Dr Chester Toney issued a stark warning regarding the St Vincent’s push to expand tourism in 2026, cautioning that sacrificing coastal ecosystems for short-term gain will cause unquantifiable environmental damage.
In a Facebook post, Toney highlights that destroying and disrupting coastal mangrove swamps on a small island severely undermines the country’s ability to withstand the horrors of climate change.
Criticizing the heavy focus on “development and economic returns,” the commentary invokes an African proverb: “until the last river is poisoned, the last tree is dead and the last fish is caught is only when we will realize that you can’t eat money”.
It asserts that civilized societies in modern times must protect rather than destroy delicate coastal balances, emphasizing that potential financial benefits can neither compensate for nor justify the ecological destruction.
The commentary also targets local regulatory enforcement, accusing the Planning Board of selectively applying its authority while allowing an environmental catastrophe to unfold.
Describing current policy decisions as playing “Russian Roulette” with the island’s future, the text notes that recognizing these impending dangers requires no higher education or formal background in environmental science.
Drawing on cultural and traditional references, the statement cites Michael Jackson’s music video “Earth Song” as a depiction of human greed driving environmental ruin, warning of environmental karma if nature loses respect for humanity.
Pointing to traditional wisdom, the commentary concludes by referencing the local proverb, “what is joke for school pickney ah death for crapo,” stressing that what decisionmakers treat lightly today will prove fatal to future generations.
