Environment TO BAGO new slett er
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n vi r on m e n t TOBAGO (ET) is a nongovernment, non-profit, volunteer organisation , not subsidized by any one group, corporation or government body. Founded in 1995, ET is a proactive advocacy group that campaigns against negative environmental activities throughout Tobago. We achieve this through a variety of community and environmental outreach programmes. Environment TOBAGO is funded mainly through grants and membership fees. These funds go back into implementing our projects. We are grateful to all our sponsors over the years and thank them for their continued support
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Environment TOBAGO
June 2012
A Tribute to David Rooks - My friend, mentor and fellow environmentalist Patricia Turpin – President (ET)
With the passing of David Rooks, so too has passed one of the greatest repositories of the natural history of Trinidad and Tobago. He was a living library. A self taught naturalist, ornithologist, ecologist and advocate for conservation throughout Trinidad & Tobago. David’s environmental career did not really become his passion until he had lived several lives and colourful ones at that. His first career was in the oil industry- He was trained as an oilfield driller by my father in the dense forests of south Trinidad (Forest Reserve and La Brea). During that time he was an avid hunter and camper. It is said that converted hunters make the greatest conservationists. Not to be outdone, he invested in an import business in Trinidad in the 1960’s, his career path took another turn however in the 1970’s, and this brought him to Tobago to assist with Cocoa production at Charlotteville David Rooks—in the forest Estate in Northeast Tobago. He put down roots there. Perhaps not realising, the major impact this would have on his future and the conservation movement in the island Historically, David had a lot of exposure to nature lovers. His Grandfather, Henry Caracciolo was one of the Founders of the Field Naturalist Club of T&T in 1891. Himself, becoming one of the Presidents of the TTFNC in the 1960’s and subsequent years. It was through the lobbying of the TTFNC that environmental interests in Tobago were brought together in 1996 to form the NGO –Environment Tobago. David was the first President of Environment Tobago. David’s experiences during these years, the issues dealt with, the advocacy that was instrumental in the implementation of environmental legislation, the people he encountered, and the” in the field” knowledge he had acquired made him an ideal teacher (I was one of his students), and a knowledgeable naturalist guide. He was appointed as David Attenborough’s field guide during the filming of “Trials of Life”. And
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June 2012 Editor: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Assistant Editor: Christopher K. Starr Design & Layout: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Technical Support: Jerome Ramsoondar Enid Nobbee Contributors: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Christopher K. Starr Bertrand Bhikkary Environment TOBAGO Photographs: Environment TOBAGO
Board of Directors 2010-2012 President:: Patricia Turpin Vice-President: Bertrand Bhikkary Secretary: Wendy Austin Treasurer: Geoffrey Lewis Other Directors: William Trim Rupert McKenna Darren Henry
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
so began the last of his careers as a leading Naturalist guide for T&T. As the years progressed, he added many awards to his resume. His love for nature evident in everything he did. A natural progression to writing about his experiences, findings, and observations began a parallel career as an environmental journalist for many local and international journals and magazines. In the years to come, these works will need to be compiled and preserved. The environmental community mourns his loss; we have lost a warrior, a true advocate for the natural environment. Uncompromising, in his stance for environmental justice and for this we will be eternally grateful. For his friends, the loss of a story teller beyond compare.
An Environmental NGO perspective in Conservation Patricia Turpin – President (ET) Recently, 157 NGO’s and CBO’s met in Port of Spain for a networking and funding capacity building exercise. Out of all the attending agencies, 12 were environmental organizations while the majority were social, civil society-gender oriented, physical disabilities organisations. It was fairly obvious from this meeting that environmental NGO’s being mostly volunteer organizations, whether affiliated with animals, marine or terrestrial issues, encounter the same problems with access to funding, capacity building and garnering the respect of the population and government agencies and are often seen as being “against“ development. The discourse below was delivered at the above mentioned NGO conference in defense of ENGO’s and the difficulties encountered in daily operations. “Trinidad & Tobago, a twin island state. One island heavily industrialized and the other a Naturalist and Tourism paradise. We are a tiny country, feeling now the effects of unchecked industrialization and development. We too are suffering from climatic changes being experienced world-wide. Increasing sea temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and extreme weather events are indeed matters of some importance. Tackling coral bleaching and bacterial infestation on our reefs have become issues uppermost in our agenda. As a small island developing state, we face critical challenges in grappling with environmental problems, while pursuing economic goals. The pressure on land space and our natural resources compounds the challenges. It is expected that while accounting for a miniscule fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, this figure will increase with the present industrialization being pursued. We may be committed to the stabilization of these gases effecting climate change, but both national and global accords must be adhered to, in order to correct the imbalances of a “planet on overload“. In Tobago, in less than a generation, we have witnessed the burgeoning of population density, with many people living in our coastal areas, all striving for a “better way of life”, and at the same time, so many private, public and state development activities. As a result of this forward movement, there has been an improved living condition for our residents, but the environment has suffered. We have seen a massive increase in all types of pollution- from solid waste, with the common sight of plastics and styrofoam adorning our roadsides, clogging our waterways and seas. Sewage pollution, deforestation and bad agricultural practices
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
