Former EMA Chairman, and T&T's foremost environmentalist, Professor Julian Kenny, has died.
Professor Kenny died around noon on Tuesday at his home at Haleland Park in Maraval.
He was last in the news headlines in May, when he resigned as Chairman of the Environmental Management Authority. At the time, he cited the Government's failure to reinstate the original Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) rules that govern quarrying as the primary reason behind his decision to resign.
Professor Kenny was part of the anti-smelter movement a few years ago. He said while the idea of building an island offshore Otaheite has been bandied about, it posed a threat to "the important fish and shrimp harvesting area at the Oropouche Bank".
He functioned as an Advisor to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Law of the Sea Convention; Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Marine Affairs; and member of a Cabinet-appointed Committee for Drafting Legislation to Create National Parks.
He was also a former Independent Senator.
According to National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST), Professor Kenny was a zoologist who has made his mark documenting the natural history of the Caribbean.
"His research has uncovered details on the distribution of freshwater fish species in Trinidad and Tobago and provided information on the species of anurans to be found in these islands. He also spearheaded research at the University of the West Indies (UWI), which highlighted information on the ecological dynamics of some of the country's natural areas, including its savannas, wetlands, cave systems, marine systems and coral reefs. His work has contributed to the protection of sensitive ecosystems, the management of fisheries and the development of a National Trust.
Professor Kenny spent 29 years on staff in the Department of Life Sciences at UWI, St. Augustine.
He was a lecturer on various aspects of Zoology, but is best known for his work in zoogeography - a specialised branch of ecology which studies the factors influencing the distribution of animals - and his knowledge of the natural history of the Caribbean. He has worked extensively with research students at UWI developing ecological profiles of the Tamana Caves, the Caroni Swamp and the Aripo Savannas.
Source:
http://www.ctntworld.com/LocalArticles.aspx?id=30250&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook
. I still have a cut out of his 'Eco-Highway: Oxymoron? commentry from 2003 which I read from time to time.
