{"id":2985,"date":"2019-09-16T18:51:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T18:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/westernmirror.com\/?p=2985"},"modified":"2019-09-16T18:51:02","modified_gmt":"2019-09-16T18:51:02","slug":"unesco-protection-needed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/?p=2985","title":{"rendered":"UNESCO PROTECTION NEEDED"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Anthony Barrett<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe\nland, forests, plants and animals in Cockpit Country provide us with clean air\nto breathe, cooler temperatures, fresh water collected and stored, pollination\nand pest control for agriculture, medicinal plants and fertile soil in the\nvalleys. The forests of Cockpit Country also help to buffer the impacts of\nclimate change.\u201d<\/strong> – Diana\nMcCaulay, Jamaican environmental advocate.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some time now, a disaster of such calamitous proportions has been\nthreatening that, should it ever come to fruition, future generations will\nwring their hands in despair and wonder how our generation, yes, our\ngeneration, could ever have ever let it occur. Their bane of contention will be\nthe decimation of Jamaica\u2019s Cockpit Country. A Russian aluminum giant, through\nits subsidiary, Noranda Jamaica, entered into a 26-year mining lease with the\nGovernment in 2004 and now fifteen years later, they want their pound of flesh.\nThey are ready to despoil and desecrate the Cockpit Country for economic gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCaulay, a local environmentalist, best described the area and its\npotential despoliation in these words: \u201cThe Cockpit Country is a rugged, forested\narea of west-central Jamaica, rich in plants, animals, water and history. It is\nhome to about 70,000 people, including the Leeward Maroons of Jamaica. The wet\nlimestone forest of Cockpit Country is Jamaica\u2019s largest remaining natural\nforest and a refuge for rare native species. Plans to mine for bauxite and\nquarry for limestone threaten this important area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noranda apparently does not think so. In discussing the impact of a ban\non mining in the Cockpits, Noranda\u2019s General Manager, Delroy Dell, issued, in\nmy opinion, a veiled threat when he opined, \u201cThe resulting economic impact,\nwhich will be felt in the relatively near future, will jeopardize Noranda’s\nability to sustain the more than 800 direct and 4000 indirect jobs, and the\nmillions of US dollars in export earnings, taxes and other outgoings, that the\ncompany contributes to the Jamaican economy.\u201d \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OBVIOUS\nNO BRAINERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At stake is much that all Jamaicans, here and in the Diaspora, should\nhold dear, the fabric of the country; the sustainability of the ecology over\nfinancial threat and economic desperation plus the long-term health of all our\ncitizens. These are obvious no brainers, yet the government and civil society\nseem content to sit on their hands while paying lip service to this\ncantankerous issue. As a result, with the clock ticking down towards a\ngrotesque act of vandalism to which Noranda threatens, only the environmental\nand Rastafarian communities, along with the people domiciled within the\nimmediate vicinity, are agitated and protesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are facing a desecration, the defilement that is the strip mining of\none of the last remaining Jamaican forests, the Cockpit Country, which is the\nlargest unspoiled forest in Jamaica. If this travesty is allowed, in a few\nyears from now, the topography of one of the most precious and verdant\nlandscapes in Jamaica, will bear the scar of our folly, inertia and\nshortsightedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is claimed that the now burning Amazon rainforest is the lungs of the\nworld; likewise, there are Jamaicans who have similarly likened the Cockpit\nCountry. The forest cover and biodiversity that provide the Cockpit Country\nwith its unique context and characteristics, which currently enable farmers in\nthe bread basket and garden parishes of St. Elizabeth and St. Ann, will have\nbeen devastated. The yam farmers and related industries in Trelawny will be\nhard-pressed to maintain their economic independence, given that Trelawny\ncomprises the majority of the Cockpit and where the proposed mining is to be\nconcentrated. Those are incidental consequences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOO LATE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we must be aware that the strip mining of vast quantities of\nsuch lush vegetation will have desecrated it for all time. The damage this\nwould inflict on both the landscape and the broader ecology inclusive of flora,\nfauna and underground rivers will not be fully known until when it is too late.\nThe government should be resolute in protecting this zone which potentially can\nbe more economically viable than bauxite extraction with its known hazards.