such as burning; result in habitat loss, and flooding. Biodiversity loss from over hunting, over fishing and the use of toxic chemicals such as Malathion for vector control. As well as, air pollution from industry, development and a flagrant disregard for the environmental laws. The same problems are encountered throughout the world, but in our small island, these issues appear magnified. It has become the chore of this generation to cleanup, restore and urgently manage our natural resources. The government of Trinidad and Tobago is signatory to many treaties, protocols and conventions in the international arena for Biodiversity conservation and preservation- the most notable signed at the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. There are others too, designed to obligate signatory countries to work towards protection of our seas and coastal areas, conservation of our reefs and wetlands, regulate the transport of toxic waste and management of our resources. To accomplish this monumental task, The EMA (Environmental Management Authority) was formed with the responsibility for policy, policing and management of our Natural Resources and protected areas. As an NGO, we at Environment Tobago have found this body to be ineffective in policing and upholding the environmental laws of the country. As a stakeholder, we have found that in order to ensure that justice is served in the context of preserving and conserving our environment as is indicated in our mission we have had to resort to aligning ourselves with an environmental lawyer. This alignment has enabled us to access information through the FIO Act and to bring the EMA to task with the process of CEC’s. It has also allowed us to bring those in authority to task for many infringements of the environmental laws of the Island of Tobago without being victimized as was common in the past. Environmental decision making has for too long, been affected by political posturing and the vagaries of the election process. Ministers and secretaries appointed to important posts e.g. Minister of the Environment or Secretary of Natural Resources, who know little about the post to which they have been appointed. After every election it takes almost one year to bring these individuals up to speed. All legislation and policies in waiting for parliamentary approval are then set back and have to be reviewed again and again. To complement the laws (we have 115 pieces of environmental legislation in this country) and policies governing the environment, we must be committed to change in attitudes and behavior at all levels of society; including our elected representatives who must act in a responsible manner and move the country towards stewardship of the land as a first priority. This mindset is essential in a world of dwindling natural resources. It would be sad indeed to leave behind a legacy that would label us “the generation that destroyed the planet“. We believe that effective management of our Natural Resources and ecosystems is a huge priority. NGO’s can be effectively used in the co-management of our ecosystems as has been stated in our current policies for Forests and Protected areas and ESA’s as has been shown in Tobago in our work with wetland assessment and restoration However funding for NGO work has been heavily constrained by the National and Global downturns in the economy. Now, applications for funding from corporations requires huge amounts of paper work and transparency documentation, resulting from the SOX (Sardanes/ Oxley 2002)legislation in the US- and which have become the application requirements worldwide. The Green Fund, which should have been actively funding NGO’s and CBO’s had been delayed by a ten year lapse. It has only been recently accessed in Trinidad, but NOT in Tobago- due to delays in agreements between the Green Fund Unit and the operationalising of the Tobago Unit. This funding is vital for project implementation in Tobago. Until this is resolved, NGO’s will have an increasingly difficult task in access-
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“ To many people t hes e t all pe aks mak e for a challe ngi ng but sce nic hike. B ut t hey are not j ust anot her t all mount ai n to clim b. ”
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
ing funding for any purpose whatsoever. The natural areas which belong to the State presently suffer along with privately owned lands. A case in point right here in Tobago is the Buccoo Reef - the almost Marine Park. The list of threats to the reef is widely known, if also widely accepted as beyond our capacity to remedy. Presently there is a decades long move to adjust the boundaries of the Buccoo Reef Marine Park, but a large part of its success will hinge on the ability of the State to draft into law, special rules for the stakeholders who use the reef, and also the wider residential community which reside in the impact zones of the Reef Basin. But those are details. There is a bigger problem, one that needs to be looked at before we bury our heads into our own self assigned tasks or objectives. We need to consider that the environment itself comes in a far second place to the needs of our human population. Right or wrong, the following must be considered if only for the purpose of encouraging debate. Rough times are ahead for we who inhabit Earth, a time which requires great understanding of everyone’s needs. Yet if the voices which only represent human interests remain the loudest, it may well be that the other species will not benefit in any outcome. It’s not that the animal and plant kingdoms aren’t saying anything; it is only that most of us just do not understand the language. It’s obvious that people giving lip service to the topic will end up far short of a fix for urgent environmental issues. So let’s talk a bit more, one more time. True, no one is actually deemed unsound in mind for saving a tree anymore, even fish population observers can claim they do a meaningful job, right alongside those who make a living doing avian migration studies. However the real contributors to society’s progress are those who feed the mills of our economy, or add more comfort to our daily lives. You can see why we venerate the scientist who modifies living organisms to produce more food, over an environmental advocate who insists we already have enough food, but we just need to distribute it differently. It’s a lifestyle and developmental paradigm that needs urgent readjustment, and in quick time, because humans are not the center of this world, even if we do make the most impact on it. The threat of Climate Change, whether it was brought about by a natural cycle of events, or was inadvertently created by our need to reinvent our surroundings is a fact of life that we must face. That it’s a threat which will deliver its blow to the next generation - our heirs actually, is the main reason not enough of us are concerned about diminishing or readjusting our usage of natures assets. The truth of the matter remains, if the expected events foretold for climate change were upon us now, would the political will, the social conscience of entire nations be in alignment to face the clear and present danger? In the meantime we must employ the civil mediums of education, consultation, and democracy to get the message across. It is hoped that this small contribution today will serve to highlight the difficulties relating to the work of NGO’s in the environmental arena and stimulate discussion towards the solving of the problems facing Trinidad and Tobago and in particular the island of Tobago.”
