Eco-cide and Destruction of valuable water resources in Northern Range (Cumaca) continuing with pace

This is what you have to thank Penelope Beckles, Elenor Dick-Forde Gaynor, Conrad Enil and Patrick Manning for. So hungry are they for quarry aggregate - they only see economic values - that they do not see the long term social-environmental costs. This is proof T&T is on anti-sustainable development path.
They are cutting the mountains down and filling the rivers. Gone are the fish. Gone is the usefulness of the water. They say 'no worries', they will build desalination plants - oh dear God - may Trinis rise and end this wicked and destructive rule.
Our children will rue these days.
(pictures taken June 2009 by Fishermen and Friends of the Sea).

Mr. Samarendra Das Invited to Trinidad by CBOs and NGOs (24th September to 4th October, 2009)

Mr Samarendra Das is an Indian national, global activist and research scholar based in London and Orissa. He has been involved for the last sixteen years in grassroots activism with the ‘Dongria Kondh’ and ‘Majhi Kondh’, tribal communities who have lived sustainable and self-sufficient lives for centuries in the mountains of Orissa.

Kondh values and their mountains are at risk from multinational companies seeking to capture iron ore and bauxite for the metal industries. Mr. Das has developed extensive knowledge of transnational corporations, NGOs and the institutional architecture of the global elite who wield power over the earth’s resources.

His academic background includes a ‘first’ first class honours in mathematics and a master of computer science with distinction.

Samarendra has co-produced films with his brother Amarendra, published books, and written over 200 papers in his mother tongue, Oriya. His work is both technical and artistic, covering, culture, identity, conflict and political economy.

His recent film with Amarendra, Sept, 2005, ‘Wira Pdika’ (Earth Worm: Company Man) is a feature-length campaign-documentary on the resistance of the Orissa Kondhs.

His most recent book, co-authored with Dr. Felix Padel, titled ‘Out of This Earth: East India Adivasis and The Aluminium Cartel ’, is to be published later this year by Orient Blackswan.

Samarendra was invited to Trinidad by La Brea Concerned Citizens United, Rights Action Group and Fishermen and Friends of the Sea. He spent several nights in La Brea where he held community workshops and screened his film 'Earth Worm Company Man'. Samarendra appeared on IETV's 'One on One' with Vernon Ramesar, on Power 102.1 Radio - the 'Power Drive' with Anil and Sprang, on 'The Morning Edition' (TV) with Andy Johnson. He also met with a cross-section of interested individuals and groups.

Samarendra also visited Maracas Falls, the pristine mineral rich streams of Ortinola, Acono and the Indian Caribbean Museum in 'Waterloo'.

We are all very grateful to have had Samarendra in Trinidad. We continue to ruminate on the richness of his presence and the valuable information that he shared.

FFOS calls on Prime Minister for Smelter Referendum

Dear Editor,

Alutrint is a $9,000 Million(9B) loan before cost overruns, that remains unexamined in terms of its economic feasibility, or in terms of a "cost - benefit" analysis despite calls for transparency by several sectors of our country. Have we not learnt from 1978 when Eric Williams ominously announced 3 Plipdeco pioneer industries, including the Iron ans Steel Company of Trinidad & Tobago, which cost us three devaluations, and 20B in losses by the end of the 1980's, and which were sold for one twentieth of what they cost this treasury? The architects are the same this time. But does it matter whether Alutrint will make money to buy private jets, high rises and 3M of the worlds most expensive curtains for the PM if there is a cancer risk to the innocent?

Contrary to the reported statements made by the Right Honourable PM that the "modern industrial state... presents no un-manageable threat either to the environment or the health of the population", there is a sense that Mr. Manning is deliberately misleading the population since according to the unedited Medical Monitoring Report produced by the Caribbean Health Research Council for Alutrint, " there is no certainty that the Pre Baked (Chinese) technology, will not cause cancer".

The Medical Monitoring Report for Alutrint is specific that thousands of workers and residents will need to be checked for degenerative diseases such as cancer, including blood tests and chest x-rays: bi-annually for non administrative workers, and annually and every other year for the 4100 stranded residents. Several powerful issues arise, such as whether these residents are entitled to a right to life as enshrined in our Constitution.

Will the Ministry of Health pay "collateral damage" compensation to parents with dying children, and shut down the scheme if there is a cancer outbreak? Or will the Government escape liability and hide the statistics?

