Environment TOBAGO newsletter - Sept 2012 issue

Environment TOBAGO’s President gets National Award

E nvi ronment TO-

BAGO (ET) is a non-

government, non-profit, vol-

unteer 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 act ivit ies

throughout Tobago. We

achieve this through a variety

of community and environ-

mental outreach programmes.

Environment TOBAGO is

funded mainly through grants

and membership fees. These

funds go back into implement-

ing our projects. We are

grateful to all our sponsors

over the years and thank

them for their continued

support

W hat’s inside

ET’s News 1

Ecology Notes 15

Articles 16

Book Review 21

Community

Announcements 23

What’s Happening @ ET 24

Notes to contributors 26

September 2012 Environment TOBAGO

Mrs. Patricia Turpin has been a pioneer in environmental conservation for

forty years. Today, she continues to pursue her passions as an environmental steward

and a conscientious businesswoman. A naturalist at heart, she was raised in an iso-

lated valley in a forest reserve in Southern Trinidad, where her earliest memories are

of red howler monkeys calling in the surrounding jungle. Following her education in

Canada, Environmental advocacy came naturally and blossomed when she joined the

Turpin Legacy of environmental stewardship. Since the 1930’s, the Turpin’s have man-

aged their 1000 acre estate using integrated forestry principles founded on a passion

for environmental conservation. Mrs. Turpin continues this legacy in her ongoing

management of this watershed estate. Always drawn to the beauties of nature, Mrs.

Turpin and her family

have, for 40 years, facili-

tated and assisted in sci-

entific research under-

taken by many visiting

researchers to Northeast-

ern Tobago, including the

Smithsonian Institute

team studying Tobago’s

rich biodiversity. In her

role as manager of Man

O’ War cottages, Mrs. Turpin has expanded the philosophy of the Turpin estate by

providing a green refuge for visitors from around the world. She expanded her eco-

tourism work with a tour company that practising eco-tourism long before the phrase

became popular.

In 1996, Mrs. Turpin extended her role as an environmentalist when she

joined the newly formed NGO, Environment Tobago. Her work with this widely re-

spected organisation has steadily increased in importance over the years. As president

of the organisation since 2000, she has helped to shape Environment Tobago as a

trusted and valued voice for the environment in Tobago and the Caribbean in roles as

varied as education, advocacy, and research. Mrs. Turpin continues with her busy

schedule, advising on cabinet-appointed environmental policy committees, performing

her duties as a game warden and sitting as a director or chair for numerous organisa-

tions in the tourism and environmental sectors such as the Tobago Hotel and Tour-

ism Association, Caribbean Conservation Association, the GEF Civil Society Network

and the COPE-Council of Presidents of the Environment, T&T. Mrs. Turpin remains a

devoted and committed conservationist, seeking environmental justice as a lobbyist

for environmental legislation.

ET President Patricia Turpin receiving the Hummingbird Silver for

Environmental Conservation

September 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

Ian Lambie Linda Hutchinson-

Jafar

Environment

TOBAGO

Photographs: Environment

TOBAGO

Board of Directors

2012-2014

President::

Patricia Turpin

Vice-President:

Bertrand Bhikkary

Secretary: Wendy Austin

Treasurer:

Shirley McKenna

Other Directors:

William Trim

Kai Trim Rupert McKenna

Fitz Phillips

Renee Gift

Geoffrey Lewis

Sean Clarke

Darren Daly Allan Sandy

Page 2 Environment TOBAGO newsletter

JUSTICE ANTHONY LUCKY TO VISIT TOBAGO

Justice Anthony Lucky, a member of the prestigious Germany-based Interna-

tional Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), visited Tobago in mid-August to give

two public lectures on a proper definition of the sea boundaries of Trinidad and To-

bago, and especially Tobago. There has been widespread interest in this issue among

Tobagonians, and Justice Lucky’s visit will be made under the auspices of the All-

Tobago Fisherfolk Association (ATFA), the Buccoo Reef Trust, and Environment To-

bago as part of their public education outreach.

The first lecture was held on Wednesday, August 15 at the Atrium, Lowlands

Mall, beginning at 5 p.m. and the second held the following day, August 16, at the Public

Library, Charlotteville, also beginning at 5 p.m. He met separately with ATFA in the

morning of August 16.

Justice Lucky was also interviewed by Radio Tambrin, and will be a guest on

the programme Your Point of View on Channel Five. A former Justice of Appeal of

Trinidad and Tobago, Justice Lucky has been a member of ITLOS since 2003. An ac-

knowledged international expert in the law of the sea, he is also President of the

Chamber for Marine Environment Disputes. He holds a law degree from the United

Kingdom and a Master’s in International Relations from the University of the West In-

dies.

Another Award for the ET Team

“A young woman with a passion for

environmental conservation,” is how Juliana

Antoine is described by her peers. It would be

difficult to find any other person that could

compare with her drive and fervour for the

correcting of environmental issues confronting

Tobago.

Juliana, has worked with the Environ-

mental NGO – Environment TOBAGO in dif-

ferent capacities for the last 4 years, she has

educated and delivered projects in recycling,

climate change, waste disposal and all issues

that effect this island as it seeks developed

status. She exudes confidence when speaking

with her peers, educating children, working

with government agencies and the EMA. She is

a dedicated and capable young lady. A re-

spected role model for youth in environmental

consciousness and preservation who demon-

strates an energetic and unflagging devotion to

sharing the wonders of the natural environ-

ment.

Juliana Antoine- ET Education Coordinator

receives National Youth award

in the Environment.


Bridge Strategy: The Path to Building a Zero Waste Community, the Ten

year Plan

Juliana Antoine – Education Coordinator (ET)

The stakeholder session for the Path to Building a Zero Waste Community

was held on Friday June 22, 2012 at the Scarborough Regional Hospital, Signal Hill. The

function began with a prayer by a member of staff of the Division of Social Services and

Public Health in the THA.

In his opening remarks, Dr V. Partapsingh, County Medical Officer of Health,

welcomed all and thanked them for their participation in the attempt to maintain To-

bago’s mantra of Clean, Green, Safe ad Serene. He spoke of the need to find alternative

and sustainable methods of waste disposal in Tobago and he welcomed the initiative of

the THA to adopt a Zero Waste mentality.

Pearline Nelson, Public Health Inspector III in the Public Health Department,

pointed out in her presentation, the need to get on board with the Zero Waste initia-

tive and gave an overview of the day’s proceedings. She then introduced Essie Parks,

Programme Officer II, Division of Health, who, in her piece, spoke of how they concep-

tualized the initiative for Tobago. Tobago, over the years, has become more affluent in

some parts, and as a result the demand for proper waste management systems has be-

come unavoidable. With tourism being the highest income earner for the island, there

is now the need to be on par with other island states in terms of our ability to deal

with and properly manage waste as a resource. The Studley Park Landfill, the lone one

on the island, is almost at capacity and all the waste that goes there is mostly commin-

gled. There are some that can be recycled, sold or reused again but there isn’t an inte-

grated facility that is operational to assist in the sorting of waste for reuse.

