Beware the Lean Green BS Machine

The latest issue of Environews finally drives the final nail into it's credibility as an environmental magazine. A front cover telling us how high Indigo's standards are with a 4 page spread of clear BS PR from the developers. Unsurprisingly it is not credited to any writer and there is a double center spread advertisment from Indigo telling us it's going to be "one of the most enviromentally friendly developments in the entire Caribbean".

A while ago Flipper posted a blog titled Beware The Lean Green PR Machine., some call it PR, I call it BS.

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Environews lost me last year when Stephane invited Roy to make a speech and present awards at his first Award event in July. Roy, "probably the most disasterous commissioner in charge of the environment and planning in St. Maarten's history" (Copyright Local Hero), was at the time underfire for his approval of Dawn Beach Westin and the proposed development of EWE. Such is life eh Roy?

The plagiarizing didn't help EN's credibility much, nor did having Roy collect the award this year for French St. Martin. (Journalists - Can someone please ask Roy if he has handed it over to them yet, or ask the French side if they got it. Or if they want it.)

And as for Indigo.......

Well, talk is talk isn't it now. All these promises of developing in an evironmentally friendly way are really just promises, nothing more. Indigo claim to have saved over 300 trees and plants. By my estimate and after making a rough count in a similar hillside area, this accounts for less than 1% of the plant life destroyed.

Those plants and trees, ripped up for a project that is forecast to last over 6 years, used to have birds, lizards and a mulitude of insect life living in them too, they are dead or gone also.

Then there is the beach and marine life off shore, constantly being poluted with silt washed down from the hills. All the beach side vegitation has also been destroyed and there are some questions I'd like to see answered about their beach replenishment ideas.

Really, if the project is to take 6 years in phases, there was no need at all to 'strip mine', (Indigo's own words), the whole property in the manner that they have.

They rank alongside Barbaron, the 'we are green because we are going to have a botanical gardens around our huge condo complex' people. Over 400 truck loads of soil and rock have been transported across the island from that site, as far as French Quarter and Cul de Sac. You know, those huge scary trucks getting paid per load rushing along our roads spewing out black smoke.

There are words to discribe people who claim to be something and then do or promote the opposite. Hypocrites, frauds, charlatans, liars, bulls**ters, etc etc. Saving a few trees and making a few weak promises does not cancel out or excuse destroying acres of flora and fauna needlessly.

Yep, I'm calling Bulls**t!

LH

Environment | Local Hero's blog | add new comment

Submitted by Local Hero on Mon, 2007-10-15 20:19.

trees were chopped
jadira veen | Thu, 2007-11-01 09:06

To whoever BB is, please allow me to answer you;
Two trees behind the catholic church rectory were chopped down completely, they were in the process to cut all the trees but were caught on time.
The ones with the cut branches are the ones that were saved, the branches will grow back.
As for Indigo beach clearing all the land or stripping the land, why don't you ask the VROM department or the Commissioner of Environment who gave the authorisation for the developer to strip over 5000acres of land all at once.
We asked, we did not get any answers.
PRIDE foundation has told the developers that we are not in favour of having the land stripped all at once as this has caused erosian of the soil into the sea on numerous occassions.
Nature Foundation sent a press release to the media advising government to require a Environmental Impact Assesment be made before any large developments take place and a soil test should have taken place.
Does Government and their departments take Nature foundation seriously? if they did, there would be no need for Nature Foundation having to tell government via the media right?
My point is; question your elected officials, they are the ones handing out permits like hot bread, you elected them, question them.
Environmental groups do not have any authority to allow or disallow clearing of land, this falls into the hands of VROM advisors who then pass the advice on to the EXCO, it is then up to EXCO to accept the advice given to them.
And for the record, environmental groups have given government countless advice on various issues regarding the environment, they just seem to give lip service and do nothing.
And last, anyone complaining about tree cutting and other environmental issues should have attended the recently concluded ENVIRO WEEK. please don't come now and say nonsense. VROM department held a presentation, EPIC held a presentation on BLUE FLAG, The world renkowned coral scientist Goreau had 2 presentations, UNESCO IHE in his presentation told the gathering that the Cul De Sac basin will be flooded if drastic measures are not taken (again advice to government) he also mentioned that the Dutch side is too densly populated by showing a map of the density.
So everyone on this board that is so concerned about enviornmental issues had the oppertunity to educate and learn things for themselves during ENVIRO WEEK., instead the week was poorly attended.
I can only assume that people here are so short sighted or maybe just expect the environmental groups to fight every war for them without their volunteer input.
Ask your government! They are running your country, ask them why they don't take advice from the Carrying capacity study, the TOURMAP, SHTA white paper on environment and traffic, the environmental reccomendations made by the enviro groups, the UNESCO-IHE report.

