A CALL TO ACTION

#BEATAIRPOLLUTION Plant trees… drive less… reduce plastic… commit to cleaning up the air you breathe INSIDE Dust in the wind Bertrand Bhikarry… ...... 3

Policy Needs People Omar Mohammed...... 4

Plea for Acono Valley…...... 6

Bold Approach Needed to Save the Future Lisa Premchand ...... 8

Burning of the Lopinot Forest Donna Mora ...... 9

Forest- Nature’s Air Purifier Johanne Ryan ...... 10

NGC Trees Make Carbon Inroads ...... 12

Water & Flood: Pollution Calamities Vikki Ramdass, Delena Indar, Renaldo Lewis ...... 14

Climate Change Fight-back Gia Gaspard-Taylor ...... 14

A collaboration between the Trinidad Express, the Lloyd Best Institute Photo by Mark Lyndersay Courtesy NGC of the Caribbean and the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago

v 3 Dust in the wind By Bertrand Bhikarry Air quality testing conducted by the Environmental Management Authority over the period March 16-20 this year found air o I’m part of this Toba- pollution, measured in Particulate Matters, at levels in excess of the national standard. The Air Quality Index (AQI) for go-based group heading into Port of Spain in the Trinidad and Tobago was then coded Orange – Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. heat of the dry season. The minibus is having Sissues with its air-conditioner and traffic is tight. We decide to take a break on the Lady Young Look- out as we have some time. What a disappointment. Not speaking about the view, mind you. It’s the dust, then the haze, added to the cocktail of industrial smells the trip has provided thus far. For me in particular as we dawdle around, it is the irritating tickle on the tongue of fine — let’s call it microscopic — gravel. We leave the lookout a great deal faster than expected, not that anyone says anything. But it gets me to thinking. Air quality is a right but it’s one freely sacrificed by almost every person since the acceptance of fire into human life. We’ve tooled fire into the myriad processes that de- liver modern conveniences: Things such as the car, the material for our homes and offices, our kitch- ens and our kids’ toys. Yet trans- port and commercial fire brought — brings with it rather — a slew of particulate matter that hangs around smogging things up, clog- ging lungs, shortening lives. Indeed normal life for the city dweller pos- es a risk curve even greater than chronic cigarette smokers face. Loss of air quality is insidious. You do not see it coming and when it arrives it is almost always expensive to work around, to mit- igate or to fix. The decidedly evil thing about air pollution is that it is practically unavoidable for both the poor and the well-to-do. The poor needs to be where the fires of industry are burning as much as the wealthy or the more educated need to be near those fires if they want to keep an eye on things. The most visible air quality villain in sweet TnT are the vehicles that we have so come to depend upon. In catering to that depend- ency we’ve fallen into the trap of living next to roads so that we can SOURCE: Environmental Management Authority get out and about in our cars and is the world’s first and largest pre- miss links to climate change, itself Not that moving our factories or human life — to recall the World trucks. The upshot is that we live, ventable health risk, a statement starring in mainstream news these drawing raw material from remote Health Organisation’s designation eat and sleep in the fumes generat- worth examining. It means that days. locations fixes anything either. for poor quality air — the remedy ed by our preferred transports, giv- breathing, yes, BREATHING, is inher- Mary Robinson, once UN High Think Sahara dust and the rash of to this one is known and attainable. ing up sizeable chunks of breathing ently more dangerous to the human Commissioner for Human Rights afflictions the Ministry of Health Good air these days does time in the process. Trinidadians, race than tobacco addiction, poor said, “Climate change is probably has been dealing with recently. Bad require political will of course, but however, are not alone in neglect- diet, lack of exercise, high blood the greatest threat to the human air has few geographic limitations, that is subject to the dictate of ing quality of air. Daily we observe pressure, AIDS and malaria. race in the 21st century”. Science it respects political boundaries the people, is it not? Actually, as the plight of people in the great To truly understand how such has since upgraded that opinion to even less. we participate by the very act of cities of the developing nations; a correlation can make sense, a “the greatest threat to life ever”. Somebody somewhere once breathing on World Environment like those in China, India or even few small statistics come into play. Air quality is not always attended said we are architects of our own Day 2019 this June 5th, we simply Africa. The average person eats about one by visual indicators. There can be demise. How true. When we circum- need to elevate ‘air’ to equate with Air pollution is a sweeping man- kilogram of food per day, drinks bad air in elevators, in old or even vent the building codes, eschew ‘life’ and act accordingly. How made disease that kills seven mil- about two kilograms of water, but new warehouses, in lived-in houses. the principles of greening such as long we each can live is really just lion people per year; a full million breathes about ten kilograms of air. And air quality, so invisible, so in- efficient power use, neglect tuning a matter of adjusting lifestyle. Do more than the number of smokers In short, the act of breathing, re- tangible, is the prime link tying what our motors, we are actively and in anything less and we, too, become drawing last gasps, according to quired to sustain life every moment we do to why we suffer. Consider turn impacting our airspace, effec- as dust in the wind. the World Health Organisation. waking or sleeping, will kill if the two familiar examples: The cars we tively poisoning our own bodies as That’s more than the annual com- air quality is bad. It is no surprise like, those highways we want. Each well as our loved ones, even our —Bertrand Bhikarry is a bined total of deaths due to AIDS the term pandemic has recently brings with it a huge cone of activity neighbours. volunteer with Environment and malaria. Moreover, the WHO been applied to poor air quality. that impacts directly on the quality Bear in mind, however, that Tobago. Contact: 620 2080; also recognises that poor air quality But there are also those easy to of air in our immediate environment. of all the diseases that threaten Email [email protected]

