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MARCH  2 0 0 9Issue 26
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| GREEN BREAKING NEWS 4,000 gallon Solar Hot Water System Hits the Caribbean! Amongst its luxurious hills of green and white sandy beaches The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa located in St. Maarten N.A, made the decision to help in the worldwide approach to go GREEN! Columbia Sussex Corporation, owners of The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, contracted with Zager Plumbing & Solar, Inc. to get the solar project up and running. In July 2008, Dale Zager, President of Zager Plumbing & Solar Inc. designed the solar hot water system to facilitate the 317 guest rooms, restaurant (s), laundry facilities, spa, and hotel restrooms. This 4,000 gallon solar hot water system will cut a significant amount of carbon dioxide emissions from entering our Earth’s atmosphere and reduce the costs and consumption of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LP). Dale Zager, Licensed Master Plumber and President of Zager Plumbing & Solar Inc. designed the solar panels to be located on top of The Westin parking garage. Its unique design gives this resort a spectrum of environmental art. The solar hot water system got its big Green start in January 2009, with its forty-five panels and 1,350 evacuated tubes; this solar hot water system produces a constant flow of hot water to the 4,000 gallon water storage tank. So what exactly is an evacuated tube collector? In each panel these glass tubes are set parallel to soak in the solar energy reaching our Earth produced by the Sun. They offer dependable solar hot water heating in all types of climates. Being able to retain heat absorption was a critical factor for the technology used in manufacturing these evacuated tube collectors. Once the tube collectors have absorbed the solar energy, the heated water then transfers into a storage tank that holds 4,000 gallons of solar hot water. At this point, the heat is transferred into the copper coil heat exchangers. From that point, it is distributed to the Hotel’s entire hot water system. The uniqueness of this tank is that it was shipped and arrived at the hotel in a collapsible form. This collapsible storage tank is available in any size and can be duplicated in any hotel/resort or commercial building whether it is constructed in the beginning phases of a project or as an eco-friendly addition to a pre-existing building. So long as you have a place that is flat, level and can support the weight of the water in the tank, Zager Plumbing & Solar Inc. can design, crate, ship and roll this storage tank through any single doorway and have it set up in a matter of hours.  The original boilers that supplied the Resort with its heated water used LP-Gas and will remain only as a backup. The island of St. Maarten is unable to plant enough crops to produce an adequate amount of bio-fuels thus proving that this positive solar achievement being lead by Columbia Sussex Corporation and Zager Plumbing & Solar Inc is the future inspiration for using alternative energy with solar hot water systems. Columbia Sussex Corporation has also taken additional steps towards sustaining eco-friendly and energy technology for their hotels to reduce wasteful cooling and heating of unoccupied guest rooms and that is with the use of sensors to detect occupancy in rooms. With the variety of small steps being taken, it is the start of small that achieves the big results. The Residents of St. Maarten can rest easy knowing that this substantially large hotel is freeing up the Liquid Petroleum Gas (LP) that is continuously in demand. Even with the gradual increase with importing supplies into St. Maarten, this island still feels the crunch for demands on receiving goods and commodities. However, it is still a slow process and if you have not experienced the Island Life of St. Maarten, it is one that paces itself to be reasonably laid back. The island really has no specific rainy season, they do however dedicate the months from July to November for hurricane season, but overall this island and others in the Caribbean are blessed with year round rays of the sun shining upon them. Of course, when travelers decide on a place to vacation, the weather is always top of the list, but now more and more Traveler’s have added “Green Hotels” to their check list. Zager Plumbing & Solar, Inc has been exceptional throughout the process of implementing the solar hot water system. It’s all about TEAM WORK. Zager Plumbing & Solar, Inc. along with Columbia Sussex Corporation Project Manager; Scott Yung worked as a Team keeping all guests and hotel staff at ease during the switch from LP Gas to the solar hot water system. With the demand on the rise for alternative energy, The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa installed the solar hot water system to accommodate and benefit all forms of