Resources for Assistance Around Environmental Issues

It is often confusing to know just who to call if you have an environmental question or concern.  We hope this preliminary list will help.

IF THIS…	THEN DO THIS
You notice something that appears to be an environmental infraction (for example, if you see soil being taken off of an area and, say, trucked away OR you notice work being done on a site where no building permit number is posted and visible)	Contact the Planning Department Office:  297-7756 OR Contact Andrew Pettit at Department of Environment and Natural Resources: 236-4201
You notice any suspicious fishing activity	Contact the Fisheries Marine Enforcement Officer on 293-5600 or the Hotline on 705-FISH
Someone in the neighbourhood is burning horticultural waste and the smoke is causing problems in the area. (Note: Horticultural waste can be burned without a permit but only when the smoke won’t cause issues for the neighbours)	Contact Department of Environment and Natural Resources at [email protected] OR Patricia Hollis Office: 239-2303 or Cell: 505-3286 or Geoff Smith Office: 239-2356 or cell 747-2302 Or the Fire Department at 292-5555
Someone is burning material other than horticultural waste (Note: No one is permitted to burn any material other than horticultural waste)	Contact Department of Environment and Natural Resources: [email protected] Patricia Hollis Office: 239-2303 or cell: 505-3286 or Geoff Smith Office: 239-2356 or cell 747-2302 Or the Fire Department at 292-5555
Someone is doing something questionable in one of the parks	Contact Craig Burt of Parks Department on  533-2337 Email: [email protected]
An indoor human health issue	Call Sue Hill of Environmental Health Office: 278-5333
A waste management, illegal dumping or recycling issue	Contact Karlos Burch, Acting Education & Enforcement Officer Department of Waste Management Office: 297-7953 or Cell: 501-3108 Email: [email protected]
A litter issue	Contact Anne Hyde of KBB Office: 295-5142 or Cell: 799-5142 Email: [email protected]
An issue related to the Clean Air Act (eg. Construction crushing and screening) OR An issue related to the Water Resources Act (eg. You think there has been an oil spill in the ocean)	Contact: Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Email: [email protected] Geoff Smith (Environmental Engineer) Office 239-2356 or cell 747-2302; Patricia Hollis (Environmental Officer) Office: 239-2303 or cell: 505-3286; The Department will then either deal directly with the complainants or present the issues to the Environmental Authority

If you run into difficulty reaching any of the agencies or need additional assistance, or if you have suggestions for additional issues to be listed, please contact BEST by phone on 292-3782 or by email [email protected]

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Planning & development

Link to Department of Planning Legislation and The Draft Bermuda Plan 2018:

http://www.planning.gov.bm/PlanningLegislation.aspx

Visit BEST’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/BEST.Bda

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https://www.gov.bm/department/environment-and-natural-resources – Many useful and interesting resources available from the Department of Conservation Services, ranging from the Value of Bermuda’s Coral Reefs to Fern Species Recovery Plan.

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https://www.facebook.com/bermudataskforce – The Bermuda Marine Taskforce, a collaboration of Environmental Organisations to study marine plastic pollution and develop local solutions.

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www.70degreeswest.com – Follow the travels of Michelle and Justin as they document life along 70 degrees west, illustrating the impact the modern world has on 8 unique regions and the poeple who depend on the stability of these fragile environment.

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Bag-a-Surf: –  http://www.facebook.com/BagASurf/ Cleaning the oceans one bag at a time. Bag-A-Surf is a global initiative crowd-sourcing and mapping the clean-up of marine debris.  Every time you go to the beach an opportunity presents itself to give back to the oceans and help clean the beach, and put Bermuda on the map!

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Earth Protect – helps you find and share videos and films on environmental issues and solutions: http://www.earthprotect.com/

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Planet Connect – A place for highschool students interested in the environment: http://www.planet-connect.org/

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KBB – Keep Bermuda Beautiful is a registered Charity. Our mission is to engage individuals to take greater responsibility in reducing waste and eliminating litter. http://www.kbb.bm/

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Trash Free Seas – Read about the Ocean Conservancy’s 26 yrs of International Coastal Cleanup Campaigns (link).