vi 4 Policy needs people to come alive By Omar Mohammed Some members of the 20-plus community and civil CEO, Cropper Foundation society groups being trained under an EU-funded project to increase their participation in environmental N the National Environmental Policy (NEP 2018), governance in relation to extractive industries. the Government of Trinidad and Tobago outlines a vision for the environment in which natural re- sources are protected while being used sustaina- bly towards the enhancement of the well-being of Iall citizens. A vision for the future — as indeed our past and current — begs for this more hopeful and sustainable approach. In T&T’s 5th National Report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, our en- vironment is described as being under threat, with the status of ecosystems (coastal and freshwater), major species and major ecosystem services all facing declining trends. In 2016, T&T fell into the top 10 countries with the highest ecological footprint, which looks at how much productive land a person needs in order to produce the resources they need and absorb the waste they create. In 2010, the country had the world’s second highest per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rate, with carbon dioxide emis- sions more than doubling between 1990 and 2007. More than 33 per cent of Trinidad and Tobago quar- ries operate illegally — with the country losing 20 percent of its watersheds in the past 25 years, and with large parts of its northern watercourses which, to participate in environmental governance, particu- participation of communities and civil society in being discussed. In the High Court case of Ulric it should be emphasised, provide more than half larly in relation to impacts of extractive industries. environmental governance and the downward ‘Buggy’ Haynes Coaching School and others v of Trinidad and Tobago’s potable freshwater, being Over the past few months we have visited trends in Trinidad and Tobago’s environmental Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development, either polluted or overloaded with mine-based silt. communities where people get sick because of sustainability. the court importantly noted that “Consultation is not These impacts speak loudly to a country that dust from illegal quarrying but stay silent out of The Environmental Democracy Index 2015 only about objection but is also about representa- has consistently prioritised economic growth over fear; we heard from a community where unchecked highlights this weakness, with Trinidad and Tobago tions which may consist of questions, suggestions environmental sustainability despite the position development is causing their taps to dry up from performing well on environmental transparency and and proposals all with a view to assisting in arriving stated in the latest iteration of the National Envi- excessive water extraction; and bore witness to access to justice, based on the existing legislation at the best possible plan which would benefit the ronment Policy that “development and the pursuit story after story about the hopelessness, uncertain- including the Freedom of Information Act, but various interests in the community and at the same of peace, justice and strong institutions in Trinidad ty and inability that communities face when they performing poorly on citizen participation. In fact, time give effect to the government’s intention. It is and Tobago must be done in a manner that strives interact with the national environmental legislative various decisions on legal cases in Trinidad and about a participative balanced approach.” to balance social, economic and environmental mechanism. Tobago’s courts and commissions, as well as the It is therefore vital that civil society and com- considerations.” The juxtaposition is worrying — Trinidad and Privy Council have highlighted the gaps and need munities have access to the necessary informa- However, the increasing environmental degra- Tobago undoubtedly has some of the most pro- for enhancing public participation. tion in ways which allow for their understanding, dation means the piper is being paid and paid most gressive environmental legislation within the Latin In the Environmental Commission’s ruling on absorption and contextualisation of the necessary dearly by communities and groups already more America and Caribbean Region, particularly through Talisman (Trinidad) Petroleum Ltd. vs. The Environ- information. Only through deeper understanding vulnerable to environment-related disasters and the Environmental Management Act (2000), spe- mental Management Authority (EA 003 of 2002), can communities and the public be represented in risks. cifically in its establishment of the Environmental the Commission noted that public participation: the best practice of consultation and with maximum In the European Commission-funded project Management Authority and its onus to host public “improves the understanding of issues among all sensitivity to access barriers and abilities. Current ‘Enhancing Civil-Society Capacity for Governance records, as well as the Environmental Commission, parties; finds common ground and determines initiatives such as the Trinidad and Tobago Extrac- of Environmental Transparency and Accountability wherein any private party, group or individual can whether agreements can be reached on some tive Industries Transparency Initiative (TTEITI) and in Trinidad and Tobago’s Extractive Industries,’ bring a civil action in regard to an environmental of the issues; highlights trade-offs that must be the global EITI’s growing focus on environmental being implemented by The Cropper Foundation, in violation. This availability of information and the re- addressed in reaching decisions; and improves the information related to the Extractive Industries, partnership with Environment Tobago, Fishermen dress the law seemingly provides has not, however, general understanding of the problems associated as well as the movement to lift the lid on Benefi- and Friends of the Sea, the Network of Rural Women resulted in environmental management that serves with a project, as well as the overall decision-mak- cial Ownership of companies, all contribute to a Producers and the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union, and improves the well-being of communities. It ing process.” growing drive to increase the transparency of one more than 20 community and civil society groups might be assumed, therefore, that a disconnect However, participation can only be positive of the most influential sectors on environmental have been brought together to increase their ability between availability and access has led to reduced when the public knows and understands the details sustainability. In response to the need to democratise Field trip to Aripo Savannah as construction information, the Regional Agreement on Access continues on the nearby highway to Toco. to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (known as the Escazu Agreement) was adopted in March 2018 and is a ground-breaking and binding legal instrument that seeks to ensure that persons have access to information that affects their lives, that provides them with avenues for jus- tice, and which protects their fundamental human right to a safe environment. Trinidad and Tobago has not yet signed nor ratified this agreement, although many of the foundational structures are already in place. In light of the Government’s laudable vision for a sustainable environment, the leaps towards a more transparent society, and the growing understanding of communities’ own needs to represent them- selves, The Cropper Foundation urges the Govern- ment of Trinidad and Tobago to signal its readiness to truly embrace an informed public as its partner, through the signing and ratifying of this agreement. Information is more than ever regarded as a human right and a primary resource, and as one of the keys to a truly democratic system of governance. It cannot be treated, however, in the same way we have treated much of our valuable natural resourc- es in the past — hoarded by a few with the benefits redounding to those who have more power and the rest trickling to those perceived to have less.

