Photo Blog Reflection

Photo Courtesy: Nisha Kong

Over the past ten weeks it has been a very enlightening educational journey posting to our blog. We set out with a new open eye towards our beautiful island of Trinidad in order to capture various instances of which urbanization has impacted negatively on our country. Visiting places from north to south of Trinidad we captured a variety of photos which efficiently illustrated the various negative impacts urbanization has caused. It is our hope that these photos capture the attention of our blogs viewers and educates them so that these effects can be reduced. 

We placed an emphasis on the degradation caused by urbanization mainly on the environment as it leads to a large number of interconnected impacts of which needs to be reduced for the betterment of society. This core theme has been visited by our fellow classmates, which indeed shows it is a cause for concern as it receives much attention. We have chosen three blogs which relate to ours in order to spread the awareness and show the severity of importance in taking action to reduce said negative impacts.

The three interrelating blogs to our theme were:

Darryl James and Jenice Culzac

http://costofurbanisation.blogspot.com/  

Related- pollution, traffic congestion

Darryl and Jenice's blog was one of our most interesting reads, it was written in a style that captures and keeps your attention while informing and educating you throughout the reading. They focused on topics similar to ours such as pollution, traffic congestion and to a lesser extent crime and air pollution. The incoperation of academic models within the posts further aided in their explanations of what their photo depictions show.

Kaaria Quash and Jameel Smith

http://urbangeographers.wix.com/port-of-spain 

Related- pollution traffic congestion

Kaaria and Jameel's blog focused mainly on the urban centre of Port of Spain, and they highlighted both the highlights and shortcomings of the city. The blog was insightful as we have not been to some of the places included, so it was a kind of mini-field trip of sorts. They backed up their photos and explanations with strong academic sources and reasoning. Their blog post on traffic was able to link with ours to show that the urban areas are high density areas plagued by traffic congestion issues. Similarly both blogs had posts which showed the pollution generated within the cities during the Carnival celebrations. This blog showed that issues highlighted in our blog were also present elsewhere, as seen in this blog.

Ryan Dhanraj and Rommel Dookeran
http://urbanslums.blogspot.com/ 

Related- Shows negative impacts of urbanization in the form of slum creation

The blog done by Ryan and Rommel was most definitely a very very long read, but also one that contained a tremendous amount of information as it contained posts that related to numerous areas within the country, and  also links to current events in the country with examples. They often showed the historical background of some places which further aided in showing how places developed to their current from. The blog focused on a similar topic of ours, which was the negative impacts of urbanization, they chose to be specific to the slum areas, and thus focused on the lower income, squatter settlements. They still showed that even in these areas issues such as pollution and crime, which was not only present in the urban centers, but also the suburban landscape and slum areas.

As we close the blog post, we will like to thank all of our readers and to our peers who often offered advice on our topics and posts. This had indeed been an eye opening experience as we both see urbanization and development from a different perspective, and question the implications of each stage of becoming developed. It also took us on a semester long journey across the country, compiling photos everywhere of possible topics and discovering places we have never visited previously. In closing we would like to thank Ms. Priya Kissoon and Ms. Karina Ali for allowing us to have this assignment which engaged our interest in the field of Urban Geography, our country and our environment. Thank You!!!

Urban Power Centres

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The above photos shows a view overlooking the Port of Spain area, from Westmoorings, while the second photo shows an overhead photo which was taken from an airplane. Both photos show a lovely well lit sight that forms across the landscape. But lets look deeper!!

Why does the capital city need all of that lighting? After all it follows the urban model set forward Harris and Ulman, so the CBD should not have that many inhabitants at night, yet it seems to have the most lighting. 

Most of the lighting is used for advertising, aesthetics and security purposes. But even as a security measure, better alternatives can be used such as camera systems, or even using only half the lighting. This is compounded by Mycoo(2006), who states that,"The upsurge of crime in the poststructural adjustment years of the 1980s is associated with drastic cuts in public spending, unemployment, and poverty that became entrenched among the masses." This simply shows that the rising crime ha led to increased security being needed to cope with possible robberies or looting.

The photos shows high energy consumption by the residents and business owners alike, heightened by the Regulated Industries Commission has ranked Trinidad and Tobago as having a level of energy consumption per capita in 2011 of 6,264 kWh per annum, the 28th highest consumption per capita level in the world..

These problems are only made worst by the fact that almost all of the energy used in the urban areas comes from conventional power generation practices which includes the burning of fossil fuels, and not much alternative sources of energy. These power generation methods expel high concentrations of gasses which contribute to global warming and the smog which often covers the city area.

There must be stricter regulations put in place around energy consumption, as the low cost may be one of the driving factors behind the high consumption patterns. Also more solar panels can be introduced to power these lighting fixtures instead of using traditional methods of power generation.

References:

1. The retreat of the upper and middle classes to gated communities in the poststructural adjustment era: the case of Trinidad Michelle Mycoo
   http://myelearning.sta.uwi.edu/file.php/32678/mycoo_2006_Trinidad_gated_communities.pdf
   
2. PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
   http://www.ric.org.tt/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Promoting-Energy-Efficiency.pdf

Is Rivers Becoming Our New Landfills!!!

