VOICES FROM MINING COMMUNITIES

It is no doubt that extractive companies through their operations, provide financial returns to the country.

Mr. Augustine Niber, Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL) states that, the country gains about 40% of mineral export earnings.And that the mining sector employs 12,290 people(Chamber of Mines, 2010) representing about 1% of total workforce(Trades Union Congress, 2007).

However, and despite the huge returns gained through mining, communities where such operations are carried out must be looked at...not just looking at challenges facing them, but the effective measures to address their plight and also the concerns raised by most people living in mining areas like Obuasi, Prestea and Nsuta among others.

With the advent of metal(many centuries ago), industrial work has been revolutionized and so is with the mining sector.The companies in Ghana, mostly small scale ones, adopt every means possible to use their machinery to extract minerals(gold, bauxite, lead, manganese, copper, etc.) from deep down the earth, leaving large uncovered pits.Pay a visit to some of these mining sites and you'll be amazed at the "great destruction" of the earth and the environment.

Dangers Caused By Mining

* Contamination of community water bodies due to cyanide- a deadly chemical from mineral residue that spills into streams or could be intentionally dumped into water bodies by some miners.Those who drink from such waters(often oblivious of the situation) are risking their lives and so is the harm caused to aquatic life.

* Loss of thousands of community employment.Large lands could have been used to establish hospitals, markets, farms, schools or businesses.

* Destruction of sacred and cultural sites.

* Loss and extinction of plant and animal species some of which could be new to science.

video from YouTube

*Human rights violation.There's been recorded cases of conflict between some foreign miners and community folks.

These and many other dangers has compelled most community dwellers to voice out their feelings against the unscrupulous manner of mining by some small scale mining firms and most galamsey operators.

They Call On Government To:

* Designate forest reserves, water bodies and arable lands as "No Go Zones" for mining.

* Reduce the powers of the Minister in granting mining concessions.

* Let mining royalties benefit mining communities.

* Establish more High Courts to improve determination of compensation cases.

* Compel companies to undertake and disclose baseline studies on prevailing diseases in concession areas prior to commencement of operations.

* Protect their sacred and cultural sites from mining activities.

* Enforce small scale mining Licensing Law.

* Develop land use plan for the country.

* Say no to mining in forest reserve and other protected areas.

* Not permit mining activities close to settlements.
(received from MEDEC Ghana) 

There are more of these concerns though the above ones are also very crucial and demands urgent consideration and action by government.

The government, stakeholders, investors and perhaps the citizenry mustn't be "blinded" about the huge millions of dollars gained from mineral exports(although that's needed to, some extent , finance development purposes)Rather, all groups must be most concern about the effects mining has on the environment and man's health.They shouldn't take this lightly.Lives of both plant and animal species are threatened through excess mining.Most of the water bodies from which the whole country depends on for drinking*, cooking*, washing, etc., are being contaminated due to cyanide spills.The city dweller is even at risk...Reflect on this!

Too much talk will do little good.The truth is simple and clear: Concerns from mining communities must be addressed.The environment is being destroyed through vigorous mining operations which must stop.

Today we seem okay.

Yesterday had gone

and Tomorrow may not come.As we sow, so shall we reap.Therefore, for Christ's sake and the love for our survival, let us as a collective responsibility strive to Protect the Environment.

JOURNALISM CLINIC: a Healthy Environment for Long Life and Development.

Environmental issues, from the extraction of resources to its utilization and the impact it has on the environment, is of chief importance for man's consideration and concern. The very earth, the environment, man's home which supports and sustains his existence, is under a threat.

The unceasing desire to develop which reflects in the activities man engages in such as mining, logging, food production (farming and fishing) among others, and the frequent use of hazardous means to extract, fell and cultivate most of these scarce resources is alarming, life-threatening and completely unprofitable. Why must man be destroying the environment, knowing very well it's irreplaceable?

The study of the Ghanaian community then is a prime focus. The media often reports on illegal environmental practices (though at a lower frequency as compared to reported  issues on politics, sports and entertainment) by some mining companies with its related issues of cyanide spillage into community water bodies, the vast destruction of human settlements, improper maintenance of dump sites, unfilled pits; and with farming and fishing, the use of chemicals to either increase vegetation and or to kill the fishes for harvesting.

