‘If it can’t be reused, refuse!’ This was one of the slogans posted on the Internet leading up to World Environment (June 5) and World Ocean Day (June 8), as environmentalists and conservationists sought to continue educating persons about the importance of taking care of the environment.

In Grenada, different groups including the Grenada Fund for Conservation Inc., of which Mr Tyronne Buckmire is the Director, acknowledged both Days. Speaking to the Barnacle News Team, Mr Buckmire stated that there is a need to increase the level of public awareness in Grenada about environmental issues. Since the GFCs inception in 2007, they have engaged in a series of activities including clean ups, informational fairs and exhibitions and other educational projects.

In observance of the both Days this year, the GFC is collaborating with the Sandals Foundation to fund a project dubbed ‘At Water’s Edge’ (AWE) which focuses primarily on coastal rehabilitation of structures to help with the restoration of the coastline in Telescope, Grenville, Marquis, Soubise. “On June 5 every year it is globally recognized as world environment day and then on June 8 we have world Ocean Day and for this year we attempted to do 2 large scale public awareness activities, with the assistance of the Sandals Foundation,” said Mr Buckmire.

The AWE project is an ongoing project that includes teaching persons about the important roles mangroves play in the environment and ecosystem as well as replanting mangroves and other coastal vegetation. The GFC and its other affiliates also look at the length of time plastic takes to completely disintegrate before it reaches to the point where it no longer poses a threat to the environment.

Speaking briefly to the Barnacle News Team was Public Relations Manager of Sandals Grenada, Deleon Forrester. She affirmed their support for the GFCs project, stating that they were very impressed with what was happening. “The project is really important to help to restore the reef and the ecosystem and the marine life in that area, and we’re really proud to be part of the GFCs efforts.”

For World Ocean Day, the GFCs information Fair will be held at the Melville Street Fisheries Car Park and will be followed by an ‘AWEsome Walk from the Tanteen Playing Field back to Melville Street.

So what is it that GFC is hoping to achieve from these fairs? Mr Buckmire told the Barnacle News Team, “What we hope is that people can really get an appreciation about the importance of the ocean [as] we normally take them for granted.” The ocean provides the largest single source of revenue from shipping to tourism and food supply and has been under a lot of pressure over the last century due to plastic pollution. This pollution is severely threatening marine life and the ecosystem, and according to Mr Buckmire, persons need to be more sensitive about how they use the ocean and waterways that feed into the ocean.

One specie that he made particular mention of, was the Leather Back Turtles, which face complications when they ingest plastic bags which find their way into the ocean.

Although Grenada still has a very long way to go in terms of becoming 100% environmentally ready and friendly, strides are being made by a number of different small organizations such as the GFC. However, Mr Buckmire noted that they cannot stop raising awareness because, “if we stop, we lose, so we have to keep going.”

He admitted that he has seen some improvement in the attitude of persons. “I think what we’ve seen more than anything else is an increased consciousness of the importance of our natural resources, certainly on the path of students and children…they are more open to learning new things and to changing.”

It is understood that this journey to change people’s mindsets is indeed a work in progress, which can be quite difficult in a place like Grenada where some persons display a don’t care attitude towards the environment. But, he reiterated that this is something that can and has to be done as he has seen “enough positive changes in people’s attitudes towards the environment to convince me that we are making a difference and that people are learning and to a small extent, people are changing.”

The theme for World Ocean Day is ‘Preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean’. However, plastic is not the only pollutant that affects the Grenadian environment.

Another challenge faced in Grenada is the single-use Styrofoam containers, which about a year ago, the Government of Grenada, said they would put measures in place to ban. And, Mr Buckmire is of the firm belief that this has to be done and legislated. “Populations like our tend to be hard to change habits, but much lager countries all around the world have proven through legislation, through incentives that it is possible to move towards the elimination of the use of plastics and Styrofoam.”

To date, there are some companies and businesses that have already stopped using the Styrofoam containers, but some are slower in the changing process. According to Mr Buckmire, there are other alternatives including bamboo. Notably too, some Caribbean countries have already enforced the ban on Styrofoam containers.

Keeping hope, Mr Buckmire told the Barnacle News Team, “Eventually Grenadians will get to the point where they understand that getting rid of this pollutants is a very necessary step in order for us to conserve more.”