vii 6

Living in the shadow of a quarry

By Kelvin Nakhid Community Activist

IFTY-ONE years ago, I was born in a Tapia house in Acono, a village located at the foothills of the Northern Range in the Maracas Valley which has suffered at the hands of a private quarry operation Ffor more than 50 years. Despite two decades of advocacy there is daily ongoing environmental degradation of our Northern Range. Driving through the one entrance of the valley, the bare hillside tells a story of unsustain- able extraction. This quarry has been in existence since the 1960s and was bought over by Coosals Construction Company Limited in the 1970s around the time of a boom in infrastructural development. Up until 10 years ago, the Coosal quarry operated on a 24-hour basis. Before this, at any given hour of the night, villagers would be shaken out of their sleep by loud blasts of dynamite. In earlier years the village often felt suffocat- ed by the dust generated from blasting activities and transportation of material on our unpaved roads. Today we have narrow paved roads, with multiple heavy trucks moving in and out of our one entry/exit points, two to three times a day. Our children risk their lives every time they have to walk on these very same roads because of the absence of pavements in a heavy traffic area. In my village, we have no community centre, no community grounds, no space to recreate. All we had was the Acono River which is now de- stroyed due to 50 years of unsustainable quarry practices. Growing up I remember fishing in the Acono River. Now, their feeding beds have been were made for the expansion of amenities for the Range where, from a geological standpoint, there be expected to speak out against its negative destroyed resulting in the death of more than burgeoning population. exists a band of good quarry material. These val- impacts on the community for fear of losing their 13 species of freshwater fish and much of the Prior to such accelerated urbanization, Marac- leys are easily accessible to extractors due to the source of income. aquatic life in the river. The pools where I learnt as Valley produced adequate water for the entire presence of built development such as roads and In the past communities have taken their to swim as a child are now filled with quarry community. Because the Water and Sewerage sadly, are home to many voiceless communities problems in writing written to the EMA and other waste. Just walk along the river bank and you will Authority (WASA) is now required to pump water like Acono Village. This is evident in Santa Cruz, state agencies, but to no avail. What we do know see the accumulation of silt and gravel which has uphill to affluent households, it has become Lopinot, the Arima Valley which is home to the Asa is that because this quarry was established prior raised the river bed. During the rainy season, it is harder for residents in the valley to get water. Wright Nature Centre, Valencia and Melajo. to the CEC Rules 2001, it would not have fallen easy for quarry waste to be dumped into the river One of our four water intakes, the Acono Water If these extractors manage their quarries in an under the purview of the EMA in terms of statutory without a trace. But come the dry season it is all Works plant, was forced to shut down. We were environmentally sustainable manner with phased requirements. However, quarries existing prior to exposed when the river dries up. told that WASA could no longer extract water rehabilitation, where there is minimum impact 2001 are now required to apply for a Certificate of During the dry season of 2016, I captured from our polluted river. About two years ago our to downstream communities and surrounding Environmental Clearance (CEC) in renewing their video footage of quarry waste being washed community group met with the CEO of WASA who environment, then communities would be more mining licenses. The CEC would then regulate down the river. My community group met with a informed us that the Maracas Valley is overpopu- accepting of these operations. The responsibility future operations including rehabilitation. On May foreman at the quarry who dismissed us saying lated and that there simply wasn’t enough water for balancing the interests of industry with those 22, 2015 a CEC was issued to Coosal’s Constuc- that it was “just a leak” from one of the quarry’s to serve the community. More water could be of the community lies with the state agencies that tion for the mining and processing of limestone holding ponds. Had it been raining, the foreman’s made available to the community, he said, if the are charged with reviewing mining applications on 78.8 hectares of land in Acono Village. As a excuse might’ve been credible. However, the siltation problem in the river was alleviated. and monitoring these quarries. requirement of the CEC process, Coosal’s would changing seasons, wet or dry, makes no differ- Despite recent studies conducted by the Uni- It is well known that there are many illegal have been required to submit a rehabilitation ence. Quarry-related siltation is a fact of life for versity of the West Indies (UWI) which concluded quarry operations scattered across the Northern plan. Who is ensuring that these plans are us, regardless of the season. that Maracas Valley lacked the basic amenities to Range. These operations are not required to executed? Are the authorities going to wait until During the 2018 dry season, media attention support its overpopulated communities, the Town adhere to sustainable practices or rehabilitation the entire mountain is mined before insisting on on the damage to the river produced successful and Country Planning Division continues to give and the relevant State agencies, including the its rehabilitation, or should it occur on a phased results for our community. Since then the fish approvals for land subdivision while the Govern- Division of Minerals in the Ministry of Energy, basis? population has slowly begun to regenerate; ment, having declared Maracas Valley urbanized, seem to be neutered in their ability to crack down In the absence of a proper community space something not seen in decades. This shows that has constructed a 50-unit housing development. on those openly flouting the law. The question It has been a challenge keeping the youth in our quarries can operate sustainably in the face of that Northern Range communities want answered community on a straight and narrow path. There public pressure. Flooding in low lying areas is why are these agencies not fulfilling their is no avenue to keep them close, no place to statutory duties? teach and share and to keep them in the commu- Overpopulation and water woes In recent years siltation of the Acono River nity. If the Government could see this and hear us and the increase in hillside development have A ‘slow’ community out they would understand that we are fighting for Within the wider Maracas Valley the govern- intensified flooding in St Joseph, Valsayn and the our community and our youth. We do not want to ment and the Town and Country Planning Division Caroni plains. Gone are the pools which would The average person in Acono is not equipped lose them. We need a community centre and the (TCPD) have only compounded the problems have once decreased the speed of water coming with the resources or capability to fully pursue a basic amenities to keep our community together. by their planning failures. Historically, Maracas down the river in the rainy season and as a result, matter of this magnitude to secure justice. They To Mr. Coosal whose company has made Valley was an area comprised of big estates and these downstream areas continue to suffer the don’t have a knowledge of the statutory proce- millions at the expense of the Acono Village populated largely by estate workers. Later, as ag- effects of these mismanaged hillsides. dures or access to information regarding permits community we are simply asking for sustainable riculture went into decline and housing boomed and compliance monitoring. When people with quarrying practices, rehabilitation of the mined in response to demand, estate owners subdivid- The wider problem money and education come across a ‘slow’ com- hillside, rehabilitation of our river and the resto- ed and sold their land at very high prices. This munity like ours, they can easily take advantage ration of our roads. As a responsible corporate gave rise to the affluent Upper Maracas Gardens The Maracas Valley is but one of the many val- of it. In the case of Acono Valley, many residents entity who has operated in our community for community and, simultaneously, our water woes. leys under pressure from the extractive sector. Its have quietly gone along because they have found decades, you are in a position to help my com- Due to poor urban planning, very little provisions problems are replicated throughout the Northern jobs in the quarry. No one employed there can munity. Please do.

