Bermuda's pursuit of economic success should not come at the cost of the environment, says Richard Lathan, the head of Keep Bermuda Beautiful.

One of the Island's most recognisable charities, KBB was founded in 1964 with the prime objective of addressing the Island's litter problem.

Yesterday, he told Hamilton Rotarians: "KBB is Bermuda's premiere charity. I say the premiere charity because everyone who grew up in Bermuda who are between the ages of 30 to 75 knows KBB.

"Those of us between the ages of 35 and 55 grew up with the 'Keep Bermuda Beautiful' message very much part of our daily lives."

However, despite more than four decades of driving home the message to maintain the Island's image as a pristine paradise by not littering, Mr. Lathan said: "We've gotten careless."

He explained: "We in Bermuda have experienced a disconnect. And nowhere is it clearer than in the way that we disdainfully treat our environment."

During the last six months of 2007 KBB volunteers and interested people donated more than 893 hours to collect a total of 7,060 pounds of trash from the Island's environment.

This comprised of 3,600 pounds of recyclable material and 3,400 pounds of regular litter. "Over two thousand pounds of litter listed as 'other' was removed from the trees, bushes and oceans around our Island," he added.

"By other, I mean bicycles, motorcycles, refrigerators, stoves, air conditioners, TV sets, computer components — the list goes on and on.

"In one of the more pathetic cases, a bedspring and mattress were removed from a picturesque site on a well travelled tranquil lane — that is less than 500 metres from the Tynes Bay waste facility.

"Sadly, no less than two weeks after this site was cleaned, it was severely re-littered again. Already, this year, 2008, we've have more than 450 people come out to volunteer 1,300 hours. And, we've already collected 10,074 pounds of trash around our Island."

Mr. Lathan said some people believed it is their privilege to litter while assuming someone will clean up after them.

Speaking on the Island's pursuit of economic success, he continued: "As we developed and specialised and compartmentalised, it became one person's privilege to drop trash and another person's job to pick it up.

"Our sense of pride was reduced to a commodity. There are those among us determined to commit environmental suicide.

"But like terrorist bombers they are taking casualties with them. They have decided that it is better to put bottles in the bushes than to let birds nest. They have decided that it is better to turn open spaces into dump sites than to allow the reign of natural beauty to preside.

"And this occurs despite an arsenal of legislation which sits impotent with the lack of the will of law enforcement."

He told The Royal Gazette of something he witnessed which left him dismayed. "I saw this lady one day in town who had pulled up her car in front of a Reid Street store.

"She was driving this very nice car, she then got out of the car and was well dressed and well groomed.

"Then her little boy got out of the car on the passenger side. As he stepped out of the car, a piece of paper blew out of the car and this child, who had to be around four or five, bent over to pick it up. And the mom smacked his hand and told him, 'C'mon boy! Someone gets paid to pick that up!' then she grabbed his hand and pulled him along — that's the disconnect I'm talking about.

"Because this child knew what the right thing was but yet this mother, whom I'll assume in a worst-case scenario, years later will say 'I didn't know how to control (her child)' — she missed an opportunity to have her child become a caring individual."

Asked to expand his belief that laws against litter are not being enforced, he responded: "We just need enforcement.

"We just need for either a broader scope of agencies to be able to enforce (the laws) or just more enforcement period — we really need this to happen."

And, Mr. Lathan addressed the perception of mistrust in KBB by some, after the organisation's former executive director, Lennox Boodram, was convicted in court last year of stealing from the charity.

"That day is gone and we're looking to step forward, KBB is out there. I think we need to simply get out and continue to do what we do best," Mr. Lathan said while looking to the future, "We will be increasing our visibility. In the last several months we've been seen out a lot more and Susan Harvey got us started with our monthly cleanups and we're picking that up. We're getting more visibility with the cooperation of the schools' trash-a-thons."

Once a month KBB conducts a cleanup and Mr. Lathan invited anyone interested in volunteering their time to get in touch with his organisation by calling 295-5142 or e-mailing kbb@northrock.bm.

"We are seldom at a site for more than four hours on a Saturday morning," he said. "Is that too much time to show that you care? We provide everything, we just need your hands."

On the weekend of May 17, KBB will conduct its annual spring cleanup and is looking for "silent heroes".

Those interested should also contact KBB.