Greenlight news flashes

In what is perhaps an effort to entice us to her part of the world, (the other) Elspeth from Tasmania - our first international member - sent this lovely photo via e-mail.

Now we can put an image to what she said in her introductory e-mail about herself: “My parents and sister live in suburbia. I used to live there too until I discovered country life 20 odd years ago: cows and calves, paddocks, beaches, quiet roads, bird life, dolphins occasionally, really lovely. I don't live in that spot now, but I'm only 1/2 hr drive away from it. I look at hills covered in trees, and depending on the weather I can hear the river, which is only a few minutes walk away."

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In other news, today about 40-something students from Holy Cross College in Arima signed up for the Greenlight Network. Their names have not yet been added to the mailing list, but will be soon. Welcome, boys. You are now part of our rapidly growing Youth Arm.

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Today's Greenlight meeting

Today's Greenlight meeting was spent discussing logistics of the mangrove clean up on Saturday 6th May, 2006. Details are here. Thanks to Mr. Manswell (from RIM, the plastic recycling company) for attending the meeting and giving valuable input. All volunteers will be getting a call this week as a final confirmation of attendance on the day of R.E.B.I.R.T.H. (Recycling, Environment, Beauty, Innovation, Responsibility, Truth, Healing).

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Mechanics of the process

On the day, for the sake of efficiency, there will be working teams consisting of 3 people each:

1. The Fisher (fishing bottles out of the water with a special contraption)

2. The Drainer (draining water out of the collected bottles and putting them in the bags)

3. The Bagger/Piler (holding the bag open for the Drainer to put the bottles in, then piling the bags into a large heap).

The Plastic Bottle Collection and Recycling Project.

Dear Greenlights ... "The Plastic Bottle Collection and Recycling Project" is quite longwinded, so when Glen and I met this morning, we gave it a simpler name: R.E.B.I.R.T.H.

Recycling
Environment
Beauty
Innovation
Responsibility
Truth
Healing

Please jot the following vital information in your diaries.

Date of clean up: Saturday 6th May 2006

Meeting Point: Grand Bazaar, outside of X-tra Foods Supermarket (to go down to location in convoy or in car pools - Imbert would love that)

Assembly time at Grand Bazaar: 7:00 a.m. We can leave some cars there and car pool to go down. Those who don’t have cars can meet at Glen’s house (21 Lyndon Street, Curepe) between 6 – 6:30 a.m. sharp. Any later than that and we will be gone.

Location of clean up: Mangrove area near Felicity cremation site, Chaguanas, Trinidad

Everyone please be on time. The earlier we start, the better (and cooler).

What you need to bring:
Insect repellent
A cap, hat, sunscreen
Bottle of water for drinking
Something simple for lunch

What to wear
Long pants and sneakers

What will be provided
Long gloves
Garbage bags
Soap

Clean up start time: 8:00 a.m.
Break: when you are tired, rest. When rested, return
Finish time:
(i) optional (stop when you can do no more)
(ii) 2 p.m.

Each of our projects will be documented in video and photographs. I have been allocated as the documentor for this initial stage of the mangrove project (photo & video). Documentation will be used for marketing, funding and educational purposes.

We have a creative team with us. Subsequent documentation can be undertaken by Fay or by Liam, Rianna and Anika (Youth Arm).

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Click here to see the names of R.E.B.I.R.T.H. project volunteers. Final names will be confirmed at our meeting on Tuesday 25th April, 2006.

Become a Volunteer

Right now, the mangrove in Felicity, Chaguanas looks like this ... on a 'good day'.

HOWEVER ... Greenlights want it to look like this!

Below is a list with the names of Greenlights who have signed up as volunteers for the mangrove clean-up/plastic bottle recycling project on the weekend of 6th and 7th of May, 2006. This list will be updated as more sign up.

SIGN UP HERE

TO VOLUNTEER!