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Top row (left to right): J.B. Fernandes and Rockefeller Philanthropic Boards meeting at the Hyatt. At the NGO Professional Conference; Conference Headliner; Pat Turpin (ET) and Jocelyn Roberts (ET) and Autism Tobago chatting at conference Bottom row (left to right): Adana Mahase (ET and Asclepius Green) at an education session at NGO conference; Chief secretary Orville London answers questions at conference- Juliana Antoine and Steven Greenleaf in front row; Pat Turpin and Hazel Brown on podium (Turpin delivering the NGO message)
Niko Resources Ltd-Exploratory Drilling Programme in the NCMA 2 & NCMA 3 in Tobago. Juliana Antoine – Education Coordinator (ET) The Introductory stakeholder consultation was held at the Bon Accord Community Centre on May 22, 2012. Everyone was invited to participate in the proceedings. The welcome and Introductions were done by Melanie Richards, Director/ Principal Consultant of CSR Solutions. She introduced the panel and explained that this was the first of two sessions that were to be held in Tobago. The purpose of the consultations was to introduce the proposed exploratory drilling campaign, to solicit public views about the proposed project as well as to introduce the environmental Impact process. Mr. Daryle Sankar, Principal HSE Coordinator at Niko Resources Ltd, in his opening remarks, gave some background on the company and their proposed activity in and around Tobago. Niko Resources Ltd via its subsidiaries proposes to conduct exploratory drilling in offshore Block NCMA2 & NCMA3, (North Coast marine Area) both offshore blocks located off the north coast of Trinidad and to the South West of Tobago. The areas are 1,019km2 and 2,105km2 respectively. Niko proposes to conduct exploratory drilling within both blocks NCMA 2 & NCMA3 during the first quarter of 2012. The locations of ten exploratory wells from which final locations will be chosen are before the EMA for final approval. Mr. Sankar went on to give a general overview of the projected schedule of activities. Planning and procurement, site preparation and rig mobilization as well as drilling completions and testing are all to be done in phases with a tentative start date in the first quarter of 2013.
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“ To many people t hes e t all pe aks mak e for a challe ngi ng but sce nic hike. B ut t hey are not j ust anot her t all mount ai n to clim b. ”
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
The proposed exploratory drilling is included in designated activity 24exploration for crude or natural gas. An application for a CEC describing the nature of the proposed works, the environmental setting and proposed mitigation measures and techniques were submitted to the EMA in January 2012. Mr. Dwight Smith, Consultant with CSR Solutions, in his presentation, went on to speak of the types of rigs that may or may not be used in the potential drilling programme. “Jack up Rigs” is the rig of choice, since it is on location and operational and is the rig of choice in shallow offshore applications. He concluded by presenting a slideshow of the types of rigs while explaining their advantages and disadvantages. The Environmental Impact Assessment session was presented by Ms. Cindy Chandool-Scientist and Dwight Smith-CEO Cindy Chandool, Senior Scientist at CSA Niko Resources International Inc. She began by stating that Niko Resources Ltd had applied to the EMA for a CEC in January 2012. The stakeholder consultations were part of this process to get the focus groups as well as the vulnerable groups aware of the proposed activities as well as the potential impact that it can have on their livelihoods and communities. She added that the EIA has to be done in compliance with the Terms of Reference (TOR) as determined by the EMA. A risk-based approach to the EIA is best suited to this type of activity. She stated that there were key issues that would get urgent attention as necessary. They are: • Water & Sediment Quality • Fishing • Drilling & Cuttings discharges • Marine Mammals etc Turtles and fishes • Collisions (vessels) • Spills, Blowout • Helicopter Crash • Natural Disasters She outlined some potential, adverse environmental impacts as well as mitigation measures that can be used to alleviate the situations. She concluded by presenting a project schedule as well as the EIA’s and the SIA’s (Social Impact Assessment) that have to be done. She also spoke of the shoreline and Air Quality testing that is scheduled to take place in Crown Point, the only location in Tobago during the week of May 27-31, 2012. In conclusion, the final presenter was Ms. Melanie Richards, Director/Principal Consultant of CSR Solutions. She opened by saying that her company would be responsible for doing the social impact assessments. She stated that one component of the EIA required by the EMA is an SIA. The SIA seeks to identify, analyze, monitor and manage the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative arising from the proposed activities. SIA activities include, but are not exclusive to focus groups meetings and interviews, meetings with government and non governmental agencies and bodies/organizations household surveys as well as using secondary research sources.
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
The methodology to be implemented is to be done in 5 stages: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Scoping & characterization Establishment of a social baseline i.e. Primary (questionnaires etc) & Secondary Central Statistical Office and Fisheries Division for additional and/or supplementary information. Analysis of the Social Impact themselves Mitigation of Adverse impacts Identification of Sustainable Development Opportunities
She concluded by adding that everyone’s feedback and concerns are important to these discussions and welcomed all to do so. The second leg of the Tobago consultations are carded for August 1-8th, 2012.
ET and Centrica Environment TOBAGO is working closely with the energy company Centrica in these areas (see maps below). Out goal is to ensure that the drilling and proposed pipelines do not damage any reefs- Buccoo and others in the south that are used by divers and fishermen. Also ensuring the safe passage of turtles and whales and cetaceans currently traversing that area Northeast of Tobago.
North Coast Marine Area (left) and a schematic of development sites and pipeline route survey of Block 22 Drilling and Pipeline Route
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EMA Sea Turtle Symposium: for the formation of cabinet committee to implement the STRAP- Sea Turtle recovery program for T&T
(Left to right): DNRE rep. Angela Ramsey and EMA staff; Scott Ekhart, Fisheries, Pat Turpin and Joth Singh (EMA) on podium speaking on status of turtles; Shauna Narine-EMA in conversation
Bottom row (left to right): Ministers of Fisheries, and Environment and EMA Chairman, EMA CEO, and Chairman of Turtle Village Trust; Podium- group sea turtle research; McIntosh-SAD for Toco at mike- making a point
Automatic Information Systems For Tobago Bertrand Bhikarry Environment TOBAGO
“ To many people t hes e t all pe aks mak e for a challe ngi ng but sce nic hike. B ut t hey are not j ust anot her t all mount ai n to clim b. ”
Automatic Information Systems (AIS) combines the Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) and the Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID) in a stack layer. Each of these technologies are effective, tried and proven in their own spaces, but when used in combination -for the purposes of locating the whereabouts of, and identifying unique aircraft and marine assets, it is unmatched at this time. Note, since 1990 all vessels over 300 gross tons had to have AIS installed, as well as all passenger ships [IMO/SOLAS]. Presently, in the marine community, AIS enabled vessels can now 'see' other AIS craft reliably up to 25 nautical miles, even more, depending on antenna height and tropospheric scatter. 'Points' can be anything. The database has ascribed unique identification numbers Maritime Mobile Service Identities to vessels (MMSI) and also attributes classes of identification to marine assets that includes markers, buoys, lights, rigs, even zones or boundaries, to be drawn to attention. In considering an AIS deployment, the implications for the Tobago marine community are the standard deliverables, namely: • • •
collision avoidance vessel traffic services national security
• • •
search and rescue accident investigation aids to navigation
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Figure 1. With the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web, it's now possible for land-based AIS receiver stations to collect transmissions from vessels within range. A site-based computer will then encode and transfer the information packets to a central database, which feeds to the satellite network, which then is able to tell the vessel that it is approaching a 'point'.
