todaysxm/2014/06/05/opinion-concrete-jungles/ Sint Maarten Pride hopes everyone had a fruitful and productive World Environment Day. Follow the above posted link and have a look at this extensive letter to the editor by Prides former Vice President Rueben J. Thompson on the occasion of World Environment Day 2014 Concrete jungles Dear Editor, While fifty years ago Sint Maarten was a tranquil, perhaps somewhat sleepy island in desperate need of development, today the island finds itself at the exact opposite end of the spectrum. Development gains of previous years are diminishing or threatened at best. Increasing socio-economic inequality, rising crime rates and social disintegration especially amongst the younger generation are serious reasons for concern. From an environmental perspective, rapid development has turned peaceful and pristine hills, valleys, coastlines, beaches, ponds and lagoons into often poorly maintained concrete jungles. Excessive hilltop and hillside excavations, deforestation, filling-in of ponds and the Simpson Bay lagoon, landfill fires, irresponsible waste disposal and free flowing untreated sewage along our roads are such a common sight that many of us who live here have almost come to accept it all as “normal”. Sint Maarten’s political leaders desperately need to pay attention to the rest of the Caribbean and embrace the concept of sustainable development, accept the realities of Climate Change and take action accordingly.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 04:01:49 +0000
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