Watch.
And I cite,
Bimini Island in the Bahamas lies just 48 miles from Miami, Florida and is an ecological wonderland.
But for the past 17 years, Bimini has faced serious environmental threat in the form of a US-owned development. Much of the Island's mangrove forest has already been dredged out to build luxury homes, a casino and most recently, a Hilton hotel. Just to the east of the development lies East Wells, Bimini's only remaining pocket of pristine habitat, but the development is growing and the latest marketing brochures advertise a golf course which will be the final blow to the people of Bimini and the ecosystem on which they depend.
A new government has just been voted into power.
This video is an appeal from the Biminites for the declaration of a marine protected area that will protect their environment. We call on the Hilton Hotel Group to do the right thing and halt any development that will destroy East Wells - a critical nursery area for all marine life in this region of the Caribbean.
Exhaustive article here.
3 comments:
Hilton Hotels has never had the integrity to discuss (let alone back away from) the disaster at Bimini at which it is the core, while posting nauseating hyperbole on its website about how seriously it takes its environmental responsibilities. I note their latest piece of garbage:
http://www.cr.hiltonworldwide.com/environments/
Their standard argument is that as the development has been agreed and is proceeding, none of this is Hilton's problem. They are perfectly happy to move in once the ecosystems of Bimini are destroyed and make their money.
The recently re-elected FNM party promised, years ago, a MPA that would have stopped the destruction and worst, of all, the building of this golf course. But having garnered plaudits from environmentalists at their supposedly genuine stance (their rivals PLP being the main pushers for the destruction of Bimini) they did absolutely nothing.
So will they do anything now?
Judging from the past, methinks most likely not - alas! :(
But who knows.
Anybody wanting to get involved can contact the Bimini Blue Coalition right here.
When I was heavily involved in this issue - a few years back - one of the saddest things was the apathy of the Biminites themselves. Many appeared even to resent outsiders fighting their fight. If they aren't prepared to stand up for their island(s) what chance do long distance outsiders have to influence things?
Let's hope things have changed!
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