viii 8 Bold new approach needed to rescue the future

By Lisa Premchand Progamme Co-ordinator Fishermen and Friends of the Sea

ISHERMEN and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) salute the United Nations designate June 5th World Environment FDay… but what does it mean without sustained action? Escalating contamination of water, air and soil, species extinction, habitat degra- dation, and deteriorating public health remind us that we are losing the sustaina- bility battle. Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) are on the Ecosystem conservation is “attributed to the removal of mangrove to facilitate built reserves, all of which are being destroyed by either the frontline of the sustain- development”. Despite the 1998 ‘No Net Loss’ Policy for Government of the day, by unsustainable, illegal, unap- ability battle, advocating Mangroves wetlands (meaning that for every mangrove tree destroyed, proved, unauthorised construction or quarry works, and by on matters of oil, gas and According to a 2019 United Nations Report titled Envi- a new one must be replanted) which was further mandated land-grabbing squatter opportunists under the watchful mineral extraction without ronmental Rule of Law— First Global Report, “a dramatic in the revised National Environmental Policy (NEP) 2018, our eye of elected governments. conscience, defending spike in the global adoption of environmental laws has wetlands continue to be destroyed daily by our Government What is the purpose of designating additional protected voiceless ecosystems, failed to translate into better conservation efforts… due to and illegal land developers. Up till now, the ‘No Net Loss’ areas if the existing ones are being bulldozed and used species and communities lack of political will, underfunded agencies, unfair judicial Policy has never been observed or enforced. unsustainably, contrary to their designation? and most importantly the systems and a poor implementation of the law.” Despite Most notably, almost a century ago, on 11th January public’s right to be part the all-embracing global movement for wetland protec- Forest Reserve 1934, the Long Stretch Forest Reserve (LSFR) was declared of the decision-making tion with the proliferation of international conventions In 2018, Minister of Planning and Development, Camille a protected forest reserve under the Forest Ordinance process. and local environmental legislation and national policies, Robinson-Regis, announced an initiative to approve Chapter 141 of 1916. In 1987, the LSFR was awarded further Trinidad and Tobago wetlands everywhere continue to be destroyed. According additional areas of forest for protection and sustainable protection as a prohibited area under subsidiary legislation has a multiplicity of laws to Dr Rahana Juman, the Deputy Director of Research at use. However, the Minister fails to realise the contradiction (the Forest Act (1915), Forest (Prohibited Areas) Order). providing the legal basis for the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), “Mangrove coverage of her own statements with the decisions of fellow cabinet Despite this proclamation and additional legal protection, protecting and conserving declined in Trinidad by 252.4 Ha from 2007 to 2014” which members. Our nation has 35 designated forest/nature the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) has this year our natural environment bulldozed over 50 hectares of the LSFR to construct a four- which has led to shared lane highway along the southern boundary of the legally Ministerial responsibility, Gary Aboud of FFOS designated environmentally sensitive area (ESA), the Aripo a lack of co-ordination displays the carcasses of Savannas, from Cumuto to Sangre Grande. by various Government pelicans suffocated by an entities, usage conflict of oil spill off La Brea. Public Participation protected areas and species —Photos: Lisa Premchand Public participation is the cornerstone of every democ- and most of all failure to racy. An environmental decision-maker with the task for protect rich biodiverse making decisions affecting the environmental landscape is areas. ultimately responsible for taking into account the views of This has resulted in a the public, as they are most affected by the consequences failure to uphold the laws of these environmental decisions. Sustainable planning of our country while our is regulated through the Environmental Management Act, environment is haphazardly where major projects are subjected to the environmental managed. safeguards summarised as the ‘long hard look’ embod- ied in the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) Species protection Rules,2001. Since inception, as environmental watchdogs, FFOS have been heavily involved in reviewing CEC appli- In the recent past, cations including EIAs. For over 20 years, FFOS has always species such as the been granted full copies of EIAs to prepare detailed scien- Leatherback Turtle, Ocelot tific, professionally-guided reviews which were conducted Tiger Cat, and the Scarlet by local and international experts and scientists. Ibis have been designated In 2018, the EMA adopted a new approach of deny- as Environmentally Sensitive ing the public (including FFOS) full copies of an any EIA. Species (ESS), under the Instead, only a maximum of 10% (on the discretion of ESS Rules, embodied in the the librarian) of a single EIA document is provided to an Environmental Management organisation. This stone-walling undermines and threatens Act, 2000. Currently there meaningful public participation in the CEC process which is are calls for the Red Howler the only window where the public can make contributions. Monkey and the White The public has only one opportunity to comment on the Fronted-Capuchin Monkey EIA, which is during the 30-day public comment period and to be also declared as an now they are being denied the opportunity to comment in ESS. FFOS applauds the an informed, scientifically sound competent manner. EMA for these designations The EMA has stated that these documents are copy- which give the highest level righted and the “owner of the copyright has the exclusive of legal protection in our right to allow or prohibit photocopies of his/her work”. Fur- country, but we question thermore, the EMA has adopted a discretionary approach whether these animals to copy short extracts (less than 10%) of an EIA on the will be protected if their condition that “the Librarian must be satisfied that the copy habitats are bulldozed, would be used for the purpose of study, scholarship or pri- fragmented and destroyed vate research”. This ‘discretionary’ prohibition contradicts haphazardly by unregulated the essence of transparency and inclusion that are key to built development. the spirit of the Environmental Management Act which was enacted with the intention that the EMA would work in con-

