The Borough of Arima is poised to be the first eco-friendly, environmentally conscious space in T&T.
It will take the borough millions of dollars to get to that point, but Arima Mayor
Lisa Morris-Julian is determined. “We are small yet big enough to get it done...I am really, really, really determined. Our goal is to get Arima green as possible.”
She said they have already started curbside recycling. “This is where we are going into neighbourhood by neighbourhood and within the next few weeks, by September, we should get the town centre into the recycling initiative to help us with regards to the recycling for example, taking the plastics, taking the tyres, making furniture out of wooden pallets...we want to reuse, reduce and recycle.”
Morris-Julian plans to use her influence to get everyone on board—individuals, NGOs, and neighbourhood groups.
“Already the schools have gotten involved in Arima, they are already taking part in a big big way. One school in particular, not in Arima but in the environs, collected over 100,000 bottles and we had to help to move it out,” Morris-Julian said.
She also plans to introduce solar energy in parks throughout the borough. “We are already using energy saver bulbs but we want to go a step further and replace all lights with solar lights.” s
Deputy Mayor Cagney Casimire said Morris-Julian was so serious about Arima going green that she left for Brazil on Monday to attend a six-day Green Conference where she will be exposed to best practices.
Casimire said Arima going green will happen in three stages:
•Short term will be the implementation of solar lighting and recycling.
•Medium term will be construction of pavements and stepping tiles using recycled plastic bottles.
•A long-term plan of three to five years will entail recycling and composting, which included acquiring facilities for the plant. A building has already been identified and will cost the borough $10 million.
“It’s going to take a lot of money but we are seeking advice in the interim with zoo officials who have already begun using recycled plastic bottles as tiles and a solar company in Trincity,” Casimire said.
Benefits of going green
Why go green? Everywhere you go people are talking about going green and how it impacts the planet. From plastic bags to chemical products, people are trying to come up with new and impactful ways that they can go green.
Going green is a personal choice that is embraced by individuals to contribute towards the betterment of this planet and make this a better place to live for future generations to come.
•In the long run, you are doing the right thing for the environment. You are creating a cleaner and brighter future for your children and generations after.
•When you go green, you are effectively reducing your carbon footprint. By reducing pollution, you are reducing the amount of energy that is being used and creating a greener and cleaner environment.
•Not only do you save energy as well as money but you have the opportunity to create useful items out of recycled materials. This helps you to become more creative and come up with new ways to be energy and material efficient.
•Eating green means eat local, organic and seasonal products. Eating green food have global consequences. When you buy and eat organic food and dairy products, you can boost local economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions required to get that food on your plate. Eating organic food will also make you a healthier person as it does not contain harmful chemicals, pesticides, and added hormones.
•By switching to renewable energy sources like solar panels, you can save considerable amount of money every month on your electric bill.
•Every year a large area of rainforests goes towards developing of roads, highways, townships, and agriculture. In short, due to increase in urbanisation, people are using the areas covered by rainforests for their own interests. Rainforests act as air purifiers and are lifeline for thousands of plants and animals.
www.conserve-energy-future.com
BOX
Boosting the Municipal Police force
In addition, he said the borough was moving full speed ahead to strengthen its Municipal Police force already adding a 25 more officers this week, bringing the number of officers up to 83. He said 20 more officers will soon be initiated.
Casimire said they just gave approval for a shopping mall and two other companies to expand in the area.