Basseterre, St. Kitts (June 01, 2007): As World Environment Day draws near, residents are being encouraged to do their share in caring for the environment.
This was the encouragement given by Sr. Environmental Officer Mr. Randolph Edmeade who noted that actions such as littering are far reaching. He explained that when litter is dropped on land its impact does not stay there for its effect can be felt in the sea.
While the duty of caring for the environment was placed on the shoulders of the individual, Mr. Edmeade noted that it was his department's responsibility to promote sustainable development. He said that environmental protection is highly considered along with the monitoring of different areas of the environment to ensure that processes are carried out in the way that they aught to be. The Senior Environmental Officer gave the example of illegal sand mining which he said is one of the department's chief concerns at the moment. He said that certain measures have been put in place to try to arrest the problem.
Mr. Edmeade said there was concern about the general landscape of St. Kitts particularly when it came to soil conservation and management. He added that this was against the backdrop of the closure of the sugar industry and so he predicted that it would be one of the major challenges in the near future.
While his department was doing its part, Mr. Edmeade maintained that it was still resident's responsibility to consider the environment when undertaking any pursuit. He gave the examples of hiking, farming and construction as activities in which one should ensure that the clearing of the land or removal of the vegetation is done in a way that does not have a negative impact in the future. The Senior Environmental Officer stressed that individual action can benefit all.
World Environment Day is being celebrated internationally on Tuesday, June 05 under the them "Climate Change: A Hot Topic?" Local activities include visits to high schools, tree plantings, media appearances and the distribution of educational material pertaining to the impact of global warming, environmental preservation and methods of creating environmental awareness.
