Change Bermuda

Affordable / Sustainable Housing

2009-11-09T07:10:00.001-08:00

Bermuda certainly has a standard of living that is above most other countries let alone other islands. It's amazing that a 21 square mile island can literally be draped in white roofs everywhere. The building code stipulates that nothing must rise above the steeple in Hamilton? And some 3 storey homes are denied permission even though they are in valleys because they don't want the island to appear cluttered or be overcome with tall buildings? Stopping people from building an extra storey is ridiculous considering the surroundings. Stopping skyscrapers, yes, but the building code desperately needs to be re-evaluated.

Developers, designers, companies and even people building their own private homes need to be rewarded for considering compact living spaces and designs which step out of the typical Bermudian home boundary. I understand that Bermuda has a "style code" so to speak but let's face it, there are a lot of ugly, derelict buildings in Bermuda and to make matters worse exuberant rents, very little low income housing and even with that, a housing crisis leaving many with no home at all.

What a disgrace for such a rich country. We can provide better! With a little bit of open mindedness, forward thinking and smart design.

Compact Living and Smart Design

The M - CH

"The micro compact home [m-ch] is a lightweight compact dwelling for one or two people. Its compact dimensions of 2.6m cube adapt it to a variety of sites and circumstances, and its functioning spaces of sleeping, working / dining, cooking and hygiene make it suitable for everyday use."

Check the website for extensive design details and future projects.

http://www.microcompacthome.com/company/

Obviously this isn't the perfect solution for Bermuda's housing crisis. Bermuda really needs its own solution for our own climate and needs but this example offers us with proof of how much we can downsize, how little room we actually need and how we can use modular architecture to create communities from combining single dwelling units.

Shipping Container Design
This isn't the perfect solution for Bermuda either and with building code as is, it would be a miracle to get container architecture passed though planning. But WHY?! It can be beautiful, inexpensive, safe, converted and fit into designs not made entirely of containers. It seems to me that since containers remain on job sites, not even bolted to the ground through hurricanes, remain intact. A tree falling often won't even dent one. So why shouldn't they meet our building codes requirements? I had heard the building code was getting a revamp but I haven't seen it yet. Nor have I seen a proposal or even a talk of the possibilities for container architecture here in Bermuda.

Abandoned
The lack of extreme design tactics is not the only thing lacking in Bermuda. So many buildings are not maintained by owners, some empty for years, some just entirely unlivable now. It's a crime in itself. There should be a code which has to be followed to maintain the ownership of your property and if you choose not to maintain to a specific standard then your home will be released to be sold by government. Some might say that's unfair but many may say it's unfair to let a home sit derelict for any other reason than family disputing ownership. No house should be empty for more than 6 months. No roof should go unpainted for more than 2 years. We are far to small of an island to allow buildings to disintegrate due to owners who simply refuse to take responsibility for their property and refuse to to sell.

Water Conservation

2009-11-09T07:09:00.006-08:00

If your Bermudian, you've seen him. Mr. Drippy is Bermuda's #1 in Conservation.
Many seem to think that because we catch our own water there's no need to conserve it and in the winter months it certainly seems like we could stand to waste some. But! Conserving water will save on not only your water bill but your power bill to.

Some things you can do -

-Install low water-use fixtures
-Inspect water tanks and plumbing fixtures regularly
-Repair leaks quickly
-Use a bucket, not a hose, to wash cars
-Take quick showers, not full baths
-Minimize lawn and garden watering
-Do not let water overflow or run after use
-Wash full laundry loads or set the washer to appropriate load size
-Do not order more water than is necessary

Toilets can use both salt and well water, saving you a fortune on fresh water and conserving as well.
Well water is used mainly used for toilet water and should never be used for drinking water.

Unfortunately wells and salt water connections aren't used often enough. A change in building code requiring it of new homes and offices that are capable of installing such systems, seems more than necessary.

