I was in Bonaire about 3 weeks ago. Truely a magical place!
But, way way way too many vehicles!!!
What is up with all the vehicles on the carribean islands!!!

It's as though the big auto manufacturing gods just came down and handed everyone a luxury present of freedom and laziness...
I was disappointed in that.

On most of these islands, a vehicle (big vehicle) is not required!
Especially Bonaire - its flat for the most part!

I should see small vehicles. Scooters - saw none.
Electric vehicles - saw none.

Kind of disappointing.

The islands are totally self sustainable!

Can live off the land pretty close to 100%
Don't know how good you have it!
Too many people taking advantage of a good thing!

If I lived there, I would be in heaven!
Can ride a bike all year around.
Grow food in the garden all year around.
Live with minimal amounts of layered clothing.
No need for heating.
No need for cooling.

You should come way up to Canada - its tough living. Total dependency on stores.
Total dependency on heat.
Can't use solar because we only get the direct sun light 2 months out of the year.
We have bugs for 3 months out of the year, so the beaches can only be used 2 months out of the year.
Snow and ice.
Salt on roads, you need to buy a new car every 4 years.
Heat is expensive.
They say we are to run out of easy to get at oil by 2015 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil )
Can't grow very much.
Have to eat froozen food for most of the year...
The only good thing we have is a supply system.

What I would give to be in Bonaire!

Take care of that island!
I should see it totally sustainable!!! With wind power and solar power!!!
And, electric vehicles!!! Small electric vehicles!!!

And, careful of loosing some of the prestigous areas - flamigos! Amazing!!!

The only threat you have is global warming -
http://www.climatecrisis.net/

in which case, most of the island will be under water.
Best that you try to get the world to switch off coal, fossil fuels, and oil...
For your island will eventually be under water as the north and south poles melt.
They say this is going to happen by 2013 now, not 2025 as projected.
Not much time...

I hope Bonaire is not effected. But, it will be...
It's a fantastic island. Almost like going to heaven.
If anyone wants to adopt me... let me know! I'll live there in a heart beat (I'm a green freak, so I don't take up much space nor need much to live...)

btw, before anyone criticizes - I biked the whole island. Took about 3 hours... that includes the reserve as well.

Best to visit this island via bike. Boy oh boy are the taxis drivers going to run me over now for saying that!!!

Good god, we have become too dependent on the vehicle.
It will change our genetics for the worse.

JAC welcome to BT. You are right on many points. Our comments on this thread echo your same concerns.

I will say that as vehicles go I am still pleased to see no stop lights on the island. Compared to many other places the vehicle load on Bonaire is tolerable.

Self sustainability is definitely more likely on Bonaire than most other locales and is the direction the island is moving.

JAC - here is a piece from Bonaire Insider:

Bonaire Strives Toward Becoming First Caribbean Island Powered by Total Sustainable Energy
In its continued efforts to become powered by 100 percent sustainable energy, Bonaire announced today that the Phase One Wind Farm should be completed this year and that full conversion is planned for 2012.

In 2007, the island government, which takes pride in the island’s beauty and nature preservation, agreed to a multi-faceted project to reduce its dependence on fossil fuel energy by developing an energy system comprised of an 11MW wind farm, 14MW biodiesel plant, and a 3MW backup battery. Ecopower Bonaire BV, a consortium consisting of Evelop, Enercon, and MAN, is spearheading this project that is expected to complete its first phase by the end of 2009.

The project developers have already completed the installation of a pilot 330KW wind turbine, whose current energy production exceeds any initial expectations. Accordingly, 12 additional 990 KW wind turbines are being installed on the north coast of the island, where wind and surf conditions are most ideal. By the end of 2009, these wind turbines should produce 44% of the island’s energy. The remaining 56% will be produced by the planned 14MW biodiesel generators, utilizing fuel derived from algae, which will enable the island to shift to 100% sustainable energy supply within five years.

