Our Mission Transform the United States Virgin Islands into a net zero waste, carbon-neutral territory in order to protect the environment and ensure the health, welfare and economic security of the islands and its people.
Our Vision It is imperative we combat the destruction of Mother Earth with ethical business practices, responsible eco-conscious living, technological advancements, innovative systems, infrastructure and most of all: engagement, education and teamwork.
Sustainability is among the most important global issues of our time. The fragile eco-systems, reliance on outside sources for many goods & services, waste management issues and dependence on tourism make Caribbean islands especially vulnerable to environmental damage, economic devastation and the health/wellness issues that come with it. The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) faces major environmental challenges including growing waste output and over-capacity landfills, toxic storm water run-off, high energy costs, and lack of viable recycling options. Most of those responsible for the devastation aren’t even truly conscious of their impact. It is our belief that with awareness, education and teamwork, enemies of the environment can be transformed into warriors for the cause.
Sixty-seven percent of St. John, the smallest of the US Virgin Islands, is preserved as national parkland and it is a national treasure beloved by residents and visitors alike. But with more than a million visitors a year, hundreds of times greater than the number of residents, even St. John is in danger. As responsible citizens of the world, it is our responsibility to find solutions not just for ourselves but to better earth itself as pollution and climate change threaten the world as we know it.
Our goal is to combat the assault on USVI’s natural resources through a multi-pronged approach, with the goal of establishing USVI as an eco-destination including vast improvements throughout the territory. St. John is the smallest and least developed island of the three and Island Green is based here. It is our aim to make it our primary focus initially: the “green jewel” in our crown. Ultimately it is our objective to institute meaningful change throughout the USVI, success that could be mirrored in other locales throughout the world.
Intrinsic to this mission is inspiring a culture of change within the islands, empowering and engaging the public and our visitors through education, reinforcement and recognition. Responsible living should become second nature. Island Green will implement the following initiatives:
Practice: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
St. John has considerable attributes that provide a solid foundation for becoming among the world’s greenest islands. Beginning with smoke free beaches, the island will progress towards an eco-destination by becoming free of plastic water bottles, plastic straws, single use plastic shopping bags, Styrofoam, and other products that harm the ecosystem. St. John shall become a plastic free island before achieving the ultimate goal of producing zero waste. This would not only be beneficial to our residents and the earth in general, but also to our economy. A Greenest Island designation can have valuable economic impact in terms of tourism. Conversely, if we continue on the current path, the consequences to the health and well-being of our citizens – including our economy – could be dire since tourism, our most important industry, will wane. Trash disposal has long been a major issue that threaten St. John’s fragile eco systems. We hope on day soon to become a plastic-free island, and are already making steps towards this goal, with the passing of our Plastic Bag Ban.
Our proposed initiatives focus on rethinking, reducing, reusing, recycling, along with upcycling. If we are able to reduce the amount of garbage transported to St. Thomas’ landfill, it will help in complying with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) closure mandate. It will also save significant dollars in barge transportation fees. We are excited about not only reducing our carbon footprint, but also setting an example and offering a blueprint for other islands and communities around the globe.
Island Green sees the following as vital to the effort:
We see an opportunity for civic organizations, the government and private sector to team up on the sustainability effort and in the process, help save the environment and the livelihood of the islands. An important component of our strategic plan is to publicize our efforts/results through the media and social networks. We envision the following:
Conclusion It is vital that we have a comprehensive plan to fight the attacks on the environment in the USVI. Our residents, the eco-system and the health of our tourism industry, the lifeblood of the island, depend on it. This document sets forth an outline of our battle strategy but there is still much to be done. We hope for the support of the governor and cabinet, government agencies along with civic organizations to support the mission. We invite others to contribute and expand on this topic. We are looking to identify corporate sponsors and business partners that will benefit from being involved in this disruptive approach to protecting the environment. If we all work together as ONE, we can accomplish and preserve our islands from environmental and economic devastation.
