Green cosmetics / It's Our World
Publication: Daily Nation
Date: Thu, Jul 3, 1997
Page: 13A
Byline: Terry Ally
PLANTING TREES and cleaning beaches are fast becoming the latest fad in Barbados when marking environmental day.
Three months later, most of the trees wither and die, due to lack of care and because they are planted smack in the middle of the dry season, when the two major environmental days occur.
Many of the beaches return to a state of untidiness, until the next clean-up.
Tree planting and beach clean-ups make excellent photo opportunities but environmentalists need to go much further if they are to seriously achieve tangible benefits.
The National Conservation Commission (NCC) is starting, with National Arbor Day, later this year to sensitise the public on the importance of trees and how to care for them.
Under the direction of the NCC, schools, community groups, non-governmental organisations and individuals will plant 500 trees across Barbados on September 22.
The groups will be briefed in efficient after-care so the saplings won't wither and die but grow into healthy robust trees which, in time, will provide shade, timber or fruit.
Booklets on tree care, should be available by then to help Barbadians appreciate the value of trees and teach them how to become green thumbs.
By World Environment Day or Earth Day next year, hopefully, tree planting will take on greater significance than just a photo opportunity.
The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA), many years ago, launched a very successful clean-up drive which dramatically changed the attitudes and habits of the majority of Barbadians in respect of setting out their garbage for collection.
Illegal dumping
The SSA's approach to stamp out communal bins was to distribute plastic bags to each households and teach them how to package their regular, organic and dangerous refuse for disposal.
It worked.
Environmentalists could adopt the SSA model on their next clean-up drive and involve residents or users of the area; go house-to-house (car-to-car?) explaining to people about the dangers of illegal dumping and inviting as many of the residents or users, as possible, to join the clean-up exercise.
If plastic bags are needed, provide them.
If refuse bins are needed, give them some.
If the collection service is erratic, make representation to the SSA.
When the clean-up is over, follow up to ensure that teething problems are resolved and the new procedure works well.
Such approaches are more practical and functional than a headline-grabbing exercise, a few times a year.