Opinion
- Editorial
Merle Hodge:
Wake up, smell the smelter
The smelter "done deal" stinks to high
heaven, and though most of us don't know it, we
are all swimming in the mess. It is not only the
threatened pollution. It is also the nastiness that
governments comfortably release upon us from the
height of the power that we give them.
We
don't know who in Trinidad and Tobago is benefitting
from this deal, and how much; but one day it will
come to light. We know for sure that the people
of the south-west peninsula are not and will not
be benefitting from this nasty done deal. (We not
stupid).
With
our consent, the Government is treating the people
of that community as though they were expendable.
They can be thrown away without a thought, like
a batch of disposable diapers. Down there in the
backwoods, on the "bottom" of Trinidad
and Tobago, they don't matter. They can safely be
poisoned, pushed off their homesteads, have their
lives tragically disrupted. The anguish that they
are experiencing is not anything to disturb our
living.
With
our silent consent, our Government is sacrificing
a community of Trinidad and Tobago nationals. It
is handing over a piece of us to a foreign operator
of ill repute and at the same time making way for
a state sector aluminium company with part foreign
ownership. The gift package includes large tracts
of agricultural land, and years of natural gas at
a price so low that we are not allowed to know the
figure - not allowed, as though we were a nation
of underage children.
You
see that football patriotism that took hold of us
recently? We need to understand that love of country
is not just a brief season of flag-flying and cheering.
It is permanent care and concern for one's fellow
citizens and one's environment. What is happening
to the people of St Patrick County is happening
to us, the nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
It might well be that we don't care two turds whether
or not Alcoa and Alutrint spread muck into our environment,
because we do a lot of that ourselves. The Trinidad
and Tobago flags that adorned our cars in the season
of patriotism did not prevent us from throwing our
refuse out through the car window along the way,
as is our normal practice - bottles, styrotex cups,
food boxes, plastic bags, anything. Maybe "environmental
degradation" is a concept that as a people
we haven't yet given any thought to. Neither have
our governments, clearly.
Wake
up, folks, and find out. There is a lot of information
available on the international issue of smelters
and aluminium processing generally - how these operations
damage people's health and the natural environment.
Go behind the propaganda of those who stand to gain.
Check
how many times Alcoa has been found guilty and heavily
penalised for violations that led to dangerous pollution.
This is in the USA, where there are comprehensive
environmental laws, strong environmental protection
agencies and active citizens' organisations keeping
watch on the environment. We have none of the above,
so here they can commit as many violations as they
please, never mind all the safety measures that
are being promised. Who will monitor their operations
and prosecute them for endangering our health? What
is this country's record in law enforcement, generally,
not to speak of environmental laws?
Visit
the targeted area of your country and talk with
the people who are taking the direct hit - the people
who already can't sleep at night.
In
the heat of our football patriotism many of us found
the money to follow our team to Germany. Now, at
much lower cost, we may betake ourselves to Chatham,
T&T. Enjoy the drive through this beautiful,
green, quiet region of your country. Breathe the
clean air. It's yours. Enjoy the nature that they
have already started to mash up, so that displaced
monkeys come to people's homes and cry with hunger.
All that is yours. Don't let the authorities convince
you that what is going on there is not your business
because you are an "outsider" to the area.
The outsider is Alcoa.
Wake
up, folks.
Trinidad
Express
Friday, September 29th 2006
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©2006 Trinidad Express.
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