DEAR EDITOR, the mining issue in Santa Cruz, Temotu province has become at the peak of discussion both in the village, the outskirt of Lata Township and even in the social media.

The anti – miners and the pro – miners have been arguing in words through social media and other media Recently when the pro – miners clients arrived in Lata the anti – miners which mostly the land owners of Santa Cruz set up a road block to avoid the pro – miners and their clients from going further inland.

Mining will bring a great devastation to a large mass of land. Taking into accounts the environmental impacts that the mining will cause which includes, erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes.

Problem that landowners will experience is poor soil fertility for cultivation of land for gardening.

As once a rural dweller living on subsistence agriculture, I call on the pro – miners and their clients to withdraw their plan of mining on Santa Cruz because after they left, it will us the landowners who will suffer those negative impacts left behind.

Jenny Inaplo

Suva

DEAR EDITOR, this article is not intended to sling mud on whosoever, but rather swayed towards putting things in perspective, to say the least.

Solomon Islands has a chequered history when it comes to environmental damage caved by illusive logging companies.

Examples are many nationwide but gone unfretted. And this espouses one at our own backyard.

In a frantic move to elude itself from its financial obligations due to disgruntled landowners, a logging firm operating in our ward – precisely with its camp at Fote Village in West Kwara’ae, Malaita – hastily left leaving behind an environmental scar.

A rusty-iron tank containing fuel leaked unabatedly on the shoreline as it was heaved onto a waiting barge.

One could just imagine what its effects on marine life ever since – horrendous presumably.

Sadly though, the spill may have been played down unless the matter is brought to attention.

The irony is that the drama unfolded right in front of the very eyes of the authorities, police whilst hapless locals startled with perplexity.

One thing, at the outset, is becoming eminent: incidents of these sorts are becoming common, despite laws in place, where authorities seemed to turn a blind eye on environmental damage to economic gain – which is so contentious in logging.

This profoundly resonates the notion of “Who guides the guardians?” A subtle deity often mooted of ruling elites in the Pacific Island countries.

Understandably, in a pecking order, logging is one of the ‘cash-cow’ industries in terms of revenue (30 – 40 percent) towards government coffers.

A significant percentage where even our renowned policy strategists over the years have yet to come to grips with it in the event of a sudden fallout.

Meantime, the way things are now, the government is hell-bent than ever in ensuring the industry’s operations remain unscathed at all costs!

Until such a time when logging comes to an end (unlikely), its prolongation will inevitably rue us of our forest resources, and moreso, proliferates the escalation of climate change.

Invariably, our country is one of the most vulnerable due to its many inhabited low-lying islands. God forsakes us when this mayhem takes its toll.

Amid all these madness, one thing is certain: economic gain in isolation is dysfunctional to the optimal equilibrium in the development matrix of a nation. What it really does is the opposite.

It entrenches our country more into the trappings of a society caught up in a quagmire of “natural states” where institutions are fragile – ushering it onto a path anecdotal to a ‘failed state’.

The more we go down this path, the more we bring misery to our very own people.

Jay Leemans,

Honiara

DEAR EDITOR, as a first year law student and a citizen of Solomon Islands, I am concerned about the alarming rate of increased unemployment faced by many young people today.

Unemployment is currently an issue in the Solomon as lack of job opportunities are available to accommodate many youths who are capable of developing our country to the next level.

Today, my heart cries because I’ve seen many young people engaging in social activities such as drugs, alcohol and other activities which no doubt doesn’t contribute at all to the development of the country.

This is really depressing as I know these youths can do better and they can create change for the next generation, instead they’re still lost in this social world.

Providing as much support as possible to our youths is an alternative that I believe will encourage them that their future is not within these social activities, rather, there’s a spirit exist in them trying to make them become better people but they’re just too blind to see it coming.

I urge every young people of Solomon Islands that wherever you are today; if you are on the right road; pursue your dreams and goals, if you are still lost it is never too late to start where you left and slowly creating your destiny because we are the future of Solomon Islands.

Therefore, we don’t have to blame the government for not providing job opportunities for everyone.

If we have the knowledge, understanding and skills to pursue what we’re good at, job opportunities will come running at our doorsteps and when that happens just smile and thank yourself for the effort you’ve put in and most importantly; thank the Lord.

Sincerely,

Wendy Rukale

USP Emalus Campus