As one of the leading causes for environmental destruction, Protect Our Future decided to aim their efforts to reduce the effects of greed on our island. In order to accomplish this goal we conducted multiple media campaigns, hitting an array of locations.
In the Cayman Islands the issue of greed in regards to the environment can be seen through the destruction of mangroves, reefs, wetland areas, and the status of our current waste management system.
Greed In Our Waste Management Systems:
The more Mount Trashmore increases, the more the quality of our futures decrease. Instead of fixing this evolving problem of Mount Trashmore, the government focuses more on projects such as the proposed cruise berthing facility because of the potential economic gain. The growth of the dump is putting the people of Cayman at risk. With multiple chemical leaks and toxic fumes polluting the air, the poor waste management system of Cayman is killing the people. Take into consideration that there is a school full of children right next to the dump, yet this problem is put back seat because it provides no economical gain for the government. Let us not continue to ignore the problem but tackle it. It is unacceptable that the government of cayman sacrifices the wellbeing of their people and youth, for short term economic gains. This is our home and yet the government allows it to be polluted by a large pile of waste. Greed is not our future, change is! Protect Our Future will not allow the dump to remain unsolved and continue to grow, but fight for the removal and implantation of better recycling and waste management systems. The government needs to ban single use plastics and styrofoam from our island. If other Caribbean islands are able to ban plastics and styrofoam from their islands, why can we not do the same?
Greed Destroying Our Mangroves:
Mangroves are an essential part of ecosystems all around the world. They protect our shorelines from hurricane winds and floods. Additionally, mangroves prevent erosion with their intricate root systems. However, mangroves are ripped away for the development of various infrastructures in Cayman.
Do we continue to allow this natural storm protection to be ripped away for individuales economic gains, or do we stand up to be sure that the National Conservation Law is not broken? It is up to us to protect our mangroves. As the mangrove populations around Cayman continue to deplete, the more susceptible our island is to catastrophic flooding. One man’s gain puts a whole society at risk.
The National Conservation Law of Cayman was created in order to protect species like mangroves, yet this law is blatantly ignored. Development should not be allowed to take place in our mangrove and marine ecosystems. The overdevelopment of Cayman will only lead to the destruction of our island. Mangroves are one of the ONLY things that protect the people of Cayman from hurricanes, but we remove them for economic gains.Greed cannot keep destroying our island.
Greed VS Our Economy and Reefs:
Tourism is an essential contributor to the prosperity of Cayman's economy, however there is a balance between money and sustainability.
With tourism rates increasing year after year, why fix something that isn’t broken?
There are so many other pressing issues in the Cayman Islands. One of the largest issues in the Cayman Islands is poor education systems. With schools left empty and high schools failing their qualification tests, something needs to be done. With such important issues, why wouldn’t the government focus their efforts on fixing them?
The beauty of the environment in the Cayman Islands is directly related to the care that is taken after them. With so much of the economy and livelyhoods of Caymanians revolving around the waters of Cayman, if these areas are destroyed these people’s livelihoods are also destroyed.The strengthening of the National Conservation Law will not only protect our local ecosystems, but protect the livelihoods of our people.The prosperity of the environment and the people should be the number one concern of the government of Cayman. We do not need a new port. We do not need more parking lots and unnecessary developments. We need to invest in the prosperity of the education systems in Cayman, as well as invest in strengthening the preservation of our local ecosystems. Cruise ship companies need to be held accountable for their waste when docked in Caymanian waters. They need to be held accountable for all waste pumped into the waters, air, as well as brought on land. If this occurs, the prosperity and culture of Cayman will live on. If we sacrifice our prosperity for short term economic gains, our island will be destroyed.Greed destroys our future!
Greed Destroying Our Marine Ecosystems:
The preservation of the ecosystems in Cayman is a necessity.
The proposed cruise berthing facility disregards the global impact of coral reefs. With the prospect of making money, the Cruise Ship Companies and Government have ignored the severe impacts this project will have on the health of Cayman.
“Over 50% of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years and up to 90% may die within the next century” (ICRI, NOAA, Reefbase, The Ocean Agency, Status Report).
There are very few pristine coral reefs that still exist globally and the Cayman Islands have been given the privilege of having multiple of them. The destruction of our local reefs does not only put our island at risk of severe hurricane damage and impact our local economy, but also has a detrimental global impact. With temperatures already rising and hurricanes only intensifying, the rest of the world is making efforts to preserve their local ecosystems.
However, Cayman is doing the opposite. The proposed port will be multiple steps in the wrong direction.
The short term economic gains proposed by the Cruise Berthing Facility, do not outweigh the severe impact of destroying these reef systems. The impact on the culture of Cayman, beauty of Cayman, and all industries that revolve around our marine ecosystems will be severe if this project continues forward.We cannot keep sacrificing our environment for small economic gains.Greed Destroys Our Future.Help Protect Our Future
Some of the coverage around these campaigns can be found here:
https://www.caymancompass.com/2020/02/06/protect-our-future-calls-for-mangrove-conservation/
https://caymannewsservice.com/2019/11/young-protestors-challenge-dart/
Click through our media campaign's best pictures below!