(Volunteers in alphabetical order)

Anika
Cathal
Dyanand
Elspeth
Emma (Liam’s sister)
Fay
Fay’s son
Glen
Liam
Mitra

Ranger Rangbak
Rianna
Rosanna
Sita

The Greenlight Network logo & rationale

Greenlights, we are moving along swiftly.

Presenting our logo.

The three figures stand for the three aspects of our operations:
1. Creative action
2. Activism
3. Awareness

The three images have multiple visual meanings. They represent:
1. People coming together on behalf of Nature
2. Trees (symbolising Nature)
3. People with their arms upraised, holding green hearts (symbolising love and respect for Nature)

The number three also represents the three eyes with which we see (our vision):
Two, everyday human eyes enable us to see on a practical level what work must be done on behalf of Nature. Our Third Eye, the seat of spiritual vision, empowers us with intuition, heightened awareness and inner guidance, ensuring that our steps lead us in successful and effective directions.

(Logo design: © 2006 Elspeth Duncan)

Mangrove cleanup project

Dear Greenlights,

We are making progress in our plans for the collection and recycling of plastic bottles (from the mangrove, in the first instance). A few of you have already signed up for the mission.

Those who have attended recent Greenlight meetings will know that Glen, project co-ordinator for this venture, has made contact with Recycling in Motion – the company in San Juan which has agreed to chip or crush the bottles we collect and export the chipped/crushed plastic to global recycling companies.

The time frame for the first (volunteer) clean-up has been pinpointed as

the weekend of 6th and 7th of May, 2006.

A proposal has been written, to send to companies for funding the project.

This image shows a shameful carpet of plastic bottles choking the mangrove in Felicity, Chaguanas. Come on, humans! You know what bins are ... or do you?

Those interested in volunteering to assist with the clean up just have to e-mail us and indicate their commitment. Come and get your hands dirty (or rather, get your gloves dirty) and bring some relief to the mangrove in the Felicity, Chaguanas area.

This is not what mangrove areas were made for.

Love

Photo: Elspeth Duncan

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We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them.

We say we love trees, yet we cut them down.

And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved.

- Author Unknown -

The Greenlight Youth Arm

We welcome the Youth Arm of Greenlight Network: so far, Liam, Rianna and Anika ... enterprising and creative teenagers with their fingers on the pulse of this nation's major environmental concerns. Have a look at a recent e-mail they sent out to their peers (below):

YOUTH of TrinBago!

Our right to live in harmony with our God-given green, healthy and beautiful environment is being threatened! Our future is in danger! We are the future of this country and right now our tomorrow looks very dim. Are you prepared to let a handful of politicians, decide the fate of our heritage?

The government is willing to destroy the immediate livelihood of our brothers and sisters on the Southwestern Peninsula of our island… IT DOES CONCERN US ALL! Remember we are ONE BODY ONE PEOPLE ONE LOVE! Besides, the effects of a smelter plant are far reaching. We can’t possibly keep all the polluted air in the South!

So you’re probably asking, “What is this about?”

There's a Master Plan in the Island of Trinidad that calls for the industrialization of South Trinidad.TWO ALUMINUM SMELTERS, a dozen other Gas and Energy Based Industries and more. Our main fight is against the two aluminum smelter plants, as they are most hazardous to our country! We pinpoint the company ALCOA (the world’s biggest polluter!), who is behind the bigger aluminum smelter plant proposed in our country and the BIGGEST in the Western Hemisphere!

So PLEASE as an intelligent youth of our nation with rights…
GET INFORMED, GET INVOLVED visit www.nosmeltertnt.com

Invitation to join us

Photo: Elspeth Duncan

You are invited to JOIN THE GREENLIGHT NETWORK.

We are people who care about the Environment from a heart level and recognize the importance of healing, creating awareness and finding solutions for issues that are affecting our natural surroundings.

Our aim is to not only identify problems and find solutions, but to act and achieve positive, long term transformation. We will associate ourselves with local and international bodies whose expertise will guide and support our actions. For now, our acts may be small but our positive intentions are huge … and with the right support we can move mountains.