Peter Espeut

I don't know why the JLP bothers to appoint a spokesman on the environment; he never speaks!

Like many Jamaicans, I listened carefully to Bruce Golding's speech at the National Arena last Sunday. I was interested (as I was when I listened to the Most Hon. Prime Minister's speech a few weeks ago) to see what he would say about Jamaica's embattled natural environment, under threat from all directions. And, like the Most Hon. Prime Minister's speech a few weeks ago, Mr. Golding said nothing about conserving the natural environment.

It's amazing! Despite their many disagreements, the People's National Party (PNP) and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) agree on a small set of issues, and one of them is that conservation of the natural environment is not important enough to mention in a major policy speech. (Another issue they ignore is how to disarm the garrisons; the two party leaders represent major garrison consti-tuencies in the country.)

In fact, both leaders mentioned environmental matters, but on the wrong side. The Prime Minister stated that no one was going to stop the conversion of our coastline into hotels (which will not do our coastal environment any good); and the Leader of the Opposition (supporting the Rev. Garnett Roper) asserted that should the JLP form the next government, the turn-around time for applications to alter the environment would be further reduced. Neither mentioned anything about galloping deforestation and overfishing, the damaging effects of mining, or pollution from agriculture, manufacturing and tourism, all of which will negatively impact the future of all Jamaicans. The policy immaturity of our political parties is showing. Anti-environment

The JLP is notoriously anti-environment. The 1980s saw great progress in environmental degra-dation: natural forests were cut down so the exotic Caribbean pine could be planted by FIDCo; and after Hurricane Gilbert snapped them like toothpicks, the whole project was dropped like a hot potato, leaving the forests destroyed. Many public beaches were closed and privatised, which has led to their deterioration.

The JLP set back environmental conservation by at least 20 years!

Silent on the issue

I don't know why the JLP bothers to appoint a spokesman on the environment; he never speaks! I ask you: when last have you heard the JLP issue a statement on the environment? Do you know who the present JLP spokesman on the environment is? He was silent through the Bahia Principe crisis, has said nothing in the face of world-class deforestation and overfishing, and is silent now as we might be about to lose our crown jewels - the Cockpit Country - to bauxite mining.

I happened to meet the present JLP spokesman on the environment in the supermarket one day a few months ago, and I asked him to tell me who his (even more silent) predecessor was. He couldn't remember! Can you?

The JLP's record with the environment is dismally poor, to say the least. They do dishonour to the colour green which they wear. What Jamaica needs desperately is a green party, before these two anti-green parties complete the destruction of our natural heritage!

Peter Espeut is a sociologist and executive director of an environment and development NGO.