\nUntapped are phytomedicines and the possibility of new drugs which could be far\nmore lucrative economically and a great deal safer for those residing in and\naround the Cockpit Country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is said that the health of people and the health of the planet that we\nlive in are inextricably bound. Destruction of our fragile habitat threatens\nour access to the most fundamental requisites for human existence, potable\nwater, clean air, safe food and shelter. Within those stated parameters, air\npollution poses one of the greatest threats to those fundamentals and human\nrights of communities abutting the proposed excavation zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us be clear, bauxite extraction in Jamaica can best be described as\nopen mining which involves substantial clearing and removal of land. The\nprocesses of excavating, removal of top soil and vegetation, transportation of\nbauxite ore, unwanted elements and stockpiling of bauxite cause degradation of\nair quality due to dust pollution. Fine particles are well documented causes or\ntriggers which lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dust is a solid particulate matter, and is of great health concern\nbecause, while unseen to the naked eyes, it can be inadvertently inhaled deep\ninto the respiratory system, even by those not involved in the mining\noperation. Then there is the nuisance dust which can be seen. It reduces\nenvironmental comfort, contaminates clothes, properties, vegetation and water,\nand has negative corrosive effects on personal wellbeing and health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PUBLIC\nHEALTH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trees, vehicles, houses and clothes along the route of the trucks\ntransporting bauxite were also contaminated with red dust. It stains even the\ntransportation infrastructure as exemplified by a stretch of road in Faiths Pen\nin St. Ann, which is plied by bauxite trucks going to and from the quarry. It\nis tainted dark red. The location of mining activities in relation to human\nsettlement is of great concern to public health and should be treated\naccordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, let me reiterate, there are a number of reasons why bauxite mining\nin the Cockpit can cause environmental problems which will subsequently spread\nto negatively impact the health of adjoining communities if the issue is not\nshelved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter the reassurances, multi-national corporations are driven only\nby the bottom line, not morality. There ought not to be any Cockpit Country\nProtected Area (CCPA). The entire area should be off limits and declared in its\nentirety as a UNESCO protected area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Mr. Dell was quoted in a Jamaican newspaper (Monday September\n9, 2019) as saying: ”We are not only a leader in Jamaica with our reclamation\nactivities, but we have been recognized around the world for our reclamation\nand greenhouse initiatives.” Dell went on to note that a fundamental principle\nof all aspects of their operations, and a key reason why they have been able to\noperate in harmony with their communities, is that they not only mine bauxite,\nbut implement environmentally friendly long-term projects that allow residents\nto derive greater economic and social benefits from their surrounding\nenvironment. He further posited that at Noranda, they work hard to ensure the\nlands they mine are effectively reclaimed for beneficial use by local farmers\nand residents alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While all that sounded well and good, his primary focus was the\nsustainability of his company\u2019s mining operation when he said that precluding\nNoranda from mining the reserves granted to it in SML 173, all of which fall\noutside of the CCPA, will result in Noranda mining lesser quality bauxite at\nmuch further haul distances. Obviously, the only tangible cost for him is the\ncompany\u2019s profit margin. Peace! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

mocobarrett@yahoo.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For some time now, a disaster of such calamitous proportions has been threatening that, should it ever come to fruition, future generations will wring their hands in despair and wonder how our generation, yes, our generation, could ever have ever let it occur. Their bane of contention will be the decimation of Jamaica\u2019s Cockpit Country. A Russian aluminum giant, through its subsidiary, Noranda Jamaica, entered into a 26-year mining lease with the Government in 2004 and now fifteen years later, they want their pound of flesh. They are ready to despoil and desecrate the Cockpit Country for economic gain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,7,10],"tags":[1548,1410,1547,1411,1408,1546],"class_list":["post-2985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-columns","category-editorial","category-letters","tag-bauxite","tag-cockpit-country","tag-jamaican-government","tag-mining","tag-public-health","tag-unesco-protection-needed"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2985"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2987,"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2985\/revisions\/2987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westernmirror.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}