The Let's fix Exuma and Ragged Island video (available here,
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=44074…) is disappointing on several fronts. First, the producers failed to show the basic respect of representing The Bahamas—and particularly the region around Sampson Cay—with accuracy. Instead, they relied heavily on generic stock footage from unrelated global locations, undermining the credibility of their message. The narrator’s repeated mispronunciation of “Cay” further highlights the lack of familiarity with the place they are supposedly advocating for. These elements lend credence to the Deputy Prime Minister’s claim that the video may have been produced using AI, or at the very least, without sufficient human oversight or cultural knowledge.

Second, the video makes serious claims but provides no verifiable evidence to support them. Most notably, it references a Crown Land lease but fails to share the document itself—or even relevant excerpts. Without such documentation, viewers are left with little more than speculation, unable to assess the validity of the allegations being made.

That said, the video does bring attention—however clumsily—to an ongoing issue: the persistent lack of government transparency and accountability. If documents like the alleged Crown Land lease were made publicly accessible, claims like those presented in the video could be quickly verified or debunked. Greater transparency would not only allow the public to separate fact from fiction, but also empower government officials to respond decisively, presenting evidence and swiftly shutting down false or misleading narratives. The fact that this remains difficult speaks to a broader need for open access to public records and a more responsive culture of governance.

Interesting that the DPM did not issue this "support" until after the BML lease was scuttled. Where was he during the lease process and at the beginning of this week when citizens and concerned groups raised their concerns? In Carl Sagan's "cosmic boondocks?"

In a June 19, 2019, Central Communications Unit communique titled “Land Reform Initiative to Improve Access to Crown Land Leases and Grants,” then-Prime Minister Ingraham stated: "The Department of Lands and Surveys is presently engaged in an intensive exercise which, in due course, will enable the Government to better manage the Crown Land leases and grants processes."

How much progress has been made in this direction? Perhaps all non-agricultural commercial leases—especially those involving the seabed—should be put on hold until new legislation has been enacted and Gazetted. Such legislation should address, among other things: the establishment of an independent Crown Lands Commission to oversee leases and land management; competitive bidding processes; public consultation and the legal right to challenge leases; majority Bahamian and/or government equity in projects; independent and/or Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) environmental impact assessments and economic analyses.

Crown Lands are the people’s asset and, as such, their management and leases must adhere to principles of transparency, accountability, fairness, equitable economic benefits, and environmental protection. (For reference, consider Australia’s Crown Land Management Act 2016; New Zealand’s Te Urewera Act 2014, and Alberta, Canada’s Public Lands Act.)

In a June 19, 2019, Central Communications Unit communique titled “Land Reform Initiative to Improve Access to Crown Land Leases and Grants,” then-Prime Minister Ingraham stated: "The Department of Lands and Surveys is presently engaged in an intensive exercise which, in due course, will enable the Government to better manage the Crown Land leases and grants processes."

How much progress has been made in this direction? Perhaps all non-agricultural commercial leases—especially those involving the seabed—should be put on hold until new legislation has been enacted and Gazetted. Such legislation should address, among other things: the establishment of an independent Crown Lands Commission to oversee leases and land management; competitive bidding processes; public consultation and the legal right to challenge leases; majority Bahamian and/or government equity in projects; independent and/or Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) environmental impact assessments and economic analyses.

Crown Lands are the people’s asset and, as such, their management and leases must adhere to principles of transparency, accountability, fairness, equitable economic benefits, and environmental protection. (For reference, consider Australia’s Crown Land Management Act 2016; New Zealand’s Te Urewera Act 2014, and Alberta, Canada’s Public Lands Act.)

The real reason the government backed out of the BML lease??

Not the first time it has backed down before under pressure from the yachting community. However, we must recognize that boaters have few other destinations as convenient, affordable (in terms of cruising permit costs), and unrestricted as The Bahamas—where they can anchor freely and take from the environment with minimal regulation. At some point, stricter oversight will be necessary. While granting leases like the one proposed for BML may not be the solution, a better approach could involve well-structured public-private partnerships (PPPs). Such arrangements could impose greater restrictions on cruisers while ensuring that more benefits flow to the Bahamian treasury—and, by extension, to the people of The Bahamas.

