Peter Espeut

I want to thank the Rev. Garnett Roper for his reply (November 14) to my column of November 8. I note the exalted position in which he has placed me and the NGO I head, but I hasten to advise him that our real position is much more lowly; and to point out that he has proven that not only the Pope issues bulls!

In his column of November 5, the Rev. Roper stated that "there are more than J$20-billion worth of projects tied up between the parish councils and NEPA awaiting approvals," and he laments the long time that applicants have to wait while their applications are processed. He identifies a "sustained anti-development lobby both in the media and between NGOs and environmentalists." He ends his piece by stating that "if we can fix the approval and regulatory processes, we can unleash growth and development in Jamaica at the pace of China."

Unbalanced and deficient

I had to respond because Rev. Roper showed no appreciation of the difference between sustainable development (which we must support, which government policy commits us to) and unsustainable development (which every patriotic Jamaican should work hard to avoid at all costs), and, therefore, his piece was unbalanced and deficient. In my reply I tried to explain the difference, but Rev. Roper would have none of it. I wrote: "In order to ensure sustainable development, each project must go through a rigorous process of investigation, and some projects should not be approved if they are unsustainable." This assessment takes time, and must be carefully done lest something unsustainable falls through the cracks. I wrote: "Not every hare-brained scheme conceived by persons with more dollars than sense should go ahead."

In his reply, the Rev. Roper said "Mr. Espeut scoffs at $20 billion worth of projects tied up between NEPA and the parish council with dismissive arrogance. He classifies them as hare-brained schemes conceived by persons with more dollars than sense. If they are hare-brained schemes as determined by edict of this papal bull, at least the investor deserves a response within a briefer period than 24 months." If the Rev. Roper's point is that 24 months is too long to wait for approval (or refusal), I might agree; but in making that point, he need not have launched into a personal attack on environmentalists, calling us an "anti-development lobby."

But of course the matter is personal, for by his own admission, he has been waiting many months for a decision on an application he has made, and this has clearly affected the good reverend's sense of balance.

He shows no appreciation of the importance of careful environmental assessment, and that is why I called him a "spokesman for the anti-environment lobby". What he wants to do is to "fix the approval and regulatory processes [so] we can unleash growth and development in Jamaica at the pace of China." China is experiencing tremendous double-digit annual economic growth, but the use of China as an example is unfortunate, because China has achieved this growth in a notoriously unsustainable manner which is damaging the potential for prosperity of as yet unborn Chinese; it is counterfeit development; and to wish to have this in Jamaica is to earn the title "spokesman for the anti-environment lobby".

In his reply of November 14, the reverend stoops to an unjustified personal attack against me. "The Government of this country has reposed enormous confidence in the determination and judgement of Peter Espeut and his organisation, CCAM." Indeed, for we have been contracted to manage the Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA), Jamaica's largest. "Portland Bight stretches from Hellshire in St. Catherine to [a] Point in Clarendon. It is the south-eastern shore of the island, approximately one twentieth of the total land area in Jamaica. That area includes places like Manatee Bay, Coquar Bay, Goat Island, some of the most beautiful virgin unspoiled territories in Jamaica. By ethos created by the likes of Espeut, nothing has and nothing will happen there."

Comprehensive plans

This, of course, is bull! We have developed comprehensive plans for sustainable development there, including sustainable nature and heritage tourism. True, we have resisted plans for a coal-fired power plant in a wetland, but we have raised no objection for it to be placed in another less sensitive place in the PBPA. We have raised objections to other unsustainable projects, but because we have no exalted power of veto - as Rev. Roper suggests we do - several have gone ahead.

Real environmentalists work hard for sustainable development, and fight hard against counterfeit development. I invite the Rev. Roper in a spirit of Christian brotherhood to join the club!

Peter Espeut is a sociologist and Roman Catholic deacon, and is executive director of an environment and development NGO.