“The assets of Heritage are in a bad way… Years of poor maintenance has taken its toll. “[…] The recent rupture of tank no 27 in Point Fortin during pressure testing and the resultant flow into surrounding areas of 600,000 gallons of water and some hydrocarbon residue, causing respiratory problems …
Read More »Hearn: Cocorite and environs—and God knows where else—at risk due to dangerous pesticide!
“[…] Through a friend I was able to find out that Paraquat is in fact on the radar of three ministries: Health, Agriculture, and Local Government, because of its danger to the environment and also as a method for suicide. “[…] The residential Cocorite coastal area where the spraying is …
Read More »Noble: Wasting a crisis; Le Hunte wanted Cabinet to invest in our future—and they didn’t listen
“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before,” Rahm Emanuel, (2008). The context for that quote—which is really a riff off one made by Paul Romer, who in …
Read More »Portraits of Covid-19: Rural Trinidad adjusts to the pandemic
The following snapshots of life during the Covid-19 pandemic were taken by photographer Ghansham Mohammed in Maracas, Manzanilla and Moruga: More from Wired868 Vaneisa: FLiRTing with Covid—there is more than dengue to worry about I don’t mean to be harping on health issues, especially given my lack of medical credentials. …
Read More »With hurricane season set to follow pandemic, Caricom must find voice on climate change
The Caribbean Community Market (Caricom), established in 1973, is the oldest surviving integration movement in the developing world and its achievements along the way are many. Great strides have been made—particularly through functional cooperation in education, health, culture, security—and it is a respected voice in international affairs because of a …
Read More »IEA: Low oil prices threaten ‘weaker producing countries’, but policy makers are working on fix
“[…] The measures announced by OPEC+ and the G20 countries won’t rebalance the market immediately. But by lowering the peak of the supply overhang and flattening the curve of the build-up in stocks, they help a complex system absorb the worst of this crisis, whose consequences for the oil market …
Read More »‘We can emerge from this successfully…’ Heritage Petroleum and ex-energy minister react to fallen oil prices
“[…] As the oil price is expected to be in the low teens in this quarter, we are pursing a strategy of storage of oil production which will be sold as the oil market improves…” The following are statements from the Heritage Petroleum Company and former Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine …
Read More »Dear Editor: Sanitation workers are leading the fight for environmental justice
“While we share one atmosphere, the rich can afford healthcare and land far away from landfills and the direct effects of environmental degradation. In the end, we may all be destroyed, but the poor will watch their children suffer first.” The following Letter to the Editor on sanitation workers protests …
Read More »Salaam: New EMA policy on water pollution is welcomed news, now for education and enforcement
It was welcoming news when I heard of the Environmental Management Authority’s serious stance on water pollution and its amended policy that would effectively deal with companies and organisations that flagrantly and without care pollute our waterways, rivers and seas. Why did this take so long in coming? It is …
Read More »Developing T&T: How sidewalks can change our lives; benefits of walkable communities
“In the words of Jan Gehl, renowned observer of city life, ‘cities must urge urban planners and architects to reinforce pedestrianism (walkability) as an integrated city policy to develop lively, safe, sustainable and healthy cities… and an open and democratic society’.” The following blog on urban development and walkable communities …
Read More »Dear Editor: Can we afford to continue ignoring global warming?
“Arguments in favour of aggressively mitigating global warming, while supported by the hard data of climate science, is usually co-opted in favour of maintaining economic vitality due to global dependence on hydrocarbon energy sources. “[…] Just this year, countries in Europe and the US saw massive heat waves and wildfires …
Read More »Dear Editor: How re-introduction of Geography in school curriculum could prevent flooding
“In 1969, Geography (and History) was removed from the National Curriculum both in the primary schools and in the lower forms (Forms 1-3) in secondary schools. “The resultant lack of geographical knowledge may well be to blame—at least in part—for the thoughtless treatment of the physical environment which produces pollution …
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