Ron Mason out of his depth

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Your columnist Ronald Mason, writing in The Sunday Gleaner of February 23, 2014, has no expertise on carbon sequestration, biological diversity, species conservation or, for that matter, economic development. Yet he has no hesitation in pronouncing on all these topics, using sarcasm and innuendo instead of reasoned argument.

Mr Mason has confused carbon sequestration by biological processes - which is FREE to humanity, but is nonetheless a service which can be valued and sold; and the capture and underground storage of carbon from power plants (for example), which is entirely different.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is indeed a global authority on biological diversity, Jamaica is a member of the IUCN. We send delegations to its meetings and we value, seek and obtain its advice. Apparently, Mr Mason sees no role for science or the contribution of experts.

He is right about a few things. We have missed opportunities for sustainable income generation in Portland Bight and we have mismanaged our natural resources over many decades. But the solution is to correct those failings and develop responsibly for future generations, not to recklessly destroy our most protected area of land and sea.

DIANA MCCAULAY

Chief Executive Officer

Jamaica Environment Trust