Caribdude's blog

Sadly for SXM, it's political leaders suffer from severe short sightedness when it comes to planning for the future, the SXM we have today is the result of policies of the past. I believe for example that the crime and youth problems we have today are connected with not investing enough in our schools, in education, social services and the justice system in the past. Add the lack of any real co-ordination and planning between education and labor depts, and by the failed policies of job creation though condo and hotel developments and it seems logical to me the result would be unemployed, disaffected and disrespectful (of the law and society norms) people out there.

But that's all for other blogs and I have to resist getting sidetracked, this one is about GEBE and the future energy problems/needs they should be preparing and planning for. Are they? I don't think they are and if you out there are fed up with power outages and high prices now then you should be concerned about it, because the future appears to hold more of the same.

Two weeks after Richard Branson and the WSJ raise alarms about pending Peak Oil, GEBE restate their intentions to invest millions of dollars more into another oil generator next year.

Some of the world's most baffling social problems, says Peter Eigen, can be traced to systematic, pervasive government corruption, hand-in-glove with global companies.

From a couple years back, still relevant though :)

Highly recommended viewing, for adults and for your children too. Dispel some of those myths about sharks :)

If you ask me, setting up GEBE as a joint company with both Saba and Statia was a mistake, for them. Both Islands have a very good chance to become self sufficient in energy production and to become exporters to SXM, helping to keep Front Street airconditioned. With their new status they will likely end up getting a good bit of assistance and help in becoming energy dependent from Holland and the EU, in Solar, Wind, Geothermal and perhaps even Wave. If I were them I'd say to hell with SXM, we going on our own. Maybe they will yet.

Am I the only one who finds this ongoing saga of the GEBE Board vs Brooks tiresome? Clearly personal crap and vendettas are in play, perhaps there are even some legitimate complaints about Brook's management, but what a embarrassing and repulsive saga it is. I blame Roy Marlin myself, the man with the reverse 'Midas Touch', where he turns anything he touches or is involved in into crap. After all, wasn't it Roy who appointed Brooks while Chairman, and then appointed Lambert to take his place when he resigned from the board.

As reported on SXM PE previously, Theo is moving, albeit at a snails pace, in putting together a solution for the dump and waste. His solution is a gasification plant, a process that is being used in many places around the World and which may well be the best solution for us, considering we have no recycling, no public awareness and no sorting programs of any kind. This plant will 'gasify' 95% of our waste.

The real story here, isn't it always, is just how this plant is going to be set up and who is going to manage it. LH wrote about that selection process back in January. News reaching me mention something about a company that Dollison set up a couple decades ago, which has been inactive, but will be part of this operation. Yes, the same Dollison that it is rumored SOAB have suggested be removed from his current position.

It is also rumored that Windward Roads, the same people who have done such a great job managing the dump so far, will also have a role to play.

Great news, though why it takes a month to reach the public I don't know. On the front page of the Daily Herald today is a story announcing that the Island Government is in the final stages of reaching an agreement with Elizabeth Rietz to purchase Mary's Fancy.

Of course, it's only great news if they do something great with the property, perhaps along the lines of my plans I published here about 6 months ago. Let's hope so, by putting this property into the hands of a foundation and by including the enviro, cultural and heritage foundations in the development of it something great could be created for the people and future generations. We shall see.

Caribdude's Mary's Fancy Project - January 2009

So true!

History of Weed Part II

Much more below on the many reasons to decriminalize personal use of marijuana. I'm not sure if SXM is ready for this discussion, I doubt any of our current politicians are and I don't think the majority of the island community is either, but I feel hopeful PE readers are.

I am not proposing instant decriminalization, such a thing would have to be well thought out and planned, but I am sure, that the day we have coffee shops then our hotels would be full all year round. The taxes, not only from the sale and farming of it, but also from increased visitor numbers to the island, would pay for more police, better education and treatment of addicts to serious and dangerous drugs like crack and alcohol. It would also create many jobs, directly and indirectly.