The feature presentation was done by Eric Lombardi, Executive Director of

Eco-Cycle in Colorado, U.S.A. He began by giving an overview of his company, Eco-

Cycle, a non- profit social enterprise, which was established in 1976. He employs 80

members of staff at his facility and earns more than $6mil US per year in recycling. He

spoke of how the Zero Waste Community can become a reality by outlining a 10 year

plan. The plan serves as a roadmap for how a community can transition from a world

dominated by waste disposal, using landfills, composting, reusing and the application of

waste reduction. There are many benefits to becoming a zero waste community. It can

create more jobs, better protect the environment and also expand the economy by

using waste as a resource instead of just disposing of it at the landfill. The 10 year plan

is structured into three phases with progressive community goals of achieving 50%,

70% and 90% materials recovery.

Phase one: The “access” years, years 1-4 aiming for 50% recovery and also cre-

ated to develop infrastructure and provide access to recycling facilities across all

sectors.

Phase two: The “participation” years, years 5-8 aiming for 70% recovery with the

goal of building participation in a source separation society and targeting hard to

recycle material streams.

Phase three: The “zero waste” years, years 9-10 aiming for 90% recovery whilst

trying to reduce per capita discard generation and phase “waste” items out of

the communities.


This ten year plan offers a concrete and comprehensive approach to building new facili-

ties, expanding recovery in all sectors of society, and revising the local incentives if any.

In short, the way forward is to “Build, Educate and Regulate”. These changes will not

happen overnight and ten years is a realistic timeline for the THA to formulate and

pass legislation that will aid in this zero waste initiative. It will create green jobs,

strengthen local economies, if any, reduce pollution as a result of less incineration and

set a course towards a more sustainable economy. The Studley Park Landfill will then

need to built or renovated to incorporate six facilities that is of utmost importance to

seeing this initiative to succession. These are:

Materials Recovery Facility- for traditional recyclables such as paper, plastic glass

Organics Recovery Facility for composting and energy production (methane gas)

Construction, Demolition and Deconstruction facilities for recycling and reuse of

building materials

Centre for Hard to recycle materials to accommodate non- traditional recycling

such as electronics and textiles

Reuse and Repair facilities for the highest and best use before recycling

Zero Waste Transfer Station for “whatever’s left”

He went on to give suggestions as to what the THA can do go get the initiative

started and how they may be able to seek supplementary funding to get the facilities up

and running and the facility at Studley Park isn’t at capacity or fully functional.

He concluded by saying that the daily choice of what we choose to do with our

waste can set us on a path towards a more prosperous and sustainable future or it can

lead to resource wars, runaway climate change problems as well severe health issues.

He thanks all for participating and looked forward to constructive critiques and feed-

back in order to make Tobago’s vision for Zero Waste not just a dream but a reality.

National Committee for Social Responsibility in collaboration with the Trini-

dad and Tobago Bureau of Standards Chamber of Industry and Commerce

presents an awareness session on TTS/ISO 26000:2011,

Guidance on Social Responsibility

Juliana Antoine – Education Coordinator (ET)

An awareness session on the ISO Standard 26000:2011 was held on Tuesday

June 26, 2012 at the Works Lecture room, Shaw Park. With all protocols being ob-

served, the Chairman, Melanie Richards of the National Mirror Committee on Social

Responsibility welcomed all and thanked them for their presence in the day’s proceed-

ings. She then acknowledged and welcomed the members of the head table.

In his opening remarks, Mr Kenneth Winchester, Director of Information Tech-

nology in THA, representing Mr Ellis Burris, who was unable to attend, spoke of what

are corporate social responsibility and the role that each stakeholder should play in

making this standard one that is observed by all. He spoke of organizations becoming

more cognizant of the needs of being more socially responsible and thus the need for

this standard is one that is worth being considered to contribute to sustainable devel-

opment.


Mr David Wong, The Tobago representative of the Trinidad & Tobago Cham-

ber of Industry and Commerce in his presentation, spoke of the need to generate

awareness of the importance of the ISO 26000:2011 and how it benefits the private

sector. He stressed that organizations and companies have become more performance

related and as such there was the need for a standard. This is, in part, a reflection of

the growing recognition of the need to ensure social equity and good organizational

governance. Organizations around the world, and their stakeholders, have become in-

creasingly aware of the correlation between corporate social responsibility and sustain-

able development. Although the standard is voluntary, it is the hope that many compa-

nies and organizations will come on board, and see the need to be corporate and so-

cially responsible for and to the communities that they are in and serve.

The feature address was presented by Mr Bobby Andrews, who was repre-

senting Honourable Orville London, Chief Secretary of the THA, who was unable to

attend due to a prior engagement. In his remarks, he spoke of the need for all stake-

holders to abide by and to adopt the standard. THA being the largest employer on the

island, with a total of 51% of the workforce, sees their role as in important one as they

recognize that labour and community awareness is the way to go in adopting the stan-

dard. Mr Andrews did acknowledge that there are some shortcomings in the way the

standard is now as it was presented stressing that is it voluntary and that it gives com-

panies and organizations a reason not to implement the standard and to gain the po-

tential benefits that can be derived from the adaptation of the standard in their every-

day operations.

A brief overview and history of the TTS ISO 26000:2011 was then presented in

the form of a power point presentation by Mr Wade Inglesbirth, Technical Secretary of

the National Mirror Committee for Social Responsibility of the Trinidad and Tobago

Bureau of Standards. He began by telling of the time that it took to prepare the docu-

ment for publication. Consultations have been on-going for the better part of 10 years

and it was finally completed in November 2010. The standard came about after a meet-

ing was held in Trinidad in 2000 about the need for standard to monitor and evaluate

corporate social responsibility. He went on to add that the National Mirror Commit-

tee have divided stakeholders into categories to determine what needs that would

have. They are:

Government

Non-Governmental Organizations

Industries

Labour

Consumer

Service, Support, Research and others

The needs of all these stakeholders have proven to be very diverse and as a

result, he defined social responsibility as the responsibility of an organization for the

impact of its decisions and actions on society and the environment through transparent

and ethical behaviour that is:

Consistent with the sustainable development and the welfare of the society. This

takes into account the expectations of the stakeholders

Is in compliance with applicable law and is consistent with international norms of

behaviour is integrated throughout the organization.


He went on to add that the key principles of Social Responsibility are:

Accountability- Organizations must be accountable for the actions and the im-

pact that it has on society and the environment.

