Editorial | Stewards of the Earth

For 52 years, Jamaica has participated in commemoration of Earth Day on April 22. The idea was initiated by a Wisconsin senator in the US in 1970 and, a year later, became a global awareness-raising event now embraced by 192 countries.

Jamaica ranks 21st worldwide in exposure and vulnerability to natural risks and disasters.

Now is as good a time as any to consider the health of the country and assess whether we are meeting the challenges of stewardship. Are we taking better care of our environment? Looking around us, the answer is, painfully, no. It will take a while to find evidence that real progress has been made in raising awareness and influencing better actions by the majority of citizens.

For one thing, this evidence will not be found on the streets, because most communities across the length and breadth of the country continue to be blighted by garbage. Despite the existence of a national solid waste company, we have not successfully worked out how to deal with water, and particularly with plastic. Alas, the Anti-litter Act is not a deterrent. It is imperative that we view garbage through new, enlightened lenses and recognise the impact it has on our health and well-being.

The problem with plastic is that most of it is not biodegradable and not all of it can be recycled. To its credit, Jamaica has been mostly successful in its ban on single-use plastic bags. But we need to move urgently to sorting garbage and ramp up recycling efforts. Experts have made the dire forecast that, by 2050, the amount of plastic in the ocean will weigh more than the amount of fish in the sea.

This year’s Earth Day theme ‘invest in our planet’ seems like a plea for government, private sector and householders to make better environmental choices to meet measurable goals on the way to achieving a green economy.

Initially, Earth Day was greeted by protests, marches and clean-up campaigns, essentially by environmentalists and conscientious individuals. But preservation of the earth is not a matter for environmentalists only, it’s the collective responsibility of present-day generations to dictate the quality of life for those to come. Some schools are already doing their part to sensitise students but climate change curricula such be consistently studied at all schools and at all levels.

So, how are we doing on renewable sources of energy such as sun, wind and even animal dung? High electricity bills have created the incentive for many people to install solar systems in their homes and offices. Even though the initial outlay is reported to be expensive, the return on investment is sweet revenge, reflected in substantially lower bills. Where are the investments in renewable energy and other resilient solutions? Why are street lights and public spaces not powered by solar energy?

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When it comes to air pollution, motor vehicles are the biggest culprits with their exhausts belching out toxic fumes to the detriment of individuals, particularly those with respiratory illnesses. However, there are other irritants such as domestic and agricultural burning of thrash, and industrial pollution. Efforts to clean the air are not clearly or entirely successful. Respiratory illnesses are directly linked to air pollution. Some communities are disproportionately affected by noise pollution too.

Even the doubters must have witnessed the changing precipitation patterns of late. Dark, puffy afternoon nimbostratus clouds appear ready to burst but, with a puff of wind, they dissipate leaving the area dry and catchment facilities empty.

We agree with those who say “every day is earth day”, and this ought to be at the forefront of our consciousness as we undertake our day-to-day activities. Jamaica expects, ambitiously, that, by 2030, it will significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as it seeks to transition to a green economy. The challenge of stewardship demands that citizens of a country submit to a lifetime prescription to protect land, rivers and oceans.