- Damage our water supply
- Destroy the unique wildlife in the Cockpit Country
- Create health hazards (particularly hazards related to bauxite dust)
- Breakup our communities resulting in consequences that are still being suffered 30-40 years later by many of those present who have already been once displaced from St. Ann by the Kaiser Bauxite Company.
Alcoa, the world's largest producer of aluminum, has been mining bauxite in
"Unfortunately for the birds, landscape, and many communities Jamaica is pushing hard to extract every bit of bauxite from her soils to export for aluminum production, “said Susan Koenig of the Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group, a coalition of environmentalists, tourism industry representatives and schools. "The ecological damage wrought by the industry is astounding for a medium sized island," said Koenig. Koenig argues that damaging one of the worlds most important and spectacular karst landscapes to get at the bauxite underneath makes no long-term economic sense. Tourism generates 45 percent of
The Cockpit Country is in northwestern
The wildlife of the Cockpit Country is specially adapted to this unique landscape and numerous species occur here that are endemic, found nowhere else in the world. This is the largest remaining area of intact wet limestone forest in Jamaica and is a refuge for at least 79 of the 100 bird species found in the island, including Jamaica’s two endemic parrot species (the black-billed parrot, the yellow-billed parrot), also the ring-tailed pigeon and the plain pigeon The Cockpit Country is home to perhaps the only viable population of the endemic Giant Swallowtail butterfly; with a wingspan of up to 8 inches (20 cm) it is the largest butterfly in the Americas. As we write this, a new species of tree frog, endemic to
In addition to its rich biodiversity, the Cockpit Country supplies water for most of western
Several of the region's 300 caves, such as
The Cockpit Country holds a special place in Jamaican history because of its importance as an inaccessible refuge for the Maroons, who were able to force the British into signing a peace treaty in 1738. Trelawny is also home to the largest group of Maroons in the island.
The Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group is advocating that no prospecting licences or mining leases be issued without careful consideration of the views of this Group, which is planning a national and international ‘Save Cockpit Country’ campaign.
The stakeholders include includes scientists, educators and other members of Birdlife Jamaica, Bluefields Peoples’ Community Association, Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s Friendly Society, Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, Countrystyle Community Tourism Network, Dolphin Head Trust, International School of Jamaica, Jamaica Environment Trust, Manchester Environmental Protection Association, Negril Environmental Protection Trust, Northern Jamaica Conservation Association, the Plant Conservation Centre, Portland Environment Protection Association, Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency, the Sustainable Communities Foundation, and Windsor Research Centre.
Bauxite is a major driver of
The Nature Conservancy is working with three local partners, the South Trelawny Environmental Agency, the
The plan includes developing a field demonstration site that uses yam sticks made of recycled plastic instead of saplings.
Part of the plan is to offer tax exemptions or direct payments to private landowners who set aside at least 100 acres (40 hectares) of forest as a reserve.
The Conservancy is also training at least 10 residents of Cockpit Country communities as enforcement officers to patrol the area for illegal loggers and miners.
Consultant hired to determine borders of area home to Maroons
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) -- The Jamaican government has hired a consultant to determine the boundaries of a jungle territory home to descendants of freed African slaves who are fighting plans for bauxite mining in the area, the agriculture ministry said.
Ministry spokesman Rohan Richards said Wednesday the consultant would determine the borders of Cockpit Country, spanning four parishes in northwest
The government could use the consultant's information to decide what land does not belong to the Accompong Maroons -- descendants of slaves freed by the Spanish in the 17th century to repel invading British forces -- and can therefore be mined.
Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke said he withdrew a license for U.S.-based aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. and state-owned Clarendon Alumina Production Ltd. to begin bauxite mining in the area after the Maroons said they would not allow it and environmental activists threatened protests.
Sydney Peddie, the Maroons' leader, has said opening up the area to mining would breach a 1739 treaty signed with the British that gave them some 24,700 acres (9,995 hectares) in the inhospitable terrain of rocky cliffs and limestone towers.
For more information and or interview contact Glenroy Ennis who is an Agriculturist, Economist and Consultant in both field. He is from
Environmental Impacts of Aluminum Production
Pollution:
1 ton of cans produces 5 tons of caustic waste
Each ton washed, and refined into alumina before it is smelted, creating about 5 tons of caustic red mud residue which can seep into surface and groundwater. People and animals have suffered from the effects of bauxite mining in
Energy consumption:
3% of the world's electricity goes into making aluminum cans.
According to the International Aluminum Institute, about a third of the primary aluminum produced worldwide uses coal-generated electricity, 10% relies on oil and natural gas-fired electricity generation, 5% is nuclear powered, and about half uses hydroelectricity (dams). These dams flood vast tracts of land in some places and desiccate it in others, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem, threatening biodiversity, and forcing thousands of humans to leave their homes.
Climate Change:
Aluminum smelters release greenhouse gases and toxic emissions
About 95 million tons of greenhouse gases were produced by the global aluminum industry in 2005. Primary aluminum smelting also generates sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, which are contributors to smog and acid rain. In 2005, 50.7 billion
