Some factors to consider

JUST a week away from Christmas, the hype is already building up. There are a couple of issues that will come to the fore though. We are still smack bang in the middle of our cyclone season. We are also into the festive season. This is when Fijians will travel a lot. They will visit their families and friends.

They will take road trips after a hectic year. They will want to let their hair down, and grab some rest and recuperation.

In the face of that sits the fact that because of heavy road usage, traffic will increase.

Accidents usually happen because we allow them to. So as we count down the days to December 25, perhaps we should draw on caution moving forward.

We also have an opportunity to consider important issues tightly linked to the festivities.

Around this period, back in 2017 we reported there were several cases of littering before the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. It was welcomed by many people.

Minister for Local Government at the time, Parveen Kumar said littering was a problem around the country and the Government was working with stakeholders to address it.

He acknowledged the efforts of individuals, corporate companies and groups who had helped by hosting various activities, however, he insisted, at the time, there was a need for a “continuous program”.

This had to be embraced by individuals “and companies, to see our environment is clean and tidy”.

Let’s face it, the issue of littering is a rather touchy subject. Laws are in place to police this rather filthy habit. Sometimes we wonder whether they are effective. Attention shifts then to how well the people designated to police them are placed to do so.

There are litterbugs among us who disregard any thought of cleanliness, order and respect for the environment.

They ignore clearly marked rubbish bins and dump sites, and discard their rubbish wherever they want to.

This is common in many of our urban centres around the country.

If that isn’t enough, some people litter right beneath signboards that warn litterbugs will be dealt with.

We’ve said this before, environmentalists believe littering is a nasty side effect of the “throw-away” or “convenience oriented” mentalities.

In our urban centres, the burden of litter clean-up usually falls on municipal councils.

In December 2013, former President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau referred to littering as the culture of the throwaway package.

He said it was one of the worst facets of Western consumerism that people of the Pacific had embraced.

Cleanliness should be something that comes from within us. If conservation efforts in the region are to be substantial, it has to include a personal decision by people of the Pacific to dispose of garbage properly. Change is good for our environment.

Enjoy the festive period. Embrace the fun and joy it brings us, but, let’s appreciate the need to thoughtfully dispose our rubbish, and keep Fiji clean, and stay safe on our roads. Let’s also be proactive as we face the cyclone season.