Trin | Surviving life in Trinidad and Tobago

Everyday pollution in TnT

We have one question - when will our policymakers come up with legal limits for Trinidad and Tobago's  pollution levels? Great ideas are found in the article below.

Advice for Gov't on climate change 

The president of the University of T&T warned in 2008 that high levels of CO2 emissions were emanating from the nine ammonia and seven methanol plants at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, as well as from motor vehicles (33 million tonnes annually). T&T has one of the largest vehicle per capita populations with highly toxic poisonous emissions (greater than 400,000 vehicles for 1.3 million citizens). Since many of these are old vehicles, the pollutants are extremely high. Government has destroyed 140 acres of forest at Union Estate, the site of the smelter and another 85 acres at the site of the steel plant. Wildlife is seriously endangered and the fishing industry is at risk of extinction. We are experiencing increasing intensities of droughts, fires, floods, stronger storms and health-related vector diseases. The main waste dump sites are continuously ablaze from chemical reactions.

Lead and mercury seep from these sites into the waterways, leading to the Caroni Dam which supplies east and north Trinidad. Coastal erosion is severe in the South West Peninsula with huge mainland shores being washed away. The Government, despite widespread protests by citizens and a judicial ruling against the continuation of construction of an aluminium smelter (Alutrint), arrogantly pursues its continued construction. The judge ruled that the decision of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to grant approval for construction of the Alutrint smelter was illegal and stated that the decision was “outrageous, irrational and procedurally irregular.” The EMA, being extremely inefficient and incompetent, fails to give a definitive method by which spent pot lining (SPL) would be dealt with. SPL contains cyanide, fluoride, arsenic and other toxic substances. The dangers associated with the treatment, crushing, extraction and transportation of SPL are extremely detrimental to human health and the environment.

The Government for the last eight years has shown no interest in working with the recommendations from the Geneva 1990 Second World Climate Conference for the Alliance of Small Island States nor with the West Indian Commission document on environment and development. The issues from the UN Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States held in Barbados in 1994, which identified climate change and sea levels as being amongst its highest priorities, was addressed by the then Prime Minister Panday Government, “Initial National Communication of Trinidad and Tobago under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” published in February 2001. Eight years later, this Government has failed to produce even a Green Paper on climate change issues.

The Opposition recommends the following:
1. There is urgent need for a comprehensive policy on climate Change.
2. Need to fast track collaboration with international organisations in pursuit of cost-effective strategies for carbon reduction, cognisant of economic development and sustainability.
3. Government must provide information on T&T’s emission trends, vulnerability, mitigation and adaptation options.
4. Government must engage in active consideration on the use of renewable energy sources, eg solar.
5. It must adopt policies for clean energy technology and approaches for energy efficiency.
6. Formulate a national agenda to create awareness.
7. Need for improved management by EMA.
8. Need for urgent action in treating with coastal erosion.
9. Need for a strong commitment for reduction of greenhouse gases and a mandate to produce new targets.

The Opposition calls for, under Article 4 of the convention, the Government to publish, update periodically and make available its national inventory of greenhouse gases and its national programmes to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It is imperative that this Government takes climate change scenarios with the utmost seriousness in relevant future social, economic and environmental policies and actions.

Tim Gopeesingh
UNC MP 

Published: 1 Dec 2009, The Trinidad Guardian

A very inspiring book!

Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder is the true and incredible story of Deo, a young African man:

Deo was a young medical student who fled the genocidal civil war in Burundi in 1994 for the uncertainty of New York City. Against absurd odds--he arrived with little money and less English and slept in Central Park while delivering groceries for starvation wages--his own ambition and a few kind New Yorkers led him to Columbia University and, beyond that, to medical school and American citizenship. That his rise followed a familiar immigrant's path to success doesn't make it any less remarkable, but what gives Deo's story its particular power is that becoming an American citizen did not erase his connection to Burundi, in either his memory or his dreams for the future. Writing with the same modest but dogged empathy that made his recent Mountains Beyond Mountains (about Deo's colleague and mentor, Dr. Paul Farmer) a modern classic, Tracy Kidder follows Deo back to Burundi, where he recalls the horrors of his narrow escape from the war and begins to build a medical clinic where none had been before. Deo's terrible journey makes his story a hard one to tell; his tirelessly hopeful but clear-eyed efforts make it a gripping and inspiring one to read. --Tom Nissley Amazon.com

We think it's cool to recommend books we think are life changing, inspiring stories about extraordinary people. We hope these books will not only inspire you to work to make your personal dreams materialize no matter how dismal your circumstances may be, but will also open your eyes to the great positive impact you can have on the lives of others with even the smallest of kind gestures.

