Dear Editor,
Guyana’s government has built its international reputation on the promise of environmental leadership—a small nation protecting vast Amazonian forests while earning global praise and an impressive $400 million in carbon credit sales as was proudly reiterated by Pres. Ali. . Yet beneath the polished narrative lies a disturbing contradiction. The Minis-try of Local Government and Regional Development, driven by political optics rather than substance, is unknowingly accelerating the very environmental degradation it claims to fight.
Across the country, cleanup exercises and bulky waste collections are promoted as proof of commitment to cleanliness and modernization. But behind the cameras and banners lies the environmental truth: receptacles promptly showcased around markets allows collection without separation of degradable and non-degradable refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioning units—each containing ozone-depleting chemicals such as CFCs and Freon—are being trucked away uninspected to landfills. These invisible gases, thousands of times more damaging than carbon dioxide, are released into the atmosphere, chipping away at our planet’s protective ozone layer and directly contradicting Guyana’s climate commitments.
In seeking quick, visible wins for political gain, misleading unsuspecting citizens, the Ministry is deepening an unseen crisis. Landfills that appear organized are, in reality, silent emitters of toxic gases and leachates that poison soil and groundwater. The cleanup drives may satisfy the camera lens, but they introduce a misguided belief that “out of sight” equals “resolved.” It is a dangerous legacy—one that, left unchallenged, will condition future generations to repeat these harmful practices while believing they are doing good.
This pattern of neglect must end. The government must replace optics with action and establish a specialized national unit of trained environmental technicians dedicated to properly evacuating and neutralizing CFCs and other harmful gases before refrigerators and air conditioners are removed from homes or businesses. Such a programme should be legislated, monitored, and enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency, ensuring that every disposal protects the air, soil, and water on which our people depend.
The current method of collection does more harm than good. When hazardous waste is merely transported away, the problem is not solved—it is shifted and magnified. Every untreated appliance dumped at a landfill becomes a slow, invisible weapon against our environment, undoing the very carbon gains that earned international trust and investment. This deception not only pollutes our homeland but also betrays the confidence of those who purchase Guyana’s carbon credits, believing them to represent a genuine green effort.
If Guyana is to truly lead, it must face this paradox head-on. Environ-mental credibility cannot be built on public relations. True stewardship demands honesty, science-based policy, and the courage to do what is right, not just what looks good. Let’s discontinue the practice of putting our people in danger at the expense of political expediency. The poisoning of our ground, air, and water must stop—because no amount of carbon money can offset a conscience stained by neglect.