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08-24-2004, 11:18 AM
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Gold
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,731
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Tony Cabrera
It is so sad that we dominicans will not take responsability, last time i was there in Punta Rucia i brought a bunch of plastic bag with me and everytime i saw a group of people either talking or playing dominoes i will give them two or three bags with a big smile on me so they will not feel offended.
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What a great (& simple) idea Tony!! As the "Boss" in this household says ...... 'Damage Control'!!! Planning for things that CAN go wrong & taking pre-emptive action to ensure it doesn't!!
Do you think that Dominicans would take exception to a Gringo/Gringa passing round the plastic bags too?? Maybe if we had the same "I'm not trying to offend but be helpful" smile that you show, we could get away with it too?? I am going to try it anyway.
KateP.
Yes, there used to be Manatee in the lagoon there - on the ecological trip we guided for a boat would take the guests out into the lake for one hour (morning trip & afternoon trip) & generally move around until a manatee or two broke service. I never saw one (always looking the wrong direction!!) but many swore that the did. Regrettably it was also a drug smuggling area at the time & violent reprisals against the tour owner (breaking down of the huts & natural loungers he had built) & the threatening of the security guard, forced the trip to be closed. - Grahame.
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08-24-2004, 11:37 AM
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Gold
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 8,047
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Originally Posted by newuser
Chris,
Can you tell us what your experience was at Punta Rucia concerning Simon and Nicky's thread posted as:
Rubbish on the beaches |
Of course there is a trash problem. But I need to put this in perspective - It is not Punta Rucia that has a trash problem, it is the Dominican Republic that has a trash problem. Punta Rucia is no better and no worse than anywhere else I've seen. I did not see it as bad as what Simon and Nicky's thread describes. Possibly we were there at a quieter time with fewer people. I do not know.
What I did see, is that there is no usable toilets near or close to the beach at Ensenada. To tell you the truth, my little granddaughter peepeed behind a tree as the local toilet (longdrop) was not fit for use.
In my opinion, the only way that a problem such as this can be solved, is by strong and decisive action by the city fathers to clean up, to set and enforce fines if someone litters and to make proper facilities available. Again, in my opinion, the AI busses that bus people in by the 100's to enjoy the area, should take some responsibility. Besides the trash around the area, I think this behaviour is exploitation of the worst kind. It is a community problem and the community can make money out of it by managing their trash if they do it right.
Now mind - these are my opinions, I am not willing to debate them, or get into a shouting match about them. Any good idea is welcome. Shouting and Frothing at the mouth because of this will not do anyone any good. If you want to stay away from Punta Rucia because of the trash problem, please do so.
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08-24-2004, 12:59 PM
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"Believe it!"
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,949
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Chris
Of course there is a trash problem. But I need to put this in perspective - It is not Punta Rucia that has a trash problem, it is the Dominican Republic that has a trash problem. Punta Rucia is no better and no worse than anywhere else I've seen. I did not see it as bad as what Simon and Nicky's thread describes. Possibly we were there at a quieter time with fewer people. I do not know.
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You are correct. This is a problem throughout the DR. In Punta Rucia it is perhaps more noticeable than on other beaches because there is not a local government or group of private businesses sponsoring daily clean-up of the beaches as there is elsewhere in the DR. But I have photos of trash even in places where such clean-up occurs, as in Cayo Levantado in Samana (including an empty antifreeze container on the beach there, of all things!).
I would not say it was much worse in Punta Rucia than elsewhere in the DR, but it was bad.
Quote:
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In my opinion, the only way that a problem such as this can be solved, is by strong and decisive action by the city fathers to clean up, to set and enforce fines if someone litters and to make proper facilities available.
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Well, I'm not even sure Punta Rucia has municipality status, so it has no public financial resources and police power to speak of. [HB, you must know -- does it?] Even if it did, fines on the books would probably mean little where police routinely accept "money for gas" or "money for breakfast" to look the other way...