HOW AIS WORKS FOR TOBAGO There are two departments of the Tobago House of Assembly which stand to benefit almost instantly from a locally installed AIS network. They are (i) the Fisheries Division and (ii) the Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). The former will be able to track and assist its fishing fleet, and also be able to keep an eye out for the activities of other fleets. The latter, TEMA will be able to track the movement of international craft, especially those that constitute potential hazards – toxic waste transporters, gas vessels, and so on. The island will see further gain by the deployment of virtual markers (like the proposed boundaries of the Marine Park) which will be able to resolve on any craft from any nation as it passes within the AIS radio broadcast frequency. There are other far-reaching benefits, for example, information may given to the relevant authorities about arbitrary vessel movement; such as vessels departing fuel and bunker stations and merely taking station in international waters in what will be identifiable rendezvous with non-landed craft. These days the reason for rendezvous is (reportedly) the illegal transfer of subsidized fuel, on others days it may be other commodities. The way forward for local AIS deployment In summary, Tobago needs to affect AIS units on its entire coastal fishing fleet, and simultaneously create a shore-based network of broadcast stations. In doing so, agencies will be able to track and assist its fleet, especially in search and rescue scenarios. In search and rescue operations the ability to identify and so contact a particular vessel may make all the difference. There are other slants to the use of AIS. Vessels not having an MMSI will stand out, making the deployment of marine patrols far simpler. Considering the potential for increased activity in Tobago waters, in case of 'hit and runs', the evidence of who was where becomes less of a problem. Finally, in the gathering of statistics for a national maritime asset database (industrial and environmental), AIS on vessels will allow for the collection of precise data. Given that Tobago is located in a hot spot of the global phenomenon Climate Change, that database may prove invaluable to mankind near and far. At the time of writing the NGO Environment Tobago has been using an ad-hoc installation for a shore-based AIS station, incorporating upload to the GPS system and enabling its access to the global community of marine traffic offshore. Using that tem-
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plate (detail forthcoming) the AIS rollout for Tobago can therefore be affected in a relatively short time given an accord between the NGO community and the THA. Contact Bertrand Bhikarry for more information on AIS for Tobago
ET participates in The Social Determinants of Health Internship Training Program for Caribbean Secondary School Students The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH) in Brooklyn, USA, is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 by Arthur Ashe- the late tennis champion, civil rights activist, and humanitarian. The mission of this institute is to help the next generation of regional public health leaders to focus on issues of equity, social justice and sustainability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and energize the region’s commitment to developing a strong primary care infrastructure (Barclay, 2009). However, the health workforce crisis is one of the most critical issues facing public healthcare systems in the Caribbean. In response to this the Social Determinants of Health Internship Program for Caribbean Secondary School Students was developed. The pilot for this internship is set for the summer of 2012 in Trinidad and Tobago and geared towards 20 lower and upper 6th form students. It has been developed by the AAIUH with the support and cooperation of the following:
“ To many people t hes e t all pe aks mak e for a challe ngi ng but sce nic hike. B ut t hey are not j ust anot her t all mount ai n to clim b. ”
• • • • •
J. William Fulbright NEXUS Scholarship Program UWI Faculty of Medical Sciences, St. Augustine Campus Local NGOs Government ministries Secondary schools
Student Intern Criteria: § Must have written permission from parent or legal guardian. § Must have received 75% as an overall average and 75% in Math, Science and/or Health-related subjects on last academic report card. § Submit an essay describing interest in public health and community outreach. For additional information, e-mail internship@arthurasheinstitute.org or check Environment TOBAGO’s website.
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
ECOLOGY NOTES What is cloud forcing? Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies Clouds play an important part in maintaining the conditions that make life on this planet comfortable through temperature regulation, by what is known as cloud forcing. Cloud forcing can be defined as the difference between heat in the form of sunlight that is absorbed and reflected by the earth during cloudy and cloud-free conditions. Due to their whiteness or albedo, clouds reflect sunlight back into space and a certain amount of energy it carries with it (cloud albedo), thus preventing the earth from receiving too much heat. However, on the other hand, they act as a blanket trapping heat against the Earth’s surface (cloud greenhouse effect). The effect of cloud forcing is quite important as the planet is believed to be experiencing global warming so that the amount of heat trapped against its surface can increase due to clouds. However, in order to understand what cloud forcing is one has to imagine a planet without clouds. The lack of white clouds to reflect sunlight means that more of it would be absorbed by the exposed “dark” surface of the planet which includes both land and water. The radiation that passes through to the clouds is reflected by the earth’s surface and then back to earth when it hits the clouds. Therefore without clouds heat would not be trapped against the planet’s surface. So, on a whole more heat is lost than gained even through it is absorbed by the planet’s surface. Therefore a world without clouds would be much colder. However, the amount of sunlight reflected or allowed to pass to the planet’s surface depends on the type of cloud and the amount of cloud cover in that area. There are different categories of clouds, however, the one of interest is cirrus clouds which are found at high altitudes. These clouds are thin and wispy and look as if you have taken a piece of cotton wool and stretched it as far as you can without tearing it therefore their presence is similar to clear air as they allow sunlight (shortwave radiation) to pass. This ability is mostly due to their thinness and transparency in some places. However, they do absorb the radiation that reflects off the surface and re-emits back therefore trapping heat against the earth’s surface. So clouds are not just something found in the sky, they play an important role in both a cooling and heating when it comes to controlling the temperature of our planet.
