EARTHCARE, an environmental non governmental organisation (NGO) based in Grand Bahama congratulates the Ambassador for the Environment, Keod Smith for taking an unpopular stand within the Government regarding the proposed LNG pipelines.
The country has been saddled with a very long term agreement for oil exploration on the Great Bahama Bank by Kerr McGee with virtually no input from the public as to whether we thought it was a good idea for our Bahamaland. Thank goodness for the wisdom and foresight of the distinguished Ambassador whose only fault is asking the government to take the time to include the PEOPLE of The Bahamas in the process of deciding whether these “projects” will be of benefit for the average Bahamian.
We sincerely hope that there are not negative ramifications for our ambassador due to the unpopularity of his statements last week. As a marine biologist who has been watching the progress of these proposals very carefully I can only thank God that the Ambassador has shown the great common sense to speak out about the Emperor’s nakedness instead of praising the style of his new clothing. These projects while promising to pump large amounts of money into the country annually these amounts are nothing compared to the amount of money they will be making off of the Florida population who will be buying their natural gas.
The incredible amount of environmental degradation that will occur at our expense cannot be quantified in dollars and cents. Think about our fantastic coral reef formations and the fish, and other creatures that are supported by them. A coral reef grows at a rate of approximately one centimeter per year. Our coral reefs are facing many negative impacts already without the LNG pipelines. Corals worldwide are dying due to the changes in climate and the warming of world oceans due to pollution from industrial countries like the United States. Corals require very exact water conditions. They do not thrive if the temperature of the water becomes too hot or too cold for extended periods of time. They also will die if they are covered in sediment, an acknowledged side effect of the laying of these pipelines.
Anchor sweep, a term used in the industry, refers to the cables holding the huge anchors for the barges that will lay the pipeline. The anchors sweep the ocean bottom and virtually destroy everything that is on the bottom where the cables are sweeping. For these reasons alone I would say that considering these LNG pipelines is environmental suicide for an economy that purports itself to be an eco sensitive touristic destination.
I would urge all Bahamians to view the AES, Tractebel and El Paso LNG proposals and Environmental Impact Assessments. Keep in mind that EIAs are written by consultants who are being paid by the developers. We need to be very vigilant if we are to preserve this country for the future inhabitants by that I mean our children. We can’t give our fish away to Korean factory fishermen no matter if they are working for “Bahamian” front compnaies and we cannot give our quality of life to LNG pipeline company for a pittance for that is what the amount of money they are offering us is to them compared to the profits they will reap from the Florida energy market.
Please support the Amabassador for the Environment for having the nerve to speak out about the ludicrousness of these three proposals. EARTHCARE applauds you Mr. Ambassador. Keep up the excellent work. Now you have to address the many houses cracking up due to blasting on Grand Bahama.
By Gail L. Woon
Letter To The Editor
