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MM Clean Campaign – What is Littering

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October 11, 2018 – Litter is nothing but a piece of waste or rubbish that has been disposed improperly, without consent and at wrong location. Littering simply means throwing away objects on the ground or leaving them lying on the ground instead of disposing them at garbage can, recycling bin or trash container. The waste that originates from houses, industries, factories should be placed either in recycling bin or waste to energy plant or at a site meant for disposing garbage.

Litter can originate from construction and demolition sites, households, uncovered trucks, pedestrians, and moving vehicles.  Apart from that, unavailability of garbage bins and being too lazy to walk to a  trash container are other reasons for littering.  Uncovered trucks, pedestrians and moving vehicles are some other

As far as littering effects are concerned, it has economic, legal and environmental impact in the form of spending millions of dollars in cleaning up litter, huge fine if caught littering from vehicle and damage to our surroundings that can have effect on plants and animals and can cause loss to the local tourism industry.

Plain and simply, littering is wrong.  We have trash and garbage cans for a reason, so why throw away your trash on the ground when you could throw it away in its intended place?  People still litter, largely for the following reasons:

–          Laziness

–          The area is already messy, why bother finding a trash can?

–          People don’t realize that with littering, there do come consequences

–          The garbage cans are already overflowing

–          My neighbor litters, so do I!

–          Really? It’s just one paper!

–          People are starving in Africa! What do you care about littering?

–          The garbage can is too far away

The list could really go on forever.  People come up with countless excuses to throw their piece of trash down on the ground instead of taking the short amount of time to find a garbage can and properly throw it away. But littering does have consequences, and here are some facts that may surprise you.  They include, but are not limited to, ecological, financial and lawful consequences:

Facts About Littering

  • Household waste, industrial waste, construction waste and other like packaging waste are most common types of sources of litter.

 

  • It doesn’t look to nice.  Places with high littering are also often riddled with crime, less values on homes and property, and are more likely to be the site of fires.  You could ultimately end up losing money on your house.

 

  • Litter on the ground degrades natural areas and kills plants and animals.  All that it takes is for a cat to get stuck in a bottle or a bird getting caught up in a soda can holder.

 

  • Billions of tons of litter are dumped into the ocean each year, and it is more than the 250 million trashes that is being generated each year too. When you toss your garbage on the sidewalk or on the highway, you may in reality be throwing it away into the Atlantic. This leads to the repeated killing of fish on a daily basis and the gradual depletion of marine life.  Believe it or not, the litter we produce are causing more underwater species to become endangered.

 

  • Cigarette butts make up over half of our littered objects, and they take a grand total of ten years to decompose because of a cellulose acetate, contrary to the popular perception that cigarette butts decompose very quickly in only a matter of days. In reality, cigarette butts are a serious threat to the environment.

 

  • The main causes of littering are laziness, ignorance, people don’t realize the effects of littering, the bins are dirty and not big enough, there are enough bins and moreover those bins aren’t emptied often enough, poor parenting and education, there is no fine for littering, one person can’t make a difference, no sense of pride, not bothered about effects of littering.

 

  • The most common littered objects include the following in descending order: fast food, paper, aluminium, glass, and plastic.  It turns out someone would rather toss their burger wrapper and empty soda on the street than find a garbage can, and not surprisingly, this is done on roadside and highways.

 

  • Litter can be controlled.  People need to be educated regarding ill effects of littering. Education plays an important role here. Children needs to be taught at elementary level as how littering can can cause environmental impact. They can also teach others they see littering and and teach them to dispose of garbage the right way.

 

  • Litter is smelly and dirty and can be dangerous and unhealthy for our environment. It affects communities and people who live there. It could be poisonous for plants and animals. It can have a severe impact on tourism.

 

  • Fast food wrappers and aluminium cans are two most common type of items that are found while cleaning litter.

 

  • Litter when not covered on a truck bed can cause it to blow out without the driver knowing.

 

  • Do not throw litter from a vehicle as it may cause damage to surroundings and can have a bad effect on local tourism industry.

 

  • Litter can hamper economic development of a community.  When new businesses look for a dynamic growing community where their businesses can grow, they would hardly be interested in setting up new ventures, if they see a lot of litter around.

 

  • Reducing litter is just a 3 step process: stop littering, pick up litter, report if you find someone littering illegally.

 

Article: Conserve Energy Future

 

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Bahamas News

Tired of Taking Notes? The new Samsung Galaxy S24 Will Transcribe and Summarize Your Voice Notes In A Snap! 

