The Tribune

IN an effort to raise awareness about the noxious effects of the smoke released by the garbage continuing to burn at the city dump, RABL (Raising Awareness about the Bahamian Landfill) has releasing a short documentary which illustrates the adverse effects of these emissions on resident’s health and the environment.

The short documentary that was released this week, illustrates the vast amount of trash produced in New Providence, the poor management of the city dump and the consequences of this on the environment and health.

Taking inspiration from other similar films about plastic pollution published in other countries, the members of the group said they wanted to create something specifically for Bahamians - a video to describe the Bahamian reality.

One of the members, environmental attorney Laura Paine said: “We realised that to really make an impact, the film needed to be something our community could identify with visually.”

The first part of the documentary focuses on the current situation - the staggering amounts of plastic and styrofoam used every day and the lack of concerted efforts in trying to contain this plastic pollution. It also focuses on the adverse effects to beaches, ocean, reef and wildlife, and the masses of trash ending up in the city dump every day. The film also highlights the lack of an integrated recycling system, the absence of proper lining and gas control systems and the consequential recurrent fires affecting the health of neighbouring communities.

The second part of the documentary focuses on what can be done. The need for the Government to address this issue is clearly stated as well as the need of a concerted effort to reduce, reuse and recycle, which will help keep the environment cleaner.

The group aims to have the video shown to students by teachers of schools throughout the Bahamas. Students and schools involved in BREEF’s Eco-School programme will be learning about ways in which they and their communities can get involved. An important aim of the film is to educate the younger generation about the importance of taking care of the planet for ourselves and future generations.

Educational activities have also been created by the group to accompany the documentary as aid to teachers. The video will be uploaded to Youtube sometime this week, and the group will also be printing DVDs.

RABL was created in 2012 in an effort to create awareness about the negative effect of the lack of integrated waste management in the Bahamas, and to call for action for positive change.