|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 15 July 2002 |
 |
|
 |
Letters | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Sports Obituaries
|
Please forward your letters to editor@dailynews.lk in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
Wildlife conservation has no political or national boundaries. Nelson Mandela, as patron of the Peace Parks foundation, sponsored the Formation of Transfrontier Nature Reserves in Southern Africa. These reserves sometimes encompass land belonging to many countries, which were at war with each other. Joint management plans were devised to run a conservation area as a single ecological unit, and tourists who enter one park may now pass freely into another park and back again, thus increasing traffic and revenue to both areas. Peace Parks were proposed a century ago, in Africa. They could be considered as high risk but high reward proposals. The National Peace Council could initiate a pilot project at the Wilpattu Game Sanctuary. Wilpattu has an area, which includes Anuradhapura, Puttalam, and the Wanni. Sustainable development could be encouraged around the park, then people living there would take an interest in the park. It is the community component that is the key to the long term success of a peace project. The World Bank and the Asian Development bank have suggested stakeholder schemes in their wild life conservation plans. The National Peace Council could participate in an honorary capacity in these schemes, with the NPC district committees as ground observers. The Peace Parks proposal could be introduced through the Ministry of Environment. Elmo Alles - Colombo 03.
As a Sri Lankan living in Canada, it was so gratifying to read from your paper that doctors from the south had visited the north to examine and treat Tamil patients (Daily News, July 6th). I was also delighted to know that a team of doctors from Maharagama visited Jaffna previously to help cancer patients there. For a war weary community that has gone through so much of hardships, the doctors' visits must have been a dream come true. In a world of territorial, ethnic and religious conflicts where thousands of people are being killed and maimed year after year, it is indeed a solace that our two ethnic communities are beginning to understand and trust each other. It's heartening to see that after so many years of mistrust and intolerance, our people are beginning to break barriers and build bridges of goodwill between communities. As a Tamil who lived among Sinhalese most of my life, I would be happy to see that Tamils aptly reciprocate the good will shown by their Sinhalese brothers and sisters. It is a fact of life that it's harder to sustain trust than establishing it, but appreciation and timely reciprocation is always a good reinforcer. I yearn for the day my country returns back to normal where people can once again love and respect each other and celebrate diversity. I long for the day my country will regain its reputation as 'Resplendent Island'. As a way of fostering inter-racial unity, the government should introduce cross-cultural studies in schools so that we can inculcate a sense of respect and understanding of each other's language and culture. Student volunteer exchange programs between different provinces could help bring about a desirable climate for harmony among our youngsters, which is an essential precursor for nation rebuilding. People of one community could adopt children orphaned due to war in the other community. This may seem like a far cry, but for a country with ancient and in many ways admirable cultures, this is not unachievable. Our media too can play an important role in nation rebuilding. In a multiethnic country, where best and the worst are possible in racial relations and attitudes, the media could work to reduce misinformation and to disseminate facts straight and honest. May god bless you all. R. NAGARAJAH - Toronto, Canada. There has finally been an awakening in the citizens of our country to the absolute danger that is ever present on our roads. Our collective ire has now been directed towards the bus driver as the perpetrator of the carnage on the highways. Even the Police and other authorities have singled out the bus driver to vent their spleen upon and direct the heat away from themselves. Nevertheless, it is advisable to start somewhere, but is targeting bus drivers, the answer. No, not by a long chalk. What is the purpose served, if a surgeon amputates a patient's toe when the entire limb is gangrenous? Bus drivers are only a part of the problem. The causes of accidents are legion, and frankly, the blame can be most justifiably laid at the Government's door. No, not this Government alone, but the powers that have been in the recent past. It is the total apathy of both Central and Local Governments authorities and the Police force that has contributed to bring traffic conditions on our roads to this abysmal pass. This averment can be easily proved by an examination of the causes of accidents. Accidents don't just happen. They are caused. The proliferation of un-road worthy vehicles on our roads is due to the apathy/cupidity on the part of our RMV and Police. The unleashing of incompetent motorists is also due to RMV and Police indifference and/or corruption. MONTE HOLSINGER - Colombo 3.
