Our citizens have no knowledge of the magnitude of what transpired with these Oil Blocks

Aug 30, 2021 Letters

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Dear Editor,
From lake Maracaibo to end of Cayenne shore line covering these four states comprising an area of 537 million square miles represents a devastating threat to the existence of Planet Earth should there ever be any sort of blow out of Oil & Gas with their pollutants. No system is yet devised to put these hydrocarbons back in their graves.
The IPCC is a UN Agency having around 195 member states. Their job is to save  planet earth from its inhabitants. Can anyone say if Guyana is a member of this organization? The gallant effort of MELINDA JANKI & CO to shut down all Oil & Gas activity shows they are ahead of the curve. All support should be sent her way.
Ninety-nine percent of our citizens have no knowledge of the magnitude of what transpired with these Oil Blocks. Who realizes the size of the now famous Stabroek Block at six million six hundred thousand square miles.?  Well this can hold 2 Jamaica’s and 2 Trinidad’s..
All around the world we hear the words, Billionaire, Trillionaire,, These terms are of “American” origin from their creole of the English language. These notations are not used in Astronomy and Space studies even in Micron.  Studies when Mr. Chris Ram published the outlandish financial statements of the oil companies he used the correct terminology to describe their figures. When publishing dollars please define Guy$ or US$. American creole language is well laced with metaphor, hyperbole and slang in all fields. Anyone can read further into this.
Guyana was behind the Eighth Ball when Oil exploration started. The world had a glut of oil on hand thus prices were uneconomical. The world environment  is now dedicated to diminish oil demand and punish those who pursue this activity. Floods, Fires, Droughts, cannot be tolerated any longer.
We hardly hear anything about the Ozone layer or the Atomic Fall Out very much in the air  circulating from the Atomic Testing from 1945 to the 1960s and perhaps beyond. Not a word is heard from any source.  Guyana must cut the Oil losses and produce World Supply of water. This is renewable. Mining pollution must go also. No profit there in present primitive modus operandi. Guyana can do without the pennies left on the floor for us to pick up.
From the time Sir Walter Raleigh came to Guiana/Guyana looking for Gold our country was set on the path to be known as a Primary Product Producing Country. Has anything changed since? The hot button issues now being popularized is the Gas-to-Shore and Amalia Falls projects.
It should be understood that Amalia Hydro can only be suited for WBE. No attempt to make this a nationwide power source is practical or economic. LNG gas line to Wales is not the most  convenient or cost effective means to provide this fuel to house holds. Using LNG carrier ships unloading at multiple points is a superior means to reach consumers.
In every country certain elements of nation building are non-stop 24/366 activities in spite of which political party sits in Governance; these are Roads, Bridges, Rails, Health Centers, Ports, Airports, Housing Developments, Defense Infrastructures, Military Vessels, Military Air Crafts, Electric Distribution Networks, Communication Cabling, Land Contouring etc., A  National Planning Council in its specialized building would be the place where these activities are incubated. There can be no justification for unemployment in Guyana if we collected the income from our resources to capitalize projects in this regard. No efforts seen in this direction.
Thanks to COVID -19 the world is now highly observant in things around them. For instance,  discarded materials known as waste. I happened to see a video showing the HAAGS BOSCH ‘land fill”. Thankfully there exists Waste-To-Energy Plants which recycle materials and produce Electric Energy and so provide for a healthier world. What is seen there is Non-Sensical Sense and the best attempt at land destruction . Immediately use some of that “Oil Profit “money and clean this mess up. What is the history of that name HAAGS BOSCH?
Real electric power can be taken from the mid-section of the mighty Essequibo River via submersible generators with accompanying structures. No need for Dams which do not remain efficient and  loose full water volume. The GURI is such a Dam.
Assuming we have mighty river power the next essential project must be an Aluminum Refinery. This is the first key to industrial development. This should be seen as top priority items. Everyone knows about the 1899  Paris Agreement which assigned the Boundary between Guiana/
Guyana and Venezuela but the Month and date is rarely stated.  I did not know it. This is part of the  obscure way things are done in Guyana. In searching the DATE IS OCTOBER 03, 1899. I must acknowledge Website: https// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British Guiana.
Here you will observe the Area of British Guiana in 1924 as being 89,500 square miles. Scrolling down further in a realm of serendipity there is a family member Juanita De Barros as Author of books on Sanitation. I should like to take this opportunity to mention my late Father: Francis Gerald (Sonny) De Barros MRSH 1911 – – 1960 being one of 4 men who wiped out Malaria from Georgetown to Berbice. He frequently mentioned  the Italian Expert Dr. Giglioli with the others whom I do not have their names. (Spelling help for Doctor’s name.)
Mr. Ralph Ramkaran had earlier posited that Guyana ought to produce anti-propaganda campaign against the Venezuela outlandish belligerent kleptomaniacs on our backs. As such I hope we can see a full blown auspicious celebration of the 122 year Award establishment of the country  we own. A contest for the design of a fitting monument to this award should commence. When it comes to monuments would there ever be transparent Oil Barrels on pedestals around the country  to fortify history?
Yours truly,
John De Barros

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