|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Friday, 4 June 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Letters | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Sports Obituaries
|
Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
Recycling waste - call of the decade Recycling was a popular notion, when it was introduced in to our society in the late 90s by the university professional and other environmentalists; though, it vanished on thin air very soon like other popular concepts of our country. From the start of the 20th century in the vast industrial and technology development mankind turn into 'use and get rid of' pattern of the goods he used in his day-today life because it's cheap and easy for him to throw away. Conversely, the thrown goods formed tribulations because it started a menace the natural cycles and mainly the cleanliness of the cities. In Sri Lanka, recycling is not popular as of the investment to such projects will be very demanding to a Government with debt, where main requirements also cannot be fulfilled. On the other hand, the problems faced by urban administration authorities' in major towns are dumping this garbage. The solution will be starting recycling as possible ways. The energy used to reprocess waste materials may be far less than that required for making virgin materials. It takes about 30 per cent of the energy used to produce a ton of paper from trees, if the paper is made instead from recycled paper. Rising energy costs increase the economic incentives to recycle. However, other costs are also involved, including the costs of collection and transport of waste materials as well as costs in the recycling processes themselves. The fear of using up available landfill space is a major recycling incentive in many communities, and some cities are willing to assume the added costs of recycling programs simply to avoid the prospect of landfill loss. To be more realistic in Sri Lanka where modern state-of-the-art recycling plants cannot be established; it will be much easier as more localities begin to require household separation and curb side collection of recyclables. In recent times, Cargills Ceylon Ltd. developed disposable polythene bags for their customers. It will be trouble-free to adapt use of these bags by other commercial enterprises. Local investors can start to put up recycling plants to recycle paper and then we can move to other waste materials. All the waste including household material such as milk powder packets, and newspapers can be recycled and eventually it will create a modest income to the housewife. The average use of polythene bags per day is high as 3.5 million bags per day in Sri Lanka worth average LKR 2 million in production. These figures talk much than the words. Re-use of polythene bags, restricting use of them and encouraging to use other re-usable bags when shopping will be possible ways to reduce the use of polythene bags. Ultimately, it'll halve the use of the polythene bags that become a annoyance. I am sure it'll be a main subject in future manifestos of the political parties' ruling here. You could start by acting now. We've to begin somewhere otherwise future Sri Lankans will curse on our graves which also will be covered by garbage. Time to act, not for discussions. 'Garbage is a raw material still not used by mankind'said Arthur C. Clarke Hasika Jayasooriya Free-trade vs Fair-trade: innocuous terminology for gullible hoi polloi. I was shocked and dismayed to read (DN May 25), the optimistic rendering of the report entitled "Asia-Pacific conference ends with call for fair trade: Ministers agree on need to restructure agriculture in the region" of the 27th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific convened on May 17-19, 2004 in Beijing. This was a high-level conference attended by 21 Asia Pacific nations and non-Governmental organisations, the decisions arrived at which were of far reaching consequences for the LDCs like Sri Lanka. My shock and dismay was about the Angelic little term 'fair trade', a term nothing but wholesome on its face value. However, this innocuous term hides some ugly realities behind it. Since the end of the WW-II, the international community has worked hard in promoting free trade based on WTO principles (earlier GATT principles) (trade without tariff, quota and non-tariff barriers where dumping and institutional interference are not forthcoming) which in its turn are based on the theory of comparative advantage in international trade. Although there have been some problems with 'Free Trade' as it was practised over the years, and which were largely due to interference in trade by Governments of the Industrialised countries (and which is evident in the case of the export from the Less Developed Countries (LDCs) of the textiles and garments that have since 1972 been subject to quota restrictions and agricultural products that have since WW-II been subject to tariff barriers), free trade has to a large extent, been beneficial at least when it concerns the open economies of East, South and Southeast Asia. Then when George W. Bush assumed office as the US President under highly spectacular circumstances (to quote Washington Post from the period) he opted, first to reward the people who supported him at the Presidential elections. A group of people who urgently needed his favour were the workers in what has come to be known as the 'rusty belt of the US' who were at the verge of losing their jobs due to imports of relatively cheap but superior quality steal from Europe and Asia. Myopia set in and the Bush administration deviated from the principles of 'Free Trade' in order to launch what later came to be known as 'Fair Trade'. Hiding behind this innocuous term the Bush administration raised the steel tariffs by 30 per cent. In the process, it (the Bush administration) caused much hardship for the meteorology sector workers of Europe and Asia, at the same time as it caused difficulties for the metal-based manufacturing enterprises of the US (for instance, the cost of production of the metal-based goods i.e. cars in the US increased). Under the guise of 'Fair Trade', the Bush administration has done nothing to liberalise the imports of agricultural goods from the LDCs. Further, under the same guise, the Bush administration has been trying to prevent outsourcing the IT industries in the LDCs like China and India. Still further, under the same guise, the Bush administration has been trying to interfere with internal affairs of China by demanding Chinese authorities to revalue their Remnimbi. I have a hunch. When the Bush administration uses the term 'Fairness' in trade, it means 'Fair' from the point of view of the US. If there was fairness at a global level, we would not have been subject to the tyranny of poverty as the majority of the citizens of the