Richard's Travel Blog

Written by Administrator

Friday, 27 August 2010

The Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage formed on June 9^th with two campaign issues on its platform.  The first is a ban on offshore oil and oil exploration in protected area, and the second is the proper management of the oil industry.  The Coalition has been growing in numbers to more than 40 groups including the National Trade Union Congress of Belize and the Association of Protected Areas Management Oraganisations, which has fuelled their fight with Government.

A petition that was launched in June has attracted 7,000 signatures, and now the Coalition plans to bring their campaign all the way to the home of Minister of Natural Resources Gaspar Vega to attract more support.  In collaboration with the Northern Tour Guides Association, the Coalition will hold a public consultation at the Crystal Auditorium tomorrow night to bring Orange Walk residents up to date.  We spoke to two Coalition members to find out what will be discussed.

Edilberto Romero, Co-Chair, Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage

“There is a high risk of having an oil spill in the offshore and with our tides it could affect our rivers and also the fish there is Orange Walk that consumes a lot of fish from the sea. If that is is affected we can see areas that would be declared no fishing zones as has happened in the gulf of Mexico. That means that we wouldn’t  be able to get out fish or would have to get it from somewhere else which would be more expensive.  There is also oil exploration in land we are not against oil exploration in land.  But we are against oil exploration in the protected area. Some of the protected areas have been established to protect our water shed which we use and if that is affected it would affect the water that we consume or the water that we use for irrigation or other purposes.”

Giovanni Brackett, Chairman, Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage

“Reckless development, development in the direction in which the petroleum is going in without proper guidelines is putting at risk our entire coastal economies and we are putting at risk land that is for logging and water resources. People who depend on our rivers.”

Edilberto Romero, Co-Chair, Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage

“We’re saying that they need to consider all the information and the impacts before they can think on exploring on the protected areas, on the river or on the offshore.”

As part of its campaign, the Coalition has attempted to engage Government and has met with the Minister of Natural Resources.  But despite Government’s admittance that they are not prepared to tackle the environmental disaster that an oil spill would lead to, there has been little action.

Giovanni Brackett, Chairman, Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage

“We are saying to this government that you have the opportunity to hear the people to address an issue that is not being addressed. People are more learned and have seen what has happened in the Gulf in Australia and we have not seen any action.  We want to see tangible action. The attendance will dictate to the government that there are people listening. They are not just listening in San Pedro or Belize or Placencia but also in Orange Walk.”

The public consultation will be held at the Crystal Auditorium at 7pm tomorrow.  We invite you to tune in after the news for a special 26-minute video feature that looks at the impacts oil exploration could have in Belize.

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posted (August 24, 2010) Email Print If we tell you our next story is about the YMQ-18A or about the Rotary Wing Unmanned Aerial System And Forester Radar – you’d probably scratch your head, or change the channel – but if we tell you it’s about the “spy chopper” – you’d know exactly what we mean.

That’s the unmanned helicopter that the US Army is testing out at Central Farm in the Cayo District. It’s flying all over the forested areas of Cayo using a high powered radar to peer under the jungle canopy. Today, the army lifted the veil of secrecy and let the media into the compound to see what it’s all about. Here’s what we found.

Jules Vasquez, Reporting We’ve all seen conventional helicopters, but you’ve never seen anything like an unmanned helicopter. It is controlled remotely from inside these vans – which send signals to it from these antennae over a 115 mile radius. They track the helicopter by radar and see what it is seeing from these cameras mounted in the nose. They allowed journalists inside the van – but were not allowed to tape inside they say for security reasons. But the pilot inside makes the helicopter hover elegantly – unlike what any other unmanned aircraft can do – and then it takes flight….looking like some kind of airborne shark.

Lt. Col. Kent Guffey, Overseeing Test Flights “We don’t categorize this as a drone this is an unmanned aerial system, it has a pilot. The pilot does not sit in the aircraft when it flies, he sits in the ground control station behind us. It is one of the key characteristics of this unmanned aerial system it’s a helicopter, so it’s able to do vertical takeoff and landing just like a helicopter, so you can fly it in austere environments, you don’t need a built-up or a long runway, you just need an open area that’s fairly flat to take off from.” There are two of them, that grey one in the sky, and this one here in the hangar – each one valued at a few million US dollars – army reps wouldn’t say how many millions. But they did say what it’s here to do.

Lt. Col. Kent Guffey, Overseeing Test Flights “In the United States we don’t have jungles, we don’t have canopy like this, so right there that’s the number one reason why Belize is ideal. The best way to explain it, it is designed to see movement under the forest, so pretty much anything that’s moving under the forest, under the jungle canopy. Right now we’re seeing stuff moving under the foliage, so we feel pretty confident that it is working.”

Working but not on any secret missions say the army reps: Lt. Col. Kent Guffey, Overseeing Test Flights “I can tell you that the two things we are looking at is the radar so it’s for surveillance and we are also testing to do unmanned re-supply, flying this aircraft with a cargo load pallet underneath it.” And while it is all business, it is not without its pleasures: Lt. Col. Kent Guffey, Overseeing Test Flights “I never get tired of watching it fly. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve seen it fly, it never gets old. It’s very exciting and some neat technology.”

The Belmopan students who were invited for the open day felt the same way: Nathan Stirm, Student “It’s quite amazing but you know its modern technology, you see it around a lot and even our little personal remote control helicopters and airplanes and stuff and so it’s not that surprising to see it on a big scale. Now if they put missiles on it then that will be something worth watching.” Said Awe, Student “Surprise yes because no one is in it to control it. It is wicked.”

So far in Belize, the chopper has been tested on flights of three to 5 hours. And for Cayo residents worrying about the possibility of a very expensive US military remote control toy hovering over their neighborhood, the chopper strictly does not fly over populated areas. The tests will continue into September. The US military is working with the BDF which has assigned 40 officers to guard the compound.

Recently Warren Mudry and Alex Bors announced their new development LAGUNA MAYA. Their web site I Love Belize describes a unique opportunity to be a part of a very classy and well situated gated living area. Located in Corozal, Belize close to Chetumal Bay, Laguna Maya is uniquely situated close to the Free Trade Zone with its wide variety of shopping. Chetumal,Mexico is just another short distance across the river from the trade zone.At night, in the distance , the lights of Chetumal can be seen on the horizon.
With its close proximity to Corozal and the bay, water taxis leave daily from Corozal for San Pedro on Ambergis Caye. San Pedro is a hot spot for local and international tourists. Many different water related activities can be found there- scuba diving, snorkeling the reef, para gliding and the different types of sport fishing(Just be sure to have your fishing license,check past post). From San Pedro the water taxis not only return to Corozal but go to Caye Caulker and Belize City. If a little woozy from the partying there is also a local flight from San Pedro back to Corozal or Belize City or other locations in Belize, Guatamaula, Mexico and Honduras. Corozal is also connected by bus to Mexico going north and south the highways are well developed for local travel( see previous post on driving in Belize).

Warren and Alex have been in Belize for many years and can help the traveling tourist, dedicated ‘Snow Birds’, or the long term retirement minded person with suitable accomadations. Their video of Laguna Maya shows the project under construction and future planning.

Kelly Johnston
Mike DellaFortuna
Alex Bors 011.501.623.5962
Warren Mudry011.501.620.5161
Corozal Realty Office
011.501.422.0471
web site: www.ilovebelize.ca

Yesterday I posted the oily beaches of the U.S. Gulf Coast. Today, I post about the beautiful, pristine beaches of Belize. You might also check the past posting I have made in March and April of Belize beaches.