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NASSAU, Bahamas – Faster, smarter and more convenient than ever before, the new Samsung Galaxy S24 will revolutionize your productivity with its new Transcript Assist and Browsing Assist features. In the continuous pursuit of delivering innovative solutions that enhance productivity and user experience, Samsung Electronics is proud to introduce two groundbreaking features: Transcript Assist and Browsing Assist.

The Transcript Assist feature, powered by Galaxy’s advanced artificial intelligence, takes note-taking to a whole new level by enabling users to easily convert voice notes and conversations into useful and accessible notes. Whether in a business meeting, conference, or casual conversation, the Galaxy S24’s Transcript Assist makes capturing information easier than ever.

By utilizing Transcript Assist, users can effortlessly record any conversation with multiple speakers and transform it into a clear and concise transcript with just a few taps. This feature is particularly useful for those who need to keep a detailed record of discussions and decisions made during important meetings or collaborative work sessions.

“With Transcript Assist, we’re redefining the way people take notes and record information,” said Gianmarco Leri, Product Manager at Samsung Electronics. “No longer do you have to worry about missing important details during a conversation. With the Galaxy S24, you can capture every word and turn it into a useful reference that you can easily review and share.”

In addition to generating accurate transcripts, the Transcript Assist feature also offers the ability to generate quick summaries of conversations, as well as the option to translate the entire transcript into different languages, facilitating communication and collaboration among people from different regions and cultures.

On the other hand, the Browsing Assist feature allows users to navigate more efficiently and conveniently on their Galaxy S24 devices by providing intelligent and contextual suggestions during web browsing and online content exploration.

The Galaxy S24, equipped with Transcript Assist and Browsing Assist, marks the beginning of a new era of productivity and convenience in mobile devices. These innovative features demonstrate Samsung Electronics’ continued commitment to providing advanced tools that help people achieve their goals more effectively and efficiently in everyday life.

So, get ready! The new Samsung Galaxy S24 will be coming soon to tech stores in The Bahamas soon.

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Bahamas News

Weather Systems Affect Cuba and The Bahamas

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#Weather#Cuba#TheBahamas, March 25th, 2024 – Serious weather struck The Bahamas and Cuba over the weekend, both nations receiving warnings from their meteorological entities. The Bahamas was affected by severe thunderstorms.  In fact, an area of the Carnival Freedom Cruise Ship, which was 20 miles off Eleuthera, Bahamas, caught fire and reports say it was possibly due to a lightning strike.  Fortunately no lives were reported lost.

Meanwhile, Cuba had intense rainfall and hailstorms, resulting in damage to surrounding areas, thousands left without electricity amid fallen trees and Flash Floods.

 

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Bahamas News

Reef Rescue Network: Donor Event Charts the Course for Coral Restoration and Sustainable Tourism in The Bahamas

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#TheBahamas, March 26, 2024 – As the world grapples with the urgency of marine conservation, The Bahamas has emerged as a beacon of hope with its latest initiative led by the Reef Rescue Network (RRN). An alliance of dive operators, NGOs and businesses invested in coral restoration, the RRN recently hosted an immersive event for the British High Commissioner and representatives from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to provide a firsthand look—and dive—into the thriving heart of coral nurseries. The gathering served as a vivid testament to the progress achieved by the RRN and its partners in coral restoration efforts over the past two years, thanks to support from the Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility.

Fueled by its vision of harmonizing economic vitality with environmental sustainability, the RRN has strategically harnessed the support of the Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility grant, backed by the IDB, the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (UK FCDO), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the Government of Canada. This collaborative effort aims to amplify The Bahamas’ blue economy by integrating eco-tourism with a series of coral restoration projects, poised to transform the archipelago into a magnet for eco-conscious tourists and bolster the local economy with a sustainable model.

As a vanguard of coral conservation and education, the RRN’s expansive network spans over 50 nursery locations across The Bahamas, Aruba, and St. Lucia. Beyond mere conservation, the network offers tourists an array of Reef Rescue Experiences, designed to kindle a profound connection with the marine world. From specialized diving courses to snorkeling and shark conservation education, these programs do more than highlight the ecological significance of coral reefs—they empower participants to actively engage in safeguarding these vital underwater ecosystems, ensuring their preservation for generations to come.

The event, held earlier this month, was graced by the presence of distinguished participants including Thomas Hartley, British High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Claire Nichols, Deputy British High Commissioner, Daniela Carrera-Marquis, Country Representative for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in The Bahamas, and Claudia Stevenson, IDB specialist and team leader of the project. The day commenced with an insightful presentation on the RRN’s milestones, buoyed by the vital funding from Compete Caribbean and other donors, followed by a hands-on experience at one of the network’s coral nurseries located off the Southwest coast of New Providence.

