Executive Member of the Waitukubuli Advocate for Viable Environment (WAVE) and Former Minister of Agriculture, Atherton Martin has raised major concerns about what he says is the dreadful neglect of Dominica’s natural resources by local authorities and citizens of the country.
During a celebration of the 51st anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd 2021, Martin explained how modern society seems to have created a false dichotomy between earning a living and caring for the very resources that is needed in order to acquire a livelihood.
“A separation has been foisted on modern society that we have to make our money, get a job, do so many things and when we get those things, we will take care of the environment. When we get that big house; we will worry about the river, when we get the big job; we’ll worry about the forest, the beach, the reefs and the animal life,” Martin stated while delivering an address at the anniversary event which was held at the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU).
He said this notion forces people to choose between themselves and the environment when, in fact, it is not a question of choosing but learning to combine the engine of livelihood with the care and management of natural systems.
Martin noted that Dominica has had a long history of conservation and adoration of the natural environment by breaking ground; declaring a significant portion of its land as a national Park, twenty-five years 25 years before the world environment movement assumed its present form of the declaration of Earth Day in 1971.
“A lot of people do not realize that there is a long and powerful legacy of conservation of natural resources which drives and brings us to this point in 2021 and part of our weakness, part of why we have not been able to prevail more than we have is because we fail to recognize, recall, remember, remind and most importantly, we fail to claim that legacy,” he posited.
For the last several months, WAVE has taken on the challenge of documenting the current day reality of Dominica’s nature which Martin states has been “undermined” and “compromised” adding that this gathered information will be used to alert the international community for support and to let the world know that “all is not well” with the nature island.
The former agricultural minister added that because the protection of natural resources seems to appear unimportant in the bigger scheme of life in today’s world, he is privileged to be working with a younger generation of persons “who will be taking up the mantel of pushing for policy, education and resources for the next generations of residents of Dominica.”
World Earth Day is a way that the global community has chosen to record its concerns about negative impacts the world faces and to encourage persons to take action which will assist in maintaining the planet as a place that is conducive to human and animal existence.
The theme for this year’s Earth Day was ‘Together we can restore our earth.’
Nkrumah,who cares about you.What have you done for this country? Where were you when we were struggling after Maria?We are doing exceptionally well without PRODIGAL SONS like you.Stay away from Dominica and our business.TRAITOR.Athie got the opportunity to help,instead he SOLD us out for $100,000 worth of WALES.He was given the ok to ship water out of Dominica,what did he do?Up to today not a drop of water was shipped out of DOMINICA.We DO NOT FORGET.
Lin Clown, you surely don’t know what you are talking about 🤭🤗. What have I done? You seem to think that Dominica’s slide to the abyss started with hurricane Maria, so continue with your eyes wide shut.
What have I done? Ok, just couple of things: reform of the education system to provide full secondary access to students; getting the products from former DCP to regional and international markets thereby ensuring job security for the employees and the company and country earning much needed foreign exchange, and this was done for FREE. At the CARICOM leading the team of experts in the conception, design and development of the Ideal CARICOM citizen in 1997. Leading Dominica’s team in negotiations with the French government to end visa requirements for our citizens to enter for 2 weeks once it was for health purposes and opening up my house to those stranded in Europe. Want more? What have YOU done? Enough said. You know NOTHING about me.😘🤔😡
HOTEP!
Lin Clown what have you done for Dominica, or even your community? If you had any idea of what water bottling or bulk export entails your would keep your mouth shut. ITs not simply filling a container and sending it off. the quality of water you have today will not be the same quality you will have when the shipment reaches. Athie was given the ok, so whats your point? it was beyond his means, so what? You not talking about the Chinese water factory that close down in Canefield, they never shipped nothing abroad. Or the same water factory bought by the Barons, now owned by the Honorable Francine Baron and her brother after their father’s death. The equipment making cheese in the shed Canefield. you not saying nothing about that? What about the Loubiere spring water that is NO MORE under the DLP. Your points and comments continue to be that of an emotional adolescent girl. Most times i refuse to believe you are an adult, or a male figure.
Many like to laugh at Mr. Martin and ridicule him when he speaks, but he has a wealth of knowledge and experience. I actually like what he represents. We need to stop wasting and misusing our resources. Especially our human resources.
Many like to laugh at Mr. Martin and ridicule him when he speaks, but he has a wealth of knowledge and experience. I actually like what he represents. We need to stop wasting and misusing our resources. Especially our human resources.
We need to come up with program to teach Dominicans how to keep the environment clean. Especially our river’s and beaches. It is a total disgrace to see how people go to the beach. Have all they can eat and drink. Then leave their waste at the beach.
“that this gathered information will be used to alert the international community for support and to let the world know that “all is not well” with the nature island”. Deja vu all over again. Speak ill of your country in the hope that the international community will bring to bear certain pressures on Dominica to hurt our development. Remeber the days of whaling and the threats to bring a tourism boycott of Dominica back in the early 2000s? We are at it again.
But what is WAVE anyway? What is the purpose for their existence? How long have they been around? Who are their principals/directors and members? How often have they been meeting? Are they a registered organization? What environmental projects have they undertaken in advancing their cause? Or is this yet another splinter group from the UWP?
Or is this another organization t at Martin has developed
Affie, as usual nothing but political rhetoric. As you have stated, let the world know that all is not well. You guys take pleasure in destabilize the country you one day want to rule. Typical wolfs in sheep’s clothing. Please swallow the poison pill you were rejected!
Sir, You made no mention of the “Mountain Top Removal” in Dominica which affects all the other resources which you made mention off. We are having worse hurricanes with furious winds and landslides due to the neglect and disregard for those mountains. Rivers are clogging up all over Dominica. We saw more wood in every corner of the island after hurricane Maria, why? There has never been any policy in place to preserve our natural resources and the environment. After this remarks you made it will take another year (earth day) to repeat the same thing. Well, it’s the rich business people like Paris William and such like that’s breaking down our mountains without governmental regulations. So yes, you would not mention that. Also, all sorts of materials including construction wastes materials are being dumbed all across the streets of Dominica because no one is being charged or penalized by law enforcement in order to send a strong message. Do you really care, Sir.?
Athie boy I admire your determination and patience, but truthfully, I have given up on Dominicans at home.
I never thought that I would ever have to use those words but those who don’t love themselves will get none from me. The more one tries to open their minds and eyes is the more they keep them “wide shut”.
Now some distinguished delinquents will refer to me as unpatriotic but I have taken my belongings somewhere else. Dominicans seem to have lost all their capacity to think and have accepted mediocrity as their modus operandi.
A long time ago in primary school, teachers taught us a poem that ended this way:” leave them alone and they will come home, wagging their tails behind them.”
Our dad would add with a sarcastic chuckle:” if they still have a tail”. Reminds me of the citizens of the land of my birth.
Soooo sad!
HOTEP!
We’re happy you left
Fubar i am not happy that you are still here. Its your kind of ignorance that is keeping the nation back. Tired of this kind of mentality in Dominica. Everything is a maypwi and a throwing talk and a big joke. Nonsensical talk in a nut shell.
Our built environment adds to the destruction of our natural environment. We are enamored with concrete. Regardless of the rank bad designs that the material has spawned in Dominica, concrete is the most environmentally destructive material on earth.
Radioactive plutonium ?