a consultation on a large housing project in St. Ann, Jamaica

Is this justice for the citizens of Rio Cobre?

February 4, 2023

There is something called “environmental justice.” It’s not just another clever catch phrase. It is a real, and growing concern. When this release from Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) landed in my inbox recently, I saw this as a classic example of the struggle that citizens worldwide are engaged in for their environmental rights. And a … More Is this justice for the citizens of Rio Cobre?

Urgent statement re: mining-related activities in SML173 – Cockpit Country, Jamaica

November 19, 2022

The lobby group Freedom Imaginaries is raising the alarm. Please read their statement below carefully. This morning I attended a conference which provided valuable updates on the Kingston Harbour Ecosystem Adaptation Measures Project (KHEAM). This impressive project, spearheaded by the GraceKennedy Foundation, embraces several partners and is ensuring full community involvement and buy-in. I met … More Urgent statement re: mining-related activities in SML173 – Cockpit Country, Jamaica

Citizens Associations call for Moratorium on High Density Developments in Low Density Communities

January 26, 2022

It has become a nightmare in many areas of uptown Kingston. Many of our old single-family homes have been torn down, to be replaced with cold, ugly high-rise apartment blocks, squeezed into small spaces. And no. This is not just about upset, better-off citizens who are seeing their once quiet, green neighborhoods transformed almost overnight … More Citizens Associations call for Moratorium on High Density Developments in Low Density Communities

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”

Cockpit Country, Jamaica: “This is an environmental and social justice issue”

January 8, 2022

There is much more to be said about the recent announcement on bauxite mining in the Cockpit Country, which I wrote about in a post earlier this week. Now environmental activist and Founder of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) Diana McCaulay (@dmccaulay) has shared her thoughts in a fairly long Twitter thread, which I am … More Cockpit Country, Jamaica: “This is an environmental and social justice issue”

Government funding withdrawn from Jamaica Environment Trust’s 24-year-old Schools Environment Programme

September 15, 2021

The news that landed in my inbox today filled me with mixed emotions (mainly, anger). Despite the enormous success of the programme over the years, the Schools Environment Programme (SEP) has finally had the rug pulled from under it by its main donor, the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA). The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) is … More Government funding withdrawn from Jamaica Environment Trust’s 24-year-old Schools Environment Programme