Transparency- Companies must be transparent and be able to show how they

would have integrated the SR into their organization

Ethical Behaviour

Rule of Law

Respect for other stakeholders

International norms of behaviour (Human and Labour rights)

Human rights

If any organization were to become interested in adopting the ISO

26000:2011, he advised that they were to first recognize and engage their stake-

holders. Identify who they are and prioritize the core subjects that are relative to the

stakeholder. One could engage them either formally or informally either through a

seminar or advisory committee or create an interactive session with them so as to be

able to gauge their needs. He spoke of the benefits that can be derived if an organiza-

tion implements the standard. The perception and reality of an organizations perform-

ance on social responsibility can influence among other things a competitive advan-

tage, a stronger, more solid reputation, the ability to attract and retain workers or

members, the view of investors in the financial company that also recognize the stan-

dard as well as to create and foster a stronger relationship with other companies and

stakeholders in the community in which they operate.

In conclusion, he added that the standard is totally voluntary. At this time, it is

not intended for certification. The ISO 26000:2011 has been produced to assist or-

ganizations in addressing the issue of social responsibility. He went on to add that its

goal was to provoke a practical guidance related to operationalizing the SR by increas-

ing the confidence and satisfaction in organisations among customers and stakeholders

whilst proving to be consistent and not to be in conflict with existing documents and

treaties that are already being observed.

The final presenter was Mrs Mia Persad-Douglas of Footprints Eco Resort and

Spa. She spoke of how her company has incorporated the ISO 26000:2011 and the

benefits that she has gained as she is in the eco-tourism related industry. Her com-

pany has been recognized and has won awards for being socially responsible by being

mindful of the potential impact that their operations could have on the society from

which they operate as well as the people they serve.

Closing remarks were once again made by Melanie Richards. She thanked all

for attending and hoped that the ISO 26000:2011 would now be more understood

and has the potential to be adopted into organizations more easily. She spoke of the

need to have constant feedback through the National Mirror Committee for Social

Responsibility as well as the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Com-

merce to make the standard one that can be adopted by our governing bodies and

can go on to become a certifiable standard.


Environment TOBAGO’s 17th Annual General Meeting

Thursday July 26th, 2012.

Venue: P.R.D.I Conference Room, Cor. Of Main & Burnett Streets, Scarborough,

Tobago.

Executive Directors present:

Mrs. Patricia Turpin- President

Mr. Bertrand Bhikarry- Vice President

Mr. Geoffrey Lewis- Treasurer

Mrs. Wendy Austin-Secretary

Staff: Juliana Antoine and Gillian Walker

Excuses: Darren Henry and Hugh Baker

Directors and other members present:

Sean Clarke, Hugh Mc Kenna, Christine Turpin, Shirley Mc Kenna, Allan Sandy, Ray-

mond Ottley, Renee’ Gift, Marcus Gremli, Rupert Mc Kenna, Kai Trim, Ean Mackay,

Caroline Hardie, Darren Daly, Janet Parks, William Trim, Keith Gibson, Adana

Mahase-Gibson, Andy Roberts, Kai Trim, Fitzherbert Phillips.

Agenda:

1. Chairman’s Welcome

2. ET prayer

Field trip in Southwest Tobago with Minister of Tourism to

check on

Reports of sewage pollution


3. Review and adoption of Minutes of 16th AGM-

4. President’s Report

5. Treasurer’s Report.

6. Review and Adoption of Audited reports of 2011.

7. Resolution for consideration by members:

8. “That Clause 8.10 and Clause 11.4 are two distinct and different

9. “Clauses- and not in opposition to each other”.

10. Demit of current BOD

11. Election of Officers

12. Congratulations and Closing Remarks

1. The Chairman’s Welcome

Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna – The Chairman, welcomed all present to the 17th An-

nual General Meeting of Environment TOBAGO and called the meeting to order at

5:30pm.

Juliana Antoine –Education Coordinator Summary

Juliana firstly apologized for the technical difficulties that she was experiencing

with the laptop and said she had some slides representing education for the year to

show, but she will have to explain instead. She began by saying Environment TOBAGO

received some funding for projects for the year ended 2011. She also stated that one of

the projects had been recently concluded such as “The Keep A Clean Green School “.

The prize giving ceremony is scheduled for September 2012. Environment TOBAGO

also collaborated with Caribsave to do a community project on climate change adapta-

tion which started in May 2012 and ended in June 2012, it was a community based vul-

nerability assessment study dealing with the effects of climate change on the environ-

ment particularly in the Tourism and Fisheries sectors within the Pigeon Point to Ply-

mouth areas. She went on to discuss various aspects of the Education program in

schools and with groups (EMA and Biodiversity).

2. ET prayer

The ET Prayer was lead by the Chairman -Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna

3. Review and Adoption of Minutes of the 16th AGM

Mrs. Patricia Turpin initiated the review and adoption of the minutes of the 2011 AGM.

Perusal of the last minutes was done by all present, page by page. No corrections or

changes were made. The minutes of the 16th AGM were then adopted by Rupert Mc

Kenna and seconded by Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna. All present were in favor.

4. President’s Report

Mrs. Turpin, the President, again welcomed all present and proceeded to pre-

sent her annual report. The President began by stating that the message of conserva-

tion needs to be celebrated, publicize and support the many positive events and

changes in attitudes that are also taking place at the time and today we will do just that,

focus on the achievements of Environment TOBAGO and its members. The President

stated that this organization has been instrumental in the generation of government

policy (now law) in the areas of Forests, Protected Areas, Environmentally sensitive

areas and species, Climate change, Reforestation and Desertification. Mrs. Turpin fur-

ther stated that ET has been recently appointed the focal PT- Tobago for the MEA’s


(Multilateral Environmental Agreements) the first being dealt with is Climate Change.

Mrs. Turpin explained that ET has been consulted on the management of Buc-

coo Reef Complex and EIA’’s for gas exploration e.g. with Centrica pipeline to Cove

Estate, and developed partnerships with the Green Fund project applicants(Garifuna)

related to renewable energy, carbon reduction, climate change adaption and mitigation

and integrated recycling of waste for Tobago. She stressed that ET education program

has been focusing on recycling of plastics and other waste material.

She reiterated that Environment TOBAGO is represented and are still mem-

bers of COPE- Council of Presidents of the Environment and Global Water Partner-

ship and ET members serve on BRMC –Buccoo Reef Management Committee and EIA

Committee with the EMA/DNRE. Mrs. Turpin stated that ET has partnered with the

US Embassy- AIS (Automatic Information Systems) Vessel project for Tobago, BTMC,

Garifuna Ltd to name a few.

Mrs. Turpin explained that the day to day administration of the organization

has been overseen by the executive of the BOD of ET and supported by the current

Education Coordinator – Juliana Antoine and the Administrative Assistant Gillian

Walker, she further explained that due to the improvement of ET’s financial status in

the last year, as of August 1st, 2012 an advertisement for a new Education Coordinator

will be placed in the newspaper and Juliana Antoine will fill the post of General Manger.

