The Green Hornet writes: As I watch the latest shenanigans in the legislature, I am struck by the complete and utter lack of comprehension of the current climate crisis demonstrated by those who purport to represent the people of the Cayman Islands. With their decision to go ahead with the East-West Arterial construction without an environmental impact assessment, these so-called representatives have demonstrated yet again that all they represent are the vested interests of those with the biggest bankrolls.

They also have repeated the mantras that it will “solve the traffic crisis” and “we don’t need mangroves; we’ve always filled them in to build our houses” often enough that it seems they have come to believe it — as have many of their followers.

They choose to be oblivious to the fact that the planet is burning. So let me remind them of just a few simple facts:

• Temperatures are reaching record levels every day — all over the world.
• Floods are destroying crops and lives from Kenya to Bangladesh to Turkey.
• Wildfires rage from California to Australia.
• Glaciers are rapidly disappearing.
• The Arctic ice cap is vanishing.
• Sea levels are rising — islands are disappearing.
• Global warming is accelerating species extinction.
• Severe droughts on every continent.

And what, exactly, are they doing to help Cayman deal with what is coming? Absolutely nothing (apart from reports and studies). They just want to build a 10-mile freeway through the Central Mangrove Wetlands so they and their buddies can access their land and build lots of subdivisions (building subdivisions being part of Caymanian DNA). And, of course, make lots of money for our ruling class and their financial sector buddies.

It is true that humans have learned little or nothing from their past experiences. It’s almost 20 years since Cayman was trashed by Hurricane Ivan. At the storm’s peak, Grand Cayman was close to 90% under water. Had the tide been rising, not falling, that would have been 100%. Yet, driven by the financial sector and its dodgy investment funds, we strive to pour concrete on every living thing and pretend that hurricanes, as they continue to increase rapidly in strength and power, don’t exist — just like all the other non-existent impacts of global warming.

So, here’s a suggestion. Instead of starting the billion-dollar freeway (Yes, folks, that’s our projected final cost of this boondoggle), why not take the same money and fix the dump? That’s projected to cost about the same. 

And here’s a wee reminder of Cayman post-Ivan flooding. The brown bits are not under water.