It is not enough that we live our lives, it is important that we do things to show that we have lived
Once again, Friends of the Earth – Grenada want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a peaceful and joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year. We also want to thank a number of individuals, agencies and all the media houses for their support in carrying our message through 2021.
The individuals have assisted us throughout the year in transmitting our conversations regarding Covid 19, the environment, human rights and climate change through the Zoom and Facebook platforms and the media houses have printed most of our articles in their weekly editions.
The agencies, IAGDO and the Willie Redhead Foundation who led and collaborated with us on some of the conversations and particularly the EIA seminar/webinar on Earth Day.
We have tried to make people aware of the different narratives in existence regarding the virus, Covid 19 and the debates which abound in relation to vaccinations.
We have talked incessantly about the ongoing attack on the environment through, debushing, sand mining and mindless destruction of our mangroves. Despite laws being in place for the protection of our coastal zones, they are not enforced or mostly ignored and this is by people in the highest positions of authority in the land.
We also want to remember the departure of two of our stalwarts, Michael Jones, in the first part of the year: he was the current General Secretary who spent a great deal of time and effort ensuring Foe – Grenada stayed alive and Terry Clarkson, who was a former 2nd Vice President of the organisation.
“Life is a celebration of awareness” – Joseph Antoine
We continue to lament the lack of the implementation of a Land Use/Management Policy; when we ask for the status of the document, we are sent on a Merry Go Round of the Ministries once again.
We are still concerned about the proliferation of the use of pesticides and weed killers, entire tracts of land are being treated with these liquids, the toxicity of which leaks into the water tables and contribute to all kinds of diseases particularly cancer.
It seems that it is not only farmers who are guilty of using toxic substances, other crop growers are known to use them often and hotel workers have also complained about the products they are made to use in their work.
The increase in temperature and its impact on the population is another of our concerns and we shall be addressing these issues in next year’s articles, please continue to read our articles in the print media and follow us on Facebook.
“To be grateful is to recognise the love of God in everything he has given us and he has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of his love; and every moment of existence a gift of grace” – Thomas Merton.