Financially, the funding ET received from Rockefeller Philanthropic Advisors and BHP

Billiton in 2011, left ET with a surplus of $194,500.00 and fund raising of approximately

$27,000.00TT and funding of $50,000.00TT from Caribsave for a climate related pro-

ject, it is forecasted that a further $127,000.00TT for the 2nd tranche of support from

BHP Billiton and $40, 00.00 from Dillon Consulting for another carbon/ tourism re-

lated project will add to it.

Mrs. Turpin stated that ET budget for 2012 was estimated in the vicinity of

$173,000.00TT and has several Green Fund projects in different application stages

presently. The Garifuna turbine energy project (approx. $9 mil TT) has been approved

by the Green Fund and ET hopes to receive word from the GF Unit as to when the

Ministry of Finance will release the funding. ET membership now stands at approx. 280

active members and 180 inactive members.

I n conclusion, she also congratulated ET’s Education Officer- Juliana Antoine on

her receipt of the National Award-“Youth in the Environment” from the Prime Minis-

ter’s Office. She thanked everyone for their support in the last two (2) years and

handed over to the treasurer.

5. Treasurer’s report.

The Chairman introduced the treasurer; Mr. Geoffrey Lewis, Mr. Lewis wel-

comed everyone and proceeded to present his report and went through the audited

financial statements. He explained that in the Income and Expenditure account, the in-

crease in ordinary activities (over $300,000 represented an increase in Income over

2010). He also stated that even though our Expenditure increased, we were able to

reduce recurrent expenditure. He further stated that in our Financial Report for the

year 2010 mention was made of funds expected in 2011 and he is pleased to note that

there has been a positive outlook for our financial position in 2011. A summary was

presented as follows-

Total Income $353,812.00

Total Expenditure $199,376.88

Advances $64,000.00 (liability)

Excess Income $154,435.00.


He went on to add that the income situation is now on a more solid footing

and with the approval of the Green fund project by Government, we expect our in-

come situation to continue to improve this year. In conclusion he calculated that we

need $175,000.00 to carry us through for 2012 as projected in the 2012 estimations.

This will cover operating and administrative expenses separate from our projects.

The treasurer stated that this has allowed us to start and complete some of

our projects in and in order for ET to become more sustainable, more emphasis

should be placed on areas that will realize income for recurrent expenses. This can be

achieved by: Strategic Alliance Partnerships, Employment with a full time CEO (ET will

be hiring a manager for Sept), Massive Fund raising drives, Charging for services such as

consultations and CEC’s, Sponsorship and Massive marketing and promotions. Addi-

tionally, he implied that our organization had received funding from BHP Billiton to the

tune of $20,000.00US, RBC Royal Bank $10,000.00TT, Petrotrin 5000.00TT and we

also managed to gain funds through membership, consultancy services ( Caribsave pro-

ject) and sale of ET merchandise. A hearty “Thank You” is extended to these corpo-

rate sponsors for their continued support.

The treasurer thanked Mr. Jalsa of Jalsa & Mahadeo Chartered Accountants for

another year of excellent support and friendship to ET a no cost. He concluded by

thanking everyone who has supported ET and if there are any suggestions in mind, this

is the time to let us know. Financial reports was adopted my Mrs. Patricia Turpin and

second by Mr. Fitzherbert Phillips. Membership concurred

6. Resolution for consideration by members

“That Clause 8.10 and Clause 11.4 are two distinct and different

“Clauses- and not in opposition to each other”.

Mrs. Mc Kenna stated that the Financial Report shows a surplus in 2011 into 2012. She

also spoke of directors not doing their best because they were qualified and just being

remunerated or reimbursed for travel and petty expenses. She also spoke about the

need to have it changed to be able to remunerate to directors for their expertise. She

went on to clarify in the Bye law of 8.10 and 11.4 as ambiguous and that it needs to be

clarified.

She asked for those in favor to adopt. 16 supported 0 against. Resolution was

passed

NOTES: Mrs. Mc Kenna also raised a point about disclosure. A person can have a com-

pany and come to Environment TOBAGO however they have to disclose if they have

any interest in getting on other boards. Vice President, Bertrand Bhikarry stated that

Environment TOBAGO is becoming like a business and about in a year ET will have

problems with space because the rent is doubling. He also stressed on the importance

of directors to come on board and get down to business. Mrs. Mc Kenna spoke about

the need to have a NGO building, and suggested that ET should go into a “rent to

own” arrangement business because ET has grown considerably over the past year.

7. Demit of the Board of Directors.

At this time the Chairman thanked the Board of Directors for their service and then

proceeded to ask the board to step down. She then invited Mr. Raymond Ottley and

Mrs. Janet Parks, returning officers to the head table.

8. Election of Officers

Mr. Ottley began by explaining the election process to the membership and the order

in which the balloting would be done and explained the ballot process. He then asked

for the proxy votes (submitted by W. Austin and P. Turpin) to be submitted to the


table. Ms. Juliana Antoine was asked to assist in the vote recording.

Nominations- President

Pat Turpin- Nominated by Fitzherbert Phillips and seconded by Mrs. Shirley

McKenna.

No other nominations

Nominations -Vice President

William Trim- declined.

Mr. Bertrand Bhikarry nominated by Mr. William Trim and seconded by Mrs.

Shirley Mc Kenna.


Nominations- Secretary

Wendy Austin Nominated by Mr. William Trim and seconded by Mrs. Patricia

Turpin


Nominations-Treasurer

Mr. Geoffrey Lewis was nominated by Mr. Fitzherbert Phillips and seconded by

Rupert McKenna

Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna was nominated by Patricia Turpin and seconded by W. Aus-

tin

Mr. Rupert Mc Kenna asked that nominations cease and voting commenced by closed

ballot.

Members asked that the 2 candidates give a review of their qualifications for the post.

Voting papers were collected and votes counted. The voting results were 17 to

Mr. Geoffrey Lewis and 18 to Mrs. Shirley McKenna. Congratulations were

extended to Mrs. McKenna.

Nominations -Ordinary Directors

Ms. Renee’Gift - nominated by Mrs. Patricia Turpin and seconded by Mrs. Wendy

Austin

Mr. Fitzherbert Phillips- nominated by Mr. Geoffrey Lewis and seconded by Mrs.

Patricia Turpin.

Mr. Darren Daly - nominated by Mrs. Patricia Turpin and seconded Mr. Ean McKay.

Mr. Geoffrey Lewis - nominated by Mr. Fitzherbert Phillips and seconded by Mrs.

Wendy Austin.

Mr. Allan Sandy- nominated by Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna and seconded by Mr. Hugh

McKenna.

Mr. Sean Clarke - nominated by Mrs. Wendy Austin and seconded by Mrs. Caro-

line Hardie.