Reducing Imports

2009-11-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

Every one seems to automatically think that because we are smack dab in the middle of nowhere that EVERYTHING must be imported. So far from the truth. We will never be able to remove ourselves entirely from importing goods but we can take measures to eat healthier produce, provide for less fortunate Bermudians, provide more jobs and ultimately develop a greater sense of responsibility and community on this island. Building after building goes up in Bermuda without the slightest concern of multiple use spaces, uncollected water run off, or gray water use. It's been going on for as long as we've been here but only in the last couple years has it truly become an apparent problem and a problem that is so easily addressed, it's pathetic. We are lucky that we don't have to worry about rain water run off, among other things which is exactly why we should take advantage of what we can.

Bermuda has nearly endless options in terms of what we can grow here. So why is it we grow barely any of our own food? Why is it that it's hard to find the sign that says "Bermuda" in the grocery store among all the signs for "Mexico", "Chile", & the "USA"? Let's not even get started on the fact that most of those imported fruit and vegetables are genetically modified to the maximum and drenched in chemical pesticides as "FOOD, inc." and "How Will We Grow Our Food?" discusses.

Fact is, it would we quite simple to start incorporating the growing of our own produce. First by making homeowners more aware of what they can grow and how easy it is. Of course this is a small section of the market as many people don't want to be responsible for a garden. So how could we grown enough? Or at least a significant portion to reduce the importation of produce already being supplied to the island?

Community garden projects? -

This has worked several times over, in places much larger than Bermuda.

A bartering system with the community? -

Gardeners selling their goods to local grocery.
What else? Where else? -
When ever I see a new building being stacked up in Hamilton and now Southside I can't help but imagine all the food they could provide from the planters on rooftops or nearby poly culture gardens instead of monoculture grass and hedges. Or to think that places like the Salvation Army don't have gardens to supply some food to its homeless shelter residents, is just absolutely ridiculous. Salvation Army isn't the only one. Other establishments that house less fortunate don't seem to have any gardening program in place either. I attempted to do my research but couldn't find anything of note in the end. Hopefully, I missed something and there's a fine example out there.

------------ !Must Sees! ------------

Food Inc.

How Will We Grow Our Food?
The World According To Monsanto

Waste / Recycle / Reuse / Compost - How Can We Better Deal With Our Wasteful Habits?

2009-09-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Recycle

It wasn't long ago that most Bermudians didn't recycle at all. Not to say that the numbers have greatly improved but at least with the addition of the green pages and the phone book's blue page recycling section, Bermudians are becoming more aware of our wasteful tendencies and how to properly dispose of items. Still, there is only so much a citizen can do that doesn't require a boycott of most items, especially since Bermuda only recycles Aluminium, Tin and Glass.

That's it?! Really?! I am sick when I think of all the plastic bottles I've used in my lifetime piled up in front of me. I am even more sick when I think about the rest of Bermuda's plastic bottles piled up. Am I the only one that walks into the gas station and looks in disgust at the fact that Barrits continues to pump out more plastic bottles without concern for their disposal?

Apparently so. I will force down a coke before I buy anything in a plastic bottle these days.

Shouldn't Barrits be at least partially responsible?

Shouldn't we be leaning towards glass bottles? Or can the things we can? (pun intended!)

Or a refill system where you bring your own container to the store to get Barrits products?

I guess Barrits isn't the only problem but it's certainly one of the largest.

But back to what we can recycle. The most effective recycling programs are those implemented by the government, those made mandatory. However, if everyone in Bermuda began recycling everything they could tomorrow, the facilities would likely be overwhelmed. We would most likely have to increase our facilities to accommodate. A small price to pay for Bermuda's image I think.

A question I've been asking myself recently is why must we use blue bags? Why are we adding bags to the waste? Why can't we have blue bins? I can't seem to come up with any logical conclusion.

Compost

How many people actually compost here? Very little is the answer. Most people have the preconceived notion that composting stinks but when it's done right, it doesn't until turn over. Most people have space for compost but if they don't or if they just don't want it in their yard, could we accommodate them? Could we have a community compost drop off?

