Morrison
Erica James-King, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
MINISTER OF State in the Ministry of Finance, Deika Morrison, said the reluctance of Jamaicans to adhere to sound environmental practices was a contributing factor to some of the major ills facing the society.
Speaking earlier this week at the 'World Water Day' celebrations at the Pisgah Primary School in St. Elizabeth, Ms. Morrison said she is saddened by the blatant disregard for environmental laws by the general public.
ATTITUDE, PRACTICES SURVEY
"The low level of knowledge on environmental laws was reflected in the recent comprehensive knowledge, attitude and practices survey carried out by the Ridge-to-Reef Watershed Project (R2RW)," the Minister said. "There was almost no knowledge of any Jamaican environmental laws or regulations, with the exception of the NEPA Act, which was mentioned by less than 24 per cent of respondents."
The study, which was conducted in 2002, was designed to provide baseline data for planning, education and public awareness programmes on sustainable watershed management.
What the Finance State Minister also found disappointing and unacceptable, is the fact that "while respondents (in the survey) felt that certain environmental practices may be bad, they often felt there was no alternative to poor practices."
Warning offenders that their continued abuse of the environment was endangering the lives of themselves and their families, Ms. Morrison noted that stiff penalties are now in place for persons who are bent on disregarding the law. She cited as particularly serious "the improper disposal of garbage, the dumping of chemicals in the river and the improper disposal of excreta."