Mr. William Trim- nominated by Mr. Rupert McKenna and seconded by Mr. Fitz-

herbert Phillips

Ms. Kai Trim -nominated by P. Turpin and seconded by B. Bhikarry

Mr.Rupert McKenna – nominated by Fitzherbert Phillips and seconded by W. Trim

William Trim asked that all nominations cease

7. Congratulations and Closing Remarks

Mr. Ottley extended his congratulations to the new Directors and stated that

there was a typo in the agenda. He also took the time to give a short presentation

about how our society is undisciplined and we should be far more aggressive as an or-

ganization. He also spoke about the need to sensitize our people to keep the rubbish in


Report on the first public consultation of CENTRICA North Sea oil pro-

posed exploratory drilling programme

Bertrand Bhikarry

The first public consultation was held at the Signal Hill Secondary School Audi-

torium on the 16th August, 2012 at 5.30 pm. Presenters included local representatives

from Centrica staff (Indu Sharma) and the EIA consultant (LarryTeeelucksingh). Present

too was a drilling expert (Rick Harrington).

The consultation got off on time with a brief introduction of Centrica’s Carib-

bean presence, beginning with details of asset partnerships held with other block op-

erators. Indu Sharma reassured the Tobago audience that Centrica’s outlook for in-

volvement revolved around long-term, community involvement and conformation to

law. The driller assured the audience when it came to his turn to speak that all interna-

tional standards for waste disposal (human or industrial) will be adhered to.

Larry Teelucksingh (Coastal Dynamics) gave a projection on the methods his

company will employ to gather information on; currents with regard to waste disposal,

ET Board of Directors for 2012 - 2014

the bins and our beaches are not clean because they are filled with garbage. He em-

phasized that we have a poor garbage collection system. He concluded by speaking

about the need to increase talks with the Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Associa-

tion and more focus should be placed on educating the 5th and 6th formers in Secon-

dary School about conservation and environmental issues in and around Tobago. He

then opened the floor for Mrs. Patricia Turpin, who proceeded to congratulate all the

new BOD and asked all members to join us for some refreshments.


potential of disturbance to benthic fauna and pelagic life, and also to potential for dis-

ruption to local anthropogenic activities, focusing on the fisherfolk.

After the presentation questions were fielded from the audience. Pamela

Nicholson objected on the behalf of the people that this type of activity (drilling) was

not a desirable option. She stated the presence of an oil field (syngas) portends a bleak

outlook for tourism in rustic areas (Charlotteville). She further cast her apprehension

that there will be little obvious gain for the Tobago people. Other members of the au-

dience subsequently reiterated her concern, some asking for clearer identification of

areas where Tobago could participate in the downstream (such as culinary services for

the rigs).

The bulk of the question gravitated to the fishing sector’s repeated queries on

clarification on how they will access recompense for lost income because of the drill-

ships presence, and after that by the continuous presence of heavy marine traffic.

These questions were deemed (by Ms Sharma) as being outside the scope of the con-

sultation. However, with suggestions from Dr. Teelucksingh (Coastal Dynamics) the

fishers were advised to formally contact the EMA re: their potential for lifestyle disrup-

tion and therefore, remuneration.

Towards the end of the presentation, the representative from Environment

Tobago (Bertrand Bhikarry) dimmed the lights and as the amazed audience remained

rapt, he asked that the computer generated models which are being compiled for

emergency scenarios (oil spills, etc.) take into account that Zone NCMA-4 (an area

which has never had an oilfield presence) is subject to the harsh north winds and the

NW swells from the continental US about 60 days every year. That those phenomena

present a real threat to Tobago assets on its west coast. That with changing weather

patterns evolving, the propensity for even heavier weather is real.

The ET representative also (apologising for taking it off-topic) drew attention

the YET unopened NCMA-2 blocking the south of Tobago (off Trinidad’s east coast)

which places a gas/oil field on Tobago's doorstep – when the persistent Guyana current

is taken into consideration. In short, Paradise is to be bracketed in the oil sector.

The ET representative gave it as; better the discussion about threats to the

coasts of Tobago and other Antilles isles ( Grenada) be considered now, before an oil-

field become entrenched, and even as it does, that the negotiation for who responsibil-

ity in case of an accident (like BP’s Gulf epic) be taken into account. Shyly, the ET guy

also acknowledged that while such a question is outside of the remit of a EIA consulta-

tion which is primarily only seeking to drill exploratory wells, he wondered, If not now,

when?

In closing this report of an evening’s entertainment among his peers, the repre-

sentative asks that his NGO consider a high-level engagement with the authorities –

namely that several aspects of the push to monetize the ‘Tobago blocks’ be reconsid-

ered in the light of (a) threats to biodiversity, (b) food security by way of a diminished

fishery, (c) threats to a fledging tourism industry even now being refinanced or (d) and

the obvious lack of provision for gas reserves for the local population of the future.

ET may maintain too, that if any one of the above points ‘stick’, then there is

justification for dialogue on the feasibility of opening petro-fields (and other industrial

development projects) in and around Tobago.


SECOND YOUTH FORUM ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Linda Hutchinson-Jafar

Earth Conscious Magazine

The second Youth Forum on Climate Change in Trinidad and Tobago themed

‘Empowering Our Youth for a Sustainable Society’ was held in early August at the Ball-

room, Crowne Plaza, Port of Spain.

Organised by the five-year old Earth Conscious magazine, a digital and web-

based publication, the Forum seeks to empower its participants and by extension, all

youth in Trinidad and Tobago, to take action – tangible, concrete steps to create a cul-

ture of development that is sustainable and that can enhance the lives of everyone in

our society.

“Such development must happen at all levels, but the responsibility to make it

happen belongs to each of us individually, and all action, therefore, must be initiated at

the personal level,” said Linda Hutchinson-Jafar, the Editor of Earth Conscious maga-

zine.

With this in mind, the Forum supports these three key objectives:

To build awareness among youth on issues of the environment and climate

change;

To foster a generation of leadership in sustainable development and climate

change adaptation; and

To encourage environmental action.

Hutchinson-Jafar said the Forum encourages young people to be the agents of

change in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean and in the world. “Youth have the

most invested in the future of a healthy and sustainable earth,” she added.

She noted that thousands of young people globally are already engaged in cli-

mate change and environmental degradation issues, recognising that if they are not part

of the solution, they will inherit an earth ravaged by the effects of climate change.

“Acknowledging their responsibility as stakeholders of this earth, youth groups

throughout regions of the world are adding their voices to climate change policy and to

environmental issues. Their voices are becoming louder and leaders worldwide are

sitting up and taking notice,” Hutchinson-Jafar asserted.

The opening session of the 2nd Youth Forum on Climate Change, chaired by

Mr. Garfield King included an address by Ms.Ramona Ramdial, Minister of State in the

Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

From left: Some of the participants, including editor of ET newsletter (centre photo) and some youth

panellists.