The Greeks’ deceptive gift of the wooden horse to the Trojans led to the cautionary idiom, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” A similar warning about Columbus and his ships might have benefited the indigenous Taino in 1492.

Today, as Elon Musk consolidates power in the United States, perhaps we should be wary of a Rocket Man bearing gifts—this time, not from within city walls but from above. (Manna from heaven, or something darker?) His immense wealth, corrupting influence, and ambitions to control not only U.S. society but global systems are cautionary examples.

That said, given Donald Trump’s well-documented contempt for countries like ours—exemplified, among other things, by his nomination of Herschel Walker as ambassador —perhaps we needn't worry. Musk, after all, appears to share much of the same disdain. Hopefully, even in the worst-case scenario of a rocket breakup, his corporation sees us as nothing more than a convenient landing site for booster rockets. And lest I forget, a source of temptation for our decision-makers—one more chapter in the same old story when it comes to wealthy foreign interests.

While I wholeheartedly support Aisha Bowe’s message about inspiration, I want to clarify the use of the term "space tourism." Any reliable source that is not engaged in propaganda or "spacewashing" (the misleading use of labels) will confirm that the following is an accurate definition of space tourism: "Space tourism is another niche segment of the aviation industry that seeks to give tourists the ability to become astronauts and experience space travel for recreational, leisure, or business purposes." Section 17.5 "Space Tourism" in a 2019 publication "The Role of Niche Aviation Operations as Tourist Attractions" by Isaac Levi Henderson and Wai Hong Kan Tsui.

Perhaps the SpaceX landing would be easier to promote if it were named "Kalik and Kerosene" or "Rocket Junkanoo." Someone needs to write a song. Sharade Taylor and Sweet Emily??

For perspective, a comparative analysis of pollution (includes launch to landing process):

Note: Should have extra fact checking by a scientist (especially the last one), but...

Falcon 9 vs. Cruise Ship: A single Falcon 9 launch emits CO₂ equivalent to the daily emissions of about 797 passengers on a cruise ship.

Falcon Heavy vs. Cruise Ship: A Falcon Heavy launch corresponds to the daily CO₂ emissions of approximately 1,139 cruise ship passengers.

Starship vs. Cruise Ship: A Starship launch equates to the daily CO₂ emissions of about 180,400 cruise ship passengers.

Starship: A single launch is comparable to approximately 3.1% of The Bahamas' annual CO₂ emissions.

What utter balderdash. For an understanding of what space tourism is, all one has to do is look at the first paragraph of a Wikipedia entry (see below).

What we have is the Landing of Recycled Launch Rocket Tourism.

As usual, our politicians try to make something of nothing when the rich and famous - or, in Musk's case, the infamous - are involved.

"Space tourism is human space travel for recreational purposes. There are several different types of space tourism, including orbital, suborbital and lunar space tourism. Tourists are motivated by the possibility of viewing Earth from space, feeling weightlessness, experiencing extremely high speed and something unusual, and contributing to science." (The two sources used for this Wikipedia paragraph are professional journals.)

If I lived on New Providence, I'd suggest we meet for coffee.

Since I don't, I'll leave you with this: Undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental studies, politics, and education earned almost five decades ago at "elite" US East and West Coast Universities. My primary area of study was ecologically sound sustainable development in The Bahamas. 40 years of teaching in The Bahamas and at selective independent schools in Massachusetts and the Midwest, with the final two decades focused on topics such as globalization, climate change, civil rights, and equity and inclusion. And, perhaps most importantly, a curious, life-long learner.

And ChatGPT? Like Grammarly, it's a useful tool for editing, especially when one no longer has like-minded colleagues as sounding boards. It's a useful tool, particularly when inhabiting an intellectual desert.