The Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET) has launched “Jamaica for Sale”, a 92 minute video documentary highlighting disturbing issues behind the island’s normally rosy sun, sea and sand tourism image. “We want to raise hard questions about the tourism industry, especially in light of the recent rise in a certain kind of tourism.  There are costs.  [...]

Killing rivers could kill livelihoods. (Panos) – Illegal river poisoning and run-off from coffee farms seem to be posing a serious threat to the health of rivers in the eastern Jamaica parish of StThomas as well as general public health in the area. Environmental groups such as the St. Thomas Environmental Protection Association, STEPA, are raising [...]

Jamaica’s ability to respond to pressing environmental challenges including emerging climate change threats will be severely undermined unless ways can be found to keep local environment non-governmental organizations (NGOs) adequately funded. The organizations, many of which are usually short-staffed and under resourced, are finding it increasingly difficult to get funds to stay afloat. “Many NGOs [...]

Residents of several communities in Jamaica’s north coast parish of St. Ann gathered in Claremont on September 4 to seek information from Miss Lisa Hanna, MP for southeast St. Ann, about plans for bauxite mining in that area and the construction of an alumina plant at Lydford. The citizens recently learned that the government is [...]

Google Map of the area from which the sand was stolen. The rip of tons of white sand from a prized beach along Jamaica’s north coast is causing consternation in the international travel community. And local environmentalists say the robbery at Coral Spring, Trelawny, is but tip of the sand dune in the illegal mining [...]

Mud washed down from the surrounding hills covers the streets of Ocho Rios after April flood rains. Prevention better than cure. The mantra is just as good for health as it is in the areas of environmental and disaster management. How much was preventable of what happened when Jamaica’s north coast tourism town of Ocho [...]

Until about a week ago I had never heard of carbon border taxes. But as I have since discovered they are just one of a number of measures being considered by some developed nations to ensure they do not loose commercial advantage as a result of growing global pressure to protect the environment. The argument [...]