Ecological land classification

Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal

Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies

One of the challenges of getting to know any field of study is the language or

jargon. In ecology this poses quite a challenge with respect to describing the areas un-

der study especially when they all start with the prefix “eco”. In ecology land is placed

into five categories. Here I will start with the largest area and work down to the small-

est.

The largest is referred to as the ecosphere. The first category is an ecozone

refers to large areas on the planet’s surface where organisms have been able to evolve

in relative isolation mostly due to being separated by geographic features like deserts,

mountain ranges and oceans. So the Neotropics is an example of an ecozone. This

leads to an ecoprovince which is a smaller area (at a sub-continental level) of uniform

climate and geological history and structure like mountain ranges and large valleys. Eco-

province contains few ecoregions which are smaller versions of an ecozone in that it is

geographically and ecologically distinct. Ecoregions also contain distinct assemblages of

species and although broad, ecoregions are mainly distinguished by their climate. Con-

tained in ecoregions, are ecosites which are smaller areas whose definition is governed

by some local factors like physical characteristics such as vegetation. For example, a

pasture is an ecoregion, as it possesses a relatively uniform climate. Changes like to-

pography and soil texture govern the development of ecosites. Finally there are

ecotopes are the smallest spatial unit in ecology also referred to as ecosystems and has

ecologically distinct features for two or more years.

So the next time you read an article on ecology in the newspaper or on the

internet, do not let the words intimidate you from gaining more knowledge.

ECOLOGY NOTES

EMA Youth Environment Workshop

Photos highlighting ET’s work with youth over the years including the beach cleanups, the Clean

School Programme and Rainforest Education & Awareness Programme sponsored by BP. Not forget-ting that Tobago is not immune to pollution as seen in this photo of the Studley Park Landfill (bottom

row left)


“Tobago may soon

choke on its own

waste. “

Waste as an issue

Bertrand Bhikarry

Environment TOBAGO

Fast forward to Tobago 2013. The political climate is active, the airwaves are

busy, and the population is heady with the buzz of an election and the expectation of

another Carnival. In the eyes of the people, it's high time some of the real issues were

put away. See? Savvy Tobagonians lining up behind the better manifesto, supporting the

party with a clearer promise to solve local problems.

Tobago 2012: Wishful thinking aside, Life is hard, and everyone is facing, carry-

ing their share of the difficulties. But in the wings, hope springs eternal, and the politi-

cians nurture those hopes with their promises. Since a political vehicle is judged by its

(professed) ability to give a ride to the largest part of the community as is possible, the

various party promises to help shoulder burdens are predictably grand. But putting

aside offerings of graft and pork – it's not within this column's purview to acknowledge

such things exist, the Tobago House of Assembly of 2013 – 2017 might really want to

fix the issue of the islands waste. To clarify, it's just municipal garbage being discussed

here, just as it's not the purview of this column to imply other kinds of wastage occur

in Tobago.

Municipal waste or MSW, is the stuff that ends up in the dump and the verges

of our Belladonna. In Tobago, the literality of MSW dumping has now been inculcated

far too deeply into local behavior to be removed in one generation, speaking realisti-

cally. The problem has reached a point where rubbish is assuming a life of its own. In a

very real sense, Tobago may soon choke on its own waste. Waste management there-

fore is an item that could occupy the prime spot on a party manifesto come the Elec-

tion.

Garbage is certainly not a glam topic, neither is constipation. But the similarity

cannot be denied, what with leachate from the dump pouring into Barbados Bay, Stud-

ley Park's poisonous dust sweeping across Tobago communities, and the landfill's invisi-

ble methane choking off the our life support. Adding insult to injury, Tobago's waste,

while not officially counted as a negative factor for tourism, must surely have soured a

few memories, looking at the mess objectively.

Fixing the rubbish problem is not rocket science. The logical approach would

seek a method to reduce the load on the existing landfill, magically consume newly gen-

erated MSW, and try to find a clean and productive way to use any by-product gener-

ated by the MSW management solution. Incineration comes to mind. Always frowned

upon, always delayed before it's adopted, incinerators remain the most prevalent waste

management tool globally. There will be the more elaborate proposals, some which

perhaps contend a beautifully theorized zero-waste paradigm. However until oily sludgy

waste, medical waste, biowaste, paper and plastic waste, electronic waste, and human

waste are covered. It is best to think BURN. Yes indeed. It is that simple.

The core elements for the clean burn for most of the Tobago MSW exist in

the fortuitous combination inadvertently provided by the National Gas Company's

Cove treatment plant, the unused factory space at Cove, and the need for steam re-

quired for a food processing industry in Tobago. In a very real sense therefore, the

catalyst for the much touted potential Tobago economy really does lie down at Cove.

But it's pulse will be the energy generated by the very waste which poses the problem

ARTICLES

for Tobago at present.

Popular community support for the burn solution does exist. Certainly enough

for any of the Tobago political parties to invest the time to look into the idea. One

can just see the election banners. 'Tangible solution, renewable energy, recycled waste

by-product, cleaner streets', etcetera. But then there is another reality that may im-

pinge on this dream. The fact that political parties do not need to solve issues to take

an election in this time of Tobago's history. What a waste.


Artificial leaves

Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal

Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies

When we think of artificial leaves, we often think of those plastic leaves used in

floral arrangements. But scientists have created practical artificial leaves my mimicking

photosynthesis which uses sunlight and water which it converts into energy. These arti-

ficial leaves work by splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen, the latter of which can

be used in fuel cells to generate electricity. Hydrogen is a good source of energy as it is

very abundant but it is often combined with oxygen in the form of water. Also the use

of solar energy rather than that derived from fossil fuels make this generation of hydro-

gen a renewable energy source. But the main advantage of these “leaves” is that they

can be used in remote areas and in regions where hydroelectric power is just not feasi-

ble, for example deserts.

However, the major drawback to the widespread use of this technology is the

high cost of production, which includes the use of a platinum catalyst to generate the

hydrogen gas. Therefore, in order to make them ore affordable, the platinum was re-

placed with a less expensive metal allow (nickel-molybdenum-zinc) on one side of the

leaf and a cobalt film on the other to generate the oxygen. Another material being in-

vestigated is iron oxide simply known as rust, as it also absorbs light and acts as a semi-

conductor. But, this technology has not been perfected to the point where it has be-

come so efficient that it meets the world’s energy demand.

They say that imitation is the best form of flattery! But one has to wonder if in

the future humans will rather depend on these artificial leaves rather than the real thing

to fuel our ecosystems.