ix 9 Lopinot River runs dry. Burning of The Lopinot Forest

By Donna Mora Northern Range and is a tourism hub, has seen and our valleys supply water to many parts of Lopinot Tourism Association one of the worst forest fires in years, if not country yet we experience a water problem decades. We saw acres of forest including our every year. nvironmental protection and preserva- fauna and flora, pines, and crops perish because How can we protect and conserve our wild tion is important to all life and everything of wild bush fires. They were completely de- animals and their natural habitat, our rivers that is natural. However, the value of na- stroyed. Witnessing this was heart-breaking. We and springs from the effects of environmental ture is being taken for granted by many have heard so many stories from our foresters damage? How can we empower our people to human beings who either lack education – Protectors of the Environment and Forestry change and take responsibility to protect and Eabout or do not appreciate natural environment. Division- of dead carcasses, dead parrots, and prevent forest fires and conserve our rivers and Forest fires in our beautiful Northern Range other animals burnt beyond recognition. The springs from drying up each year? The mission throughout the years have affected our com- lives of many animals were lost and so, too, their is clear: We must bring awareness and develop munity in many direct ways. It will take some habitat. effective action plans, networking with other time and efforts to recover, as we await the rainy Further, during every dry season every single valleys throughout the range using social media season with anticipation. year for the last eight years, Lopinot’s rivers and and every available communication tool to This year the Lopinot Valley which is one springs completely dry up, with not a drop of protect our environment. We need a united front of the valleys situated deep in the heart of the water for weeks. We live in the Northern Range in defence of the environment.

sultation with stakeholders to conserve the environment. The EIA examines the environmental and social impact and is a public interest document. If the public is unable to freely consult technical experts on matters which require inter-disciplinary technical expertise, then the public consultation process in made null and void and without substance or meaning.

Public health Earlier this year scientists from the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) published a ‘peer-reviewed’ study (that has withstood the highest level scrutiny of the international scientific community) which investigated the association between human cancer risk and polycyclic aromatic hydro- carbons (PAHs) contamination from consuming fish from the Gulf of Paria. This study measured two types of health risks to citizens who consume fish from the Gulf of Paria, which are non-cancerous risks to the pulmonary, gastro- intestinal, renal, and dermatologic systems and cancerous risks (breast, lung, colon and skin cancer). The study concluded that 14% of our citizens who eat fish from our national food-basket of the Gulf of Paria have an “adverse risk” of acquiring non-cancerous diseases such as the breaking down of red blood cells, cataracts, kidney and liver damage, jaundice, redness and inflamma- tion of the skin. Furthermore, the study calculated the annual cancer risk as calculated to be 5.89 per 10,000 persons who consume fish from the Gulf of Paria. This value is almost 6 times higher than the international standard for high cancer risk (which is 1 in every 10,000 people). These measured non-cancerous and cancerous risks have been associated with the high levels of PAHs in the Gulf of Paria, where 70per cent of our seafood originates. Furthermore, in 2017 Trinidad and Tobago was required to conduct a Mercury Initial Assessment (MIA) in order to assist with the preparations for the ratification and imple- mentation of the MINIMATA Convention. The results of this MIA concluded that of the 17 commercially viable fish spe- cies sampled, five had Mercury concentrations up to five times greater than the World Health Organisation consump- tion guidelines. These are the puppy shark, white mouth croaker (rocando), almaco (cavalii), amberjack (cavalii) and the banded croaker (cro cro). The data highlighted that the mercury concentrations may represent a “risk of exposure through consumption for humans”. Given that science now confirms FFOS’s warnings, what is our Government’s plan to address the wave of cancer-re- lated illness overcoming our people? Will the culprits be held accountable for their continu- ous flouting of the Law by dumping these toxic PAHs and heavy metals in our marine food basket? Despite the past 44 years of World Environment Day celebrations, degradation on our planet is accelerating at unprecedented levels. Instead of tapping our backs on how much we have accomplished, we need a new approach to safeguard our natural resources otherwise our children’s children will have no future.

x 10 WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY Wednesday June 5 2019

The Trinidad Motmot… vForests listen out for its “Woop woop.” —Photo: Courtney van Beek