existence. The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa’s full service resort with no question has achieved the launching of Going Green with implementing the solar hot water system into their hotel. The bottom-line is that this is a new energy reducing measure that Columbia Sussex Corporation has taken with Zager Plumbing & Solar Inc. Zager Plumbing & Solar, Inc approach in being a major player in contributing to the continued success of Green throughout the Caribbean and also in their own backyard located in Deerfield Beach, FL has proven that their success in making the world a Greener one is their top priority. There is no facility to small or too large that Dale Zager is unable to conquer. With Zager Plumbing & Solar Inc.’s team of talented employees, experience, along with the qualifications to design/ build and meet all specifications required per project, this company is on their solar way.  | ||||
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EXOTIC FROGS DISCOVERED IN A HIDDEN EDEN IN COLOMBIA A treasure trove of potential new species has been uncovered in a modern-day Garden of Eden in Colombia, scientists announced Monday. They said the discoveries gave them hope that such biological frontiers could be saved from harm. Among the 10 amphibian species that may be new to science are an orange-legged rain frog, three poison dart frogs and three transparent-skinned glass frogs. "Without a doubt, this region is a true Noah's Ark," Jose Vincente Rodriguez-Mahecha, scientific director of Conservation International in Colombia, said. The animals were cataloged during an expedition to the mountainous Tacarcura area of the Darien, near Colombia's border with Panama. Conservation International's experts on amphibians joined forces with bird experts from the Ecotropia Foundation, with the support of the area's indigenous Embera community. During their three-week expedition, the scientists identified about 60 species of amphibians, 20 reptile species and almost 120 species of birds, many of them apparently found nowhere else, Conservation International reported. The expedition also came across several types of previously known large mammals — including the Bird's tapir, which is considered endangered in Colombia, four species of monkeys and populations of white-lipped peccary.  The new found amphibian species include three types of glass frogs, three types of poison dart frogs, two species of rain frogs, a salamander and a harlequin frog. Finding the harlequin frog was particularly noteworthy, said Robin Moore, Conservation International's amphibian conservation officer. Amphibians are being increasingly regarded as advance indicators of the health of an ecosystem — the ecological equivalent of a "canary in the coal mine." They also help control the spread of diseases that can affect humans, such as malaria and dengue fever, by eating the insects that carry the disease. In a statement, Colombian Environment Minister Juan Lozano hailed the expedition's findings as "a great milestone for science and human health." "Once more we confirm we are leaders in natural diversity, and not only in our region but in the world," Lozano said. THE INVISIBLE TREE HOUSE It is an old architectural trick used since the invention of mirrored glass: covering buildings with the reflective material and declaring that they blend in with the surroundings.  Most architects use it to convince wary citizens that it is OK if their building is tall because it will reflect the sky and nature. The rendering always makes the building disappear, and the reality is always a big clunky mirrored box. But a mirrored box can be elegant, too, such as this tree house by Swedish firm Tham & Videgard Hansson Arkitekter. This tree house is designed to minimize impact on the surrounding landscape – for once an architect team has pulled off the unique with success! The best part about this is these unique tree houses would blend so well within many Caribbean environments. Take a look at the architects site for more info. Design boom says that the unit can be used as a hotel unit that includes a kitchen, sleeping area, living area and a terrace as well. | ||||
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 AT LAST - THE GARIFUNA REUNION TO HAPPEN IN ST. VINCENT Change is inevitable and there’s is no question that it is happening in the relationship between St Vincent and the Grenadines and the Garifunas as demonstrated by the news of a Garifuna Reunion to be celebrated on July 18th – 23rd, 2009 as part of Vincy Homecoming 2009. In a recent column discussing the long wished for reunion, Jose Francisco Avila noted that it has been said that “The future does not just happen, we must make it happen” and that’s what the Garifuna Coalition chose to do when it linked the power of the Garifunas’ historic past while looking forward to a future brimming with promise and hope when it proposed the Garifuna Reunion as part of Vincy Homecoming 2009 to the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadine through the Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit (RIDU) Office of the Prime Minister. While the US Garifuna Diaspora has maintained links and connections with the Central American countries, where they were exiled to that has not been the case with their homeland of St Vincent and the Grenadines (Yurumein). With the exception of Garifunas from Belize,no other Central American Garifuna Community has maintained regular contact with St Vincent. There will be some who will remember the Honorable James Mitchell, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ visit to Honduras in 1997 during the Garifuna Bicentennial, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Garifunas exile. However, twelve years later there has been no renewed linkage. An analysis of the situation led to the conclusion that it was due to the language barrier since the largest Garifuna Diaspora is located in Spanish speaking countries. Therefore, the Garifuna Coalition USA, Inc. chose to organize the Garifuna Reunion as an integral part of the Vincy Homecoming 2009 celebrations in an effort to forge better relations. It also chose to develop bilingual English/Spanish) promotional material to reach out to all Garifunas. The Garifuna Reunion creates an opportunity for the Garifuna Diaspora to get to know and reconnect with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and to meet and exchange information with Saint Vincent leaders in the government, business, political, non-profit, and cultural sectors during their visit to the country. The reunion also enables Saint Vincent leaders to gain a greater understanding about the multicultural and multilingual Garifunas while developing a framework and action plan for further enhancement of relations between St Vincent and the Grenadines and the Garifuna Diaspora. The media has brought greater awareness about the Garifunas and their special place in history. The wakening of ethnic cultural pride among the Garifunas combined with the increased awareness about their special place in history provides Saint Vincent and the Grenadines an opportunity to develop a new cultural tourism strategy to compliment its thriving tourism industry, while facilitating greater collaboration and partnership between the business community in St Vincent and the Grenadines and entrepreneurs in the Garifuna Diaspora. The history, artifacts and other symbols of the Black Caribs (Garifuna people) are essential parts of the history and culture of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Many of the forts and places where the different encounters took place remain and tell their own story, among them the cannons at Fort Charlotte that point inland. Beside the information they provide to the Vincentian people, they also add to the rich heritage and cultural-tourism infrastructure. While it is true that when there is a conflict between heritage preservation and economic development, the preservation and protection of the nation’s heritage is not given equal weight in the discussion, there is evidence that the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines is taking steps under Minister of Culture René Baptiste to preserve the Garifuna heritage. This is demonstrated by the Pilgrimage to Balliceaux - A Journey of Spiritual Remembrance, which was started on March 14, 2002 when the Great Carib (Garifuna) Chief, Chatoyer, was declared first National Hero of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the day became a national holiday. Furthermore, it is demonstrated by the SVG Government’s acceptance letter to the proposal for the Garifuna Reunion. There’s is no question that positive change is happening in the relationship between St Vincent and the Grenadines and the Garifunas. it is hoped that by linking the power of the Garifunas’ rich history to the promise of the future of Vincy Homecoming 2009, the Garifuna Reunion will create an opportunity for the Garifuna Diaspora to get to know and reconnect with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines while developing a framework and action plan for further enhancement of relations between St Vincent and the Grenadines and the Garifuna Diaspora. It will also allow for a look at the future from the vantage point of the Garifunas as the conflict between heritage preservation and economic development is reconciled around their special place in St Vincent and the Grenadines’ history! The tranquil, reef-fringed isle off Antigua's north coast sustains mangroves, deer and a rare duck species -- along with ambitions for one of the Caribbean's biggest development projects. But the US investigation into Texas billionaire Allen Stanford and his Antiguan-based bank could deal a fatal blow to the estimated $1 billion plan that has dangled near death several times since surfacing in 1998. Stanford, a 58-year-old financier and sports tycoon with a knighthood bestowed by the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, faces