The definition of a true trini

 
Dear readers,
some of the Trin posse were having a debate about that Brian MacFarlane piece during the Summit of the Americas and the conversation inevitably turned to the topic of common misconceptions trinis have about what makes a true trini.
Below is a review of the MacFarlane's production: http://www.keithfrancis.net/2009/04/5th-summit-of-americas-ego-vs-cuba-vs.html
We want to clear something up for you sweet not-wanting-to-offend-anyone trinis: there is no one single definition of what constitutes a true trini.

In every developed country in the world (nearby examples being the USA and Canada) diversity is honestly respected by both those in power and by ordinary citizens. For example people are never expected to have to choose between being either African or American or being either Indian or Canadian - developed nations never makes such a nonsensical racist request to its citizens that in order to fit in you must assimilate and abandon your heritage.  Citizens are not discriminated against in the workplace because of religion, name or ethnic group. Being a citizen of a developed country never has and never will require that you think of your religion or heritage as a burden to society or a handicap to your career.

However in Trinidad and Tobago too many fools in high places say things like "you are a trini and you need to forget your heritage and your motherland in order to be a true trini, or you need to date and marry interracially to be a true trini, or if you want to keep your traditions alive you don't belong in Trinidad go back to your motherland or you don't deserve a job in the public service". Try telling that BS to any American and watch them laugh at you. And believe us we have experienced the racist brainwashing going down in the Trinidad and Tobago Government service to this very day - it should just be renamed the Government's Eric Williams concentration camps for the kind of oppression and daily harassment we have witnessed in there against poor people just trying to defend their beliefs!

A little history and modern day perspective for you  - that ideology was coined by PNM founding father Eric Williams, who back in the day was sniffing too much fairy dust and decided those who abandon their heritage would be considered the real trinis and everybody else didn't belong - those who tried to maintain their religious and or cultural traditions were somehow doing a disservice to our country. Granted he was pioneering a new nation and had a few ludicrous ideas about how to develop this new nation so we at Trin have forgiven him for his lunatic racist ideas - pioneering is hard work! Also this way of thinking has since been classified as misguided and also as oppressive by educated people. Wikipedia defines oppression as follows:

Oppression is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. It can also be defined as an act or instance of oppressing, the state of being oppressed, and the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, and anxiety.

However as TnT strives for 2020 developed country status it seems, incredibly, that this way of thinking is still pervasive almost as if we are experiencing an Eric Williams revival. It seems the institutional racism in state enterprises is becoming more and more prevalent based on the job hunting experiences of some of our friends who have returned to Trinidad from the US over the last couple of years with valuable foreign work experience thinking they would be able to find jobs after 3-6 months of job hunting. These friends wanted to return home to make a difference...now some scratching dey head and wondering if it's time to just go back to USA because there's too much discrimination when trying to find a job in Trinidad.

People all over the world immigrate to the US and Canada because they are persecuted in their homelands and experience discrimination for just wanting to keep their traditions alive, for just wanting to be who they are - and Trinidad is still one of those oppressive countries that people want to flee - people are fleeing. So we have a brain drain and the spiral continues...

You should all question how diverse countries like the US and Canada manage to not just function but grow and prosper despite the presence of many large thriving religious groups such as Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and other faiths, and then ask yourself if your ways of thinking and the way you treat other trinis is contributing to Trinidad remaining a 3rd world oppressive country forever. It is about time trinis realize there is no one single type of person - be it a person of a specific race, a person of a specific mix of races or a person from one religion that is the true "Trini" person and certainly Brian MacFarlane's representation of what constitutes a trini is by no means an authoritative definition.

Why is Gary Hunt sour?

Do you think it's sniffing too much PNM fairy dust that's responsible for Gary's bafflingly sour reaction to the success of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team in the Champions League Final? Here, go ahead and read the nonsense the sport minister man saying while our team is making Trinidad and Tobago famous all over the world, and not for murder or kidnapping mind you!

