As it finally begins to dawn in many countries that energy saving is one of the keywords to tackle not only climate change but also the high energy prices Japan seems to have learned this lesson in the seventies and began to develop an energy efficient economy. In the New York times this article was released on the 4th of July 2008. St. Maarten could become also an important hub for these kind of developments but then our political leaders have to wake up fast and do something with this important diversification opportunity and start working on incentives to promote a sustainable development on the island. The tax legislation could be an important tool to promote energy efficiency. We could just embrace the energy star program that promotes appliances that are energy efficient which means that people will become more aware of the energy consumption and businesses will then import more energy friendly appliances. The government has to become aware of their important role in this community and start promoting these developments actively. I know from sources that for example the new airport is using an enormous amount of energy to keep it (very) cool but due to the fact that there is no expertise they are wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars (which will be paid by?) It is one of the many examples that show that St. Maarten has a very long way to go before issues like this will be tackled by government representatives.
"KUMAGAYA, Japan — With its towering furnaces and clanging conveyer belts carrying crushed rock, Taiheiyo Cement’s factory looks like an Industrial Revolution relic. But it is actually a model of modern energy efficiency, harnessing its waste heat to generate much of its own electricity. The Keihin mill captures heat and gases to generate power. Engineers from China and elsewhere in Asia come to study its design, which has allowed the company to slash the amount of power it buys from the grid.
The plant is just one example of Japan’s single-minded dedication to reducing energy use, a commitment that dates back to the oil shocks of the 1970s that shook this resource-poor nation.
Now, with oil prices hitting dizzying levels and the world struggling with global warming, the country is hoping to use its conservation record to take a rare leadership role on a pressing global issue. It will showcase its efforts to export its conservation ethic — and its expensive power-saving technology — at next week’s meeting in Japan of the Group of 8 industrial leaders.
“Superior technology and a national spirit of avoiding waste give Japan the world’s most energy-efficient structure,” Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said in a speech outlining his agenda for the meeting. Japan “wants to contribute to the world,” he said."
China takes initiative in Climate Change
China is seeking to seize the initiative in talks on cutting the world's greenhouse gas pollution, pressing rich nations even as global financial turmoil and Barack Obama's victory recast climate change diplomacy. From Friday, Beijing hosts a two-day conference to promote a new multi-billion-dollar international fund to invest in climate-friendly technology for the Third World. (source Worldnews)
Eco-foot print for St. Maarten?
Eco-foot printing has become a popular instrument to measure the impact we have on our planet and makes you very much aware of our limitations just as the movie storyofstuff does in a simple way. With this tool you can have a critical look at your way of live and make it more sustainable so that we can keep a certain quality of life for our future generations. For this purpose they made calculators which give you an idea of your lifestyle. The carbon foot print is also an instrument to measure impact but more focused on the emission of carbon. For more information see panda.org. On the site you should look for the living report where they explain everything about the footprints. You can open here part of the file I uploaded from this site.
The State of Eco Affairs on Saint Martin
The state of affairs on St. Maarten reflects the mismanagement in the rest of the world and the "culprit" can found in the same hierarchy.
So no surprizes there, however the overall mentality starts at the level of eduction and often at the level of parenting skills or the lack thereof.
Most of the environmental "crimes" are committed based on shear ignorance or simply the level of awareness having such a high trash-hold that most people on St. Maarten never "see" what is wrong with the below captured content.
Have a look for yourself. Paradise does still exist however a change of mentality on all levels, from educators, to politicians to business people and all other "co-habitants" is a must to stop and reverse some of the damage done to the environment. You need to Dare to Care!
Earth Day Letter to Dutch Parliament
Caribbean Foundation for Sustainability
Frontstreet 6 Suite 3 St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
When will we have reason to celebrate Earth Day in St. Maarten?
“We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must work together (or unite) to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the people of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.”
“Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach. a. Take action to avoid the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or inconclusive. b. Place the burden of proof on those who argue that a proposed activity will not cause significant harm, and make the responsible parties liable for environmental harm. c. Ensure that decision making addresses the cumulative, long-term, indirect, long distance, and global consequences of human activities. d. Prevent pollution of any part of the environment and allow no build-up of radioactive, toxic, or other hazardous substances." (source: Earth Charter see http://earthcharterinaction.org/about_charter.html)
Urgent words from the Earth Charter in the interest of communities all over the world and which words for many years have been embraced by the Dutch Government, which is aware of the world wide degradation of our natural resources. The key word here is sustainable development which we can find back in numerous policies and legislation of the Dutch Government complete with a policy to fight the consequences of climate change.
What does this mean for the other parts of the Kingdom and especially the densely populated St. Maarten? A territory of only 34 square kms with an average population density of 1.537 residents per square km? But perhaps even more. We are talking three times the density of the Netherlands, which is already considered crowded.
What do we have to celebrate on Earth Day in St. Maarten, where the environment should have been a major concern to the community and where environment has been the (main) responsibility for the Island Government for many years?
Did we prevent harm as best as we could? Did we take action to avoid serious environmental harm? Did we ensure that decision making addresses the long-term consequences of human activities? Did we make the responsible parties liable for environmental harm? Let us see what we have done so far:
• Do we have proper zoning? Although Federal Legislation was implemented in 1976 to push for a balanced development this legislation has been persistently and intentionally ignored. Only after pressure during the negotiations for separate status zoning became an issue (but “over” development continues to be a big burden to the island.) • Do we have basic environmental standards to protect the air, the soil and the water? On June 11, 2007 a final report on environmental standards was presented by VOMIL (Curaçao) and also proposed for St. Maarten. We are still awaiting these most basic standards. In the meantime we have 24/7 pollution of our ponds, lagoon and ocean, where some of the precious reefs are already dying. • Do we have at least proper legislation to protect our water, soil and air? We don’t. We have some legislation to protect the water, but the ponds are excluded. And what we have is seriously outdated. On top of that there is no legislation to control the dredging activities that is spreading the existing pollution. • Do we have a proper waste disposal? No. Instead, we have an illegal dump (without any permit) in the vicinity of town and bordering on densely populated areas, with very hazardous fires on a fairly regular basis and contributing to global warming. Only because the dump has reached its maximum capacity, Government has no other option but to look for a solution, however, due to lack of transparency we are concerned that the quality of a disposal facility can be compromised. Moreover, local environmental organizations have been left out of the decision making process. • Do we have a proper environmental legislation for businesses (such as the ‘Wet Milieu Beheer’)? No. We have an outdated Hindrance Ordinance system to regulate businesses that could harm the environment with their activities. However, there is insufficient knowledge and not enough staff to deal with proper permits and enforcement. Many businesses do not have a permit at all. For the Marinas we have to rely on the Blue Flag certification, which is a voluntary system. • Do we have proper governmental enforcement? Even high ranking officials admit that the Government is not capable of enforcing the outdated legislation. The Inspection Department is part of the most political governed departments, where politicians have an enormous impact on who is controlled, but especially who is not controlled. • Do we have a proper building permit system? Not at all. Imagine, Commissioners (earning approximately 7.000 Antillean Guilders) dealing directly with rich (foreign) developers while there is no proper zoning, environmental policy’s and a code of conduct. • Do the police enforce environmental legislation? Hardly or not at all. Regular crime takes most of their time, the police force is seriously understaffed and environmental issues are not popular enough with police management. • Does the prosecutor’s office play a role in the enforcement? Although this office does play a role it is only based on the environmental interest of individuals and not on a structural approach. The Federal Government has shown to have no interest to implement environmental enforcement as has been the case in the Netherlands for the past twenty or more years. Enforcement plans and guidelines are seriously lacking. • The same applies to the Court of First Instance. Everything depends on the voluntary help from individual judges. So far we have been lucky. • Do we have proper sewage (beerput afvalwater) disposal? Not at all. In many areas sewage and other waste water is running in the streets and into the ponds and eventually in the ocean. The Caribbean Sea is becoming one of the more polluted seas in the world. • Do we have an energy policy? No, just very recently it seems government is working on an energy policy, the backbone of any economy. In a time when everybody was looking at alternative energy the utility company St. Maarten invested in diesel generators. The cost of these diesel generators could put the economy of St. Maarten in a serious financial problem when the international oil prices will rise again. It’s doubtful that there will be much room for alternative sources because of this considerable investment. • Do we have alternative energy? Hardly, the monopoly of electricity (and water) provider GEBE does not promote innovation. Despite the tremendous amount of sunshine Government does not stimulate solar and wind energy at all. Local banks offer interest rates of 8% and more (and not even for a fixed period), tax holidays seem to be for foreign companies only, while the utility company claims safety issues as a reason to keep alternative energy at bay. So far, serious debates to really look into a green diversification have only been held by private environmental organizations. • Does the Dutch government promote sustainable construction via its funding to lower the maintenance costs, energy and water consumptions of the buildings? According to USONA this is simply not an issue in St. Maarten. • Do we inspect our imported food to protect the community? There are no control facilities and no government promotion at all of local agriculture. • Do we save water and energy? Hardly. Utility Company GEBE has issued a commercial, but there is no serious structural approach to do something with this issue. There is no incentive at all to promote the use of less water and of less energy consuming products. There is no incentive to use energy friendly products. We never heard of energy star programs. • Do we have hurricane norms? No, in a hurricane prone area one would suspect that we have serious norms, in particular with bigger buildings. And what can you expect from a building ordinance that dates back to the 1930s? Everything depends on what the developer wants. Ironically, the Dutch tax payer contributes to the disaster relief after a hurricane has hit the island. Local people need to pay enormous premiums to insure their properties. • Do we protect our coast line? We have a beach policy but almost all developments have been built in violation with this policy. • Do we protect the hills? We have a hillside policy, but even though there are serious warnings for flooding, developers are often getting their way. • Do we have a Historical and Nature park? Yes. Emilio Wilson Park. However, private organizations have to fight to save this valuable park for the public benefit. It is still unclear if it can be fully saved. • Do we have a proper transport policy? No, even with the enormous loss of production due to constant traffic jams. However, it seems that government is finally working on such a policy, but it is doubtful that this policy will be used in the decision making process for the intended construction of a bridge over the lagoon and a road around the Great Salt Pond. There is not much consideration for alternatives and other smart solutions. • Do we protect our monuments? We have legislation but the execution took so long that many buildings have already been demolished. • Do we have a Marine Park Ordinance? Only a concept. The St. Maarten Nature Foundation has been kept waiting for many years for the approval of the Ordinance by the Island Government. • Do we have a tree ordinance? No, only via the monument ordinance, valuable (and existing) old trees are now protected. • Do we have environmental policies or a policy for a sustainable approach? No. We had an excellent initiative from one individual at VROM to start a project to promote sustainability with assistance of the Dutch TU. However, funding for this project is still lacking. • Did St. Maarten approach the Dutch government for assistance to research the adaptation to climate change? If it did, the general public is not aware of it.
The above-mentioned list is not even complete, but it makes awkwardly clear the lack of involvement of our political leaders in our community where it is very common to trade personal favors for votes. This total lack of good governance is aggravated by the ignorance of both the Federal Government and the Dutch Government for many years.
With this letter our foundation hopes to achieve that at least the Dutch Parliament will take her responsibility and will consider imposing supervision or at least postponing the separate status in order to have (finally!) appropriate measures taken, to ensure a sustainable future of this vulnerable island. And then perhaps, we will also have reason to celebrate Earth Day in St. Maarten.
Caribbean Foundation for Sustainability
Biodegradable bags for St. Maarten
Biodegradable bags and food service items from renewable sources are coming to St. Maarten. Elaine Christopher is pushing hard and is very enthusiastic as there seems more and more demand from St. Maarten businesses but also from other islands. Heineken Regatta and a presentation in Anguilla will be important events to promote this further.