By Johanne Ryan just email [email protected] or call 667-4655. Conservation Officer, Asa Wright Nature Centre In the meantime, let me introduce you to some of your animal friends who share this country with you. EVEN as you read this, you are engaged in the first and The White-necked Jacobin is one of 18 species of most important function of human life: breathing. Air is hummingbird found in Trinidad and Tobago. It is found the substance of life and clean air is the sustenance for mainly at higher elevations. While it drinks nectar from our bodies. flowers it occasionally takes in insects to get protein. ‘Beat Air Pollution’ is the theme for this year’s World The Trinidad Motmot is endemic to Trinidad and Environment Day. It is a recognition that air pollution Tobago and is easily recognised by its soft ‘woop woop’ White-necked Jacobin, is a serious environmental health hazard. According to call. one of 18 species of the World Health Organisation, about 7 million people The Ocelot is an Environmentally Sensitive Species hummingbird found in fall prey to air pollution every year. Polluted air not only in Trinidad, threatened by hunting and habitat loss. A Trinidad and Tobago. contributes to strokes, respiratory and cardiovascular photo captured at night at AWNC by a camera set up —Photo: Jessie Pitt diseases, and to global climate change, but it also dam- by a research group called the Trinidad Ocelot Project, Trinidadian ages plants, animals, soil and bodies of water. allowed us to get this glimpse of the ocelot in its natural Whiskered Bat However, the good news is that the solution to this habitat. with young… problem resides in our own hands. One way to combat The Trinidadian Whiskered Bat is an uncommon vital to the environment. air pollution is to maintain forests and green spaces species that may be found near rivers in forested areas —Photo: in towns. Go back to your roots if you’ve strayed from in Trinidad. Bats are very important for our environment Kimberly them, or find them if you haven’t yet discovered them, — they pollinate plants, help disperse seeds and, by Chu Foon and plant trees. Trees clean the air — they absorb eating insects, also help to control insect populations. carbon dioxide and other toxic gases. Just over half This photo was taken during a mist-netting research Green Iguana… largest lizard of the land area of Trinidad and Tobago is under forest exercise at Asa Wright Nature Centre. in T&T. —Photo: Ann Sealey and other woodland. A healthy forest supports healthy The Green Iguana is the largest lizard in Trinidad and people. And a healthy forest houses healthy animals. Tobago. During the breeding season males change to The ocelot...threatened by The exquisite Blue So, on this World Environment Day, let us acknowledge gold or red-orange. Hunting has reduced the size of the hunting and habitat loss. —Photo: Morpho Butterfly. — the beauty of the diverse forest that is ours to enjoy and iguana population in some areas of Trinidad. Courtesy ‘Trinidad Ocelot Project’ Photo: Courtney van Beek value. Seeing a flash of theBlue Morpho butterfly, flutter- Commit today to going outside and experiencing ing past you is an unforgettably delightful experience. It nature on a daily basis. Take a hike, visit a river or just is the only member of its family that is found in Trinidad enjoy a park or your own home garden. Asa Wright and Tobago. Butterflies are indicators of an environment Nature Centre (AWNC) is just one place you can visit for that is healthy. They tend to react quickly and change some outdoor fun. There, you can take a tour on one of their behaviour even when there are only small changes our nature trails, led by an experienced guide. Follow it in their habitats. up by cooling off in our natural pool. Holiday camps can Wishing everyone a conscious World Environment also visit the Nature Centre on field trips. To book a visit Day 2019.

xi 12 uTrappings of success NGC’s trees make carbon inroads any an apocalyp- tic film departs from the premise that mankind has brought Mthe planet to the brink of an extinction event. In 2017, one satellite still of the Atlantic basin brought such cinema to mind — three deadly hur- ricanes moving through the Caribbean in a single frame. That real life could bear sem- blance to a doomsday film is unsettling, but it is a reality we must brace for as climate change threatens worse to come. Many countries have joined the mounting global offensive against climate change by committing to address their respective con- tributions to the problem. The main culprit — carbon-based emissions — is being tar- geted in a number of ways, from industrial capture and storage mechanisms, to cap and trade systems, to energy efficiency and green energy initiatives. In Trinidad and Tobago, one company has proven the effectiveness of a different approach as part of its broader programme of 2018 estimate 2030 estimate combative actions. Dump Road, Rio Claro (kg) 125 6,494 Reforestation Edward Trace, Moruga (kg) 339,953 625,039 Trees accumulate or se- quester substantial reservoirs Grant Trace, Rousillac & Guapo-Parrylands, 1,739,062 4,307,660 of carbon in their biomass. Morne L’Enfer (kg) When forests are cleared, their capacity to absorb Mayaro (kg) 164,029 288,980 carbon is lost and a consider- able proportion of what they TOTAL carbon sequestered (kg) 2,243,169 (or 2,243 tons) 5,228,173 (or 5,228 tons) have stored is released back into the atmosphere. In fact, TOTAL CO2e (= C×3.67) (tons) 8,232 19,187 deforestation and forest deg- radation account for approx- Approximate value at European Union €201,849 (TT$1,542,191) €470,465 (TT$3,594,502) imately 17 per cent of global Allowance (EUA) spot price of €24.52 per tCO2e carbon emissions, more than on 8th April 2019 the entire global transporta- tion sector and second only to the energy sector. For this reason, reforestation is con- of fruit and tropical hardwood trees. In The study was completed in Decem- “This data was combined with as well as the total amount of carbon a sidered a valuable mitigation total, over 100,000 trees were planted, ber 2018, and the results have important a remote sensing technique called particular forest type is likely to store measure. with an estimated 85 per cent survival implications for mitigation efforts. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), in the future in the entire reforestation NGC’s large-scale rate at project sites. with which the heights of all trees area.” reforestation exercise, Although the carbon benefit of trees Study methodology and results in the area of interest could be very Once the investigation was con- launched in 2005, had as its was one of the reasons why reforest- accurately determined. The plot level cluded, the results were tabulated. main objective, to replant an ation was deemed necessary from the Testing was conducted at four main carbon data and the LiDAR tree height The following table shows summary area of forest equivalent to outset, it was not until 2018 that NGC sites. Due to the impracticality of ana- data were then used to develop math- data from the team’s final report, that cleared for the devel- learned the true carbon potential of this lysing every planted specimen, the team ematical models which estimated the which speaks to carbon sequestered opment of the Cross-Island project. focused on random sample plots at the carbon storage of the trees planted, only by NGC-planted trees. Pipeline, Beachfield Up- In July 2018, NGC contracted the project sites. stream Development and Office of Research Development and Project Manager Dr Lena Dempe- Union Industrial Estate. This Knowledge Transfer (now the Centre for wolf explained the methodology at its reforestation project was Innovation and Entrepreneurship) at The most basic: “In order to determine how aligned to the company’s University of the West Indies (The UWI), much carbon any given tree stores, we policy of achieving ‘no net St. Augustine, led by Professor John first needed to determine how much loss’ from business opera- Agard, to carry out a carbon sequestra- biomass the tree possesses. To do this, tions. A secondary objective tion study to determine: we measured the height of the tree was to create a carbon sink 1. How many tons of carbon have and its diameter at a standard height to enhance the sequestration been sequestered by the NGC reforesta- (diameter at breast height – 1.37m). This capacity of forest reserves tion sites from 2005- 2018. represents the majority of the biomass in South Trinidad. Specifi- 2. How many tons of carbon are stored in the tree. The biomass in the cally, the programme aimed projected to be sequestered by the roots and branches was estimated to replant 348 hectares in reforested sites from 2019 – 2030 based on the species of the tree, as they reserves identified by the 3. The approximate value of the tons can vary greatly across tree type. Wood Forestry Division, over seven of carbon sequestered based on market core samples were also taken and the phases and using 17 species prices. carbon-to-biomass ratios determined.

