Young environmentalist advocates for green practices

MANY Lindeners had grown accustomed to the thick chemical-filled dust particles that emanate from the processing chimneys called kilns at the bauxite plant situated in Mackenzie, Linden.

Though the ‘bauxite dust’, as it is commonly called, had long been linked to the rise in respiratory illnesses in the mining town, in the eyes of some, it was a necessary evil as the Bauxite Plant to this day provides a stable source of income for many Lindeners.

But for young Nkofi Hodge, the situation was mind-boggling. Before Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI) could have installed two dust-collectors at the bauxite plant, many of his relatives had already been diagnosed with Asthma.

“As a child, I distinctly remember my family members suffering from asthma. I thought it was just a ‘family thing.’ I would later learn that a lot of Lindeners suffered from asthma and other respiratory ailments as a result of air pollution,” he told the Pepperpot Magazine.
Hodge wondered whether there couldn’t be a mining operation that was more environmentally friendly.

“A town that was prospering economically, but suffering environmentally and socially. Respiratory ailments were rampant in my tiny district in Linden, and I wanted to find a solution to the issue,” Hodge said.

It was that desire to develop Linden economically while safeguarding the environment that led Hodge to register at the University of Guyana in 2014 to major in Environmental Studies.

In November, the 22-year-old will graduate from the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences (FEES) with a Degree in Environmental Studies, but his vision has expanded now that he has been exposed to all the other environmental issues facing Guyana.

The Lindener is now an aspiring Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist and/or an Environmental Chemist.

“GIS specialist because I love cartography and I want to solve environmental issues and GIS can do both of those things simultaneously. Chemistry has always been a passion of mine so I felt and I still feel that environmental chemistry would add fulfilment to my life,” he explained.

Though he is not yet the holder of a degree in Environmental Studies, the 22-year-old is already making his mark by promoting environmental education through the Eco-Trust Society – a campus-based group.

The Eco-Trust Society volunteer said once edified, persons are more likely to engage in activities that are environmentally friend. He shared the example of the EcoTrust’s outreach, a yearly Christmas Drive where children in need are given books, clothing, food and other items and taught about the need for care of the environment.

For major companies like the one back home, Hodge believes that the Green State Development Strategy will act as a guide on how companies can operate in harmony with the environment.

“Becoming a green state is one of the best paths Guyana can take right now. It would put the environment into every decision made, and that’s what I expect and hope to see. The Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) not only seeks to address environmental issues, but also social and economic, which are the three pillars of sustainable development, and without sustainable development, we will never be at peace with the environment. I think that developing sustainably is not just important to Guyana but to all countries around the world,” Hodge told the Pepperpot Magazine.

However, as stated before, a great plan or initiative is nothing without a great execution.
Environmental education is integral to becoming environmentally sound, which is important for the Green State Development Strategy.

As the country moves to develop a Green State Development Strategy and simultaneously implement a ban on Single-use Plastic because of its damaging effects on the environment, Hodge is imploring Guyanese to act now in the interest of the environment.

He said persons usually wait for a reaction from nature to start “caring” for the environment but said the time to act is now.

“Young people can use their voices, their time and their energies in the fight for justice for the environment. I think youth should be involved in decision-making, and more so those [decisions] that involve the environment, because the decision made today will not affect [those] that are in the seats of the government and in the opposition, but it will affect my generation and the generations after me. And I’d prefer if I made the decisions that will affect me,” he explained.

The 22-year-old Lindener noted too, that young people, like himself, can also be inventors and entrepreneurs in the environmental sector, providing goods and services that tackle major environmental issues affecting Guyana, the Caribbean and the world.
“There is a lot of scope for youth in the environment; we just need to take our place,” he added.

Aside from his focus on the environment, Hodge volunteers with the Sophia Night School by providing administrative services and raising funds for the sustainability of the learning centre. The Sophia Night School provides educational opportunities for residents of Sophia, Georgetown, many of whom are desirous of returning to the public education system.
He said, “I also volunteer with the Sophia Night School, where education is offered to the people that need it most in Sophia and because I believe that every Guyanese should have the right to education.”