We as researchers and users of meteorological data, are keenly aware of the importance of maintaining its quality. Hence we are alarmed to learn that a good part of the land of the Department of Meteorology Observatory in Colombo is to be handed over to house British High Commission offices. Construction and urbanization close to the Observatory will lead to changes in wind and temperature measurements and possibly other measurements. It is not possible to reliably distinguish the impact of urbanization from that of climate change. Indeed, it is doubtful whether international standards of data collection can be maintained. Handing over the land, will also preclude the expansion of the Department so that it can cater to the emerging demands for weather and climate services. We also know that it will be damaging to move this station as the impact of relocation on the observations cannot be identified easily. It is important to maintain continuity of data records. Interpretations from meteorological data are needed for many purposes such as estimating the scope of climate change, understanding the implications of air pollution, assessing likelihood of floods and droughts, designing water resources systems, providing aviation services, planning for wind and hydro-electricity generation, designing habitable buildings, and understanding the impact of climate on the health of the public. Hence maintaining meteorological data quality is of wide-ranging and far-reaching importance. In addition, due to various environmental problems, such as global warming, it has become more important than ever to understand our climate. In this respect, Sri Lanka is blessed in having good historical meteorological data with our best record available in Colombo. This record is one of the finest in the tropics next to Madras and interpretations from it are of international importance. Hence, damaging the integrity of the data would be considered with alarm by the global environmental community. Hence, we earnestly appeal that the lands of the Department of Meteorology be not handed over to the British High Commission. We also appeal that support for environmental data gathering in general is enhanced. Sri Lankan and International Scientists I was interested to learn that the Cabinet has approved a proposal to construct a coal-fired power plant at Trincomalee. The decision has been taken that the benefits which will accrue from this will far outweigh any environmental problems which may arise. This is precisely what I reported in my lecture at the Institution of Engineers in 1988 (Please see the following article : "Coal-fired thermal power and the environment" in Engineer-Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, volume 16 of 1988, pages 48-52). This only goes to show that the country would have been saved a lot of grief if decision makers and the general public had read and taken to heart articles published by informed scientists. If the present decision had been taken at that time we would have been well on the way by now to becoming an industrialised country and the improved economy would have made a very substantial contribution towards the reduction of the poverty which leads to conflicts and crime. We would also have saved for the time being the very large sums expended on feasibility studies on the Norochcholai and other sites. Major environmental benefits which can arise following the construction of coal-fired plants include the following: 1) Once the economy improves and the general population can afford to use electricity and gas for cooking, we will no longer need to cut down our forests for fuelwood. It should be noted that many factories also still use fuelwood for their operation. Fuelwood and agricultural residues still constitute the major source of energy in this country. It is quite unnecessary that we continue with such practices in the twenty first century. 2) Once we have a stable and reliable source of power and energy (independent of monsoons), we can invest in an electrified urban and suburban rail system which will take the pressure off our roads and eliminate to a very large degree the pollution emitted into the environment by our vehicles. (A functioning electrified rail system will also reduce the deaths and injuries reported every day on our roads.) Another benefit of using the option of coal as an energy source is that should another "Gulf War" occur the economy of this country could quite easily be strangled if a blockade takes place of shipping from the Middle East. Coal is obtainable from a multitude of sources. If the problem of siting a coal-fired plant at Norochcholai was the presence of a shrine, the possibility should be investigated of moving the shrine to another location. This is not impossible - for instance, archaeological sites are moved if they are in danger of being submerged following the construction of a dam. The concerned parties can find the funds to undertake this. Another lesson to be drawn from the present problem is the need to have more and better science education at all levels of society. In the twenty first century not only decision makers but also the general public need to have at least a sound basic science education to equip them with the capacity to take and understand informed decisions. If we continue as we are, we are destined to remain for all time gatherers of firewood and suppliers of cheap labour to the rest of the world (and the dump of used vehicles and other equipment rejected by the Japanese). ROHAN H. WICKRAMASINGHE - Colombo 7. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