There is the additional question of just what "proper facilities" are for a place like Punta Rucia, so far from any established municipality and whose road is too difficult to expect trash trucks to come make regular collections. Should they have a local mini-landfill? Can they even do so safely, being so close to the sea (water table) and a protected national wildlife reserve?
Quote:
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Again, in my opinion, the AI busses that bus people in by the 100's to enjoy the area, should take some responsibility. Besides the trash around the area, I think this behaviour is exploitation of the worst kind.
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I dislike the AI buses, especially since they unloaded just next door to where I was staying while at Punta Rucia. But in all fairness, the people on those buses had nothing whatsoever to do with the trash on the public beach. As far as I could see, they never even went close to the public beach. Instead, they were immediately shipped out by boat to a sandbar out on the reef. No, the trash on the public beach was caused overwhelmingly by local Dominicans, I am sorry to say.
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It is a community problem and the community can make money out of it by managing their trash if they do it right.
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I agree. Question is -- ever the case in dealing with litter, waste and recycling issues -- how best to educate, motivate and organize them to do so.
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Now mind - these are my opinions, I am not willing to debate them, or get into a shouting match about them. Any good idea is welcome. Shouting and Frothing at the mouth because of this will not do anyone any good.
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Not sure why you're being so defensive. I don't see anyone shouting or frothing at the mouth, as you put it. Not yet, anyway. We are discussing, not arguing about, a problem that concerns all who love the DR, and would like to see places like Punta Rucia from being spoiled.
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If you want to stay away from Punta Rucia because of the trash problem, please do so.
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Not me. I want to go back -- soon as I can get back to the DR. What I would like to do, however, is not just go back to enjoy the beauty of the area and the great seafood. I would like to go back armed with some ideas and local contacts that might help address this issue.
Best Regards,
Keith
(The DR1 Environment Forum moderator)
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08-24-2004, 01:04 PM
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Silver
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 168
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those pics are worth a thousand words. I cant believe the amount fo styrofoam plates I seen on the sand and just one sack tied up to a tree to hold the trash. I think that trash was dropped there by the DR locals that go to that spot. Maybe if the governor can spair some $ to put a huge billboard asking every1 to play their part with their trash and some trash cans might help. But, IMO the further away you get from SD, the less regards locals have about anything. It's definitely a less stressful life than being in the grind in SD. Keith R, if you allow me to use your pics, I'll email them to the major news papers in SD to see if they would find it in their hearts to put whoever is in charge of that area on the spot about the trash.
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08-24-2004, 01:10 PM
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DR1
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Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 9,035
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Maybe we could have a trash watch here on DR1?
People send us photos and we post some details etc.
Shame people into cleaning it up...
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08-24-2004, 01:15 PM
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"Believe it!"
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,949
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Robert
Maybe we could have a trash watch here on DR1?
People send us photos and we post some details etc.
Shame people into cleaning it up...
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Good idea, Rob! I would be glad to host it on the Environment Forum. And I could get it started with some of my other photos from last year's trip....
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08-24-2004, 01:27 PM
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"Believe it!"
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,949
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by quejeyoke
Keith R, if you allow me to use your pics, I'll email them to the major news papers in SD to see if they would find it in their hearts to put whoever is in charge of that area on the spot about the trash.
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Quejeyoke, you're welcome to use the pics as long as the source is credited, namely my website, www.temasactuales.com
And folks, sorry to say, there's a lot more photos like that where they came from. I only picked two to illustrate the point....
Best regards,
Keith
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08-24-2004, 01:34 PM
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DR1
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Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 9,035
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Keith R
Good idea, Rob! I would be glad to host it on the Environment Forum. And I could get it started with some of my other photos from last year's trip....
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When you have time, email me the photos and some text so we know the location etc. When I have a few, I will open up a seperate forum for you Keith.
Thanks.
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08-24-2004, 01:35 PM
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DR1
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Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 9,035
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Keith R
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Opps....
- Site is under construction -
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08-24-2004, 01:37 PM
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"Believe it!"
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,949
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Robert
Opps....
- Site is under construction -
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 sorry about that. My techies say the link should work shortly.
In any case, the credit for the pics remains the same.
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