After reading many of the different topics relating to the environment such as Is your Hotel Green, or Does Bonaire Need Tourism, Stop the Impending reef Crisis,& Reducing Waste(to name a few). We should all look at ourselves, where we live and what damage our own cities, towns, and the Big Cooperation’s have done to environmentally impact the world. The environmental issues are a Global concern.

I grew up in a very small town, 25 miles south of Boston. My family moved here back in the mid 50’s, when I just 3 years old. As a child my friends and I would play in a brook that ran behind our homes. This brook interconnected with other streams that emptied into small ponds. We also grow up with a large pristine lake. It was the center attraction for the town. Swimming lessons, BBQ’s, many summers and 4th of July were spent here. My own children learned to swim here. Little did we know, that all those years, as children, while we hunted for frogs, turtles and fish, and ran in and out of the water did we know that the town dump was leaching into this little brook and pristine lake.

8 cases of MS and over 25 cases of cancer. All within a small ½ square mile area.

Not only did the town dump leach into these water ways, but so did every home’s septic system that was located along the shores of the lake, and almost every square inch of town. Years later, as many public fresh water lakes and ponds were closed because of high bacteria counts, did the state or the towns do anything. The towns closed and capped the 100’s of landfills statewide. The state came out with a very strict septic policy called Title 5. But the damage was done. Vegetation has overtaken the many once pristine ponds and lakes (and this the officials blame on the Canada Geese and many ducks that summer there). The lake that I grew up with, froze ever winter. We had so many good times skating with family and friends. Now the lake never freezes completely (I wonder why?).

Boston has a major cleanup of the bay and the Charles & Neponset River. They invest on a new and improved sewer treatment plant. This does clean up the ocean and rivers, however every time there is a heavy rain and the system can not handle it, raw sewage flows freely into Boston Harbor. And on a 90 f day, the beaches get closed.

2 years before the new Title 5 came into play, we had our system replaced. Everything goes into one tank, and then flows into 3 more tanks before it is leached back into the soil. Too bad we didn’t have a pump system put into place, as we could have used this water for our lawn & shrubs. As I see all these so called Mega Homes watering lawns everyday, we choose not to, as we want to conserve, so we just let the lawn burn. This does have a few perks, as we save on gas, as we don’t have to mow the acre or so.

Many years ago, we burned wood to heat our 2,000 sq ft home. When that big mega furnace’s heat exchanger let go, we replaced it with a combo oil, wood & coal. Furnace.
I am sad to say, this past spring it was replaced (an emergency I might add) for an oil furnace. Now at over $4.00 a gallon, we are not looking forward to next winters heating bills. I sure do wish we could hit megabucks, so that we could get a solar panels installed.

15 years or so ago, our town started a recycling program. Everyone bitched & moaned! But when we started to have to pay as you throw, many who recycled saw huge savings.
My other half is a very anal recycler. As I walk up my street in the early mornings of trash day, I can’t believe what I see in the recycle containers. Maybe if the other half saw this, he wouldn’t be so anal.

Automobiles: Yes I drive an SUV (It does get 24 hwy). After years of driving on the road, and at times in trucks, I prefer to be up high. It gives you a much better view, and I feel safer.

Bonaire is very special place. My husband and I would not have purchased a home there, if we had not felt the way we did about the island. There are many people on the island who are heard or try and make themselves heard. Many are respected and a few are not. Changes are happening both good and bad. Progress can be a slow process. Even in the states things take time (Just look at the BIG DIG). Things just don’t happen overnight.

So my questions to everyone are: Do you know where your •••• goes? Do you conserve Energy (How many of you use air conditioners in the summer)? Do you recycle? Do you conserve water? Is anyone totally GREEN?

Thanks for listening.

Jan,
Thanks for your post. Does make one think.

My answers:
Yes, I know where my s**t goes. (I guess those red dots are in lieu of that word?!) It travels an intricate pipe route for approx. 2 miles to a customer of mine; a regional waste water facility. They happen to be smack in the middle of a multi million dollar upgrade to better handle my s**t. Their motto is if I s**t it they get it

I try to conserve energy BUT will not sweat, ever, so run my AC all summer long and never open the windows as we have allergies.

We do recycle every Thursday. I recycle plastic, metal and aluminum; no papers as we don't get a paper.

I can't honestly say I conserve water but I don't water my lawn; ever. I do turn water off to brush and then flush.

I guess I am not totally green; but sometimes am with envy.
Good post to get us all thinking and maybe acting!

Excellent "food for thought" wherever you are. Well done!
Skip

Well said Jan, I just posted very similar thoughts on Antony's thread.

Just a side note - My lawn currently has a beautiful tan IMHO, my neighbors you could play golf on. We all have well water and I asked him once why he continues to put water and chemicals on his lawn, no real answer back. Nice people but we don't talk much, very different views and my beautiful blue spruce between our little worlds.

Jan, hope to met you on Bonaire someday as I think we would get along.

Think Global - Act Local.

Patrick

Thanks for the replies. With all the differnt discussions on Bonaire Talk relating to basically the same issues. I think many of the readers would find it interesting in what others do at their home base.
Yes, I feel that there are many things that the Government of Bonaire should do. Whether it is has to do with the environment, crime, education, housing, employment,who gets certain jobs, animal rights, etc. We can write letters to different agentcies on the island & We can talk to public officials. We can boycott the island and not go there or maybe better yet, just don't shower, eat, drink, leave your valuables out, don't lock your windows and doors while you are in your rental units (not sleeping)and of course don't tinkle or ••••.
What it all comes down to, is that we are visitors to an island with a differnt culture & differnt ways of doing things. Progress will happen! Whether it is fast or slow. I just hope that the important things are taken care of first.
I would also like to add, that many years ago (18 or so), there was an area that I used to horseback ride through. There were all these open pits that were filled with raw sewage from a private owner who used to pump out septic systems. It was also legal to do this. Then the state decided to ban this practice. Now there are 5 acres of pristine woods ( that backs up to conservation land) that is on an EPA hot list.

Kobi, I did write ••••, but when it was posted, the red dots appeared.
Patrick, we are always on island late Jan - middle of March. If you are there the same time period, lets have a few brews.
Thanks Skip!

Some words are on the profanity list, and this 4 letter word is one of them.

Hi Jan, we will miss you on island as I am a CPA and tax season vacations are out for a few more years at least. We get down May/June for a few weeks then again in the fall with any luck.

I appreciate your post, as it is real easy to comment on things/issues on Bonaire and be critical of the government, but whats going on in your backyard is also a valid question?

Patrick

This is a great thread.
We recycle and have drought resistant landscaping so only have to drip irrigate 5 mins each day. I hand water my veggies. I'm learning more about organic gardening.
The main thing I'm trying to change for us is just not putting so much into the landfills. Hubby has a habit of throwing out items that in reality we can refurbish or give to a secondhand store. Even he has changed his tune in the last 6 months (could be the economy!).

I love how much easier it is to find answers to 'greening' up our homes and communities.