George Bush iċedi naqra dwar il-bdil fil-klima

 

 

In-New York Times tal-bieraħ f’artiklu intitolat Under Pressure, White House Issues Climate Change Report  irrappurtat li l-Gvern ta’ George Bush baxxa rasu għal ordni tal-Qrati Amerikani biex rapport ta’ riċerka indipendenti li jeżamina l-impatti ikkawżati mill-bniedem fuq il-bdil tal-klima jkun ippubblikat.

 

Ir-rapport intitolat Scientific Assessment  of the Effects of Global Change on the United States wassal ukoll għal tibdil fil-prijoritajiet tal-azzjoni meħtieġa mill-Gvern Amerikan. Il-prijoritajiet aġġornati  gew ippubblikati ukoll.

 

Ir-rapport ma fihx affarijiet li ma konniex naf, imma xorta huwa wieħed sinifikanti minħabba li tul il-parti l-kbira tal-amministrazzjoni ta’ George Bush kien hemm ċaħda totali li teżisti l-problema tal-klima, kif ukoll negazzjoni li din kienet attribwibbli lill-ħidma tal-bniedem.

L-espansjoni ta’ Heathrow

 

 

Illum fir-Renju Unit qed issir dimostrazzjoni kontra l-proposti tal-Gvern Ingliż biex issir espansjoni tal-ajruport ta’ Heathrow. Il-proposta hi dwar is-sitt terminal u t-tielet runway. 

 

Saru konsultazzjonijiet estensivi b’rapporti b’mijiet ta’ paġni aċċessibli fuq l-internet għal min irid jaqra u jinforma ruħu. Konsultazzjoni li ġiet fi tmiemha nhar is-27 ta’ Frar 2008.

 

 

Il-proposti ser jeffettwaw ta’ l-anqas villaġġ sħih ta’ 700 dar, il-villaġġ ta’ Simpson. Dan irid jagħmel il-wisa’ għall-proġett.

 

It-tibdil fil-klima, it-tniġġiż mill-ħsejjes (acoustic pollution) u l-konġestjoni li ser tinħoloq huma r-raġunijiet għall-oġġezzjonijiet għal dak li qiegħed jippjana l-Gvern Ingliż.

 

Il-ġimgħa l-oħra l-Kummissjoni Nazzjonali dwar is-Sostenibilita fir-Renju Unit immexija minn Jonathon Porritt ipproponiet li għalissa l-Gvern għandu jiffriża l-pjani tiegħu. Id-Dipartiment tat-Trasport immexxi mill-Ministru Ruth Kelly ma qabilx. Sadanittant numru mhux żgħir ta’ Membri tal-Parlament mill-Partit Laburista Ingliż li jitilgħu minn kostitwenzi f’Londra ma jaqblux ma dawn il-pjanijiet għall-espansjoni ta’ Heathrow.

 

Jekk it-tielet runway tinbena, it-titjiriet minn Heathrow jiżdiedu minn 480,000 għal 700,000 fis-sena.

 

Informazzjoni meħuda mill-Guardian

 

 

This is our Challenge

 

published Saturday 31 May 2008

written by Carmel Cacopardo

________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 Agenda 21 is the basis on which sustainability strategies are drafted. This applies to both national strategies (say, Malta, the UK or Australia sustainability strategy) as well as supranational ones (like the EU, the Baltic Sea or Mediterranean sustainability strategy). Its full title is Agenda 21. A Blueprint For Action For Global Sustainable Development Into The 21st Century. Adopted at the Rio Earth summit in 1992 it is a result of the UN debate that ensued after the publication of the Brundtland Report. (Entitled Our Common Future, it was concluded in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development chaired by former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.)

Marina Silva, resigning as Brazil’s Minister for the Environment, was quoted as stating: “Today we are living through the challenge of prevention, of looking twice before doing something, discussing twice before doing something. Because each thing that we alter can lead to… dramatic consequences.

“Those who celebrated the industrial revolution never thought that we were injuring the planet, almost fatally. We didn’t have this knowledge. Today we know”.

