Pollution

Pollution in Point Lisas – By Karishma

Cancer, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, immune disease and asthma, these are only some of the fatal diseases associated with or caused by pollution. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, pollution can be defined as the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects. It can take on many forms which include air, land, water and noise pollution and therefore it affects each and every aspect of our environment. Now, if pollution is so detrimental and deadly, why isn’t MORE being done to help eliminate it? We have become so dependent on luxuries such as vehicles, petrochemicals, aluminium and other pollution related commodities that we have turned a blind eye to the consequences of using and producing these goods.

Did you know that Trinidad and Tobago is among the most polluted small island states in the world! According to the Guardian newspaper, we dump over 50 million plastic bottles in our dumps and one million glass bottles every year. Not only this, but our highways are always flooded by vehicles and our industries, such as the Point Lisas Industrial Estate generates catastrophic amounts of toxins and harmful gases every year. What is the Point Lisas Industrial Estate you may ask? It’s a pollution hotspot. This industry contributes to every type of pollution you can think of. The estate is the heart of Trinidad and Tobago’s petrochemical sector. It has easy access to vast resources of natural gas, therefore making it a strong incentive for some of the world’s leading manufacturers of ammonia, urea, methanol, other petrochemicals and steel.

Two of the MAJOR types of pollution associated with this estate are:

Air Pollution – Materials such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, methane and particulate matter (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals) are released into the air due to the manufacturing...