All electricity generated will be delivered to WEB (Water and Energy Bonaire). After completion of the entire project, Ecopower Bonaire BV will remain owner of the wind-biodiesel system. (Source: TCB-NY)


Posted by Susan Davis on February 17, 2009 at 1:34pm AST
Government • (3) Comments • Permalink

Wouldn't it be nice to live in the Utopia that you describe JAC? The problem is, that is unrealistic.

Could you please tell me one single place in the world that has electric cars that you speak of. Or could you even tell me a car manufacturer that produces these small electric on a mass scale for purchase?

Electric cars are available on Bonaire but only a few at the moment. Many more scooters than ever in this past year so that helps the green movement.

Progress does come slowly but the island is moving in the right direction.

Well.....its tough (at least for me) to get my dive gear to the remote sites without a vehicle. I guess I could wear it all and then bike there, but I'd probably be too overheated to dive anyway.

I agree that more "green living" is in order to sustain Mother Earth though!

JAC - First, I don't disagree with your message. I try to be a conservationist & minimalist too.

That being said...I find it hard to believe you "biked the whole island".... & it only took "about 3 hours... that includes the reserve as well." Biking could be an option for many, but it's not necessarily the perfect fix for all problems.

Again, overall I agree with you.

JAC, It is quite arrogant to tell us what you "should see". It seems that you need to get out more. Not all Carribean islands fall into some sort of idiotic stereotype that you have in your head.

People live on Bonaire. They go to work, drop the kids off at school and soccer games and go grocery shopping. They want the same things that we do back home........ luxury cars, SUVs, full size trucks and large motorcycles. Maybe you didn't see many scooters for good reason. Did you happen to lower your nose out of the air long enough to look at the condition of the roads?

Do you have any clue about the price of electricity on Bonaire?

I wonder how many cars could have been fueled up with the fuel that your jet consumed so thath you could go on vacation. If you were truly a minimalist then you would not have wasted resources and damaged the environment on something as trivial as a vacation.

Fid, I'm proud of you, I have been watching this thread since it was posted and wondered how long it would take before someone pointed out the real world to this idealist luddite. Fid you can also look forward to cheap green electricity in Bonaire's future.

I think we scared off JAC ! Bonaire is not yet at the green status it can be but it is moving that direction. Such a challenge for any community.

By the way recently I drove to west Texas to dive at the springs at Balmorhea State Park. Driving from Fort Worth west on I-20 there was about a 50 mile or so stretch of territory from Abilene west past Sweetwater or so with THOUSANDS of wind turbines. Impressive and more are planned. WOW is all I could say. That shows the efforts some communities and companies are making to produce totally green and renewable power.

Bonaire can and is doing the same. It is stepping in the right direction.

Jac , where in Canada do you live , Inuvuit ? Here on the west coast you can live off the land no problem . Use beaches 12 months a year , ride a bike wherever you want to go ...Speak for your own corner , I am embarrassed by your remarks . fellow Canadian

I ain't gonna say nothin'...nope, the lawyer is here again, and probably at least three magistrates ;-)

CB, I got us a couple of chairs and the cooler, wanna join me?

Jac is probably a one trick pony , having fun playing on the PC . It is quite easy to ruffle feathers here on BT.

It is really not that barren and bleak here in Canada , that little story was enough to invoke PBD and I am not ready , still have jet-lag and daylight savings time haunting me.

CYNDE! Glad you got her early and got the front row!


Got the sunscreen?

Lloyd, what instrument do you play, maybe you can serenade CB and I while we kick back, we'll pull a chair up for ya :-)

I'm going for ice....hold up til I get back...

can I have a wine cooler please

Me to - I have TSS - "Tax Season's Suck's"

I kinda like Bonaire?

I have TTS too...whew, I thought I was the only one!

Sorry, I only brought the tequila and lime....that's going to have to hold you til intermission.

Got the chips?

I do not have any Bright on hand , however , I have some Heinekens cooling in my ice cold garage , true . I will grab one and play margaritaville on my six string , I know you gals may not hear me but in our hearts ... we well all be one . kambaya

I'm really likin' this thread now....
I hear ya Lloyd

can you see us gals doing body shots with the tequila

hope not

Tinkers... "TTS" ???
Tequila Tastes Silly?

hmmmmm.... Tinkers Takes Siestas

maybe.... Tiny Taters Salad

Boom...lol...Tink Takes Siestas...that's a pretty good one...

