POF urges people to contact MLAs over NCL

Photo courtesy of Protect Our Future

(CNS): Local students are not letting up on their growing campaign to force government to do more to protect Cayman’s natural environment. And with many of them concerned about the threat to the National Conservation Law and government’s current review of the legislation to water down some of the provisions, the young members of Protect Our Future (POF) are urging people to contact their MLAs. They want the public to express their support for the legislation and encourage government to enhance, not gut, the law.

Government has convened a panel chaired by the premier to review the legislation, which was passed by the former environment minister, Wayne Panton, in 2013 — an historic moment for Cayman as there had been hard and persistent resistance to any kind of environmental legislation from the development and construction sector.

But since it passed unanimously through the House, the law has faced a continued onslaught of unjustified criticism from the powerful pro-development lobby, which has influenced politicians who once supported the law. This has led to a government decision to review and water down the protections it offers to Cayman’s natural resources.

But the country’s youngest adults are not impressed. Using social media to get their message out, Protect Our Future is urging people to fight back.

“The National Conservation Law is what protects the very things that support our beautiful island. The government should be strengthening this law not weakening it so that corporations can continue to overdevelop this island,” the teenagers said in a post on their Facebook page. “If this law becomes weaker, so does the protection for our mangroves, seagrass and reefs. Contact your local government representative and let your voice be heard.”

Speaking to CNS last week, Richard Weber, one of the leading young campaigners at the forefront of the environmental movement in Cayman, issued a warning to MLAs who support gutting of the conservation law that they will have to face the electorate and answer for their actions.

Practicing what they are preaching, Jack Paolini, Olivia Zimmer and Richard Weber, members of Protect Our Future and students at CIS, met with Capt Eugene Ebanks,  councillor for the environment, and Deputy Chief Officer Nancy Barnard at the Legislative Assembly last week to discuss what government is doing to address environmental issues on island. 

Although the students said the meeting was effective and informative, “there are still many steps that still need to be taken”. They added, “We hope we can continue to work closely with the government to make change for our future.”

Check out the latest episode of ‘Listen UP with CNS’ for more about government’s plans to weaken the conservation law here