It is within these parameters that the identification of sustainable development as the main theme underlying the government’s political programme assumes significance. It was stated that: “The government’s plans and actions are to be underpinned by the notion of sustainable development of the economy, of society and of the environment. When making decisions today, serious consideration will be given to the generations of tomorrow.” The objective is a long-term view of policy formulation and its implementation.

Sustainable development is not just about objectives; it is also about methods used in attaining them. It is about participation of the community in all that which is of concern. Agenda 21 identifies major groups in society whose role in decision-making needs to be reinforced at a global level: women, children, youth, indigenous people, NGOs, local authorities, workers and trade unions, business and industry, the scientific and technological community and farmers (Agenda 21, sections 23 to 32).

During the preparatory stages leading to the Rio Earth summit, Malta had submitted a proposal for an addition to this list. It was proposed that the world community should go beyond vague declarations of responsibilities towards future generations and institute an official guardian to safeguard posterity’s interests. Malta had then proposed the setting up of a “guardian of future generations” to appear and make submissions on their behalf, thereby introducing a new dimension, “the time horizon”, into the resolution of present-day issues. This proposal was not approved.

The government’s political programme for the current Parliament is revisiting this proposal. It is accepting that the impact of today’s decisions is of utmost relevance to future generations. This has considerable implications in all areas of policy and administration. It means that the government is (rightly) accepting that today’s generations are administering in trust on behalf of future generations. As a consequence, this signifies that the government has accepted that the present generation has a moral duty to ensure that when it concludes its tasks it hands over trusteeship to the next generation with less problems than it had itself inherited.

The fiscal deficit is being tackled and the target of a balanced budget is in sight. The environmental deficit, on the other hand, is much more complex to address as it will require the revisiting of all areas of policy which have contributed to its formation and present state. It will take much more than political rhetoric to deliver!

It requires tackling the quality of the air we breathe. As a result, this signifies the need to reduce transport emissions through the implementation of a sustainable transport policy thereby leading also to an improvement of our mobility. A sustainable alternative leading to a decrease of cars on the road could thus be available.

It requires addressing the impacts of the building industry, ensuring a sustainable use of resources as well as the setting up of an equitable rental market thereby utilising the vacant building stock.

It means addressing Malta’s contribution to climate change as a matter of urgency through living up to our commitments on the provision of renewable resources of energy as well as investing in energy-saving measures.

It means protecting our biodiversity. Recognising the intrinsic value of nature is fundamental. A recent report by the Irish environment authorities revealed that biodiversity has a net economic value to the tune of €2.6 billion per annum to the Irish economy!

It also means a culture of participatory democracy where the state leads but does not dictate.

This is the challenge which we all face. We are considerably behind schedule but if the sustainable development path is selected in earnest it may not be too late!

The author, an architect, is the spokesman on sustainable development of Alternattiva Demokratika – the Green party in Malta.

artikli interessanti (2)

 

(1) Dwar korruzzjoni fl-Ippjanar f’Wollongong : News.com.au tat-28 ta’ Mejju 2008 : artiklu intitolat Wollongong planner Beth Morgan guilty of corrupt conduct.

(2) Dwar l-impatti soċjali tat-telfien tal-biodiversita . Rapport tal-BBC datat 29 ta’ Mejju 2008 u intitolat : Nature loss ‘to hurt global poor’ .

L-ekonomija tal-biodiversita’ u l-eko-sistemi

 

 

F’dawn il-jiem f’Bonn fil-Ġermanja qed issir id-9 Laqgħa tal-pajjiżi firmatarji tal-Konvenzjoni dwar l- Biodiversita’.

 

L-Unjoni Ewropea ħadet l-iniżżjattiva u ippubblikat studju miktub minn Pavan Sukhdev, uffiċjal tad-Deutche Bank. Dan ir-rapport huwa intitolat The Economics of Eco-systems and Biodiversity. An interim report.