St.Maarten PRIDE foundation

You mean plagariazed twice
Anonymous (not verified) | Tue, 2007-10-16 20:54

EN did not plagiarize once but twice. In the edition after the infamous Adam Werbach copy, another article / story appeared that was an exact copy of an article that appeared in some other environmental magazine. I had written a comment about it at the time but never posted it because the continuous bullshit of Robert de Dje got me tired and thought he doesn't deserve my time.
The guy is nothing but a scam artist. I may post it one night when I feel like it.

Big Green Machine 2
Anonymous (not verified) | Tue, 2007-10-16 00:37

Yes all this overbyuilding that anything that happens for uprise will be late 2009 2010, in the mean time look at all of this overdevekiopement and sad infrastructure and now we are bringing in more Carnival Cruise lines, the dread of the Sea, broke ass dick. Carnival Cruise Lines the lowdsst of the lowest, and now Jet Blue, their flying error are horrible Look at all the vacancies that we have, and with the price of commoddities,gas,electric, water and all othe edibles. zIt's getting too expensive or all you gedt, Piled up garbage, hungry stray dogs roaming around, Wght isn't there a shelter here? The money will now going to St. Barth's where it is clean and classy and the people are real. But top notch

Bullshit rules
Anonymous (not verified) | Tue, 2007-10-16 17:56

The green bullshit continues to rule on SXM as we have seen with WESTIN and now with Indigo and Aquarius. Every one is now giving the green lip service with no real planning and executing.
Who said the money will be going to St.Barths is backwards because it has been going to St.Barths for years now as we continue to get low budget tourism and mass cruise tourism.
Has anyone seen Roys new PR statement? that Indigo will be featured in a US magazine and that will bring high end clients with Jet Blue? I could not help myself laughing out loud as he continues to keep the people stupid and the smart ones in stiches from his comedy stupidity. Roy is again doing PR for the developers, he did so for WESTIN and continues to do so with Indigo. if Indigo will be featured somewhere in a US magazine then let Indigo say so not our Commissioner.
I will not even comment on the Enviro News I don't believe that anyone with a sound mind can take that magazine and it's editor serious.

Bull shit rules?
Anonymous (not verified) | Tue, 2007-10-16 21:05

Perhaps the Enviro Week workshop that is coming up October 20th thru 25th (Read the Daily Herald and the Today for press releases) will really make a difference in particular the youth debate. Hopefully it will make a difference and a chance for change before we destroy ourselves with all the pollution.

Check the website:

This program has nothing to do with Enviro News.

Larry C. Geer

The Trees
Anonymous (not verified) | Thu, 2007-10-25 11:04

I remember there being a panicked article or two in the newspapers about 1 tree being chopped down by the Catholic Church in Philipsburg. That tree OBVIOUSLY wasn't chopped down(a few branches chopped) as it has grown back.
So when the Indigo land was STRIPPED of god knows how many trees why is there only now an outcry????
This is definitely one twisted island!

BB

The kooyman Ad and trees
sybille | Wed, 2007-10-31 17:50

I guess we choose our battles. Maybe it is good to cut trees as long as you transplant new ones and give the appearance of environmental friendliness.

Now tell me what is up with that Kooyman add on every program:

The Kooyman advertisement which sponsors our Movies, AVS etc. says at the end, "No dogs were painted in this commercial.” But then a Cactus plant is painted. Does it mean that plants can be painted? Are the elements in paint not toxic to plants or trees? What ever happened to corporate responsibility?

Kooymans ad bothers me too
jadira veen | Thu, 2007-11-01 09:12

The Kooyman's ad bothers me as well, Not only is it getting tiring to watch that same ad over and over.
I gues KOOYMAN will say that their paint is non-toxic and water based. To me still no reason to promote painting cactus.

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