Social Impact with Emma » bauxite mining : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Tourism’s Fragility Exposed

February 29th, 2020

I am not an economist (and I may well be corrected by my friend and fellow blogger Dennis Jones, who is!) but recent developments have given me the sense that Jamaica depends too heavily on two areas: Tourism and Bauxite Mining (an unsustainable activity – how much longer do we plan to go on mining? […]

Cockpit Country: Is It Really All About the Boundaries?

November 29th, 2019

Ceiling fans whirred and night sounds crept through the windows of the Webb Memorial Baptist Church in Stewart Town, Trelawny earlier this evening. A Town Hall Meeting was in progress, streamed live on Facebook on the websites of the sponsors, the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), the Public Access Channel (PAC) and the Jamaica Gleaner. […]

Health Care Reform: Promoting Wellness and a Healthy Environment

June 9th, 2016

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton has been doing a good job so far at keeping the Jamaican public informed on the strange complexities of the Zika virus. My husband and I recently had a bout of it; the only good thing about it is that it doesn’t last long. His huge portfolio, however, extends well […]

Something in the Air

June 30th, 2015

“I think it’s the air.” So said a friend, seeking to console me as I complained about my ongoing ill health (regular bouts of coughing, etc. – I will spare you the boring details). She got me thinking. I learned recently that air quality – air pollution – is now the world’s largest single environmental […]

The Cliffhanger of Climate Change: Where Are the Citizens’ Voices?

June 10th, 2015

The French do love the word “citizen” (“citoyen” in French) and I like it, too. It signifies strength and purpose; someone who has a positive role to play in their nation. So on Monday morning, I was pleased to attend a “citizens’ debate” organized by the French Embassy in Jamaica, to discuss the broad issue of […]

Dissecting Development: What Does It Mean for Jamaica?

May 27th, 2015

I have had an interesting Labour Day weekend. A series of wide-ranging conversations has set me thinking, so forgive me if I do a little philosophizing this week. It all began with this question: “What does development mean to Jamaicans?” If we threw this word out to the average Jamaican, what would first come to mind? […]