St. Maarten is sometimes considered a trash island if we look around us and we see the littering. Much of the littering is plastic. Finally after years of pushing by Pride Foundation and students, businesses started to realize there is another way. More info on her website.
Equator principles for St. Maarten?
"China, October 31, 2008 - Industrial Bank Co., Ltd (IB) is the first bank in China to announce the adoption of Equator Principles, a voluntary set of guidelines in financial industry to determine, assess and manage environmental and social risks in project financing. IB is ready to observe the requirements of, to set up internal policies and procedures in compliance with Equator Principles, and to conduct due diligence research on social and environmental issues in project financing (source:http://www.equator-principles.com/index.shtml)"
China is one of the many countries that adopted these guidelines. In the Netherlands we have three banks but two other banks go much further as they also have principles like not investing in the arms industry or any industry that is harmful for society in an environmental sense or from (another) human rights' perspective (see f.e. Triodos Bank or ASN Bank.)
We should not forget that the banks have made a lot of money, also in St. Maarten while they were conscious of the lack of control by our government but nevertheless financed projects without ever thinking about the sustainability of the projects which makes them also responsible for part of the problems of the island. Suppose our banks here had financed only:
- apartments / houses / resorts with (the best) sewage treatment plans?
- if built in accordance with the beach policy or hill side policy?
Most of us were taught some economic principles in school and later in other studies. For some years a lot of people, also economists, were doubting whether growth should be the ultimate goal of our economy. This movie which is just an introduction, gives a perfect idea what is happening in our society and how stupid it looks if you think about it. It looks there are no limits but now finally we are starting to realize that there are limits. Look at this movie and go to the website of storyofstuff to see more.
Dry Cleaners dangers in St. Maarten
Putting on your fresh, dry-cleaned clothes, have you ever noticed that sweet odor? It is not enough to bother many people, and after a few minutes as you rush off to work you likely will forget about it, but it’s not something that should be forgotten: it is toxic, it is chemical, and you are wearing it next to one of your body’s most sensitive organs: your skin. …
PERC, long used as a solvent in dry cleaning, can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, and irritations of the skin, eyes, nose and throat in some people. It has also been linked, in high doses, to ground water contamination as well as liver and kidney damage and cancer in humans. But now there's a non-toxic alternative. More and more dry cleaners are going organic, using a food-grade level of carbon dioxide instead. Carbon dioxide is normally a gas at room temperature. But put under high pressure, it converts into a liquid and can act as a carrier of biodegradable soaps in much the same way that water does in a washing machine. And when the dry cleaning cycle stops, it turns back into a gas, much of which is reused. Clothes cleaned in this organic process dry instantly, are cool to the touch and have no odor. It's better for the consumer as well as those who work in the local store and the organic cleaning plant. An added plus: there's no shortage of carbon dioxide in the world, and these machines operate at lower temperatures, saving energy
Tetrachloroethylene (Perc) is widely used for dry-cleaning fabrics and metal degreasing operations. The main effects of tetrachloroethylene (Perc) in humans are neurological, liver, and kidney effects following acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) inhalation exposure. Adverse reproductive effects, such as spontaneous abortions, have been reported from occupational exposure to tetrachloroethylene (Perc)
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted regulatory amendments that protect air quality by gradually phasing out the use of a chemical common in dry cleaning. By 2023, dry cleaners will replace perchloroethylene, or perc, a solvent used in dry cleaning, with safer alternatives already available on the market.(Source: http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/latest/812)
Here in St. Maarten we have also Dry Cleaners that use also PERC. Most Dry Cleaners do not have a hindrance permit with regulations about the storage of Perc and disposal of it. Ventilation and disposal is also very important and perhaps pregnant women working in a place like this should get extra attention. The hindrance permit can be used to change this and it can also be used to phase out this dangerous chemical. Regulations can change in time when better options are available.
See a video about an other alternative: wet washing.
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