Rating the Environmental Record of Hippo & Moya Pons

[Keith R]

Well, folks, next week the Administration of Hippo is history and Frank Moya Pons leaves as Environment Minister. The General Environment Law, and the creation of the Environment Ministry, was one of Hippo's first acts, believe it or not! (I still have trouble believing it!)

How would you write up the balance sheet of the first four years of the new Law and Ministry? What are the accomplishments, what are the failures/shortcomings?

I have my own opinion, of course, but will hold my tongue until others have had their say because I want to hear other perspectives.

If you wish to do this the way some of my British friends do it -- "bouquets" (cheers, positives, pluses, successes) and "brickbats" (boos/hisses, negatives, minuses, failures), that would be fine.

Have at it, folks! Don't be shy! Nothing Hippo can do to you now!

[Dolores]

Must reading for anyone interested in the Dominican environment...

"Doctrina y politicas de medio ambiente y recursos naturales" by Frank Moya Pons.

This is dramatic reading featuring many of the inside stories of what Moya Pons was up against, including that his worst enemy was the same government (provincial governors, city mayors, the military, even the President) that had appointed him. He got a taste of this when 15 days after the President signed the Environmental Law, the President himself violated it with a decree authorizing Pepe Hidalgo of Air Europa to build a hotel within the protected park limits.

[Keith R]

Originally Posted by Dolores

Must reading for anyone interested in the Dominican environment...

"Doctrina y politicas de medio ambiente y recursos naturales" by Frank Moya Pons.

This is dramatic reading featuring many of the inside stories of what Moya Pons was up against, including that his worst enemy was the same government (provincial governors, city mayors, the military, even the President) that had appointed him. He got a taste of this when 15 days after the President signed the Environmental Law, he himself violated it with a decree authorizing Pepe Hidalgo of Air Europa to build a hotel within the protected park limits.

D, how can those of us interested in reading it get ahold of a copy?
Thanks,
Keith

[Dolores]

ISBN 999-34-996-2-5

Will try to get you a copy for your next visit here. Eventually I suppose it will be for sale at La Trinitaria book store. It's a 664 page book.

[Keith R]

Originally Posted by Dolores

ISBN 999-34-996-2-5

Will try to get you a copy for your next visit here. Eventually I suppose it will be for sale at La Trinitaria book store. It's a 664 page book.

Thanks, D. Large books don't scare me. I'll see if I can find it here stateside using the ISBN number. Although maybe I can use the book copy waiting for me in SD as an excuse to visit SD sooner! Yeah, that's the ticket! LOL

I had hoped that my offer to the Fernandez Administration to provide my services on waste policy without charging a fee would prompt them to invite me down to talk strategy, but guess they were not interested....so my return to SD will have to await next vacation time...

[Criss Colon]

It $ucks!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can pass all the laws you want,blame everyone not responsible for everything,say you are going to do one thing,and then do another,it doesn't mean a damn thing!!!It doesn't mean a damn thing if the President is going to authorize the sale,(Some times give away) of prime government owned real estate,often National park land!Just like absolutely everything else here,if you can make a buck on it,the country be damned!!
Cris Colon

[Keith R]

Originally Posted by Criss Colon

It $ucks!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can pass all the laws you want,blame everyone not responsible for everything,say you are going to do one thing,and then do another,it doesn't mean a damn thing!!!It doesn't mean a damn thing if the President is going to authorize the sale,(Some times give away) of prime government owned real estate,often National park land!Just like absolutely everything else here,if you can make a buck on it,the country be damned!!
Cris Colon

While I agree that the record overall is heavily negative, believe it or not (no pun intended!) I personally think that there have been some positives ("bouquets") too. I am not going to list them quite yet, because I want to see if anyone else thinks so too and which ones they suggest...

Both CC and Dolores have mentioned sale of national park lands to developers as a "brickbat" for this administration. Any other specific examples? C'mon, folks, play along!

[Lambada]

I am struggling to find a "bouquet" - maybe the recent investigation, & published results of, polluted fuels? I'm not sure if the practice has been stopped (yeah, well!) but at least publishing it is a start.
But I would have to award a brickbat for the substandard housing erected at Jimani. I know this is more INVI than Dept. of Environment, but it clearly has environmental consequences.
And why when one changes ones car placa, don't they request you hand the old one over & use it as scrap metal? Instead of all the old placas becoming so much rubbish?

[deelt]

Potential Positives
There might have been some regeneration of fauna and flora. But I can't back that up. I think the webpage of the Environment was very professionally done and it's contents on the surface seemed progressive. Also there also seem to be an increasing promotion of ecoturist sites but I am not sure if that is necesarily a direct reflection of MoE's agenda. Seems like a superficial contribution...

Potential Negatives
On the cross links between energy and environment, housing and environment, waste mngt, hazmat, transport (thus air quality), water quality and water resources management (esp. as it relates to power generation and daily potable water consumption)

On mining I saw some docs that I was not happy with that were probably with the endorsement of MoE.

Just hard pressed to find anything with any certainty.
D

Originally Posted by Keith R

While I agree that the record overall is heavily negative, believe it or not (no pun intended!) I personally think that there have been some positives ("bouquets") too. I am not going to list them quite yet, because I want to see if anyone else thinks so too and which ones they suggest...

Both CC and Dolores have mentioned sale of national park lands to developers as a "brickbat" for this administration. Any other specific examples? C'mon, folks, play along!

[Criss Colon]

and turning them in for "scrap".It seems that a junk car has a value as scrap of $80 US!
THis might have the potential for abuse like the "Bounty" on stray dogs.The definition of "Junk" might come to include any car not chained down!
The "Bounty" program on stray dogs will never work,they will steal every dog they can find to collect the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!!!

I see a huge warehouse on my way home each day where they seem to be bundleing scrap paper for recycling!
If it is going to work here,money has to be the incentive!With a peso "Bounty" on all beer,and soft drink bottles and cans,you might get some recycling!
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