Weep for environment

THE EDITOR: June 05, 03, Trinidad and Tobago joins the rest of the world in celebrating World Environmental Day 2003. But what is there to celebrate about the environment?

Each day as I look out my window I am saddened by the degradation of the environment. Everywhere there are signs of deterioration, on our roads, in our houses, the hills, the mountains, the rivers, our immediate surroundings. Everyday we can see the destruction of man’s insensitivity to the environment. The air, the land, the sea, the heavens all polluted, dead fish turning up on our river banks, smog and smoke from motor vehicles, slashing and burning of the hills, chemicals being released into our water courses and into the air, flooding in the rainy season resulting in loss of property, animals and personal belongings.

Our rivers and water courses are clogged and in many cases, people dump garbage indiscriminately, including old stoves, old refrigerators, car tyres, mattresses. Mother Nature must be saddened by this degradation of the environment. Who is responsible for the mess we have found ourselves in? Each and every citizen has a responsibility to take care of the environment which he or she occupies daily. Another form of pollution is noise pollution, and it speaks for itself. So much unnecessary noise in the environment, how sad! As we celebrate, why not do something positive for the environment. I suggest planting a tree or cleaning up your immediate surroundings before the rains come. Trinidad and Tobago, let us all strive for a clean and healthy environment.

KEN SMITH
Woodbrook