Dear Editor,
It was with disbelief when I read the news that “Environmental and human rights activist, Guyanese Janet Bulkan on Tuesday asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to order the halt of oil and gas exploration because fossil fuels were damaging the environment and causing a loss of livelihoods.” https://demerarawaves.com/2021/10/26/environmental-activist-bulkan-asks-inter-american-human-rights-commission-to-call-for-end-to-oil-exploration/
This comes shortly after International Lawyer, Melinda Janki called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to shut operations at Exxon’s Liza Destiny oil vessel and “make them pay” for the damage to the health and wellbeing of Guyanese as well as the environment” https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2021/02/01/exxons-flaring-shut-them-down-and-make-them-pay-melinda-janki/
Here I am, thinking that every Guyanese would want to have the best for Guyana and for our Governments to utilise the money made from the oil industry to develop the country. Unfortunately, it appears that these two intelligent women want to shut down the fledgling oil industry in Guyana and I cannot understand why.
To the ordinary Guyanese, it appears that these women would like to have Guyana return to the dark ages of no developments. What they don’t tell people is how many things used daily, by ordinary people, are made from fossil fuels.
Shutting down Guyana’s oil industry should never be an option. However, the industry needs to function under strict environmental guidelines for exploration and production. This is where our Government and the Environmental Protection Agency need to become more active so the oil can be explored and extracted using environmentally friendly methods.
Respectfully,
Jonathan Yearwood