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Takeaways Photo: Shaun Rambaran tree species for its reforestation effort based on carbon trapping potential, but rather other NGC is contributing to exigencies such as restoring species diversity national emissions targets to project sites. However, one major benefit of the carbon sequestration study was that it In February 2018, Trinidad and Tobago ratified generated reference data for how much carbon the Paris Agreement, formally committing to particular tree species can trap in their early target a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions years under specific conditions. This means that by a cumulative 15 percent from industry, power future reforestation projects can be designed to generation and the transport sector by 2030 maximise carbon capture by using an optimal from a business as usual baseline. The country mix of ‘high performing’ trees. more concretely committed to reduce emissions The potential also exists for this study to from the transportation sector by 30 percent or inform international projects. In fact, the study 1,700,000 tons CO2e compared to 2013 levels by has already attracted attention from as far afield December 31, 2030. as Fiji. The International Development Bank and When stacked against these figures, the NASA have even made contact with the UWI carbon that will have been sequestered by team to discuss lessons learned, as they try to NGC’s trees by the year 2030 amounts to at develop a project along similar lines to measure least 1% of the CO2 tonnage that the country blue carbon (i.e. coastal mangrove sequestration aims to cut from the transportation sector by in the Caribbean). that year. However, this figure is necessarily conservative because of study limitations — the This study makes a case for further actual amount of carbon sequestered could be investigation into total sequestration considerably higher. of national forest stock For instance, some newly planted areas in NGC’s programme could not be sampled In the recent past, Trinidad and Tobago has because the seedlings were not yet sufficiently been named one of the world leaders in carbon matured. The contribution of these trees will emissions per capita, ranking in the top ten in bump sequestration figures upward. The UWI 2016 in the company of energy gluttons like report also noted that it did not (and could not) Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE (in 2014, it held a top account for any new trees that NGC may plant five spot on the International Energy Agency’s between 2018 and 2030 as an extension of its list). The statistics that led to this assessment reforestation programme. however ignore an important emissions-offset Whatever the quantum, the bottom line is that that could improve our standing. NGC’s project will bring the country steps closer Professor Agard points out that a significant to achieving its target. percentage of Trinidad and Tobago’s landmass lies under forest. If NGC’s project is any indica- The true value of this project is multiples tion of sequestration potential, naturally occur- higher than the study results indicate ring forest is bound to be a vast carbon sink, counterbalancing emissions in some measure. The social value of this reforestation project Having a sense of the volume of carbon seques- should not be overlooked. Since the start of tered by national forest stocks will help generate the programme, NGC has enlisted the sup- a more accurate picture of the country’s net port of community groups in the planting and carbon footprint and help temper our reputation maintenance phases, providing much needed as a profligate emitter. employment in these areas. In the process, participants were exposed to both formal and We should plant more trees – on-the-job training in plant husbandry, account and cedar is a useful option to consider keeping, safety practices, finance and project management — skills which could land them Since carbon is stored in biomass, trees tend other employment opportunities when project to accumulate more carbon as they are growing cycles are complete. In other words, adjunct as opposed to when they are mature. For this benefits of NGC’s reforestation initiative include reason, planting new trees is widely touted as a empowerment and capacity building in project useful carbon-trapping measure. site communities. The study found that of the tree varieties Added to these benefits is the unquantifi- planted, cedar was one of the fastest growing able enrichment of our local expertise in the species. This means that cedar saplings can assessment of carbon sequestration. The UWI sequester carbon in a shorter period than spe- team led by Professor Agard was ably support- cies that are slower to mature. While large-scale ed by students at the university, who will have monoculture is not advisable for any species, engaged first-hand with the study’s methodology cedar is a good option for small-scale initiatives, and data analysis. This invaluable field experi- such as backyard tree-planting exercises. Time ence will have equipped them to participate in is short for our planet to rein in climate change, and potentially lead similar studies in the future. so it is important that we seek maximum impact Measurement will be extremely important as our from even the smallest interventions. country maps its progress toward its NDC, so there is great value in widening the pool of pro- Concluding comments fessionals capable of capturing and assessing the necessary data. Mankind is moving toward a low-carbon A third consideration not quantified in this future, and indeed must do so to sidestep more report is the social cost of carbon. Carbon-driv- severe punishment from a warming planet. Any en climate change is responsible for extreme undertaking that helps the cause of carbon mit- weather events and a host of related issues such igation ultimately helps pull the world back from as flooding, infrastructural damage, food inse- the brink of irreparable damage. In that regard, curity and health risks. The economic impact of NGC’s reforestation programme, though a hum- these consequences of global warming is con- ble effort in the global fight, has returned and sidered the social cost of carbon. It is expressed captures the economic impact, so the real value promises to continue delivering valuable results. as the dollar value of the total damages caused could be even higher. By this metric, in addition This study establishes an important frame Importantly, it testifies to what the carbon fight by emitting one ton of carbon dioxide into the to sequestering over TT$3.5 million dollars’ of reference for future carbon-driven can gain from collaborating with nature. atmosphere, and experts calculate this figure worth of carbon by 2030, NGC’s project will have reforestation projects locally and abroad to be roughly US$40 per ton. In truth, there are prevented millions of dollars’ worth of damages (Previously featured in NGC Gasco News “Being debates as to whether this number adequately associated with carbon emissions. Back in 2005, NGC did not set about selecting the Change’; Vol 29; No 1; April 2019)