 

 

Ir-rapport li kien ippubblikat il-bierah id-29 ta’ Mejju 2008 għandu daħla minn Stavros Dimas Kummissarju għall-Ambjent tal-Unjoni Ewropea u ta’ Sigmar Gabriel Ministru għall-Ambjent  tal-Ġermanja.

 

X’inhu jiġri tistaqsu. Din il-ħegga kollha f’daqqa waħda dwar il-biodiversita’ ? F’daqqa waħda ir-rapporti li qed jiġu ppubblikati ħerġin minn widnejna.

 

Fuq din il-blog matul dan ix-xahar ippubblikajt diversi posts dwar il-biodiversita’ :

 

nhar it-Tnejn 5 ta’ Mejju 2008 ippubblikajt post intitolat Bugħarwien   ,

 

nhar il-Ġimgħa 16 ta’ Mejju 2008 ippubblikajt post intitolat Biodiversita’  ,

 

nhar il-Ħamis 22 ta’ Mejju 2008 ippubblikat post intitolat Jum il-Biodiversita’  ,

 

nhar is-Sibt 24 ta’ Mejju 2008 irriproduċejt intervista f’Der Spiegel Online ma’ Klaus Töpfer ex-Direttur tal-UNEP intitolata Protecting Biodiversity is Critical to Mankind’s Survival  .  

 

 

F’daqqa waħda kulħadd donnu beda jinduna li s-sistema ekonomika ta’ kullimkien fid-dinja qed tagħmel ħsara kbira lin-natura għax m’hiex kompatibbli magħha. Fl-1992 waqt il-Konferenza ta’ Rio de Janeiro li ħafna drabi nirreferu għaliha bħala The Earth Summit ġiet iffirmata l-Konvenzjoni dwar il-Biodiversita’.

 

Bħala parti mill-ħidma konnessa ma din il-Konvenzjoni, l-pajjiżi firmatarji (u Malta hi firmatarja bħala riżultat tas-sħubija tagħha fl-Unjoni Ewropea) wegħdu li l-ewwel inaqqsu u mbagħad iwaqqfu t-telfien tal-biodiversita. Għax din, ftit fit, qed tgħib.

 

Bħala parti minn din il-ħidma kull pajjiż kellu jagħmel pjan ta’ ħidma, strateġija dwar kif ser jipprova jasal. L-istrateġija ta’ Malta, għalkemm ilha ftit li ġiet abbozzata jidher li m’hemmx li tara d-dawl tax-xemx.

 

Issa li l-Gvern ikkommetta ruħu favur l-iżvilupp sostenibbli forsi niċċaqalqu, ma tafx kif.

 

F’dawn ir-rapporti kollha l-awturi qed jippruvaw ifehmu lil min irid jisma’ illi l-biodiverista’ għalkemm tiġi għandna b’xejn għandha valur enormi. Sfortunatament jidher li dan il-messaġġ ser jinftiehem biss meta jkun tard ħafna.

eco-terapija

Xi gimgħat ilu kont ħadt sehem f’seminar organizzat mir-Richmond Foundation f’Malta dwar ir-relazzjoni bejn l-ambjent u s-saħħa mentali.

L-għaqda Ingliża LEAF ( Linking Environment and Farming ) illum ippubblikat rapport dwar kemm il-kuntatt man-natura huwa ta’ ġid għas-saħħa mentali. Jitkellem dwaru rapport tal-BBC tal-lum intitolat : Farm Trips may alleviate stress .

 

Ir-rapport oriġinali tal-LEAF huwa intitolat Feed Your Senses: The effects of visiting a LEAF Farm.

Huwa emfasizzat kemm sagħtejn f’razzett jistgħu jagħmlulek ġid iktar minn l-istess ammont ta’ ħin f’gym. Ir-riżultati ta’ dan l-istudju li sar mill-Universita’ ta’ Exeter fir-Renju Unit jitkellmu dwar tnaqqis ta’ tensjoni (stress), tnaqqis tal-għejja u anke tnaqqis tar-rabja ! In-natura fi ftit kliem tikkalmak .

