Are We Caring for the Environment in Cuba?

Are We Caring for the Environment in Cuba? / Yoani Sanchez

Posted on November 24, 2013



A man dressed like a mechanic pours liquid from a tank into the sewer. A

few yards away, two boys are scrubbing a motorcycle and the soapy water

runs off onto the ground, watering the roots of some nearby trees.

Several neighbors have set fire to a pile of trash: dry leaves,

branches, but also a couple of batteries, a portable radio and even a

laser printer cartridge. After re-using it a dozen times, the restaurant

cook pours the burned oil down the sink, that is if he doesn't take it

home for his family to eat. The hairdresser upstairs does the same

thing, when she tosses the used hair dye down the toilet. This

irresponsibility in the treatment of waste products extends across the

entire Island. Few are aware of the ecological damage caused by ordinary

daily activities.



Separating trash such as cardboard and glass, which is natural to

others, seems like a chimera in a country that hasn't even solved the

problem of efficient trash collection. Even today the containers on the

corners overflow, bringing the flies, health hazards and stink that now

make up an inseparable part of cities like Havana. Thus, it's hard work

to awaken awareness in a population whose priorities still center on the

so-called community services working at all. However, much of the damage

that we are causing to the environment is irreversible, and requires

urgent measures to slow it down as quickly as possible.



The State sector is the greatest predator of our ecosystem, with its

enormous factories that spew chemicals into rivers and the oceans, its

many sugar plants without oxidation ponds, and its thousands of vehicles

that don't meet environmental standards. In addition, all this is hidden

by the absence of transparency, the falsification of statistics and the

prohibition on independent organizations that could address such

behaviors. Nevertheless, we as citizens also have to share a good part

of the blame.



The lack of an environmental mindset is felt in every detail of our

lives. It's notable, for example, the self-confidence with which so many

Cubans cut down a tree, cement over their backyard where plants used to

grow, throw chemical products into the water, mistreat and kill animals,

or simply toss out recyclable materials. It's not enough to ask children

in elementary school to plant a bean seed to foster in them a love of

nature. It's also not enough to show ads on prime time TV calling on us

to preserve the planet on which we live. Caring for the environment has

to become a part of educational programs, strictly addressed in the law,

and promoted in all areas.



The emerging civil society should also adopt this banner. Without

lowering the torch of human rights and democratic changes, it's time for

civic movements to create environmental defense strategies for this

Island we will bequeath to our children. Groups that report incidents

against the ecosystem, organize recycling training programs, and try to

protect natural resources should all take on a leading role. It's great

that we want the coming generations to be free, but we must start by

guaranteeing we have a country to bequeath to them.



The clock is ticking. Nature does not wait. Tomorrow there will be no

turning back.



The post ¿Cuidamos el medio ambiente en Cuba? appeared first on

Generación Y – Yoani Sánchez.



24 November 2013



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