Daniela Carrera-Marquis, an enthusiastic advocate for coral restoration, expressed her excitement about the innovative concept of coral restoration tourism. She said: “I am looking forward to completing my PADI Reef Rescue Diver certification and diving more to assist with coral restoration efforts in The Bahamas,” echoing the sentiment of engagement and direct action that the RRN aims to foster among its partners and the community. At the event, Daniela participated in scuba diving and performed maintenance on an underwater coral nursery while the others snorkeled and viewed the nursery from above.

The event not only served as a platform for appreciation but also as an eye-opener to the real-world challenges reefs face, as highlighted by Thomas Hartley’s reflections on witnessing the impacts of climate change firsthand. He said: “It was devastating to see the effects of coral bleaching on the reefs.” Coral bleaching is the process where stressed corals expel their colorful and life-sustaining algae, turning them white and leading to starvation, increased susceptibility to disease, and potentially death if the stress continues.

Over the past two years, with the support from Compete Caribbean and other donors, the RRN has made commendable progress in expanding and developing coral nurseries, enhancing the capacity of its human resources, and promoting coral restoration standards throughout the Bahamian archipelago. This includes the installation of 14 new coral nurseries, expansion of 4 existing ones, and the addition of 3,450 coral fragments to nursery units, significantly increasing the ecological benefits to local reefs.

Moreover, the RRN has successfully developed shallow water experiences for non-divers, introducing 35 “coral domes” across 10 dive sites, populated with 943 coral fragments. The living coral domes not only diversify the experience for RRN partners but also educates a broader audience on coral reef conservation.

The network’s efforts have also extended to education and community engagement over the last two years, with 81 Bahamian high school children educated on coral reefs and restoration activities. This engagement aims to instill stewardship behaviors among the youth, ensuring the longevity of marine conservation efforts.

Despite the setbacks faced due to the 2023 summer bleaching crisis, which hampered outplanting activities, the RRN remains steadfast in its mission. Coral reefs form the bedrock of The Bahamas’ tourism sector, contributing significantly to the nation’s $2.6 billion annual tourism revenue. With over two million tourists engaging in snorkeling activities annually, coral reefs serve not only as a magnet for visitors but as a sanctuary for diverse marine life, supporting over 25% of ocean species. The vitality of these ecosystems is also underscored by the lucrative shark diving sector, which generates $113.8 million each year.

However, these invaluable ecosystems are under severe threat from coral bleaching, primarily driven by climate change-induced ocean heatwaves. Significant coral loss was reported throughout The Bahamas in 2023, marking a distressing trend that could foresee the demise of coral reefs by mid-century without decisive and innovative conservation strategies. Hayley-Jo Carr, director of the Reef Rescue Network, said: “By harnessing resilient coral species and employing advanced restoration techniques, the RRN, along with its partners and the global scientific community, is at the forefront of a critical battle to preserve these natural treasures for future generations.”

As the RRN continues to navigate the challenges and opportunities in coral conservation, the support and involvement of its partners, donors, and the community remain crucial. The recent donor event not only celebrated the achievements but also reinforced the collective resolve to restore and protect the vibrant coral ecosystems that are vital to the marine life and communities of The Bahamas.

The Reef Rescue Network’s development and outputs over the last two years have been made possible thanks to the support of The Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility (CCPF) which is a private sector development programme that delivers innovative and practical solutions that stimulate economic growth, increase productivity, and foster innovation and competitiveness. The CCPF works across 13 countries and is a partnership between the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the Government of Canada. Further support has been provided by Disney Conservation Fund, Moore Bahamas Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and the Global Funds for Coral Reefs (GFCR), the latter of which is a blended finance instrument to mobilise action and resources to protect and restore coral reef ecosystems.

For more information on the Reef Rescue Network and how to get involved, visit https://www.PerryInstitute.org/.

 

Photo Captions: 

Header: Leaders in conservation and international delegates, including representatives from the IDB and the British High Commission, unite aboard with the Reef Rescue Network team, embodying a powerful coalition for coral restoration and sustainable development in The Bahamas.

1st insert: A highlight of the event, guests were treated to the rare sight of a spotted eagle ray, a reminder of the precious marine life the Reef Rescue Network strives to protect in The Bahamas’ pristine waters.

2nd insert: Daniela Carrera-Marquis, InterAmerican Development Bank Representative, meticulously tends to a coral nursery as part of the Reef Rescue Network’s hands-on approach to coral conservation, illustrating the powerful synergy between human effort and marine restoration in The Bahamas.

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