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 There is always the saying that Trinidad and Tobago's landfills are nearing capacity, so will we have to find  a new area to utilize??? It seems some citizens have began to use the Guapo River in Point Fortin as their landfill, as is seen in the photos above.

Illegal dumping is prevalent here, as trucks use the track shown in photo 1, to cross the river and dump their contents in the bushes behind. however much of the refuse also falls onto the river bank and the rivers course. Since most of these materials are not biodegradable it poses serious threats to the ecosystems health. Risks such as flooding also come into question with the build up of materials in this slow meandering lower course stream.

This raises the point made by Rees(1992) who stated that the developing countries will place higher emphasis on development, and less on the ecological repercussions. Indeed there will be repercussions as the chemicals released by the reuse will enter marine organisms. Bio-accumulation and bio-magnification  can then directly affect humans as the concentrations of these chemicals builds up in these organisms over time, and consumption will allow the chemicals to enter our bodies.

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The second series of photographs depicts other activities at the same site, opposite the location where the illegal dumping occurs, is an oil sand quarry. This quarry also affects the river as its runoff effluent is seen on the river's surface as slicks of oil (photos 8 and 9). The close proximity of this industry to a water course adds more danger to the ecosystem.

Forestry Versus Economic Gain

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Recently there has been quite a stir in the news due to a mass deforestation project which is occurring in Las Cuevas, North Trinidad. These photos shows the extent to which the said project has stripped the land of is natural covering. It is important to note that the entire area was densely forested as its surroundings prior to the deforestation.

While the area looks big, it is actually bigger than the few photos may show, as an approximate 468 acres are being cleared for development by a private owner. This clearing of the land poses a question on which is values more, the natural environment or economic gain, as the rising calls to protect the environment in the face of rising global warming seems to be out the door as the land is stripped to facilitate the development of another concrete jungle.

Is this really development?!?!?!?!

The clearing of land so close to the coast will result in increase run off into the rivers, which will affect the freshwater/saltwater balance on the coast, and have a harmful effect on the lives of the fishermen in the village. This will also cause disruption and fragmentation in the habitats of organisms. This can greatly affect feeding relationships and affect food webs for species who thrive in that area.

Concern will also be on the cards for the Las Cuevas beach, which was granted the "Blue Flag Beach" title, the first of any Trinibagonian beach to achieve that status. Effluent runoff into the waters will make the waters running into the beach more pollute, which can cause the beach to lose the status it currently holds.

Additional concerns must arise over the slash and burn technique which is being use to clear the land. This not only releases greenhouse gases into the air, but contributes to a decrease in the carbon sinks. These fires can easily spread into the nearby forested areas causing large forest fires, which can harm the forest, its animals, as well as human lives and homes.

More must be done by the relevant authorities to regulate land clearance for development, and also the conduction of an Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) to determine the full extent of the damages the project may cause, and then determine its feasibility.

More news articles on the project can be seen below:

1. Las Cuevas project sparks fisherfolk worry - http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-04-01/las-cuevas-project-sparks-fisherfolk-worry

References

1. Las Cuevas first T&T beach to be designated as a 'Blue Flag Beach' - http://www.looptt.com/content/las-cuevas-first-tt-beach-be-designated-blue-flag-beach

Disregard For Authority With Illegal Dumping of Tyres

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The irony of seeing heaps of garbage at the base of a no littering sign, yet this is a very common occurrence in many areas of Trinidad and Tobago. 

In the above photos, taken along the Southern Main Road in Curepe, we see heaps of old tyres an crates, stacked on the side of the side of the pavement, in close proximity to the main road and a near by sign that warns against littering. Clearly the large hole in the pavement which is also a health risk to commuters also shows neglect by the regional cooperation, as it does not seem to be a newly formed hole. 

This must be a source for concern as the tyres can accumulate water which will lead to the breeding ground for rats, cockroaches and mosquitoes, which harbor diseases which are harmful to human health, such as dengue and more recently the zika virus. The close proximity within the urban sprawl can lead to mass breakouts of these viruses.

Both Rees(1992) and Childe(1950) spoke on the large build up of surplus waste, which comes from the greater ecological footprint which these urban centers posses over the surroundings. Due to increased consumerism, more materials are used and discarded on a regular basis.it can also be safe to assume that the garbage collection does not collect such items as seen in the photos, so the owners left them on the roadway as their option of "getting it off their hands". Rees also said that the third world countries acks proper disposal systems, which would account for the build up of the old tyres.

Surely there must be more measures put in place to handle such persons who pose a threat to the environment and other humans in their surroundings. More enforcement of litter laws are required to deter persons from committing such acts, also insect vectors should also pass and spray areas to ensure that they eradicate any possible pests that may use these spaces as a breeding ground. Other systems of waste disposal will also assist in the removal of these items, which are not picked up by the regular garbage collection trucks. Finally, education is always the key to solving problems, and thus more public education should be done to educate, inform and deter persons from doing activities as shown in the photos above. The issue of the damaged manhole cover is also an issue which should be taken up with the regional cooperation, as it is a hazard to any one who may step into the hole.