http://www.nepa.gov.jm/Adverts/negri...on_project.pdf
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Rob's assessment is correct. I first saw the beach in 1969 and had a water sports business from 1973 to 1986 and I saw the beach change many times. As with most beaches in the world it's always a dynamic situation. The sea giveth and the sea taketh away.
I realize that many of the signers of the petition are well intentioned but perhaps it's was a bit of a knee jerk reaction.
Just one sailor's opinion.
Well, I stand by my signature. And even though my post was removed, I'll ask TR again - I'm open to hearing about something that you think is more globally important that needs attention so that WE ALL can be part of the solution as opposed to part of the problem. In my opinion the environment is a global issue.
Nick, do you have a link to that article? Rob, its OK to post a link, correct?
RG777,
No posts of yours have been removed in this thread other than the ones you removed yourself. If you are asking TR or Jamaican Revelations the above question, you are asking it here for the first time. No question or post of yours was removed. Please do not misinform people.
As for wanting to share copyrighted information, using links to relevant copyrighted information is the correct way to make such posts. Re-posting copyrighted information is not allowed just as you have complained about others posting your copyrighted photos.
>>If you are asking TR or Jamaican Revelations the above question, you are asking it here for the first time. Please do not misinform people.
Thanks for noticing Rob
As for her, it is nothing new.
>>I'm open to hearing about something that you think is more globally important that needs attention
More globally important then this, well just about anything...& they all would be way to many to list & let alone for the sake of feeding into your constant badgering
That's what I thought Rob just confirming.
I posted something on this thread yesterday and it wasn't here today. Techno oops perhaps. I certainly wasn't "misinforming" anyone intentionally. No matter, all that I need to say on this matter has been said.
Peace!
RG777,Quote:
Originally Posted by rastagirl777
You said a post that you never made was removed. That is intentionally misinforming people.
Here is a link to the article re Mullins Bay, Barbados where the construction of groins (jettys) contributed to the loss of the beach due to a halting of the natural sand migration. http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-35816900
About the size of the beach now. When I first set upon the Negril Beach in 1969, it was very narrow with coconut palms reaching the waters edge in places. When I was a science teacher, many moons ago, one of the experiments that we did in the Earth Science class was to observe the effect of a jetty on the migration of sand along the coast. We did the experiment in a small wave tank and the result was a loss of beach down stream from the jetty. That was a 9th grade experiment. I believe that the most important thing that can be done to protect Negril's beach is a replanting of coconut trees and related vegitation where ever possible, combined with a concerted effort to revitalize the coral reef.
I still see people calling this a JETTY project and objecting how the unspoiled beach view will be ruined.
Was my first thought too, based on the title of the Thread, and posts on this board and others.
But that was before I read the proposal from the Sandals' consultants.
In a nutshell, here is the situation.
Because of where they are located on the beach, just south of a huge, natural sand-flow blocker (the Point Village land mass that separates Bloody Bay and Long Bay compounded by Booby Cay Island) it is as if they are on the downward side of massive natural jetty and the sand-flow to their beach is not as good as other areas of the beach.
Because of this, sand they have replenished their beach with in the past simply eroded away way too quickly.
They don't think they can run a multi-million dollar beachfront mega-resort without a decent beach and they can't wait possibly years for mother nature to swing their way and deposit it naturally.
So they either have to move to a better beach location - or find a longer term fix to the situation than just continually transplanting sand.
In a nutshell, here is their solution.
The plan is to put in off-shore underwater wave-breaks to keep the sand they are going to transplant from an off-shore site from being eroded away so quickly.
This is way better than the simplest solution - a huge jetty at the south end of their property that would essentially "steal" the sand flow from their downstream neighbors and ruin the view to boot.
To me, this seems like a minimally intrusive way for them to do it. I think we're lucky they have the money to spend to do it in a responsible way. A smaller resort without their resources would have probably gone with the cheap fix of a huge jetty we all THOUGHT they were planning.
The problem with the Sandals proposal is not in the proposal but in how it is explained to others that lack a full understanding of the issues. Too often people react in ways that are not pragmatic. And if a crowd is involved, the reactions can be really off the mark. Petitions are like that sometimes. You get stopped on your beach walk by someone that looks friendly, they ask a question that is a bit misleading such as "Do you want to see cruise ships coming to Negril?", you answer in the negative, and are asked to sign a petition about beach erosion.
Back in the 1970s I was involved in designing and engineering a power plant that burned a combination of coal and trash. We won national and international engineering awards from our peers and the city was 100% behind it. Solved both a power problem and reduced the landfill requirements. The press called it the "Trash Burning Power Plant" and that was when the problems started. It was built on a swamp that had a natural stink to it. Before it was built the swamp stank, after it was build the swamp stank. BUT the people believed the stink came from the power plant. Despite expensive analysis to determine the cause of the smells and several community meetings (largely attended by activists who knew nothing about the natural environment and shouted down any engineering explanations), the plant was shut down and now rots. On top of that the landfills are filling faster and the power in use is created by coal burning only. How environmentally good was that?