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ARTICLES The Tobago flush toilet in 2012 Bertrand Bhikarry Environment TOBAGO
“In many regards, nothing has changed here since that first proud Tobago flush. “
“ To many people t hes e t all pe aks mak e for a challe ngi ng but sce nic hike. B ut t hey are not j ust anot her t all mount ai n to clim b. ”
It’s the little things, they say. No one may remember the first Tobago household with a flush toilet. But we are not that far removed from the odious past so that we can’t put ourselves in the same frame of mind as some proud housekeeper back then. The funny thing is odds are the design of the septic system for that old bathroom throne might still compare favourably with the majority of modern household toilet installations. In practice, in everyday usage, it almost certainly did. Granted, of course, the new facility in a late model house has a very special air about it. There are brand name porcelain bowls; that is if one’s got the money and the oxymoronic attitude to invest in a high-end low end receptacles. There are extractor fans, design matching paper rolls, perfumed even. There’s also adequate and customisable lighting for prolonged stays, in case the pressures of the outside world compare unfavourably. Indeed, there’s piped music, some even have TV. The only thing these spaces of the ultimate Utopian statement have in common with mine, and that of my equally poor neighbour’s bathroom, is the collective destination. We both flush to enrich the communal soil – in a manner of speaking. But the devil, as we’ve come to know, is in the details. Because to rid the house of nightsoil from the user connected to the sewage system, it’s got to be piped, pumped, transported to nearest municipal separators. The design does not take into account clogged, or broken lines, nor does it work well with pumps that aren’t functional. Ah those damn details. In the meantime, my poor unconnected neighbour and I, we’ve got to ensure that our humble offerings to the earth are deposited in a septic tank for the resultant microbiological breakdown. Every two years, depending on the ‘payload’ or the capacity of the tank, we’ve got to call in the ‘Public Health’ guys with their special trucks. In many regards, nothing has changed here since that first proud Tobago flush. If a standalone toilet, we still have the ‘freedom’ to Not Get the truck in to empty our overflowing tanks. As does WASA have freedom to Not Ensure that their end of the system works, even as everyone assiduously contributes from their domestic or respective zones of bliss. Yes folks, we are drowning in the sea of water which we flush down our posh Tobago toilets. I lie not. Rumours abound, as does my personal observation. At the touristy end, and I kid you not, I’d offer the liquids in the drains of the Tobago Plantations area may not be conducive to wading. Hint, hint, look for frogs, for tadpoles. None. Get outa there, take the toddler don’t forget. Don’t bother calling Health. It’s unproductive, therefore expensive. At the community level from Charlotteville to Canaan, take the time to get out of the Almera. If you are a THA Administrator, get out of the Prado. Yes Sir, Maam, Get out, smell the roses. Do not however, attempt to smell the drains of Tobago. The volume of it comprises that water of which I speak, and it’s nutrient rich, but not in a good way. Understand dear reader, I’ve got no solutions. I don’t get paid to provide those, do I? Already I risk my personal safety when I swim in either Pigeon Point (Ah Bon Accord, I weep for thee) or in Man O War Bay, or at points between. Scarbor-
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
ough business building toilet water? Try not to get splashed on The Boardwalk as the “bling” cars fly past. Actually I’m starting to have bad thoughts for that first Tobagonian who presumed she had the right to use a toilet and throw the water into the street. And if she didn’t then, isn’t that what we do now ?
Tobago’s third thing Bertrand Bhikarry Environment TOBAGO DH Lawrence ought to speak to the governors of Tobago. They’ve built an industrial estate, but with no joy. They also built the Scarborough port, still no joy. And then they made a big time goat racing facility in Buccoo, but happiness does not live there either. Admittedly something is missing in what they do. Maybe they ought to be looking for an elusive third element? Developing a tourism driven economy borders on the metaphysical, so looking for an abstract solution can not be ruled out when seeking that life-giving ingredient for those failed edifices and innovations in Tobago. This writer thinks the issue (of non-productivity?) is simply a lack of focused greed. But greed it seems only thrives under an icon. In Trinidad, an island which is arguably home to the greediest people in the Caribbean, there are several icons. The average Trinidadian wakes up to perform devotions to oil and gas, the twin gods of the energy sector, some go to labour in the retail sector, others slave away in the entertainment sector. Get it? Everything has its sector, everything has an icon. Everyone in all the sectors is equally greedy. No matter who they are, or at what level they are required to perform, they perform well. That’s Trinidad for you. Tobago on the other hand only has one icon -the tourism, and it’s badly in need of a makeover, a new vision, a new mission, whatever. Its icon is tarnished so to speak. The thing is that the complete metaphysical destination makeover, both abstract and universal, must also be directed at recreating the tourism workforce, not to an already educated travelling public. To the onlooker, to the buyer, the problem with Tobago tourism isn’t in the quality of the natural offering. To misquote, ‘It’s in the service stupid’. Yeh, Tobago tourism suffers from a lack of greed at the worker level, the place where the customer makes her critical purchase decisions, the place where she’s gets pleased or pissed. One big lesson the tourism bosses at the entrepreneurial level have learnt is they can hard sell to a person that one time but they can’t hard sell to all the people all of the time. If you think that’s a lie, examine the returning visitor statistics. Easier yet, look at the growth curve in the tourism related services. It looks like DH Lawrence got it right that time. Tobago the island has the sand and the water, and its managers went to a lot of expense to add the cement. But for the current brand of tourism, something is still missing. It’s the mystery of that third thing isn’t it? Water is H20, hydrogen two parts, oxygen one, But there is also a third thing, that makes it water And nobody knows what that is.’ -DH Lawrence
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To see is to believe. The trees are leaving Bertrand Bhikarry Environment TOBAGO
“ To many people t hes e t all pe aks mak e for a challe ngi ng but sce nic hike. B ut t hey are not j ust anot her t all mount ai n to clim b. ”