The Age of Stupid Global Premiere Trailer from Age of Stupid on Vimeo.

BBC Newsnight - Countdown to Copenhagen.

Below is a collections of news stories, in no particular order, from the past couple of months that I feel worth sharing :)

I'm not one to wait until the government announces a Storm or Hurricane warning, I usually check in with Weather Underground and the NOAA Satellite images at least once daily, twice or more daily when there is something out there. Storms and heavy rains can pop up pretty quickly as was seen this past week.

TD 2 has come back to life and Invest 90 is expected by many to become TD 3 by Saturday night. Both seem to me to be on a pretty steady Westward track and there doesn't seem to be much indication of that changing in the next few days. There is a good chance these storms will pass very close to SXM and if you haven't done anything to be prepared then pull your finger out of your butt and do the basics at least. - CD

Nice little downpour this afternoon and evening huh? The island did need it really, the hills were looking a bit brown and dry and I don't know about yours, but my cistern was looking rather empty. Little bit of flooding here and there, no big deal really, we've seen worse. You see, that's the thing, what we had this afternoon was 'little' and was not a tropical storm or hurricane.

These past few weeks there have been a few photos in the papers, like the one above from the DH last week, showing that very little seems to have been done to prepare the island for a storm. Guts and trenches are clogged with foliage and garbage, there are literally tons of debris in yards and on the sides of the roads and there has been absolutely no mention in the papers, that I have seen, about shelters or them having been inspected or prepared.

I'm glad I live in a building I feel confident is safe, but I have to wonder, what if another Luis hit us again? Does the Red Cross have resources to man shelters and have they been inspected? Do they have generators, facilities and supplies to provide for possibly hundreds of people? Are the authorities and government prepared? Why is it, that despite their repeated messages that we the public should be prepared, that I don't feel confident are doing their part?

Pretty cool huh?

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Let it buffer, be sure to click the Full Screen button, and Enjoy :)

Be warned, watching it again and again is quite easy.

I've been reading a book by Jared Diamond called Collapse, I've been reading it for a few months now, a few pages or a chapter every now and then, it's quite heavy, in content and size. When I finish I'll write a review, but please take a look at the video in the link above before reading the latest round up of news below on Climate Change.

In the book, Diamond postulates 5 main aspects of why societies and civilizations succeed or fail, one of them is that the decisions and policies that are made by those leading the society in response to threats, be it threats from neighbors or to the economy, or threats from a changing environment. Ergo, the decisions made today will affect the lives of those who live tomorrow. I don't think I'm being pessimistic, just realistic, when I say I think future generations will curse those of the late 20th and early 21st century.

I should write these WWW blogs more often because my bookmarks list just gets so darn long, full of stories, articles, links and videos that I plan to share with the readers here. I dunno about you all, but I'm an avid reader since I was a kid and I tend to get lost in the WWW when I have the time, sometimes even when I don't! lol

Anyway, below you'll find links to some stuff I saved over the past few months that some of you may like or find interesting and worth a browse with your morning coffee. :)

St.Maarten Past, Present, and Future from Jeff Berger on Vimeo.

Hey there all! It's been a while since I posted a blog, kinda got busy with some other things and it's sort of difficult with a pc that's obsolete with age and dysfunction. But I'm back, at least for now, so I'll try to post 2 or 3 if I can. Got some things to tell ya all!

I am well aware of how depressing the subject of Climate Change is, it's not something you bring up at a gathering of friends having a good time unless you want to get the nickname "Debbie Downer". I described the effect it has in one of my first blogs here on SXM PE a couple years ago when I bought it up once with my friends one night.

Now with the World Economic Crisis it's probably one of the last things on most people's minds to be concerned about I'm sure. The thing is, it's not going to go away, and more importantly the two issues are like brother and sister, directly related. For decades now the mantra of unsustainable growth and consuming, mostly on credit, has driven us to where we are today, bank failures, credit crunch, job loses and production slumps like domino's or a house of cards. Well, the same situation is looming with our Planet, our population, food production and survival. The human race has invested it's future in a Giant Ponzi Scheme.