Sport Minister: No reward contemplated for team
The Trinidad Guardian
Published: 25 Oct 2009
Anika Gumbs-Sandiford

No award has been “contemplated” for the Trinidad and Tobago national cricket team for its prowess at the just concluded 2009 championships League Twenty20 cricket tournament in Hyderabad, India. Though having lost the final, their only defeat of the tournament, the team walked away with US$1.3 million. Yesterday, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Gary Hunt asked how the Government had planned to reward the team, said, “They did not win. At this point reward is not being contemplated, however, it will be discussed.”

Hunt also revealed that no welcoming party was planned for the team since they are carded to head to Guyana soon after they arrive. “The team is coming in late on Monday night, then they fly off to Guyana, so we have not planned a welcoming ceremony for them. But there is still time to discuss it with the cricket board.”

By the way allyuh see how John Bravo don't mix matters - we were happy to see his comments covered in the Guardian. Way to go daddy Bravo, tell 'em like it is! (Not like we think Manning even cares - he probably at home in his mansion rolling around in a vat full of money and watching the "Best of Robert Mugabe's Political Strategies" dvd.)

Bravo’s dad to Manning, Govt...Stay away from cricketers
The Trinidad Guardian
Published: 25 Oct 2009
Yvonne Baboolal
John Bravo, father of T&T cricket allrounder, Dwayne Bravo, is sending a message to Prime Minister Patrick Manning to not come to Piarco airport when the team returns home. “Tell Manning don’t come by the airport. We don’t want him up there,” an angry Bravo told the Sunday Guardian shortly after the T&T team lost the final match to New South Wales Blues in Hyderabad, India last Friday. “He aint give the boys nothing.” Bravo was referring to the Government’s alleged lack of financial assistance to the team and the help they solicited from an Indian firm. “We don’t want the Government in the airport,” John insisted. He said he and a Cantaro possee are planning to go to the airport. “I have to go to welcome my son home.”

He said he expected the team to win the league but felt good, nevertheless, because they gave 100 per cent. “They played Australia, who had eight Test players on their side. “Is cricket... If you know cricket, so it is.” T&T cricket captain, Darren Ganga’s entire family went to India to support him and his brother, Sherwin, Barackpore MP, Nizam Baksh said last Friday. “But we’re planning a celebration function for he and Sherwin with their original cricket club, All Apaches. “This is the club they played with from small.” He said Ganga’s grandfather was a cane farmer in the area and his father is a retired school teacher.

Trini Cricket Madness!

We at Trin want to wish the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team best of luck in today's Champions League Twenty20 final. Barath and Powell boy; Mohammed, Bravo and the rest of the team - you guys did an awesome job, we real proud of your progress under Daren Ganga's leadership. Trin is disappointed that Trinidad and Tobago was the only unsponsored team in the tournament and had to get an Indian sponsor, so we hope the likes of bmobile and digicel feeling real shame is ah Indian company backing we team.

Just in case you didn't know, the PNM didn't feel the need to bid to host matches for the 2010 Twenty20 Cricket World Cup. Apparently despite brand new stadiums popping up all over the island, we trinis don't show enough enthusiasm for cricket for the government to give ah ass about our interests. The PNM felt it was more important to help the other islands with their tourism instead of investing money in some local games. Even though it's no big deal for certain people to fly around the islands on dey private jets to catch a few games, not all ah we so wealthy. Shame indeed.

What takin' so long George Maxwell?

Puppets keep dancing, people keep suffering, country still suffocating, nobody in high places gives a f*ck about us.

Lawsuit over Max's failure

- Francis Joseph

The Trinidad Guardian

8 Oct 2009

The continuing failure of President George Maxwell Richards to appoint members of the Integrity Commission has now reached the High Court. Chief executive officer of Radio Jaagriti Devant Maharaj filed a constitutional motion in the San Fernando High Court on Tuesday, against the Attorney General, over the continuing failure of the President to appoint the commission.