Letter written by Ian Lambie-ET member Ira Mathur-Environmental issues

Dear Ira,

I had not seen your previous articles relative to the environment. However

the headline in the Trinidad Guardian of 30th August, 2012 caught my attention. Wel-

come to the environmental movement. We can use as many allies as possible. It is my

wish that journalists get educated on matters relative to the urgent need for sustainable

use of our country's renewable natural resources and the benefits to be derived from

proper land use planning and to desist from referring to persons who are striving and

urging for the sustainable use of our renewable natural resources as "Obstructionists to

Development"

The majority of these "Environmentalists" are volunteers who are concerned about

the continuing "rape" of our Environment and receive no financial benefits for their time

and their efforts.

It is imperative that we "Grow more Food".but there must be a National

Plan for the use of our very limited arable land space. Our country must have develop-

ment and progress but it must be planned, orderly and with a view to sustainabil-

ity. We just don't wake up one morning and say that we will construct aluminium

smelter plants . " And not a Man move"., except Dr. Peter Vine and Dr. Wayne

Kublalsingh, who have sacrificed their careers in objecting to the misuse of our

land. No other objections from professionals were heard.

I have been a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club since

1958 when the Club was the only organisation calling for the proper management of

our natural environment and our natural resources of land, water, forests and wildlife.

At that time "Sustainable Management" or " Sustainable Use" were not popular

terms and "environmental matters" were the concern of the Ministry of Health. To-

day environmental matters are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing. There is

no separate Ministry for the environment and one may interpret that environmental

matters, which are so important to our quality of life and to our standard of living, are

on the "back burner". I do agree with you that there is a "lack of concern for envi-

ronmental matters".

Even after the devastating flooding which first occurred in the Diego Martin Val-

ley in November 1961. Yes 1961 , Fifty years before November 2011 and with

it another round of havoc ,destruction , loss of property and suffering for the residents

of Maraval, Diego Martin, Petit Valley Glencoe , and Pt.Cumana, some of whom as so

poor that they will never be able to recover from their losses. And now we have the

floods of 2012. Even between 2011 and 2012 , the removal of forest cover and build-

ing construction on hillsides continued.

In 2011, Mr.Colm Imbert said that the flooding , landslides and destruction of

homes and other property in Maraval and in the Diego Martin Valley ,was caused by

"An Act of God" and in 2012 , Mr Jack Warner said that the Flooding, Landslides and

Destruction was caused by "An Act of God". What utter nonsense. I may be pre-

pared to forgive Mr. Warner who is ,or is it was, a sports administrator who may not

fully appreciate the importance of proper land use planning and management of our

natural environment, but I cannot forgive Mr. Imbert who is an engineer and who must

know from his training and many years of experience that the removal of forest cover

and other vegetation, the cutting and grading of hillsides and the construction of build-

ings on these hillsides will result in the rapid run-off of water when it rains , resulting in

flooding, landslides and the loss of property and of life.

I am amazed that both of these gentlemen expect us to believe that these incidents


were not caused by the misuse and abuse of our land by respective Governments. "

Dey tink we chupid or what ?"

We have been focusing on recent flooding , devastation and loss of property

in the North-west of our country but we must not loose sight of the loss of property

including agricultural crops and the hardships being experienced annually by residents

in the low - lying areas of Central Trinidad. This is caused by the removal of forest

cover and the construction of buildings in the valleys of the Northern Range.

The residents of Arima should be prepared for the flooding , the devastation,

and the loss of property which will result from the extensive government-sanctioned

quarrying activities in the Arima Valley.

These disastrous situations arise because of the absence of a Physical Devel-

opment Plan and a Land Use Plan for our Country, and the powers of the Minis-

ter to reverse or negate the decisions of the Director of the Town and Country Plan-

ning Division and the Management of the Environmental Management

Agency. (Established by Act No.3 of 1995). This "Power of the Minister" is en-

shrined in the Town and Country Planning Act 29 of 1960, Section 11(3) and Section

12 (3) and this over-riding of the decisions of the Town and Country Planning Offi-

cers , who are qualified professionals in town planning, engineering, surveying and in

associated disciplines has been the practice of the various Ministers who legally have

the "final say" relative to the orderly development of land and the construction of

buildings.

Be it the PNM, NAR, UNC or PP governments, the respective Minister

has never failed to exercise his or her " Power" to reverse the decisions made by

the professionals of the Town and Country Planning Division or by the professionals of

the Environmental Management Authority relative to land use and to building construc-

tion.

When I looked at the military parade at the Queens Park Savannah on Inde-

pendence Day, I once again saw the ill-advised and illegal paving of a large part of the

Savannah to prevent mud from getting on the boots and shoes of the military person-

nel participating in these Parades.

The ill-advised action of Mr. Carlos John, an Insurance Executive, who was

responsible for the paving and Mr. Eden Shand, the environmentalist who put his life

at risk by sitting in front of a bulldozer which was in operation on the site, will always

be remembered by me.

The paving has caused flooding along Cipriani Boulevard during heavy rains and

possible loss of water percolating into the aquifer below the surface of the Savan-

nah. You should be aware that there are water wells on the Savannah which extract

water from this aquifer.

I remember when the then Minister for Works, Mr. Hector Mc Lean, an

attorney, dismissed his Quarries Advisory Committee comprised of professionals and

under the chairmanship of Mr. Ronald Williams an engineer , when they had ejected an

application from the contractor to cut the lands above the Lady Young Road , in order

to obtain "the fill" to be used on the widening of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway

through Valsayn. The Field Naturalists Club named the scar above the Lady Young

Road "The Mc Lean Monument".

I remember the then Minister Mrs. Carolyn Seepersad -Bachan who, by

the stroke of a pen, reversed the decision of the then Chairman of the EMA, the late

Professor Julian Kenny, who had refused the granting of permission for an increase in

quarrying activities in several parts of our Country,

As a result of her ill-advised action, "Jake " Kenny , my friend and my mentor of


more than 30 years, resigned as the Chairman of the EMA. He must have died a very

unhappy man, possibly from a "broken heart" due to his inability to get the EMA mov-

ing in a positive direction. Professor Kenny, during his short term as Chairman of the

EMA, established a "Noise Pollution Committee", among other initiatives. Now that he

has "passed", I do hope that the Committee is operational. Many residents continue

to suffer "sleepless nights" due to "loud music" despite the promises made by the At-

torney General more than a year ago to address and to amend the relative laws and

to get the co-operation of the police in taking speedy action when a report of "loud

noise" is received.

Also to be remembered is the removal of forests and the clearing of lands by

the Government for the construction of a proposed aluminium smelter plant even

before the required Environmental Impact Assessment had been completed

and accepted by the EMA.

Ms. Molly Gaskin, an environmentalist, was assaulted by a Rice Farmer, when

at a meeting she protested against the "rape" of the Nariva Swamp for Rice Grow-

ing. The Nariva Swamp is a RAMSAR Site. The then representative for Ortoire /

Mayaro had urged the rice farmers to grow more rice in the Nariva Swamp. The envi-

ronmental damage which followed is yet to be rectified. I often wonder whether the

loans made to these rice farmers by the Agriculture Development Bank for the pur-

chase of machinery, was ever repaid.