“Mother Nature doesn’t do bailouts.”

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I used to swim in the lagoon in the late 70's, I used to catch snappers and dive for lobsters and conch. I remember there used to be many stingrays, one of the best places to find them was the sand bar over to Snoopy Island where we used to camp as kids, it was always a trip going across it at night with flashlights afraid to step on one. I remember too that there used to be a season of baby puffer fish, thousands and thousands all along the shore, though I can't remember the month it was as it was so long ago and I was young. Many a time my friends and I used to paddle from Cole Bay down to Mullet Bay on surf boards, to collect golf balls and sell them to the golfers 3 for a $1.

Bit by bit the lagoon has been filled, dredged and polluted so that what used to be a natural treasure of St. Maarten has become a national shame. Mangroves and sea grass are nurseries of the ocean, a vital link in not only the life chain but also the food chain for so many species of both animal and plant life. Most people don't remember what I remember, but I know some do. Tell me please, how does your heart feel when you see it today?

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A couple weeks ago the Today had an O & C about Evolution, Intelligent Design and Creationism asking if they should be taught in science classes in schools. "Why not?" they said and immediately followed it with the reason why not. Creationism and Intelligent Design would have to "to make their case without scientific evidence". Ergo, it's not science, it doesn't belong in a science class.

The writer should take a look at the Flying Spaghetti Monster which was used as a challenge to the Kansas State Education Board when they tried to have Creationism taught alongside Evolution in biology classes. By all means teach creationism, ID and Adam and Eve in religious classes, along side Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, Zeus, Odin and all other religions preferably, but it's not science and it should not be permitted to pretend to be.

Click here to Read More - WARNING - Not for sensitive believers!
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A New Year and a new US President who, when it comes to protecting the environment and understanding of our urgent need to get away from polluting fossil fuels, appears to be a complete opposite of his predecessor. Bush tried to push through a flurry of last minute regulations loosening rules on industry and energy companies but Obama's 60 day stop on all pending BUSH legislation seems to have halted most.

The World Economic Crisis, Obama taking office and a few other things have been dominating the news recently, but I'm writing here to remind you that Climate Change/Global Warming is still going on and to give you a round up of both the good and bad news. The internet is an open library of information for you the reader to research and come to your own opinions, I've established mine and I've seen nothing from sceptics such as Dam to change it. We are slowly but surely destroying our planet and betraying future generations with our wasteful way of life and addiction to fossil fuels.

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It's been a while since I did one of these, not sure if anyone missed me. My WWW is where I get to share 'interesting stuff', or at least what I think is interesting and you get to add your own 'interesting stuff' in comments.

My definition of 'interesting stuff' is stuff that is worth spending time to read or watch, it can be informative, humorous or just plain interesting. (eh? - ed)

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At the urging of Flipper and others and with the recent news that the
sale of Mary's Fancy to a Tour Bus operator and developer seems to have fallen through, I have decided to publish a project that I put together for the property about 4 years ago. After all, the Govt has said it is interested in acquiring the property and who knows, maybe some wealthy person out there will like the idea and fund it.

Unfortunately the realities of life, work, paying bills and other stuff intruded and diverted me from the project and it has been gathering dust this last couple of years. Perhaps I should have been more aggressive and flexible seeking financial backing, instead I was cautious, my goal was to create something that would benefit the whole island in a multitude of ways and put the property into the hands of a foundation, I didn't want investors or backers who's primary interest was filling their pockets.

I guess you can consider this my New Years Wish. That someone will like my plans and hire me to put it in motion. :)

Click here to Read More
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There are still a few stragglers out there who keep clinging to the belief Climate Change is a hoax, a plot by liberals and caused by natural cycles of the planet. It doesn't matter to them that the scientific community, data and evidence are almost conclusively against them. Thankfully for us all, there is a new incoming president of the US who does trust in science, data and rational thinking.