The indiscriminate felling of forest trees for furnishing and other purposes, looking at the economic gains and not the harm caused to the environment, is in itself a form of underdevelopment.

Concerns about the unusual climate alterations is frequently raised by some Health and Environmental Agencies. However, many people forget that their actions and interactions with the environment is the contributory factor to climate change. For now, one must not dare to trust the healthiness of food and drink they consume nor the air they're breathing in. All of them, possibly, could be contaminated.

Journalism Clinic was therefore an initiative taken by MEDEC & CEPIL (Centre For Public Interest Law) to explain to students and media practitioners about the impact of man's activities on the environment and the need for student journalists to develop the zeal and specialization in Environmental Reporting.

The two bodies intimated that there are no binding environmental standards or perhaps a weaker regulatory institutions to supervise and administer sanctions on the adverse operations of some extractive companies in the country. It also advised that the care for the environment is not the sole responsibility of the government or other stakeholders but the rather the obligation of both the country's representatives and citizens.

On the contrary, pay a visit to some areas in the country and you'll realize the ailing attitude of many Ghanaians: always expecting government's support and funding on even pertinent development issues, although they the community folks can muster resources to revamp their societies. Is it therefore necessary and prudent for citizens to sit idle and watch their environment waste away which in either the short or long run have complications on their own health? Absolutely not.

Will the blame game also solve the problem? No, but rather a collective duty to conserve and sustain our environment through the use of appropriate methods in extracting resources from the earth, forests and water bodies. Then and only then will man's longevity on the earth be assured.

Ghanaian leaders often travel to foreign nations. They observe the beauty of environments in these nations. As to whether they ask questions relating to policies and strategies adopted by the leaders of such States in respect to environmental protection and sustainability, would be very doubtful.

Interdependence between countries is crucial and very rewarding. Our leaders must ask more developmental questions, learn from pragmatic policies put in place and stop the "much borrowing with strings attached to it", which do not evenly reflect in the living conditions of the MANY CITIZENS.

The time for Radical Change is Now. Lackadaisical attitudes must be eschewed. The total liberation from mental slavery must be preached. The right course should be pursued at all times despite the need for compromises or when in tight circumstances.

When these and many others are not enforce, then we'll laugh at the wrong side of our mouths. Worse of it all, our previous retrogressive actions and attitudes on the environment, will only speed the eminence of a world doom, The APOCALYPSE!.

SELLING EDIBLES NEAR & AROUND INSANITARY PLACES...GOOD?

You send someone to buy you food. He returns, you thank him and take the food. Then you begin to eat: "Wow. This food tastes very good. I can't just let it finish"... on and on are the praises you give to the food and the hands that prepared it. Then the next time you meet the boy who did the service: "Thanks buddy. The food was special... where did you buy it?". He replies "from the woman who sells on the drain across the street".

Immediately, you begin to feel vomit but can't help it. You know too well the drain he's talking about, and picturing the state of the drain choked with filth..." poisoned food", you uttered out.

Yes, the above illustration is truly going on in most parts of the country. Many food vendors, due to the hustle and bustle of city life and the need to support their family financially, hardly care about where they must sell, whether near a dusty road, on or near a gutter or in an environment where the air is polluted. They're preoccupied with the thought of making only money and not the adverse health conditions these insanitary places has on their food and consumers. Interestingly, some people flock to these vendors for meals, unaware of the danger gnashing its teeth at them.

They will contend that "such food is delicious and its price very affordable"... What devil's spell is this?

Well, the advise to them is: "know that a little stench from the gutter, or dust from the road which yourselves feel and see, can contaminate the whole food sold".

Ghanaians from now on must be more conscious of where, when and from whom they purchase their edible goods. The stomach and other internal organs is much sensitive to the food we ingest in or other materials entering it. Having allergies should even tell you more about the stomach's sensitivity. Selling edibles near and around insanitary places is not good, period.

It's difficult to change people's minds from an activity they already delight in. But with time, a more favourable response will be realized.

Everyone fears to get sick. Let alone contract diarrhea or skin alterations, etc., all of which are symptoms of perhaps a partially or wholly poisoned food. It is therefore a wise thing to check for the healthiness of food before making purchase.

When the citizens of a country are strong and in good health because of the food they eat, development springs up and man in his clean environment prosper the most.