world are today. Therefore we shall not blindly emulate the vocabulary that has been handed down to us liberally by politicians who have their own personal agenda. When we hear of the terms 'Fair Trade' we must first ask 'Fair' according to whom, who defines 'fairness'? What are the values imbedded in the term 'fairness'? We shall not be gullible and waylaid by seemingly innocuous but highly value-laden terminology coined by the spin doctors of modern-day cowboys. DR. J. A. KARUNARATNE - A much-publicised insurance company, part of a high-profile group, recently announced with great fanfare the declaration of bonuses upto nearly Rs. 400 million to their customers. The loud and clear message was that they offer more to their customers than the competition. Declaration of annual bonuses by Life Insurance Companies is a done thing throughout the world and is meant to inform the public of their own health and vigour - and of course, all this being part of their efficient management team. The catch is these bonuses in other countries are available in cash immediately whereas the subject local insurer only issues a virtual credit note that cannot be encashed. In other words, it remains a piece of useless paper for the present. The proceeds of this bonus can only be realised decades later if and when the Policy matures. It may be noted in many cases assured, for various economic reasons, call for the surrender value and close the policy years before maturity. In such instances, these bonuses mean very little. The public at large should be advised to be very careful when they take life insurance policies. Often insurance salesmen on behalf of their employers give various misleading promises. I know some friends after paying premia for several years preferred to close the policy prematurely and opt for the surrender value. There was an instance when a policy holder sought surrender value since he was emigrating. Over 7 years he had paid premia upto Rs. 175,000 and with accumulating bonuses of about Rs. 30,000, he figured his due to be over Rs. 200,000. Making allowances of premature closing etc. he expected over 75% on the basis of what the original salesmen had assured him. However, the insurance company insisted what was due to him after six years of regular premia payment was only about Rs. 30,000. The shocked customer protested but the insurance company could not care less. The customer sought the intervention of the insurance board of Sri Lanka. He was surprised the IBSL only acted as a post-office transmitting correspondence from assured to insurer and vice-versa and no more. Now the customer is consulting legal opinion since he feels he has a strong case and more so other innocents should not be made to suffer. This altruistic customer wants to make sure in a way that insurance sharks should big or small not finish them all. L. MOSTLEY - This has reference to the letter by Dhammika Fernando of Australia (May 21) under the above headline, in reply to mine of May 18. My letter was intended to point out that the terms referred to by me were not Sinhala and have been borrowed or aped from other languages and misused through misunderstanding. Mr. Fernando has failed to touch on that aspect. Appaachchi and Appuchchi are Tamil terms misused as a form of addressing the father by certain Sinhalese children. Surprisingly, a certain Sri Lankan astrologer, whose knowledge of the science of astrology (applied astronomy) appear to be limited to myths and mythology appearing on electronic media said that the term Appachchi is the correct term and not Thaththa thereby proving his lack of proper understanding of the words he attempted to talk about authoritatively. The rose by any other name will smell as sweet, no doubt. But that other name has to be appropriate. Mr. Fernando has mentioned that in the 20th century the term Ammandi was used to address the mother whilst Thaththandi was used to address the father. He appears to have forgotten that Ammandi is also used to refer to a lady in degrading terms. Those are colloquial terms that are not formal or literal. Then again Andi is a term used by Hindus, meaning nothingness, to refer to Deities. Take for instance the word Appuhamy. It is a Tamil term used by Hindus for referring to Gods. Appu (Father), Hamy (God) which together is Father God. The Sinhalese used that term to name or address persons who were rich or influential in the Sinhala villages in the good old days. The Sinhala youth misuse the English word 'uncle' to address the elders. The bus conductor, the salesman, street vendor, police officer all use the term as a form of addressing persons which use of word has no propriety. In the west, and even in Australia too, there are children who address their parents by their name. Though that form of address may be acceptable to them, we do not. My contention is that when proper Sinhala terms are available there is no necessity to resort to terms and words borrowed from other languages and which are not appropriate. UPALI S. JAYASEKERA - Time and time the printed media has focused the threat of Dengue mosquitoes in certain parts of the city of Colombo and in some Provincial towns. What is amusing is that the local authorities are beating their drums loudly to come and join them to make the City of Colombo mosquito disease free city only after every seasonal rain. In the far north of Mattakkuliya, the mosquito menace is plainly clear even to a child. This is due to a large number of clogged road drains unattended where waste water from houses and rain water stagnated threat due to lack of drain gradient (at the construction stage) and the absence of the gratings at the culverts. These irregularities are the stark features of all road drains in Mattakkuliya. This is lack of professionalism while construction has resulted in waste water not draining to the catchment points and then to the Kelani river. Consequently, the stagnated water has become ideal breeding places for all varieties of mosquitoes. Who is breeding mosquitoes in Mattakkuliya is thus obvious. H. L. D. E. PERERA - I retired, having served 31 years in the Police Department. According to Public Administration Circular 07/2003 dated 05.06.2002, I am entitled to obtain the Pension arrears since 1996. I made an appeal to the Divisional Secretary for this. He instructed me to produce the Salary Conversion Report from the Police Headquarters, as I retired from Police Head Quarters on September 12, 1998 to prepare this allowance. In the year 2003, I applied for this report from Snr. Supdt. of Police (Colombo Central Division) Chief Accountant Police Office, Fort, Dy. Inspector General of Colombo Range and DIG Police Welfare. Almost one year lapsed, but no payment is still received. This refers to File No. SMB/18/1998. C. DE Z. EDWARD - |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
