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Shadow minister addresses environment Published on Monday, February 22, 2010 Email To Friend    Print Version Wendy Been, the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) Shadow Minister of the Environment has addressed the protection of the TCI environment. Turks and Caicos has promoted itself as the “Beautiful by Nature” destination and Ms Been advocates preserving that posture. Ms Been is a qualified architect and is the first local woman to obtain a partnership in an architectural firm in the TCI. In the 2007 election, she was a candidate for office to represent Middle Caicos. She participated in the design of the large government building currently under construction in Middle Caicos. Wendy Been Born on this same pristine island, Ms Been provided the following comment: “The most important component in life is the environment. It is God’s precious gift to mankind.” In speaking to the stewardship of the environment she went on to say, “Tourism’s relationship with the environment is complex. It involves many activities that can have adverse environmental effects. Tourism can create great pressures on local resources, including the water supply, electrical power, sewage and solid waste disposal and telecommunications.” Ms Been, who currently resides in Provo, has reviewed development there firsthand. She believes that more emphasis should be placed on eco-tourism. “Eco tourism is considered the fastest growing market segment in the tourism industry. It combines the spirit of adventure and exploration with concern for maintaining the health of our natural, cultural and historical surroundings, while preserving them for today and future generations,” she said. Speaking to the fact that TCI tourism is based on sun, sea and sand, Ms Been mentioned the niche market of eco tourism fitting the unique and individual character of each of the islands. “Scuba Diving, snorkeling, kayaking, cultural tours, bicycling , historical tours are just part of this developing eco- friendly market,” she said. Ms Been also addressed recycling: “…in the Turks and Caicos there is no recycling programme. This could reduce the amount of waste being deposited at our dump sites around the islands. If recycling is employed we can triple the life span of these sites.” She indicated she had programmes in mind to teach recycling concepts in our schools and install a programme in each neighbourhood. “Government must address the issues of recycling aluminum cans, glass, plastic cardboard and paper. I favour a recycling incentive programme where residents who recycle would be rewarded. Proper recycling and waste disposal will have an impact of the health of our people and our environment,” she said. The Shadow Minister concluded, “After all the health of a nation is the wealth of the nation.”   Reads : 388 Back... Comments: Fred Skovberg: Ms Been's comments are encouraging in that for far too long we have ignored the impact of development on the environment. However, it is not just tourism that we should be concentrating on. The RFP, for a medical waste incinerator for the hospital, is woefully inadequate in addressing environmental concerns. Ms Been would be doing a valuable service to the residents of the TCI by pushing for a properly prepared RFP. In its present form the RFP has a high potential to create a long term health risk to the TCI. Back... Send us your comments!   Send us your comments on this article for publication in our Readers' Forum or as a Letter to the Editor. All fields are required and in the interest of openness and transparency we will no longer accept anonymous submissions. We therefore request that all submissions include a name for publication, regardless of content. We will in special circumstances protect a writer's identity only after we have established good cause for anonymity, otherwise we will not be able to publish the submission. For your contribution to reach us, you must (a) provide a valid e-mail address and (b) click on the validation link that will be sent to the e-mail address you provide.  If the address is not valid or you don't click on the validation link, it will be a waste of your time typing your submission because we will never see it! Your Name: Your Email: (Validation required) Comments: Enter Validation Code *