There are more and more containers that are actually compostable! We could certainly favor importing compostable packaging over regular plastics to reduce our waste considerably as a community.

Conclusion

Everything is connected. We are such a small island, it should be easy to think in terms of community, yet we don't. Our size makes it so much easier to make drastic changes toward eventual positive outcomes for the community and country as a whole. Name another country that has the money and the resources to make a jump toward a sustainable community? Now all we need is the will. We have to take responsibility for our island and our waste and set an example. Hopefully, that example that will eventually be referred to on a global scale.

A Grassroots Movement... The Calling Of A Generation...

2009-09-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

(Ewart Brown protest - The start of a grassroots movement?)
Many have asked, "Who are you? What makes you think you can run a country? What could you possibly have to offer?"
Well, the answer is simple. We are a group of young Bermudians, black and white! who believe that our island could be much better than it is right now... Obviously... We believe that by opening this door we give more Bermudians a voice.

Some of us have backgrounds in architecture, design and sustainable residential development, some of us are artists and some of us are labor, construction, teachers and social workers. We have no REAL government experience but that is exactly why we are hoping to be joined by people who do have that kind of experience, organizations that are fighting for change in issues we intend on addressing, as well as the up and coming generation that will eventually rule this country.

Make no mistake, this is a grassroots movement and maybe the pessimist would look down upon that, but the optimist would recognize that even the attempt to make a change is respectable. The fact remains that we have skills that could (if supported) lead to a more sustainable and responsible Bermuda. Yes! We do not know everything but that is why the community and their involvement and the outsourcing of the things we lack the knowledge to effectively deal with, is so important. Recognizing that we don't know everything is an important step for everyone to make.

There is a large portion of Bermuda that feels they do not have a voice, that they are ignored, that they are the minority. If the BGP fails to materialize as a political party, at least we will have made it clear that there are many of us who refuse to be ignored. The issues we raise will obviously attract mostly the young generation and that is exactly what we count on. In 20 years, we hope to have long forgotten the party politics that are current and at the very least be stepping toward a Bermuda that is based on community and careful social planning.

It's Not a Black or White Thing... It's a Green Thing...

2009-09-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

While this has been in motion for sometime, due to recent events we feel it necessary to release this information prematurely. Please bear with us while we consider our stand point on certain issues and gather information towards what will be the BGP's 'mandate'. We are seeking members from both parties and citizens of Bermuda to join us and also ask for opinions and HEALTHY debates on issues. We have used the PLP's mission statement as the basis for our own as we feel that the PLP has the right "idea" but is lacking on certain issues we feel should take precedence in the government.

Our Mission: We see the essential mission of the Bermuda Green Party to be the empowerment of all Bermudian people. We see a New Bermuda, in which the talents of every Bermudian will be mobilized in building a humane and self-sustainable society, in which social and economic justice and sustainable ways of living are a reality, not just an ideal. We strive above all else to be completely transparent with no leader, party member or issue going "unchecked" by the people.We intend on addressing the following issues in the near future. Please feel free to offer your opinion. We look forward to hearing the voices that have been silenced for so long.

-Affordable / Sustainable Housing

-Water Conservation

-Protecting Our Environment & Sustaining Ourselves (as much as possible)

-Reduction of Waste / Recycle / Reuse / Compost

-Reducing Imports

-Protecting & Promoting Cultural Diversity

-Implement Gay Rights

-Improving Education & Guiding Our Youth

-Mentoring Programs

-Combating Crime

-Police Procedure & Monitoring Assessments

-Reclassification of Controlled Substances

-Encouraging Tourism On More Levels Than We Are Currently

-Redesigning / Improving Public Transportation

-Caring for Our Seniors & Disabled

-Immigration Reform

-Improved Democracy & Better Governance

-More Appropriate Reallocation Of Funds