Become an Environmental Steward for Tobago

Patricia Turpin, representing the NGO Environment Tobago, spoke at the opening of the  inaugural To­ba­go En­vi­ron­men­tal Part­ner­ship Con­fer­ence held at the Mount Irvine Bay Ho­tel, on  May 13. She invited all Tobagonians to become stewards of the environment.

What do you mean by stewardship?

Let us dig into the meaning of environmental sustainability and stewardship. For today’s purpose, let us consider the concept:

Environmental sustainability means maintaining the ability of natural systems such as forests, wetlands, lagoons, rivers and waterfalls, coastal and marine habitats  (our shores and the sea around us) and their biodiversity  (the creatures which thrive in those habitats)  to provide natural resources and the services upon which we depend for life. You can see that this is a very complex and interconnected proposition; definitely overwhelming for us, one species.

Accepting that sustainability – and specifically human sustainability – is so dependent on and connected to the web of life, we must come to understand that it is in our own interest to not act in ways that compromise life-sustaining systems. We – whose very existence may be put at risk – have the responsibility for maintaining environmental quality. We must choose to become environmental stewards.

 

We should all have a voice in protecting “home,” the community where we live, the island and the seas we live on. Photo of Charlotteville courtesy Pat Ganase

Is that what we mean by sustainability and stewardship?

When we in Tobago talk about environmental sustainability, we refer to it in an economic,

developmental and social context. We take the “humans first” approach and are actually talking about more than survival; our “uses for” and our “wants.” Our concept of sustainability has gone way beyond our “needs.” This attitude inevitably leads to environmental “trade- offs,” within which Development prospers and the natural systems suffer.

Most importantly, when envisioning our “wants” we must understand that there is no such thing as “sustainable use” of non-renewable resources in any of the systems, land or marine, mentioned. Everything we “use,” is a loss.  Even as we are still learning about the real value of natural ecosystem resources, our developmental plans must take into account those laws and policies already existing for ecosystem protection. We have to work collectively to ensure that all can prosper without “trade- offs”. NGO’s and CBO’s that traditionally act as the “watch dogs” and stewards of proper land use, must be accepted as environmentally literate and responsible partners. We are not “anti-development” but we do want to ensure that our development does not put other species at risk. We should all become stewards of the places where we live.

How do we know what is sustainable? Who decides?

Promoting environmental sustainability today and into the future, requires that we be circumspect and responsible. We must respect the laws and policies governing our environment. Meaningful consultation between communities, government agencies, developers and civil society in a holistic and realistic manner will go a long way in alleviating problems and in conserving the environment.

To help us along this road, the United Nations Development Program put together a blueprint for development in 2015 called the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that can help us protect the environment, while guiding its use. Among these goals are basic ones like no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, gender equality; but also sustainable cities and communities, climate action, and maintaining life in the ocean and life on land. You can see the full list here: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

The THA and our Government  - among most nations in the world - have adopted these goals, and are working towards mainstreaming them into all policies and plans. But basically, communities must inform and empower themselves, and have a voice in decision-making.

How do we have a voice?

Get involved in the environmental CBO’s and NGO’s in communities in Tobago; at the very least, pay attention to what is being said.  We all have a duty to become stewards and advocate for positive environmental practices and ethics by example in our work places and homes. We must on an ongoing basis educate ourselves. We must teach, research, train, partner, develop innovative community and outdoor school programs and lectures that will engender an environmentally literate population and lead to a greater understanding of the issues confronting us in order to help arrive at solutions to address them.

The process is slow but we have to cultivate positive mindsets and habits about issues that affect our environments on land and in the sea. We must not feel hopeless in the ability to bring about these changes. Government agencies must also find ways to exhibit and actively promote these new policies in the work place, and by effective governance.  

What if we don’t do anything?

We cannot continue to live in the current mode. Mankind has caused an alarming decline in our ecosystems and in the biodiversity of species. We should be frightened. We have lived as though there is no tomorrow. All is not yet lost. Tobago can be an example – we can do our part to stem the tide; for instance, we can advocate to declare the island plastic and styrofoam free. On an ongoing basis, we can clean our wetlands and beaches. We can make choices in our daily lives to use recyclable or natural materials in our homes,  at fetes and parties, and in public spaces and entertainment venues. We can plant trees to help to mitigate the effects of a changing climate. We can make all of Tobago – not just the Main Ridge or the reefs – a protected island.

We can all help ourselves and each other to make these changes. We must each of us become a steward of where we live.