Dear Editor,

Jamaica is an island blessed with an abundance of natural resources and its beauty is undeniable. Therefore, protecting and preserving these resources for future generations should be on the agenda of every Jamaican. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and it doesn’t seems to be top priority on the agenda of our Government.

All across the globe there is a buzz surrounding climate change given the visible signs being seen and felt; from the rapid melting of the ice caps to bleaching of coral reefs to disappearance of some aquatic life. The threat of global warming is imminent and must be treated with great urgency. In response, the world had an open dialogue on creating a collaborative plan of action at the COP21 conference held last year in Paris from which a treaty emerged. With great enthusiasm we watched as our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith signed the Paris Agreement at the United Nations headquarters expressing Jamaica’s commitment in helping to reduce global greenhouse gas emission.

Imagine how perturbed as young environmental enthusiasts we were on discovering the plan by our Government to approve the setting up of a coal plant in St Elizabeth. As is customary, there is large emphasis being placed on the number of jobs it will create in both the short and long term. Sure, job creation in various industries is essential as the country continues to grapple with high rate of unemployment, but at what economic and environmental costs are these jobs being created? But we, the Caribbean Youth Environment Network, stand in solidarity with the cries of the Jamaica Environment Trust that this idea should be reconsidered.

According to Greenpeace International, coal burning leads to acid rain and smog, and emits more than 60 different hazardous air pollutants, such as a variety of toxic metals, organic compounds, acid gases, sulfur, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and particulate matter. This will not only affect citizens in Nain, but communities across the parish and potentially some in neighbouring parishes.

We are all aware of its adverse effects on the health of citizens’ mainly respiratory diseases. Both developing and developed countries are moving towards the use of greener, cleaner energy and Jamaica should be a part of the campaign. The very idea of a coal plant goes against Goal Four of the Vision 2030 plan which envisions Jamaica having a healthy, natural environment.

We acknowledge the ambitions of our Government, but at the same time we must be mindful of how we treat the environment. We therefore implore every Jamaican to be cognisant of the fact that we should all be stewards of the environment and we must always striving to protect our little paradise; Jamaica, land we love.

The Caribbean Youth Environment Network is a non-profit, civil society, charitable body that focuses its resources on empowering young people and their communities to develop programmes/actions to address socio-economic and environmental issues.

Rashaun Watson

Caribbean Youth Environment Network – Jamaica Chapter

kenute.watson@gmail.com