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Compliments of the Barbados Advocate

A TRIBUTE to Colin Dr. Colin Hudson - Press release from the Ministry of Housing, Lands and the Environment on the death of Dr Colin Dr. Colin Hudson

“IN OUR WAY of life, with every decision we make, we always keep in mind the Seventh Generation of children to come. When we walk upon Mother Earth we always plant our feet carefully, because we know that faces of future generations are looking up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them” (Oren Lyons, Faith-keeper, Onondaga Nations, Earth Day 1993 pledge)

THIS QUOTATION summarises eloquently the philosophy that guided Dr. Colin Hudson 's approach to life. It was with great sadness this ministry learnt of his passing.

It was especially distressing, given that on Wednesday, February 18, this ministry launched the Barbados Sustainable Development Policy, the preparation of which Dr. Colin Hudson was intimately involved.

He served on the National Commission on Sustainable Development, the body that supervised the production of the policy, from 1997 until his death.

Dr. Colin Hudson 's special stamp on Government's sustainable development framework was his firm belief that “if you can't measure it, you can't manage it'

This belief resulted in his advocating the development of mechanisms to measure our impacts on our environment, whether it was our consumption of water, how we affected our air, our use of fossil fuels or our generation of garbage.

He was a major advocate of the ecological footprint methodology, whereby through the use of indicators, one can measure the actual “footprint” one leaves on the earth with respect to different elements such as our use of energy, water and land and how much waste we generate. This theory argues that everyone leaves a footprint on the earth in his or n. her lifetime.

A person who lived incorporating the concepts of sustainable development does minimal damage and leaves a small footprint on our planet thereby safeguarding it for future generations. a

Dr. Colin Hudson firmly believed in this theory and lived his life ensuring that his ecologicalI footprint was a small one.

Many remember the enthusiasm and effort he put into the creation of the Village Of Hope exhibition which was developed to complement the United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development Of Small Island States (SIDS) which was hosted by Barbados in 1994. This conference gave birth to a programme of action for sustainable development in SIDS.

The exhibition received international acclaim for its creative portrayal of issues affecting sustainable development.

Dr. Colin Hudson was a deeply committed naturalist. His input into the national discussion on sustainable development reflected a love for the land and its natural resources, as well as an impressive knowledge of Barbados' cultural heritage.

His expertise has helped to educate and sensitise many people involved in the

management of natural ecosystems, especially in recent times, our gullies. He believed that gullies, as the last bastions of natura1 vegetation on this island, were sources of tranquillity and serenity for people seeking alternatives to the modern day hustle and bustle.

Dr. Colin Hudson 's death has left a great void in the national movement to sustainably manage the country's natural resources. His commitment to the protection of the environment was tireless. He was greatly admired by his colleagues.

The minister and staff of the Ministry of Housing, Lands and the Environment mourn his passing and extend their sympathies to his family and friends.