fraud charges centered on $8 billion managed by his Antiguan affiliate, Stanford International Bank Ltd. The probe casts into uncertainty his investments and projects stretching from Texas to Latin America and the Caribbean, including a long-sought bid to turn ecologically sensitive Guiana Island into a playground for the ultra-rich. Guiana is Antigua's largest offshore island and one of the most pristine and ecologically important tracts of land in a country already bestowed with some of the world's finest beaches. At 8 sq km (5 sq miles), it's almost two percent of the nation. "Stanford had a number of projects that he's been trying to get through the regulatory process, and that was clearly the biggest," Winston Derrick, publisher of the island's Daily Observer newspaper, said in an interview. "He has been trying to get a commitment out of the government to do this project." Home to the endangered West Indian Whistling duck, the island of cactus, thorn bush, mangrove and rocks has a colourful, if chequered, history. Until 1997, its only inhabitants were a Welsh couple -- Taffy and Bonnie Bufton, who lived off rainwater filtered through rocks, a flock of sheep and fallow deer for about 30 years, rebuffing the government's offer of $500,000 to sell the land. The isolation ended when Taffy Bufton shot and wounded the brother of then-Prime Minister Lester Bird in a land dispute in December 1997. They were promptly removed by the government, clearing the way for development. Bird sold the land a year later to Malaysian entrepreneur Tan Kay Hock for about $5 million to build an ambitious "Asian Village" of luxury Asian-style hotels, a casino, marinas, a golf course, a shopping center and a conference facility. But the 1998 Asian financial crisis intervened. Tan only produced about $1 million and failed to develop the land, Antiguan officials say. Bird turned to his close ally, Antigua's most famous Texan, who agreed to transform the island into a luxury resort region studded with multimillion dollar homes, a mega-yacht marina, an 18-hole golf course and exclusive restaurants. But he didn't get far. Bird's Antigua Labor Party lost power in 2004 and the United Progressive Party (UPP) swept elections with a manifesto that included opposition to the Guiana Island Development Project. Within a year, the UPP shifted gears, giving a green light to Stanford to buy the land for around $20 million, saying the economic benefits -- including nearly 2,000 jobs over the first three years -- justified the switch. The agreement, involving transferring the deed from Tan, didn't last long. The brash American soon ran afoul of Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer in a series of missteps in 2006 and 2007 that began with a visit to the leader's hometown and chief political constituency, Gray's Farm -- a poor, crime-infested area. Joined by an opposition politician, Stanford held a news conference expressing shock at the area's poverty and proposed using his own money to spruce it up. Antigua's prime minister accused Stanford of meddling in Antiguan politics, blasting the American as "haughty, arrogant and obnoxious." The green light to develop Guiana Island, he said, had turned red. A later apology from Stanford failed to mend fences. After 20 years in Antigua where he acquired citizenship, Stanford appeared to have lost the ear of the government and moved his primary home to St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, and put in place plans for a regional headquarters there. Before the US charges, most believed Stanford was biding time ahead of general elections scheduled for March 12. A win by Stanford's old political allies, the Antigua Labour Party, was widely expected to revive his plans for Guiana Island. That was before Tuesday when the US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Stanford, two colleagues and three of his companies with "massive, ongoing fraud." Some Antiguans now question whether the project would go forward without Stanford's financial and political muscle. "Absolutely not," said Eli Fuller, who runs eco-tourism company Adventure Antigua and has led opposition to the project for years. "Before the charges, the project was on hold pending the outcome of the election in March. But given what's happened, that's all changing." | ||||
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| One major event to keep in mind for 2009 is Earth Hour 2009, to be held on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30pm… The world is on the brink of a massive extinction event, according to the United Nations…Cuba is a leader in the world’s ‘eat local’ movement…The Painted Lady, a vision of historic architecture in Trinidad is in distress…Jamaica is upbeat its ability to export competitively to the international ethanol market. ---> Read More | ||
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| November 2008 | ||
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