There’s this lone little coconut tree on the shore down near Scarborough Port which was once known as Niggers Bay. It’s almost as if she’s waiting for a fast ferry or a cruise ship to take her out. And you can’t really blame her can you? What with the distress that silk cotton tree is undergoing up at Moriah, with the sea-grape almost gone from Hope, and the beach almond almost peeled to deadwood everywhere else in Tobago, it doesn’t require much intelligence to know that the Going Green game’s already gone around here. Now if trees could talk, that sole surviving member of the Cocos nucifera clan might beg for a second chance down at the Scarborough boardwalk. She’d tell the strip crews to leave her alone, because even if she is a foreigner, the length of time she’s been hanging around here predates many of the so-called indigènes who say they have sole right of ownership. If she is given tenancy on that patch of sand she’s reclaimed, she’d certainly attract other long-limbed friends. Some suitors may come to settle and put down roots, in a manner of speaking. And soon her family might entrench themselves on the Scarborough waterfront, as they had indeed done in times of old. Cocos’ ancestors have been kind to the brash Tobago newcomers. She knows the coconut family once Lone little coconut tree on provided food, bed and broom for the displaced, unScarborough Waterfront skilled, and poor villagers who were left to fend for themselves after “Massa” departed. Actually the tree still believes her contribution might add value to this new generation’s tourism drive, since she’s heard (through the seagrapevine?) that the Maldivians are holding on to their nuts as if all life depended on it. But who’s to validate or dispute these claims? Not our tourism experts, since they are off selling what does not exist, or is certainly not acknowledging value to functioning ecosystems where it appears. Now, talking about life, and about our dependency on nature to protect us from forces of nature. Coconut is among that class of coastal foliage that can restrict negative impacts from storm surges, because of a demonstrated, uncanny and tenacious ability to take root where nothing else will. Maybe Mother Nature is speaking in signs to us about our predilection to chainsaws and excavators, and is now showing through example that our land can be saved through the protection and propagation of trees. Imagine the silent drama we missed this Carnival down at that naughtily named bay in Scarborough. There’s this forlorn little sprig sat in despair on the windblown sand, counting the weeks before she felt it safe to drop a tendril. Only when she felt pagan celebrations might distract the natives did she put out roots. And only when similarly comforted, did the little green berm vines around her follow suit. Close inspection this week reveal some crab and other precocious beach life dropping by. Imagine the damage she and her growing circle of life were to inflict on the ambience of weekly celebrations down-town? Imagine if they were all allowed to grow, proliferate and detract from the brilliant red concrete walkway? Imagine tourists getting to our greenery without having to pay for a taxi tour up-country. Gads, I’m think I’m going to cut it down myself.
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
All about BATNA Bertrand Bhikarry Environment TOBAGO Come! Improve your BATNA. Let's talk. You want something, I want something. If a negotiated agreement makes it both easier for us to get closer to our planned outcome then we have a chance to make the Best Alternative to A Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). It's no longer news that the big countries whose carbon emissions will kill the human species are not going to come to meaningful accord on reducing the volumes produced any time soon. Actually as it concerns sustainable development, it's not in doubt either, that here in Tobago we will surely make a shambles of the island as we go about the daily affairs. It's not that the evidence of our damaging ways is lacking, indeed it's arguable that all the tools for solving our environmental troubles already exist. To an observer, the real sticking point occurs mainly among the people who can make the difference. It seems there is a need to use the BATNA between the ordinary citizen and the State. The driving concept of a 'Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement' means simply that it's better to do the good thing early on and save ground, gain face, before someone, or something, forces a solution that may be a worse option. The first hurdle is acceptance of it as an inevitable progression, but it will take people skills. (Which is something I could use, according to the folks who would not 'friend' me on Facebook.) Anyway you ask; How to save Tobago from destruction? It's a million dollar question with a BATNA as the answer. An example of a possible application for BATNA locally is our perennial problem of keeping lands for agriculture, as opposed to opening up arable spaces for housing. These conflicts are common in the coastal areas, especially near the estuaries; the places we refer to here as our wetlands. For brevity, let's create a scenario. Let's assume such a situation exists in Tobago. Remember it's all purely fictional and only to demonstrate the win-win capabilities of BATNA - of course. The first thing to do for the intended BATNA is to identify the players, and their priorities. Pen and paper appears, and a list is drawn. We've now got the land developers in search of wealth, the citizenry in search of homes and property, and we also see the State representative in search of votes. Then we have the environment, a voiceless entity, which must be spoken for by bodies like the EMA or NGO's like Environment Tobago. All want something, and none will give an inch if he/she/they cannot see their objective satisfied. If there is no possibility for that happening , then there will be no looking around to seek out better alternatives. The ground rules to begin create the next 'best alternative' actually hinges on knowing the baseline for the affected - these are the stakeholders. Let's see; • The land developer wants to make his deadlines, after all the banks are lurking and the economy is right. • The buyer is at that point where he can afford the plot at the asking price. • The NGO has a fixed mandate drawn up by the rules governing land use. • The State must follow rules but will bow to public pressure. Suffice to say, no one is going to get the developer to a negotiating table if the laws do not exist to impinge on his freewheeling ways. No one is going to draw the interest of the State if it's not a public issue, or if it's within the law. The buyer, well he's only interested if he can afford it, and the NGO naturally, can only bring it up as an issue for negotiation if the relevancies are breached or if it will hurt the interests of the community (which includes nature) now or in posterity.