I note with some concern that there is now some anxiety being expressed in

the recent Ryder Scott Report about our country's declining natural gas reserves.

( Business Express 29th Aug.2012) But the politicians and dem still "talking fat"

as though de oil and de gas can never "done" and promising to supply our Caricom

partners with natural gas.

Ian Lambie

p.s.

Most of this has been written from memory and without reference to

written records.


The Great Plains of North America comprises three broad longitudinal bands.

From east to west, they are the tallgrass, midgrass and shortgrass prairie. This book

explores these bands at their middle latitudes in the states of Nebraska, Kansas and eastern Colorado.

The tallgrass prairies have the

richest soil, the greatest rainfall and of course the tallest grass cover, in the

summer often higher than a person. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) -- wonder-

fully aromatic and used in traditional medicine -- is its signature plant. The

midgrass prairie, the broadest of the

three bands, has grass about a meter high. The shortgrass prairie, in the

rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains, has sparser, shorter vegetation, mostly

no more than 30 cm high.

Very little tallgrass prairies re-main today, as the fertile soil is very

valuable for agriculture. During three years' residence in Kansas, I never saw

the native tall grass except when I

made a deliberate trip to one of the remaining patches. Somewhat more

midgrass prairie retains its natural vegetation, although most has been

turned to the cultivation of maize and other grains. The shortgrass prairie is

poor cropland, utilized mainly for graz-

ing. It has been the least affected of the three bands, and it is here that Young did the

greater part of her wandering. The Great Plains are a region of seasonal extremes, often very hot in summer

and very cold in winter, with little to obstruct the winds that sweep over the land. I once asked a local man in the shortgrass prairie if the wind ever stopped blowing. His

GRAND HORIZONS

Mary Taylor Young 2002. Land of Grass and Sky. Englewood, Colorado: Earth Tales

160 pp.

[Twenty-ninth in a series on "naturalist-in" books.]

Christopher K. Starr

Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies [email protected]

Tallgrass (top) and shortgrass (bottom) prairies


laconic answer -- one that he had probably given to many visitors from afar -- was

"Only to change directions." There are also large fluctuations in rainfall. Many rivers

and streams are dry or almost dry much of the year, then swell in the spring on their way to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

Aside from seasonal and human-made changes, the prairies are naturally dynamic.

Much of the eastern prairie is a fire climax, with fluctuating boundaries. Where fire has been absent long enough, the forest advances only to be lost in the next major

fire. This kills the trees, while leaving the roots of the grasses intact.

Each of the 14 chapters treats a particular plant or vertebrate animal and its asso-ciated organisms, with frequent references to relationships between the plains Indians

and particular plants and animals. The chapter titled "Tumbleweeds" includes a grip-ping second-hand account of a powerful life-threatening dust storm. Perhaps the

most engaging of the animal chapters is on the black-tailed prairie-dog, a fascinating

social mammal. However, the plant or animal that gives a chapter its title is some-times more a nucleating agent -- barely mentioned -- than a theme. One can appreci-

ate this device more if one does not insist on knowing exactly what is going on.

I came close to abandoning this book in the first chapter. I'm glad I didn't. All in all, it is well structured, although with marked lapses of focus of the sort that makes

much of journalism so tiresome. It is beyond belief that Young expects the reader to care about what she was wearing at one time or another, the Bailey's Irish Cream she

drank, or her dog's breed and name, among many other extraneous details. On top of this, various vapid metaphors and such statements as "God blessed [magpies] with

the magical power of flight, and added beauty and grace in the bargain" are downright

cringeworthy. The author missed a fine opportunity to ask, in the context of natural selection, why magpies are such graceful fliers.

Much of the book is a lament for diminishing and lost wilderness, as well as the

loss of rural life as housing developments spread. Young regrets that "The Great Plains have been plowed, irrigated, overgrazed, planted with trees, depopulated of na-

tive wildlife, and built upon with cities and sprawling developments. Though native plants survive in places, no natural prairie, functioning as it evolved to function, still

exists." Unlike when a forest is cut down, the physical change is not obvious to the casual observer, yet it is just as deep and lasting. Two keystone animals with major

impact on the soil, have been removed: bison and prairie dog. Each has been reduced

to an estimated 1-2% of its natural numbers. There is also a long lament for the passing of the native peoples. Young shows a

laudable eagerness to try the various kinds of traditional foods available to the plains

Indians. I just wish she wouldn't clutter the accounts with chatty comments on how they are prepared, for example, or what modern kitchen seasons to use on a bison

steak.

“Aside from sea-sonal and human-made changes, the prairies are naturally dy-namic. “

Christopher K. Starr is also the host of the new weekly radio show

"EcoTones", a half-hour programme devoted to a broad range of environmental

questions. Among these are environmental law and policy, ecotourism, the state of

the environment, and some of the exceptionally alluring wild plants and animals

found in the Eastern Caribbean. EcoTones airs every Wednesday evening just after

the 6 o'clock news (starting at about 22:10 GMT) on FM 101.7 (Heritage Radio).


Community Announcements

Environment TOBAGO would

like to welcome our new

Manager

Ms Juliana Antoine

who started her new post on

1st September.

"The UTC Tobago CSC is in your neighborhood Call us now to share with your group a Seminar on Financial Planning"

Manager: Florence Forbes

Contact : 635 2115 Ext. 6201 Business Development Officer : Desiree Hackett Murray

Contact : 635 2115 Ext 6239; 688 3862

Environment TOBAGO in-

vites you to support the An-

nual International Coastal

Cleanup (ICC)] 2012. This

year ET will be participating

in the cleaning of the Belle

Garden Beach. Those who

cannot make it to that

beach can go to the beach

that is closest to their vil-

lage. Cleanup is Saturday

October 6th at 7.00am,

Light refreshments and

gloves will be provided at

venue.

Page 24

Volunteers needed! Persons who are interested in helping with cataloguing and filing of ET’s educational, research and operational material and ar-

chiving.

Environment TOBAGO Environmental and

Services Map of Tobago

They are excellent and will be published every two years. Pub-

lished in January 2008. Requests for these maps can be made to

ET office.

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

New Members ET has a membership of 418 worldwide:

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WHAT’S HAPPENING @ ET

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Literature

Available

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) [email protected]

2) [email protected]

Deadline for submission of material for the 4th Quarter 2012 issue of

the Bulletin is December 10th, 2012.

EMAIL ________________________________________________

READERS’ FORUM

Dear ET Newsletter Readers,

We want to hear from YOU!

Comments may be edited for length and clarity.

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Environment TOBAGO newsletter - Sept 2012 issue

Documents