The unsightly and unhealthy condition of our natural environment is appalling

Jan 10, 2012 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The Environmental Community Health Organization (ECHO) has expressed concern about the unsightly and unhealthy condition of the natural environment in different parts of the country. The situation is appalling and needs the immediate attention of the competent authorities.
ECHO is also calling on all Guyanese to play their part in keeping their local communities clean. The current situation is self-induced environmental sluggishness, which must be corrected now.
Many people believe that they have the right to throw away as much waste as they like. They shouldn’t. Rubbish damages the environment and is expensive to dispose of. With household waste, just as with toxic chemicals, the authorities need to persuade people that they should be responsible for the garbage they produce and therefore should manage it in an appropriate manner compatible with a healthy society.
These days, the action of stepping outside to do daily chores is met with trepidation; it has become unpleasant and a source of worry to everyone living in and beyond the city.
However, this garbage situation which appears to be with us forever should spur dramatic improvements in the way waste is managed here in Guyana.
Recycling ought to be a very common feature of solid waste management. There are great opportunities for businesses to develop schemes to turn rubbish to fertilizer and even fuel.
There are too many poor communities to be wasting waste. Nothing should go waste, because with the right attitude and incentives in place, communities should be encouraged to re-use and recycle waste.
But it is the authorities that have the power to encourage and even facilitate these activities. They need to be more precise and specific with their policies on the storage, collection and disposal of waste. At the moment, the authorities appear to be unable to enforce environmental and waste regulations. As a consequence, people are just throwing their rubbish onto the pavements and other parapets.
ECHO is of the view that to clear up the mess, the government and local environmental bodies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, need to hold people and businesses responsible for the waste they produce.
One way of doing that is to work out the cost of disposal and charge firms and households for garbage collection based on the volume they produce. That could help to discourage people from just throwing things out, and provides a revenue base to dispose of it when they do.
Another is to make manufacturers responsible by obliging them to take back and dispose of certain goods when consumers have finished with them. That provides companies an incentive to make their goods easy to recycle or re-use.
However, ECHO believes that the key to even begin to change this embarrassing waste situation is education.
Obviously, the indiscriminate dumping of rubbish is reflective of the environmental and other values of those who indulge in such actions. Values themselves are shaped by perceptions, information, education and knowledge. Therefore, the current garbage situation signals the need for much more education on the environment and the role citizens ought to play in ensuring the health of their natural surroundings.
Therefore, the relevant authorities and corporations should invest in an aggressive national civic-education programme on waste management in Guyana. This should include separation of waste, composting and other alternative uses of waste in local communities.
It makes no sense investing in everything else while the actions of citizens continue to damage the environment because there can be no real gains or development in a situation where the health of the natural environment is put at risk by the unfriendly attitude and actions of its citizens.
Therefore, ECHO calls upon the authorities to fix the current waste problem. Also, it is appealing to citizens to take greater care of their surroundings.
Shelon Simon
National Coordinator
ECHO-Clubs, Guyana

Latest News

The unsightly and unhealthy condition of our natural environment is appalling

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Semi-Finals line up set for Maid Marian Wheat Up Women’s Cup 2024

Young Warriors Cricket Club fulfills its annual...

Chase’s Academic lift 2024 KFC Goodwill Int’l...

Remaining teams in the inaugural K&S/One...

Capital FC, Hi Stars, Silver Shattas win as...

Renuka, Mandhana consign West Indies to record...

Features/Columnists

This is our city

Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will

Jagdeo de GOAT

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

The unsightly and unhealthy condition of our natural environment is appalling

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]