Lindeners participate in “Green conversation”

Lindeners on Friday took advantage of participating in “Green conversations” – a partnered initiative by agencies including the World Wildlife Federation, the University of Guyana, the United Nations Environmental Programme, Conservation International, and the Government of Guyana Green State Development Strategy, among several other agencies.
The initiative allows for open, nonpartisan spaces to engage in conversations that allows citizens to participate in the national conversation about securing a sustainable future for Guyana. It was centred around the theme, “Oil Revenues for Social Development and Environmental Management (Sovereign Wealth Fund)”. The ‘Green conversation’ initiative forms the first of a second series of talks conducted in Guyana, with Linden joining in. Various agencies were available for a panel discussion, led by Professor Gary Dirks of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability at the Arizona State University, who led talks on development and sustainability. Present were representatives of the Linden Youth Group, Linden Mayor and Town Council, Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) Democratic Council among others.
Sustainable Development Coordinator within the Department of Environment, Ian Daniels, said the initiative is an awareness session which allows for Guyanese to share their thoughts and to ask questions regarding a green economy and green state. Participants were allowed the opportunity to partake in an interactive session with panellists, including Dirks, Staydon Payne of the Linden Chamber, Environmental Engineer Samuel Wright, Regional Vice Chairman Elroy Adolph and Kenisha Mcturk of the Linden Youth Leaders.
Dirks, who is also a member of the Science Advisory Board at Conservation International, noted that it is important to understand that the world is going green and how Guyana will participate in that green development as he explained that the future is about sustainability.
He pointed out that Guyanese now have to be much more careful about how “we utilise our water and food systems explaining that systems such as transportation and urbanisation need to change and develop…”We need to behave responsibly.”
Participants when given the opportunity to ask questions were interested in what is in the green economy for the ‘small man’ and how they can benefit, factors driving the ‘conversations’, how the effectiveness of the discussions can be measured, and youths were interested in opportunities in the green economy.