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“The ancient Maya of Central America believed the silk cotton tree was the source of human life “
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Such problems, like the previously mentioned carbon emissions issue, become increasingly tenuous when there are numerous interests involved. This is where people skills come in. The negotiation toward alternatives for all must be conducted as if relationships matter. They do, it's just people forget that they have to live where they work. In our example, Tobago, little pond as it is, may not provide a sustainable environment for big fish - The art though is telling that to a developer who wants to swallow up all and sundry, and delude himself that vacations abroad are worth it. The negotiator for a better alternative may cite the human concern of green space for the generations to come - after all even the developer will have family, or heirs to his wealth. Even before conceding his family’s interests, the developer may cite the fillip to employment the project will bring. Fending it, the NGO enquires about options of removal of the site to a better location, or to a friendlier, greener design, which will also expand employment potential. As it goes on, the dialogue may get the BATNA process rolling. At a particular point it may be really useful if the old flip chart is rolled out. Get everyone to toss in any idea that can contribute, no matter how off the wall at that time. After wards, the fun part of expanding the suggestions will actually create the merge process of a successful dialogue. The work is far from finished, but some ideas may have overlap. The initial idea proposed may have been based on a dense housing scheme. However the ability of the local pubic to buy into it is not probable. Even if they cannot, or will not buy into the development, the local community is loathing seeing a vast influx of new neighbours. Maybe the developer might consider a high end tourism targeted commune - with transient (and rich) short term visitors. Somewhere in there the villagers must also assure the developer that they can handle their wayward sons and daughters, or other intransigents who may want to prey on the hapless vacationer staying close by. If those assurances can be made to stick, the developer may spy a potential to save, even garner more profits, by having less plots to build, and with better quality housing on them. Indeed the unborn heirs to the developer may inherit a cash cow and not a slum, but it would need a slick talking negotiator to show without telling that aspect. The process of reducing or removing the baseline BATNA of the developer means devaluing his initial baseline position. Imagine if he were to realise that he can make more money by building less houses, have more efficient buildings with better waste management throughout the project. The NGO in turn, might be concerned about the beach, the wetlands, the coastal environment and biodiversity in general. The next best alternative (their BATNA) previously might have been to stage demonstrations, invoke Environmental Roles and Clauses, even to cite national and international policy. Within the modified scenario, the conversion of the coastal area from a present unregulated and (oft times) unsightly, unhealthy and unproductive marginal zone, to a sustainable perimeter of the locale is a BATNA's work of art. Holy BATNA! as one comic character intoned. In closing, it's worth dropping a bit of cold water on the BATNA thing. Not all negotiations will happen. If a bureaucrat is loathe to meet and speak with the people, or is open to coercion, then that leaves a clear path for the developer to exploit, maybe at less cost. That's familiar right? If an NGO does not represent the need of the community but is chasing dreams of its own, then that will leave an open door, maybe a few, for the unholy to pass through. If the community does not think of its unborn who will one day live in their fields, drink of their rivers, then the next best alternative is indeed not of this world.
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
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IN THE BEGINNING Gilbert White 1789. The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne. London: Benjamin 468 pp. [Twenty-eight in a series on "naturalist-in" books.] Christopher K. Starr Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies ckstarr@gmail.com Available in many print editions and gratis from Project Gutenberg.
In opening this series, I said I would not review the main classic naturalist-in books, reasoning that none of you has any business not reading these books on your own. There is something to be said for this, yet I do have things to say about the classics, and discussing them here may stimulate more to read them. The very first naturalist-in book, the one that initiated this distinctive genre, appeared while France was in revolution. Its author, Gilbert White (1720-1793), seemed entirely untouched by upheavals across the channel. He was one of the first in a long line of country parsons who formed a key support of the outstanding British natural-history tradition in the 18th and 19th centuries. This should not surprise us. For one thing, the job was not a demanding one. A parson was obliged to preach on Sunday, attend to various other church chores, counsel and console, be sociable, and not much else. In the course of visiting parishioners, he had frequent occasion to walk or ride leisurely about the countryside, with a wealth of chances to observe plants and animals where they live. That explains the opportunity. The motivation is seen in the simple fact that these were educated men at a time when natural history was fashionable. Furthermore, the ruling paradigm was "natural theology", the idea that the path to understanding God's plan was in studying His works. Despite these supernatural underpinnings, the better parson naturalists were scrupulous in their observations, unprejudiced by any preconceived plan. White spent his entire life in and around the village of Selborne, Hampshire, near the south coast of England, dying in the house in which he was born. The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne is a record of what he observed and what he thought about it in the form of 110 letters to the naturalists Thomas Pennant and Daines Barrington. This is not just a classic but a hugely successful one, consistently in print in some hundreds of editions since it first appeared over 200 years ago. It is a striking example of the virtues of focusing deep attention on the natural history of a restricted area. Hampshire has a relatively mind climate, buffered by its proximity of the sea and both warmer and sunnier than average for Britain. Selborne, in the uplands, is still a scenic village (present population about 1,330), which Gilbert White made famous. His house is now a museum that attracts about 30,000 visitors a year. White's social position and views are not directly treated in the book, but we know that he came from a well-off family, and a glance at photos of his house is enough to show that he was a "gentleman". Although he was far from a haughty aristocrat, his empathy with the mass of poor people in his parish appears to have been limited. He remarked, for example, on how hard it was to suppress poaching on the great estates of the county, "so impossible it is to extinguish the spirit of sporting." He apparently had little appreciation that when poor people poach deer it is not for sport. (Had he really not read the Robin Hood stories?)
