Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) is a nonprofit environmental non-governmental organization that aims to protect Jamaica’s natural resources using education, advocacy, and the law to influence individual and organizational behavior and public policy and practice. Their projects across Jamaica have included beach and community clean-ups, public education and awareness campaigns about proper solid waste management, schools environment programme, environmental advocacy focused on a wide range of issues, and conservation projects.
JET’s study, Red Dirt: A Multidisciplinary Review of the Bauxite-Alumina Industry in Jamaica which was done in collaboration with Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) has been very useful in informing the public about the negative environmental and social impacts of the bauxite-alumina industry in Jamaica. It has been used to highlight gaps in the regulatory framework and the monitoring of the industry, as well as to illustrate how the costs of the industry far outweigh the benefits.
Since the publication of RED DIRT, JET has hosted several public events and workshops; produced brochures and posters, short, animated films, and summary articles; and referred to the study in reports, meetings, and letters to regulators. Significantly, RED DIRT, along with other expert declarations, has been used to support a local constitutional case, as well as a request for precautionary measures filed by a partner on behalf of residents of mining-affected communities. JET’s work and advocacy has changed conversations and continues to do so. The public is recognizing that mining is not solely an economic issue—it also often comes at the cost of health and lives.