xiii 14 Flooding and water woes Calamities from the hands of polluters By Vikki Ramdass, Delena Indar & Renaldo Lewis in short bursts. Riverine flooding, on the other the area. Dumped plastics, polystyrene/styrotex it will become easier for our state actors to Central Pathfinders Environmental Foundation hand, occurs when the body of water resulting containers, animal parts and other household implement engineering solutions to tackle our from prolonged rainfall exceeds the capacity waste all combine together to contribute to the flooding issues. T has hardly begun but already the 2019 rainy of the natural watercourses and spills over into clogging of drains and rivers. When compound- Every individual has an impact on the season is striking fear into communities the built environment. ed by flooding, witness the release of untreated environment. Unfortunately we don’t always which experienced the disastrous floods of For man’s part, poor land use is the most factory effluent, fertilizers, pesticides and realize how entwined our lives are with the 2018. Flooding in Trinidad and Tobago is now crucial cause of flooding. Activities such as the improperly treated sewage spread throughout environment. It is everyone’s responsibility to commonplace. Short downpours often result over-cultivation of land, squatting, bush fires, the landscape, even into our homes, no longer minimise our negative impacts and improve Iin two to three feet of water inundating low-ly- illegal quarrying, improperly sited land develop- confined to our water course. Ironically coming the positives wherever possible. Let’s all agree ing areas throughout the country, especially ments and expanding lengths of impermeable right back to our doorsteps. Perhaps it is that failure to address key issues such proper along the Caroni River and around Port of Spain. paved surfaces all lead to increased run-off nature’s way of dumping on us the waste which solid waste management, water pollution and The natural environment does not only pro- during rainfall events. Nature for its part lends we so indiscriminately dump on her. flooding could have disastrous impacts on each vide us with picturesque aesthetics and critical to flooding due to changes in climatic patterns Agencies such as the Environmental one of us, our community, country as well as habitat for organisms, but also influences the which increasingly produce rainfall events of Management Authority, the Water and Sewage the future of the earth and human civilisation. food, air and water we consume. It is the intent greater intensity, magnitude and frequency. Authority and the Office of Disaster Prepara- We need to address these issues as if our lives of Central Pathfinders Environmental Founda- Let’s not forget water pollution, which refers tion, to name just a few, help raise awareness depend on it- because, in fact, they do! tion (CPEF) to highlight a few anthropogenic to the adverse changes in the quality of water, of how we contribute to flooding and to water reasons for flooding and stress the need for us usually attributable to human interference. pollution. However, we all need to educate our- *Central Pathfinders Environmental as a society to take care of our natural envi- It is the contamination of water through the selves and assist in educating our friends and Foundation (CPEF) is a non-profit ronment. In doing so we bring benefits to our disposal of materials that are harmful to the extended communities about how to manage organization that aims to promote communities, not just to flora and fauna. environment and human health. In Trinidad our impact on the environment. We can also ecological conservation through Flooding is a complex phenomenon. A mix and Tobago, improper waste disposal is a large properly dispose of all our household wastes sustainable environmental and of natural and human-induced elements com- issue which exacerbates flooding. The build-up and products that contain toxic ingredients agricultural awareness and bine to produce flooding which can be flash or of garbage obstructs the natural flow of water in an appropriate manner so that it is not a development. For more information visit riverine in nature. Flash flooding occurs when in rivers and drains. Think of any hike or beach threat to the public and ecology. Further, we CPEF’s Facebook page and website at water levels rise and fall rapidly with little warn- lime on which you’ve gone and recall the food can all assist in the planting of trees to avoid https://centralpathfinders.wordpress. ing, and is usually caused by intense rainfall containers and plastic bottles littered all over soil erosion in flood-prone areas. In this way, com/ Climate change fight-back ‘Don’t come with a speech; come with a plan’ By Gia Gaspard-Taylor President, Network of Rural Women Producers s we observe the United Nations World Environment Day 2019 it is important to be aware of the chal- lenges faced by women who suffer disproportionately from social and Aenvironmental effects of extraction but who are often excluded from decision-making. It is therefore necessary to approach “a world where all citizens benefit from their natural resources” with a mission to build a nation- al, regional, and global movement of civil society organisations making oil, gas, water and mineral governance open and accounta- ble, sustainable, equitable and responsive to all people. And why? Because we as citizens have a right to participate in the governance of our country’s natural resources. As citizens we need to have the necessary information to champion and defend our right to participate for the benefit of current and future genera- tions. This is of extreme importance not only to us as women in Trinidad and Tobago but to the region as a whole. Legal and illegal mining impact on our livelihood, water, food crops, land, forest and fisheries through landslides, flooding and coastal erosion. All of these are made worse by the effects of climate change which is fuelling environmental degradation, desertification, destructive hurricanes and other natural disasters which are pauperising entire communities and countries resulting in large scale migration and displacement. These, in turn, put pressure on the natural resource base of the countries to which they migrate resulting in a vicious cycle that we must find the will to break if human civilisa- Members of the Rural Women’s Network in training at CARIRI. tion is to save itself. Therefore, we must follow the advice by climate action summit: “Don’t come with a impact on the environment, we need more old, rich or poor, men and women, boys and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to speech; come with a plan.” than talk; we need an effective plan. There ae girls, we all live at the same address: Planet world leaders preparing for the September To tackle climate change and counter its no boundaries in the environment. Young and Earth. Let us act now.

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