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Greenrock – Changing the Mindset – Greenrock seeks to educat Bermuda residents and visitors so that we start to make choices that move us towards a more sustainable lifestyle. http://www.greenrock.org/

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Permaculture Bermuda – A group dedicated to permaculture and things agricultural in Bermuda. http://www.facebook.com/groups/171973632865736/

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EARTH HOUR – Find out what is happening throughout the world on March 28, 2020, as the Earth Hour Event grows ever larger. http://earthhour.org

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WORLD WATER DAY March 22 2013 – Find interesting water facts and figures at http://www.unwater.org/statistics/en/

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KEEP BERMUDA BUZZING – Learn More About Bermuda’s Bees at:  http://bermudabees.weebly.com/about.html

If you discover a bee swarm on or near your property, Please contact:

Mr. L. Woolridge, Bermuda Bee Lovers on 236-8687 or 517-2174 OR

Mark Wheddon  on  747 7665

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www.PewEnvironment.org – Pew is a global research and public policy organization, still operated as an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organization dedicated to serving the public.

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www.sargassoalliance.org – A partnership led by the Government of Bermuda to protect the Sargasso Sea.

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Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme Bermuda – Hamilton, June 5th, 2019 – The Government of Bermuda has committed to protect at least 20% of their total Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in marine protected areas (MPAs) while vowing to sustainably develop their Blue Economy. The Government of Bermuda’s Ministry of Home Affairs, the Waitt Institute, and Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme.  Through this partnership, Bermuda will create a binding ocean plan to sustainably manage and improve ocean industries like fishing and tourism while at the same time preserving 90,000 square kilometers (50,000 square miles) of Bermuda’s waters, which total 465,000 sq. kilometers ( sq. miles), in fully protected areas (no fishing, extraction, or destruction of any kind is allowed).

Atlantic Conservation Partnership:	http://www.atlanticconservationpartnership.com/
Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute:	http://www.buei.org/
Bermuda National Trust:	http://www.bnt.bm/
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences:	http://www.bios.edu/
Bermuda Sloop Foundation:	http://www.bermudasloop.org/
National Museum of Bermuda:	https://nmb.bm/
Bermuda Zoological Society:	http://www.bamz.org/
Bermuda Ocean Explorers:	https://www.facebook.com/bermudaoceanexplorers/

www.bios.edu – The mission of BIOS is to transform the fields of oceanography, marine science, and ocean health through a blend of cutting edge research, comprehensive educational experiences and a commitment to share our knowledge internationally.

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Earth Times – For information on a wide range of topical environmental matters. www.earthtimes.org

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2015 Year of Soils – Many interesting facts, articles and events about the vital importance of soils can be found at http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/about/key-messages/en/

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BEE Curious Event Article – American natural bee keeper, Ross Conrad was brought to Bermuda by the group The BUZZ, as part of their ‘Keep Bermuda Buzzing’ campaign. He spoke to bee keepers and other interested persons on ways to keep healthy hives. The article he wrote about his visit to Bermuda, for the magazine  ‘Bee Culture – The Magazine of American Bee Keeping’  can be found through the following link: http://beeculture.com (scroll down a bit through the articles, its the sixth one)

Bees – Bda Honey Plants Waterston

Birds – List of plants that attract birds April 2015

Here are a few simple letter-writing tips (adopted from Amnesty International).

1. Always be polite and respectful. This is essential and invariable. Your aim is to influence a proposed action, not to vent your own feelings. Government leaders don’t respond well to abusive or condemnatory letters.
2. Always write on the basis that the recipient is open to reason and discussion.
3. Never use political jargon. Don’t give the impression that you are writing because you are ideologically or politically opposed to or supportive of the government. It is far more effective to stress that your concern is not politically biased in any way.
4. Stick to two or three points, and make them well.
5. Be brief. Long letters are less likely to be read. Only in exceptional cases are long letters effective.

The Bermuda Community Foundation (BCF) has marked “Community Foundation Week” with the release of five Vital Signs® Summary Reports!

BCF joined over 1,000 community foundations around the world to raise awareness about the increasingly important role philanthropic organisations play in fostering local collaboration and innovation to address civic and economic challenges within society.

View these reports here: https://bit.ly/2R9CujE

THE BERMUDA ENVIRONMENT CHARTER

Funding Support through OTEP for Environmental Programmes in the UK OverseasTerritories. A Partnership for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Bermuda.s Environmental Resources.

The Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP) was established to enable the Governments of the UK and the OverseasTerritories to meet their commitments under theEnvironment Charters. In 1999, the year of the White Paper, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) made available an annual funding programme for environmental projects in the UKOTs. And in 2003, the British Government worked together with Territory Governments and non-governmental organisations to develop OTEP, a new ring-fenced fund which supports environmental projects in the UKOTs. OTEP is a joint initiative of the FCO and the Department for International Development (DFID) which aims to build on the success of earlier FCO-funded programmes. Bids may be submitted by Overseas Territories governments; NGOs; community-based organisations; individuals; educational institutions; private sector. Bids may also be submitted by UK-based organisations, NGOs and academic institutions if they have been developed in collaboration with partners in the Territories.

Selection criteria

The selection panel is made up of people who have knowledge of UKOT environmental matters. Key to their consideration of project proposals is the extent to which a project has the potential to help:

• implement the Environment Charter for the Territory, including the development of strategies and action plans where necessary;
• meet the Territory’s obligations under those Multilateral Environmental Agreements extended to it, and prepare for possible future extensions; build environmental management capacity in the Territory; and
• raise awareness of environmental issues, promote participation by civil society in decisions affecting the environment, and support environmental education in the Territory.

Read more here: Environmental Charter as part of the Overseas Territories Environment Programme

Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan – 2011_bermuda

UKOTCF Review of Environmental Charter and AICHI Targets – June 2016

Pesticides Focus GROUP Brochures

Please click on the link for helpful information on controlling pests safely and naturally.

Safe Pesticides Flyer

What’s Biting You

Got Roaches brochure

Got Ants Flyer

Got Weeds Flyer

Got Garden Pests

An analysis and call-to-action to phase out the most polluting plastic products used in the United States.

Click here to read the report: 5Gyres_BANlist2

Top 22 Energy Efficiency Tips:

Heating and cooling:

1. In summer, use fans and keep doors, windows, and shades closed during the day to reduce any unwanted heat from coming in.

2. In winter, open blinds and drapes to let the sun warm your space.

3. Use your ceiling fan instead of the thermostat to assist with evaporative cooler.

4. Adjust the thermostat in small degree changes, choosing the maximum temperature you are comfortable with in the summer and the minimum in the winter. Your home won’t heat or cool faster by cranking up or down the thermostat.

5. Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature to your schedule.

Appliances and electronics:

6. Wash your clothes in cold water. About 90% of the energy used by washing machines goes to heating the water. Set the thermostat on hot water heaters to the minimum temperature that you are comfortable with.

7. Use your microwave instead of your stove when cooking to use 2/3’s less energy.

8. Don’t open the oven door while baking. Each time, the temperature can drop up to 13.8°C (25°F) and requires additional energy to bring it back up.

9. Turn off the oven 10-15 minutes before cooking time runs out. Your food will continue to cook without using the extra electricity.

10. Keep your refrigerator and freezer as full as possible to operate efficiently.

11. Use dishwashers and washers/dryers in off-peak hours to keep the house cooler.

12. Don’t run bathroom or kitchen ventilation fans longer than necessary. They replace inside air with outside air.

13. Turn on your computer, monitor, printer, and fax machine only when needed.

14. Don’t leave your mobile phone plugged in overnight, it only takes a couple of hours to charge.

15. Avoid placing objects that give off heat (for example, lamps or TVs) near a thermostat.

16. Use a heat-pump water heater, or on demand water heater where possible. If you have an electric immersion water heater (most common water heater) fit a timer to it.  An immersion heater typically heats enough water for two hot showers in 30 minutes.

17. Unplug intelligent appliances when not in use and unplug everything when travelling.

Lighting:

18. Use desktop lamps with high-efficiency lightbulbs.

19. Open curtains and shades during the day to let in the natural light instead of using lighting.

20. Use a photocell or a timer on your outdoor lights for dusk-to-dawn only operation.

21. Turn off the lights when not in use and save up to 15% on your utility bill.

Home maintenance and improvements:

22. Clean or replace all filters in your home once a month.

23. Seal cracks, gaps, leaks and add insulation to save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs.

24. Replace single-pane windows with more energy efficient ones, and/or add solar shades or tinting film.

Please also visit the Bermuda Government’s Department of Energy online for more tips: https://www.gov.bm/renewable-energy-resources-and-fact-sheets

 

A surprising amount of pollution starts at home. The car you drive, the household and personal care products you buy, the chemicals and equipment you use to keep your lawn and garden in shape all contribute to water and air pollution. But there are consumer choices you can make that will reduce your environmental footprint.

Read more here: https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/pollution-reduction/