Bringing about positive change in the environment

Whether it is the beach, street, pavement or parking lot, it matters little to some people when and where they dump their garbage.

Unfortunately, far too many of us exhibit similarly poor attitudes and behaviours towards our environment.

In some cases, the act of littering is so deeply ingrained in the psyche that some people are not consciously aware of their behaviour. Consider the true story of the volunteer who spent the day as part of a team, hard at work, in a clean-up exercise at a popular beach. The day was extremely hot and bottled water was distributed to everyone. Upon finishing his drink, the volunteer casually flung the empty plastic bottle into the nearby bushes. Though it might be hard to believe, it’s a fact that old habits die hard.

The TT Chamber is aware of existing laws leading to conviction for offences ranging from the littering of public places to the lack of maintenance of unsightly premises, and improper disposal of derelict vehicles. Fines and penalties abound; however, enforcement of the law remains a challenge.

Litter Prevention Wardens employed by the local authorities appear to be ineffective; perhaps because they are too few in number to act as any serious deterrent to potential offenders.

But the “big stick” approach is merely one among many intervention strategies, when it comes to bringing about meaningful change in attitudes and behaviours. Public education and social marketing campaigns have also recorded measurable success in fostering progressive attitudes towards waste management, and a genuine appreciation for the environment.

Many would recall the successful ‘Charlie Campaign’ of the 80s. Charlie, the cartoon character, embodied our collective lack of respect for our environment, and we were all encouraged to “chase Charlie away” by keeping our communities clean and healthy.

Sadly, times have changed and it might not be as easy to infuse a cartoon character with a similar level of credibility to alter entrenched negative behaviours. However, one thing remains certain: children act as effective change agents, passing on key learnings to their parents and other adults, many times by challenging them to do the right thing.

At the moment, we are experiencing the rainy season and already there have been widespread reports of flooding throughout the country. The situation is exacerbated by indiscriminate and illegal dumping leading to clogged drains and watercourses. The water flow is constricted, homes are flooded, property damage is rife and sometimes, even lives are lost.

The TT Chamber is of the view that the future of our environment is at stake and each one of us bears an unshirkable responsibility to treat our surroundings with due care and concern. We ask: what are you doing to bring about measurable change in your community, your school, your place of worship or work, to make Trinidad and Tobago clean and pristine?