The matter has already found its way on the list of October 16 before Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh. The claimant is asking for the motion to be deemed urgent. Maharaj is seeking a declaration that the non-appointment of the commission is illegal and unconstitutional as it violates section 138 of the Constitution. Sir Fenton Ramsahoye, SC, and Anand Ramlogan are representing Maharaj. In his motion, Maharaj pointed out that the members of the last Integrity Commission resigned on February 3. A new commission was not appointed until May 1, but all the members of the commission resigned for various reasons.

Maharaj said since then, no commission had been appointed. He said it was unlawful for the Government to be carrying on without the commission being appointed and functioning. He said he had made several complaints to the commission which were pending. He added that these complaints could not be investigated without the commission members. Maharaj said the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha also had a complaint of discrimination before the commission, based on the refusal by the State to award a radio broadcast licence. He said the investigation was completed and all that was necessary was for the commission to make a decision on whether the matter should be referred to the office of the DPP for criminal charges to be laid.

He said he wrote to the President on several occasions on the issue of the non-appointment of the members. “The continuing non-appointment of a new IC creates a window of opportunity for corruption, dishonesty and abuse of power,” Maharaj said. He said there was no commission to receive the annual declarations of income, assets and liabilities, and statements of registrable interests from people in public life. The loophole, he added, could easily be exploited by corrupt people in public life, to the detriment of the citizens of T&T. Maharaj said no action could be taken on any complaints, and these individuals were allowed to continue to function, even if they were guilty of misconduct and wrongdoing.

BACKGROUND

• Four members of the Integrity Commission resigned on February 3, after Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley was successful in his judicial review case against the commission. The commission has submitted a report to the DPP without telling Rowley that he was being investigated.

• Hours after a new commission was sworn in on May 1, Justice Zainool Hosein resigned. He claimed he was offered the post of deputy chairman, but on the day of the swearing in, he was bypassed.

• The other four members—Fr Henry Charles, Jeffrey Mc Farlane, Lylla Rose Bada and Gladys Gafoor—resigned days later.

Ramesh Maharaj resumes battle with the Alutrint Smelter + the EMA

Ramesh vows to continue fight against smelter
-Kimberly Mackhan
The Trinidad Guardian
Published: 6 Oct 2009

Senior counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj will renew the fight against the construction of an aluminum smelter in south Trinidad following tomorrow’s resumption of a legal challenge into the decision from High Court Judge Justice Mira Dean-Armorer’s to halt the construct of the billion-dollar Alutrint project, in which government has a 60 per cent stake. “The basis of the Environmental Act is that in respect of environmental assessment and decision-making, the public do not only have a right to be consulted, but they have a right to participate and be involved in all of the environmental information. So in my view, this is a clear case of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) having no case, but there are two sides to every coin and we have a Court of Appeal and then we have the Privy Council,” Maharaj said.

He was speaking at a press conference he held in the rotunda of the Red House on Sunday. He, along with attorney Vijaya Maharaj, would be representing the anti-smelter lobby group, the Rights Action Group (RAG). “You would see when I make my submission (on Thursday), I would refer to instances where the EMA states that the report could not be the basis of a proper decision. “The EMA collected all the information to itself and made a decision without the public consultation in accordance with Section 28.” On June 16, Justice Dean-Armorer delivered a 156-page judgment that made note of the lack of proper consultation between the EMA and the residents of La Brea, where Alutrint was constructing its aluminium smelter project.

Her verdict quashed the EMA’s decision to issue a certificate of environmental clearance (CEC) for the projects development. It also put a halt to the construct the billion-dollar aluminum smelter plant. With hundreds of millions of dollars invested into the project, Alutrint has retained queen’s counsel Keith Straker to challenge the judgement. “It may be that the EMA is asking the Court of Appeal to re-write the law, to re-write the Environmental Act and to go in a new direction with respect to environmental justice,” Maharaj said.

Grounds for EMA appeal:
In its appeal of Justice Dean-Armorer’s judgement, the EMA submitted that there is no specification in the Environment Act as to precisely when the EMA should submit the application the an EIA for public comment, except that it must be done before any CEC is issued by the EMA (Section 35(5). “Thus, there is no stipulation that the submission for public comment must take place either before the terms of reference is finalised, or while the EIA is being prepared, or after the EIA is completed and so on. “There is also no requirement that the EMA must conduct more than one period of public comment. All Section 35(5) requires is that the application be submitted for public comment.”