Dear Editor,
The challenges of sustainable development are of a magnitude and complexity that far surpass the understanding of any individual or group
— S Schmidheiny.
The realities that face Jamaica some 51 years after Independence suggest that a complete revamping of whatever model we used to get here has to occur sooner rather than later.
With unemployment and poverty levels reaching all-time highs and criminality at crisis levels, there is a need for all stakeholders to play a constructive role in presenting sustainable solutions on the table.
Regulations must be complemented by economic instruments, not knee-jerk reactions to the possibility of economic developments. Without a detailed methodological approach to both environmental management and economical development, the two will continue to seem at odds with each other, when instead sustainable development requires a complementary approach.
You can't ask two teams who fundamentally oppose each other to adjudicate their own arguments. Instead, a global and still personal mechanism of accounting that addresses human needs and genuine environmental constraints is required.
The need now is for wisdom and environmental studies which include economic and social constructs that are transparent and robust. The need is not for name-calling or rigid stances on any of these issues as Jamaica needs more than posturing in order to move forward as a nation.
Wayne Williams
Mandeville, Manchester
wils25@hotmail.com
Grant true wisdom
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The challenges of sustainable development are of a magnitude and complexity that far surpass the understanding of any individual or group
— S Schmidheiny.
The realities that face Jamaica some 51 years after Independence suggest that a complete revamping of whatever model we used to get here has to occur sooner rather than later.
With unemployment and poverty levels reaching all-time highs and criminality at crisis levels, there is a need for all stakeholders to play a constructive role in presenting sustainable solutions on the table.
Regulations must be complemented by economic instruments, not knee-jerk reactions to the possibility of economic developments. Without a detailed methodological approach to both environmental management and economical development, the two will continue to seem at odds with each other, when instead sustainable development requires a complementary approach.
You can't ask two teams who fundamentally oppose each other to adjudicate their own arguments. Instead, a global and still personal mechanism of accounting that addresses human needs and genuine environmental constraints is required.
The need now is for wisdom and environmental studies which include economic and social constructs that are transparent and robust. The need is not for name-calling or rigid stances on any of these issues as Jamaica needs more than posturing in order to move forward as a nation.
Wayne Williams
Mandeville, Manchester
wils25@hotmail.com
Grant true wisdom
-->