"My presidency will mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process."

"And once I take office, you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations, and help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change. Now is the time to confront this challenge once and for all. Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high. The consequences, too serious."

Obama's speech to the Governors Global Climate Summit.

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A few months ago I wrote about GEBE and made a prediction that has turned out to be wrong, that oil prices wouldn't fall below $100 again. It's not that I wasn't aware a financial crisis was on it's way, I'm a regular reader of blogs and independent news sites like The Agonist, and the housing bubble 'pop' which started the downward roll has been written about here too. For some reason I just didn't connect or consider how one would effect the other.

I'm sure there are many people who find relief that oil prices have been falling, no one wants big power bills or expensive gas to get around, that's understandable. Sadly though, I do fear there is going to be a bigger price to pay in the long run than we realize. High oil prices helped to drive investment towards clean energy research and projects, the investment has now dried up and the financial returns are much less attractive. Climate Change continues.

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As a result of a family health situation I am currently in Barcelona, Spain. Unknown to me before planning my trip was that the IUCN Congress would be held here at the same time, I am now writing from the Media Room at the Conference Center.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network - a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. The Congress, held every 4 years, is huge, over 8000 people are attending and there are over 900 events, workshops, forums, presentations and more over the next 4 days.

I'm not officially representing any SXM NGO, but those who read here know that my interest is mainly on the environment and Climate Change. I will be trying to attend anything that I think may be beneficial to my writing knowledge, our island's NGO's and I will try to write something here daily. Please visit the IUCN Congress Website and feel free to make recommendations or ask questions.

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According to polls, Obama and McCain are neck and neck. For me as a non US citizen and observer, this is startling and extremely scary. How can anyone, with any measure of understanding of the issues involved ever consider to vote for McCain is totally beyond me. Totally. The man and his running 'soul mate' Palin are worse than Bush, if such a thing is possible.

The US has gone from being a country to admire and respect, to a country that kidnaps and renditions, tortures and imprisons without trail or appeal and spies on everyone. The constitution has been shredded and it is bankrupt. George Bush and all those who voted for him are responsible for over 200,000 deaths in Iraq and a rise in extremism and terrorism. The list or crimes and bad decisions is endless when it comes to this idiot and his polices and with an approval rating of less than 30%, how can McSame be doing so well??

I would like to make a personal appeal to all US residents on the island to make sure they are registered to vote in the upcoming US elections. Below I have posted a bunch of news links and information about how you can register to vote. Please, Please, vote Obama, I know he is not perfect, but the comparison between him and the alternative is as stark as night and day.

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Although I haven't written about it in a while, Climate Change continues as it will for the rest of our lives and the lives of our children, you can now traverse the Arctic Ice Cap for the first time in recorded human history. While the rest of the World is growing more and more aware and active in finding solutions and alternative energy sources, we here is St. Maarten are stuck in the Oil Age.

Is GEBE really serving the people of this island by ensuring we remain completely dependent on oil for our electricity? Are they really serving the people by giving back a few cents now and then (not really) instead of taking that extra cash flow and investing it in the future and alternative energy projects and plans? A few cents now might keep a few people happier and quiet, but we will see the real complaints when the s**t really hits the fan.

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It's been a while since I wrote a blog rounding up the news on Climate Change and I had tons of links saved up in my bookmarks, it was time to clear them out.

Below you will find a selection of news and video links that I think are well worth checking out, I've added many more to the SXM PE Global Warming / Global Resources Thread. i don't time to write much about them now, but I think most of them speak for themselves anyway. Feel free to add your own links and comments below.

Click here to Read More
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I can't believe it's been 5 months since I posted a WWW blog entry here, but now that I look through my packed bookmarks in my browser it makes sense. I've got a ton of stuff saved up in there and I'll share a bunch of it with you all below. Hopefully you will all find something of interest, and there's no rush to look through all the links in one sitting, this post will be here tomorrow too :)

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