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a32    local
                     Tuesday 28 april 2020



















            Letter to the editor:

            Open letter to The Government of Aruba and the

            ‘Stuurgroep Herstel en Innovatie’



            ORANJESTAD — Aruba Bird-     of this misrepresentation in  and delegate nature con-    -      Regulate  pollution  using the terrains over time
            life Conservation, a  nature  the board of ATA. If a bal-  servation  work  to  Aruba’s   sources  (pesticides,  fertil-  for  sustainable  economic
            NGO established on Aruba,  ance had initially been in-    nature conservation NGOs.    izers,   poorly-maintained  development,  responsible
            is  herewith  requesting  you  troduced  in  the  board’s  -     Introduce ‘Rights of   vehicles,  soil  erosion  from  energy  production  and
            to  instate,  and  as  soon  as  design,  no  such  thing  as  Nature’ for Aruba. Enforce   deforested areas and sand  housing  facilities.  A  very
            possible, a National Nature  ‘adventure  tourism’  would  regulation  and  control  of   roads, etc.).              good place to get the con-
            and  Environment  Commit-    have  existed  today  and  nature,  taxes  and  labor,    -      Give high priority to  struction sector involved in
            tee.                         our nature resources would  to  the  benefit  of  the  peo-  correcting the faulty water  moving Aruba forward in a
                                         not  have  been  destroyed  ple  living  in  harmony  with   treatment plant.          sustainable way.
            It is quite predictable at this  to such an extreme extent.  Aruba’s  nature;  shift  from   -   Regulate   Aruba’s  If  you  might  find  such  an
            time which mistakes we will  A  serious  correction  is  re-  quantity  to  quality.  Mean-  groundwater resources, re-  agenda  too  challenging,
            be repeating as a country.  quired  here.  Similar  to  the  ingful  stakeholders  should   visit illegal dumpsites, clean  we can help bring the right
            After  the  refinery  closed  national approach to CO-    be involved in the redesign   up the toxic mess.          people  to  the  table  who
            down  in  1985,  we  tried  to  VID19,  different  curves  will  of such a modern coherent   -   Develop a national  will be willing to contribute
            ‘build’,  i.e.  we  turned  to  also have to be bent in the  nature  and  environmental   plan  for  climate  change  to the solutions at hand.
            the  construction  sector  to  tourism  sector,  the  UTVs/  legislation. They should also   impact on Aruba.       Sincerely,
            make the island move for-    ATVs  and  watersports  sec-  be involved in the enforce-  -     Consider  not  re-    Greg Peterson, chairman
            ward. Please note that that  tor as a start.              ment redesign.               opening     the    refinery,  Aruba Birdlife Conservation
            ‘solution’,  over  the  years  -    Enforce  legislation  -      Develop a national    cleaning the area and re-    q
            has  had  many  negative  on  more  hotels  and  con-     high-quality  nature  certi-
            effects. It has doubled our  dominiums     (Moratorium:  fication  program.  Partici-
            population  density,  it  has  No more extra 6000 or 5000  pation  of  citizens  in  such  Knight orders for
            reduced  our  quality  prod-  or  3000  or  1000  hotel  and  a  program  should  be  on-
            uct  and  turned  it  into  an  condo rooms! Just no more  going and free of charge.     Aruban citizens
            over-tourism  quantity  ma-  as in zero more.).           Only  individuals  who  have
            chine.  Not  only  were  the  -     Retrofit existing half-  such certificates should be   ORANJESTAD — On Thursday 23 April, the Governor of
            people of Aruba unhappy  built resort infrastructures to  permitted to participate in    Aruba, Z.E. Alfonso Boekhoudt, contacted 17 Aruban
            with  the  chosen  direction,  vertical  farming  and  hous-  nature-related  economic   inhabitants by phone to tell them that His Majesty has
            but it has also exposed our  ing  for  elderly,  young  pro-  activities.                pleased the King to appoint them in a knight order.
            island  to  international  real  fessionals and families.   -    Introduce  a  ‘Na-
            estate-related crime.        -      After 8 years of po-  tional  Education  Nature      During  the  annual  ribbon  rain,  Royal  awards  will  be
            Innovation entails using an  litical promises, it is time to  Platform’. Introduce nature   awarded in the Order of the Dutch Lion and in the
            ecological  approach  to  finalize the process of pro-    conservation in our educa-     Order of Orange-Nassau on the occasion of the cel-
            recovery  and  resilience.  tecting the 16 nature areas  tional  system  on  all  levels.   ebration of His Majesty de Koning. However, the ac-
            We  must  avoid  making  and placing them officially  Have the University of Aru-        tual ceremony of the Royal award will take place at
            the same mistakes all over  under full supervision of our  ba  chair  and  take  a  lead   a later moment this year. When this will be, depends
            again.                       national park.               role in this process.          partly on the course of the Coronavirus. By calling the
            Just take a look at the at-  -      Adapt  the  existing  -      Redesigning the so-     inhabitants personally and announcing who are dis-
            tached pictures taken dur-   unprofessional marine park  cial  economic  model  for      tinguished Royal, those who have made themselves
            ing a one hour walk in our  design  to  a  responsible  is-  Aruba  based  on  sustain-  very deserved for society can still be appreciated.
            national  park  and  see  for  land  full  surrounding  ma-  ability  and  well-being  and   The  following  people  have  been  appointed  Knight
            yourselves where we will be  rine park with holistic spatial  adopt  corporate  citizen-  in  the  Order  of  Orange-Nassau:  Jacob  Bult,  Peter
            headed  if  we  repeat  the  planning, zoning regulation  ship legislation that assures   Paul Michael Theodoor Hermans, Imy Josephine Ce-
            same mistakes once again.    and  appropriate  enforce-   investors  invest  in  nature   cile Heinze-Lasten, Alexander Maarten Nieuwmeyer,
            So here is a first draft of an  ment.                     conservation  and  contrib-    Olga Josefina Buckley en Jan Willem van Nes.
            itemized agenda for a Na-    -      Free Parke National  ute  to  a  national  educa-
            tional  Nature  and  Environ-  Arikok  from  misguided  po-  tion fund.                  Among them is Aruba Today’s appreciated partner
            ment Committee.              litical  influences  intended  -    Enforce  strict  regu-  Jan van Nes, owner of restaurant Asi Es Mi Peru and
            -       Correcting      the  to  put  ‘special  interest  lation  of  waste  manage-     president of the Aruba Food & Beverage Association.
            AHATA  in  ATA  over-repre-  groups’ first and give FPNA  ment.                          The following persons have been appointed Member
            sentation of investors. Intro-  all financial and other sup-  -   Adopt international    of the Order of Orange-Nassau: Sebastian Israel Fal-
            ducing a new board struc-    port required to run our na-  quality  standards  for  ener-  con, Elizabeth Phillis Craigg, Reuben Laurence Craigg,
            ture  in  which  the  general  tional  parks  as  profession-  gy, ocean, and land.      Maria Louisa Croes, Rolando Juan Croes,Edwardo Fer-
            well-being  of  Aruba  pre-  ally  as  possible.  Earmark  a  -   Regulate natural re-   nando de Graf, Jacobo Dominico Henriquez, Swinda
            vails above ‘special group  part  of  ATA’s  budget  for  source  extraction  (fishing,   Anastacia Thiel, Elba Lucilda Hirschfeld-Smith, George
            interests’.  The  pictures  tak-  park management, with no  poaching,  mining,  goats    Jozef  Geerman  and  José  Bernardino  Andrade  do
            en in the park are symbolic  strings  attached.  Involve  grazing).                      Salâo. q
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