The preservation of a beach in Jamaica is a good thing but certainly not the biggest environmental problem on the planet. If you want to focus on something useful for the future, focus on clean water for drinking.
That "Land Mass" that separates 7 mile from Bloody Bay is a filled in mangrove swamp. That Mangrove was important to the ecology of the beach and it provided shelter for many small animals that later would move out to the reef as they matured. The mangrove also acted like a jetty. The large exposed tree roots in the swamp would slow the migration of sand but would not block it entirely, effectively slowing the movement of sand. Clearing and filling the Mangrove may have started the problem of beach loss, if in fact there is any sustained loss and not simply the natural undulation of the beach. Maybe an effort toward restoration can help.
PS Rastacrab....Loved the cartoons
I think the point is simply that it is not an "unbiased" report.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio_Buckeye_1
When I started this thread, you will note that the title ends with a QUESTION mark (?) and I put the petition out there along with the request for "ANY THOUGHTS?" Well, plenty of those were presented, some of which did give me food for thought. It is unfortunate that some people felt the need to denigrate others and I don't think anyone should be put down for signing the petition as a "knee jerk reaction." I read the proposal and as I am not an engineer, I am not ashamed to state that I do not fully understand all of the ramifications of the proposed actions. However, I do understand enough to be concerned. LARGER CORPORATIONS can afford to have things written up in a way that sounds friendly but might not really be. Also, chances are the biggest beneficiary of the proposed action will be Sandals Resort - obviously that is the plan, it's their money. BUT is what is good for the resort necessarily going to be as good for all of its neighbors? I don't see any harm in asking questions and encouraging oversight.
I have been coming to Negril for a few years now. I often travel alone. That gives me a lot of opportunity to observe and to meet people in a way I would not have if I was part of a group or a couple. I have befriend people who work and live there full time, i.e. native Jamaicans - that too serves to give me different perspectives. One thing that always bothered me from day one was when I would take a tour and as other participants were picked up from the various all inclusive resorts, they would be shocked to see me alone and would tell me that the resort management had cautioned them against leaving the resort property unless on an approved tour or properly escorted. I have met many couples who were afraid to leave the properties to explore the local culture and cuisine because of what they were told at the all inclusive resorts. In addition to the other feelings this gives me, it causes me to suspect that there is an attitude that is not conducive to really caring about their host country or anything outside of their own corporate interests. Hence my tendency to go along with the petition and to encourage further discussion so that more people are aware. Of course I am glad to read all view points and hope that the discussion will continue in the places it needs to.
Peace & Blessings to All.
The wording of the petition:Quote:
Originally Posted by SweetSue
"Sandals Negril has applied to build a major jetty on their beach. This will negatively effect the entire Negril Beach and disrupt the eco-relationship between the beach/morass & reef. Please sign if you would like to prevent this."
Sue,
I think some people's opinion to this is situation is that an unfair, overly simplistic "knee jerk" reaction was what created the original petition in the first place. The petition did not call for discussion or oversight, but presented only a straightforward "prevent the jetty" position.
After many read the actual proposal, which IS being overseen by Jamaican environmental groups including NEPA, some people realized that there was no "major jetty" being proposed by the Jamaican owned Sandals Resorts.
While large corporations can have "things written up in a way that sounds friendly", it is equally true that a petition author can write things up in a way that it very sympathetic to their cause without necessarily giving a truthful positioning of the facts. The facts in this case include that there is no major jetty being planned by anyone and there are Jamaican environmental groups overseeing the proposed plans from Sandals. That was not stated in the petition wording which you can read above.
Contrary to what many believe, Sandals is indeed a Jamaican owned company so in this case their "host country" is their home country. If you do a bit of research you will find that Sandals does much for the communities where they have their resorts. If you lived here in Jamaica you would see and hear about all their programs to help out the local communities, the environment and the education for the youth.
One of the reasons I created Negril.com back in 1995 was to help visitors realize that there are many places outside their resort to enjoy. Jamaica is an amazing island to explore while on vacation! But even from that perspective, it is only legal common sense that makes a resort like Sandals have their resort management caution guests against leaving the resort property unless on an approved tour or properly escorted tour. They are in a high liability area at that point and can be sued should an incident occur. This is just an unfortunate truth. It only makes sense they want to minimize this risk. There is no grand conspiracy here, just simple legal logic based on the real world in which we live. Anyone who operates a successful business knows that legal issues must be taken into account and can dictate policy at times.
To further the efforts I began in 1995, I do invite all those who are staying at any of the Jamaican or foreign owned All Inclusives to feel free to leave the resort and experience Negril. The webcasts events that RealNegril.com has are a great starting point for seeing some of the sights and sounds of Negril. Hope to have everyone stop by and say hi at any of the live webcasts.
i think rob did a good job on wrapping this thread up...bravo rob
What happened to the law that stated they can't build anything higher than the tallest palm tree?
Nothing as far as I know.. Last I heard that is still the Westmoreland Parish Council guideline for buildings... And nothing has been built over the height of the royal palm trees...
Good job Rob! :) You make our vacation better with things that are on here.. Knowledge is power..:)