Let us all sell around and buy from sanitary places that we may gain the Energy and a Sound Mind to Protect The Environment.

WASTE DISPOSAL...What's The Best Medium?

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, it's often remarked. And man can only be in good health when his environment is kept tidy and safe, by employing the best of waste disposal practices and being above all, health conscious. However, the reality on the ground is far from what is being revered.

The drains in most areas of the country are choked with solid waste materials such as plastics, papers, metals, wood, .... defying the very function that drains or gutters serve - a passage way for excess water (which must be considerably clean) particularly during floods. Worse of it all, most of the gutters are left open and without constructing its edges with concrete, it expands and overflows when it rains heavily.

video by Ameyaw Debrah

But for the stench emanating from these drains due to rotten debris dumped into them, the least said about it the better. And yet, people live close and around these water ways, risking their precious lives and contracting sickness.

One noticeable thing among many Ghanaians in disposing off their wastes is by mixing both solid and liquid waste matter. Metals, rubbers, papers, etc., are mixed with peels of vegetables and fruits, washed in water. These wet peels makes it difficult when burning. So what then is the ideal remedy? Well, this is simple: Separate solid waste materials from wet/liquid ones. Metals, used papers, rubbers, must each be put into different trash cans whether in private (homes) or public locations. When this is done, recycling becomes more meaningful, thereby safeguarding the environment's pollution. "Recycling saves space in landfills and reduces the amount of virgin materials that must be mined or manufactured to make new products, saving energy and reducing global climate change in the process".

Because most of the wastes generated are not biodegradable (uneasy to break down) which include plastic bags, "PURE WATER" Sachets, bottles, tin cans and even computer hardware, it is imperative and prudent to ascribe to the following two disposal methods:

* LANDFILLS: this "provide long-term storage for non-biodegradable waste. Ideally, landfills are carefully situated to prevent contamination from entering surrounding soil and water, and managed to reduce odor and pests as much as possible"

* COMBUSTION: "waste like used rubber tires and plastics can be burned at combustion facilities. Most of these facilities use the heat generated by incineration to make energy in the form of steam or electricity, including coal and petroleum.... Combustion of municipal waste also reduces the volume of trash that ends up in landfills".

Though these methods comes with cost, the Ghanaian government must be more environmentally responsible to channel more funds into helping procure these facilities. Ghanaians in general must also adopt a very positive mindset and attitude on how they generate and manage their wastes. Dumping refuse "anyhow" is unworthy of a people revered to be peace-loving and hospitable.

As long as the earth exists and man also survives, the issue of waste management will have to be tackled. Our health, success and long life depends solely on a beautiful and clean environment.

Arise, let us embrace the best of waste disposal practices for OUR OWN GOOD.

UNSAFE BREATHING AIR

The very air (Oxygen) that sustains man's life is under a serious threat. He's the cause: engaging in activities that emit hazardous pollutants into the atmosphere. Unknowingly or knowingly, he breathes them in and contracts health complications- internal organs being affected the most.

From waste deposit sites, fumes from vehicles and industrial plants, and the stench emanating from choked gutters mostly in the country's urban areas, with improper maintenance strategies, is greatly contributing to the unsafe air many Ghanaians are breathing in.

video from You Tube

The air in some localities or a part of it is contaminated with the smell of urine, human excreta and decomposed animal remains. And surprisingly, people sell their goods in such an atmosphere. What a pity!

Everyone must be aware that he/she is vulnerable and not immune to that which comes from above. The environment, the atmosphere, the air we breathe in, are all above us. Any unnatural means, dominantly through pollution, which comes into contact with the environment and the air, threatens man's survival. Since man is a biological or a natural being, so to is the environment. Man is himself the environment. As he takes care to love and nourish himself, so must he do same to the environment.

It is often said that "destroy the last plant and the very last man dies". Doesn't this wise saying echo a sense of urgency for people all over the world to protect their environment? The world today has been recording high degrees of strange health complications than in "traditional" times. Modernity and its mind-blowing inventions comes with advantages and disadvantages. The latter, however, outweighs the former... an opinion, so what of yours?

Those living in the cities despite their "knowledge on healthy living", wonder how and why most village folks live much longer. The truth is, their interactions with the environment is more favourable than to city dwellers.

Let's stop polluting the atmosphere so that we can enjoy fresh breathing air.