Whew! I barely got here. My beer huggies empty...hang on...save my seat!

PS, have a seat. Not too close....they'll melt your toe polish when Act Two starts...

Yeah - I like the turn this thread has taken

if you're going to HiJack it --- well you might as well have FUN

ooops dropped the guacamole

Just don't drop the cerveza

Damn, I hope I'm not to late for all the fun! I brought some Godiva chocolates and get this....a solar powered misting fan!!! WHEW I am ready! My legs are really tired though from riding my bike good thing I trained on island!

I'm getting tipsy...I don't want to get a BUI (biking under the influence)...

How many have you gotten now, 3 in the last 2 weeks???

Tipsi!! I just fell out of my chair reachin' for another cold one!!! Do we have a bicycle built for 2??? I need a DB, designated biker!

Did anyone bring any Deet??

Fun Stuff...Smile Here...:-))...but still got TSS.!.!.!.

D.B. Cooper

We'll have to do this again soon...

HEY! WHO FINISHED OFF THE TEQUILA????

::Burp::
And you didn't even know I was here

Do you people have any idea how many old growth trees had to die a horrible lingering death for you to have your decadent drinks and hor-de-hors? The only possible salvation for any of you is to spend a month in northern California commune eating nuts and twigs while singing about mother earth to the redwood trees. Your auras are not aligning with your karmas.

I live on the island for almost 10 yrs,and i love it!first of all,biking the whole island in 3 hours that's impossible,since it takes 5 hours to drive around in the nat'l park by car already!!and the problem with the cars here,easy to tel you.....al those $%^&*#$ cruise ship people!!who destroy the island here.almost 250.000 a yr.come over in the season when there are no cruiseships here,from may till oct!!!you'll love it then,like we residents do at that time of the year.and that's how it used to be on Bonaire,till the cruiseships started coming here.
And one more thing,It alway's makes me kind of angry when foreigners tell us how it's supposed to be here on our island.every country/island has their own ideas and things,so live and let live......

I love vacations:

Could not agree with you more that dictates from outsiders is not a good thing. Folks must be able to determine their own destiny. I think most folks on here only want Bonaire and Bonaire people to have a good and safe island that has a bright future. For me if that meant isolating Bonaire from outsiders - so be it. That is not practical for many reasons. Few if any posters on BT would want anything negative for the island and the people.

I love vacations, 99.9% of the folks on this board feel the same way you do about the cruise ships. We even had a petition against them...so we hear ya.

Man am I hung over...you guys, PLEASE stop me from eating the worm next time will ya?

Tink, if you hadn't done all those jello shots while BUI you would have been much better this morning!

Now lets go eat some twigs and nuts and make Cecil happy! You know how he gets when our auras turn the wrong color!

Jac is obviously a fictitious character , probably a college kid doing a social report for grades , I will invoke anger into a group and watch results .
We all come out looking like a bunch of drunks.
Well done Jac.

Anything to help the children. You know, no child left behind. I wanna see his report!!!

Pass me another Bright...seems the tequila is gone!

Lloyd, better than us looking like a bunch of sociopaths, or angry, hating, bitter, people

Oh, and it's much easier to get drunk online. Can't figure that one out. There really are no hangovers though, so that's a good thing...;-)

Oh Lloyd at least we are looking like Happy Drunks!

Let's make a list:

A
Sociopaths
Angry, bitter people


B
Happy bunch of drunks


I'll take 2 from column B...


I've got my lawn chair and my cooler ready by the door.....

We have really hi-JAC-ked this thread!!!

Exactly!

It was the plan all along!

I have a folding chair and I'm not afraid to use it....

My chair is always in my car and ready to go....

oh wait a minute... I'm not supposed to have a car am I?

hmmmmm..... let me think!

Holy *&%% CB's getting the folding chair!! RUN.........

I think JAC is really Lance Armstrong playing with us