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“The Bureau of Animal Population, established in 1932 by Charles Elton, has its roots firmly in White's notebooks. “
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
White had no patience with what he regarded as foolish folk beliefs that ran counter to solid facts. Living as he did toward the end of the Enlightenment, this makes perfect sense, although it is just a bit amusing to see a clergyman making much of the credulity of others. Two things set White's natural history apart from that of his contemporaries and account for much of his enduring appeal. At a time when a great many naturalists worked almost exclusively with dead specimens, White studied living organisms up close and personally. He took the view, for example, that plant classification must be a means to an end, so that botanists "should study plants philosophically, should investigate the laws of vegetation." And at a time when much store was set by authority and the written word, he trusted his own observations from nature above all other sources. His wealth of original observations shows that he spent a great deal of timing watching animals in their activities. Correspondence was evidently crucial to White's natural-history practice. He regretted that he had no neighbours of similar interests, with whom he could compare notes. He not only reported new observations to his correspondents but eagerly received their own observations and suggestions of additional inquiries. And he was happy to recruit others to make observations of interest to him. The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne treats a wide variety of topics -- including such things as echoes, earthquakes, leprosy and sundials -- in passing, but there are also major themes, with a keen sense of open questions in natural history. For example, the reproduction of amphibians was very poorly known. Was a given species viviparous, oviparous or something else? White is commonly regarded as a pioneer of ecology, and with good reason. His subject matter was the relationships of plants and (especially) animals with their environment. This is strikingly seen in his recognition of the crucial role of earthworms in conditioning the soil: "Earthworms, though in appearance a small and despicable link in the chain of nature, yet, if lost, would make a lamentable chasm." He suggested that someone ought to make the activities of earthworms the topic of a monographic study, which Charles Darwin did a century later. His emphasis on personal observation led to a number of highly original insights. Perhaps the most famous of these arose from his recognition of the importance of territory and song in the life of birds. White had noticed that birds regarded as a single species, the willow-wren, had three distinct songs. From this he inferred that they were, in fact, three species. It was, as far as I know, the first analysis of what we now call ethospecies. White kept a notebook on hand, ever at the ready as he moved about his parish. The core theme of his notes was what is now called phenology, the seasonal timing of natural events in the lives of organisms. He recorded the dates of first and last appearance of some hundreds of species of plants and animals. He also noted year-to-year fluctuations in the abundance of yellowjacket wasps. The Bureau of Animal Population, established in 1932 by Charles Elton, has its roots firmly in White's notebooks. His most important phenological data were from birds. These did much to advance our understanding of migration, a subject that was very much in the dark at the time. More than 120 species were recorded in Selborne at one time or another, almost half of the British fauna. By noting that certain species appeared rather abruptly in the spring and disappeared entirely in the fall, White reasoned that they must either overwinter elsewhere or hibernate in hidden situations. With the help of correspondents, he satisfied himself that most such species were, indeed, "birds of passage". For example, his brother in Gibraltar reported mass, multi-species passage of birds going south in the fall and then north in the spring. Before bird banding, this was the best evidence of long-distance migration. In addition to birds that summer in Hampshire and fly south for the winter, there are
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those that come south to winter in Hampshire. White listed 20 species of the first and 17 of the second group, arranged according to their approximate order of arrival in Selborne. Another table gives the times of year at which 30 birds sing. It bears mention that his data tables give both common and scientific names. At the same time, he doubted that all migration could account for all regular seasonal absences. In particular, he proposed that at least one species of swallow went into hibernation in Britain. While this strikes us today as rather preposterous -- as far as I know, no Eurasian bird undergoes true hibernation -- White's lines of evidence were reasonable. First, some young swallows had only recently fledged in the fall, and he found it hard to believe that they would attempt to fly all the way to the Mediterranean or Africa. Second, occasional swallow appeared either unseasonably late or early in the year, as if they had come temporarily out of hibernation on especially warm days. He had observed various insects, mammals and a tortoise, doing just that. The problem was that, unlike with these other animals, he could never discover the birds' hibernacula. I will note three other topics in birds that excite my admiration in this book. On observing mixed foraging flocks of birds, White suggested that different species had different sensory capabilities, so that each gained from the others' perceptions. He wrestled with the questions of whether cuckoos are choosy about their hosts and what makes for a suitable host, as well as why they are parasites at all. And he noticed that a bank swallow typically digs a nest burrows in and earth bank and then occupies it for a few years before abandoning it. His proposed explanation -- a very ecological one -- was that the bird abandons the burrow when it becomes too unclean or possibly due to a build-up of parasites.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING @ ET
AGM scheduled for 26th July 2012 at 5pm. PRDI building-corner Main and Burnett Streets, Scarborough Volunteers needed!
ET is now on Facebook and Twitter We invite everyone on Facebook to join. Here we will post upcoming events, links, photos and videos on ET matters and other environmental issues. ET group link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php? gid=53362888661&ref=ts And keep up to date on what we are up to by following us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/environ_tobago
Persons who are interested in helping with cataloguing and filing of ET’s educational, research and operational material and archiving.
Environment TOBAGO Environmental and Services Map of Tobago They are excellent and will be published every two years. Published in January 2008. Requests for these maps can be made to ET office.
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter
READERS’ FORUM Dear ET Newsletter Readers, Office:
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GUIDELINES TO CONTRIBUTORS Articles on the natural history and environment are welcome especially those on Trinidad and Tobago. Articles should not exceed approximately 1200 words (2 pages) and the editors reserve the right to edit the length. Images should be submitted as separate files. Submit material to any of the following: 1) jo_annesewlal@yahoo.com 2) envirtob@tstt.net.tt
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