Matters are worsened since the EMA have a reputation of orphaning affected communities, and La Brea knows how the Point Fortin communities downwind of Atlantic LNG have never had any independent EMA investigation/compensation into the Ministry of Health’s Statistics of a 534% spiked increase in Asthma after the establishment of Train II, which was the main subject of the FFOS Vs EMA/ALNG Train IV Judicial Review of the EMA's approval of Train IV.

Does Mr. Manning have the moral authority to endanger vulnerable communities and threaten their lives?

If Mr. Manning’s Alutrint has the nation’s support as he openly boasts, then surely he will rise to our call for a Referendum on "the experimental uncertain risks of Chinese technology smelting La Brea and of turning La Breains into experimental Lab Rats".

Instead of bullying frightened and neglected citizens as he hides cowardly behind tinted glass and machine gun riot police, Patrick Manning must face the truth and call a referendum.

Gary Aboud
Secretary
Fishermen and Friends of the Sea

Galloping Dictatorship or Delusional Planning?

From Fishermen and Friends of the Sea

While global giants like Mittal and Essar Steel are struggling to stay afloat, and while Alcoa is laying off tens of thousands of workers worldwide, our Government is taking another 2.5 Billion loan for a State Owned Aluminium Company, Alutrint. FFOS have many questions.

Is the public interest being served if there is no independent cost benefit analysis?
Did we not learn from the 1980's, that when Plipdeco flagship companies, like Ispat, were being announced by Eric Williams, US Steel Giants were folding and merging. By the end of the 1980's, these corrupt and failed state enterprises like ISPAT cost the Taxpayers 19 Billion TT Dollars, and were sold off at 1.1 Billion total, a loss of 18B dollars then. In 1980 the world market was slumped far less than it is now.

Every citizen suffered the unimaginable losses caused by a global depression, mis-management and unaccountability, tender manipulation and feeding frenzy of an "all ah we tief" Governance. Has anything changed?

With Petrotrin declared losses for the year ending 2008 of 2.2 Billion when the price of oil averaged 150USD per barrel, it is clear that even in times of world-wide boom, State Companies under the PNM lose Billions. Is it the will of the people to establish this massive loan for another "private" State Company with such frightful human consequences?

To date there is no private sector partner for Alutrint as was rationalised by Mr Manning recently. Is it not common sense that one does not invest when there is economic collapse of a global sector?

There are still unknown gas subsidies, with only 12 yrs of gas left and there has still been no credible independent cost benefit analysis. Should our Nation invest and subsidise mounting Billions into an ailing and seriously degrading industry, with our eyes closed, without analysis or information?

How many jobs, and how many sick, and at what cost?
Promises of "Thousands and thousands of jobs" by Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee Scoon, have fallen on the ears of 9000 villagers, who, according to Alutrint's own Medical Monitoring Plan, stipulates that the workers in the plant would have to be tested every year for cancer and that some 9000 people living in La Brea, Sobo, Vessigny, Vance River and Union Villages, including new born babies - would have to be tested every two years for cancer.

Respnsible officials should not politicise jobs knowing fully well that the facility planned for Trinidad employs 600 when it is complete, and even this was twice as many persons as a similar facility in South Africa. Will our treasury once again be able to afford to subsidise another overstaffed State Enterprise?

The ominous facility is to be managed by the son of a known PNM advisor and party activist, Mr Ken Julien. Is this a 2.4 Billion family gift to be squandered unaccountably as has happened with UTT?

The award of a Certificate of Environmental Clearance to Alutrint by the Environmental Management Authority has been challenged by three NGOs and is presently before the Judiciary. Is that of no concern to the PNM Cabinet? Would a democratic leader not wait until the judicial process unfolds? Are we being led as a Nation, to take the example of China, which does not have democracy, and which bulldozes and brutalises opposition?

No doubt China will benefit from a readily available supply of aluminium, especially at the market forecast for a depressed cycle for the next 15 years. But how will depressed prices benefit Trinidad and Tobago especially since we will have depleted gas reserves, increased medical costs and sick southerners, and an anchor on the neck of the treasury?

Inevitably it is the population that is at risk of being pauperised by economic mismanagement, and poor planning. In civilised countries matters of such grave public importance goes to a Referendum. In galloping dictatorships it is quite the opposite.

These are matters for the Truth Drummers who will play for change on May 23rd at the St James Amphitheatre.