THE WEEK past was a good one for the beleaguered environment good at least at the level of promised action. The Minister of the Environment himself has written to The Gleaner to say that the Government would not tolerate further deterioration of Kingston Harbour which is now 'high priority,' and that negotiations for the US$150-million financing of the first phase of rehabilitation were at an advanced stage.
On Saturday a symposium was conducted at the UWI on 'The Future of Long Mountain.' The recently formed Long Mountain Trust, involving the UWI, NGOs and government agencies, is dedicated to the preservation of Long Mountain's cultural and biological assets, and to promoting the recreational, educational, and research opportunities present in this major Kingston landmark.
The Long Mountain Project is taking the enlightened view of conservation through responsible and sustainable multiple use of this 'island of natural forest in the middle of metropolitan Kingston and St Andrew,' which contains important biological, geological and archaeological features. This adoption of an environmental zone by powerful friends provides a useful lesson on how other sections of the environment could acquire better protection.
Last week we also had news that the coffee industry is to be more enviro-friendly and that all solid waste agencies are to be licensed and monitored. Anticipating international consumer pressure for a 'greener' product, the Coffee Industry Board has launched an environmental code of practice after 15 years of foot-dragging deliberations, over which time the environmental impact of the industry had 'worsened as coffee production increased.' The environmental reforms being contemplated range from improved agronomic and waste disposal practices, to more efficient use of the whole berry. Pulp, which constitutes 40 per cent of the fruit and can find many economic uses, is now basically dumped.
The Ministry of Local Government is moving to regularise the solid waste collection system and to eliminate illegal dumping, under the new National Solid Waste Act. A part of the move is the introduction of tipping fees for the use of municipal dumps.
The combination of private initiative with state regulation for environmental preservation with sustainable use, which these stories exemplify, speaks to a practical and workable approach to arresting and reversing the degradation of our environment.