Għandna bżonn nitgħallmu ftit iktar kif nistgħu nieħdu ħsieb ta’ saħħitna billi nżommu iktar qrib tal-għeruq tagħna, tan-natura. Min hu b’saħħtu b’dan il-mod jista’ jieħu ħsiebha iktar. Min hu marid jista’ jsib soluzzjoni.

Studji oħra li saru minn istituti oħra ta’ riċerka jindikaw li iktar kuntatt man-natura jista’ jghin ghall-fejqan ta’ tensjoni u depression. B’hekk nibilgħu inqas medicini ! L-ambjent jgħin lilna u aħna ngħinu lilu għax inqas mediċini ifisser ukoll inqas skart tossiku.

 

artikli interessanti (1)

(1) Dwar ir-riżenja ta’ Marina Silva minn Ministru tal-Ambjent tal-Brazil :ara artiklu f’openDemocracy datat 19 ta’ Mejju 2008, intitolat Brazil’s Amazonian Choice

(2) Dwar il-ħatra tal-Ministru l-ġdid tal-Ambjent fil-Brazil Carlos Minc :

ara BBC, artiklu bid-data tas-27 ta’ Mejju 2008, intitolat Brazil Environment Chief Sworn In 

(3) Dwar il-ħalib organiku, jiġifieri prodott minn baqar li jieklu l-ħaxix u mhux xi forma ta’ għalf ibbilanċjat :

ara artiklu f’The Times Ta’ Londra bid-data tat-28 ta’ Mejju 2008, intitolat Organically Reared Cows produce healtier milk says Newcastle University

 (4) Dwar l-iskart nukleari prodott minn impjanti ta’ enerġija nukleari :

ara artiklu f’The Irish Times bid-data tad-29 ta’ Mejju 2008 intitolat Sellafield’s nuclear waste ‘more dangerous’ than Chernobyl

 

 

 

Is-siegħa tal-verita’

 

Il-GRTU appellat lill-Gvern biex inaqqas it-taxxa fuq id-diesel.

 

Sarkozy appella lill-Unjoni Ewropea biex issib mezz kif jintlaħaq ftehim ħalli il-VAT  fuq il-fuel ma tibqax tiżdied maż-żieda fil-prezz taż-żejt, li jum wara jum qed jikser kull record.

 

Il-Gvern Ingliż għandu pressjoni kbira biex inaqqas it-taxxi ambjentali fuq id-diesel u l-petrol.  Għandu ukoll min qiegħed jinkoraġġieh biex ma jagħmel l–ebda pass lura.

F’Malta x’ser nagħmlu ?

Huwa l-mument tal-verita’. Huwa f’dan il-waqt li jistgħu jissarrfu d-dikjarazzjonijiet kollha li saru matul dawn l-aħħar xhur favur l-ambjent u l-ġustizzja soċjali. It-tnejn flimkien.

Fuq x’għandu jsir dwar is-surcharge diġa tkellimt f’dan il-blog iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa.

Iż-żieda fil-prezz taż-żejt ma tiddependix minna. Iżda kif nilqgħu għaliha minna biss jiddependi.

 

Huwa l-mument li nħarsu lejn l-istampa kollha u r-riforma konnessa mar-reġistrazzjoni tal-karozzi tista’ tkun l-opportunita unika biex jitjiebu l-kredenzjali ambjentali tal-pajjiż.

Huwa l-mument li t-taxxi li nħallsu għar-reġistrazzjoni tal-karozzi jkunu bbażati fuq l-impatti ambjentali (fosthom emissjonijiet u, għaliex le, parkeġġ). Imma ilkoll irridu nifhmu li t-taxxi ambjentali l-iskop prinċipali tagħhom mhuwiex li jinġabru l-fondi iżda li nibdlu l-imġieba tagħna. Għaldaqstant biex riforma serja fit-taxxa tar-reġistrazzjoni tal-karozzi tirnexxi jeħtieg li tkun akkumpanjata minn titjib sostanzjali fis-servizz tat-trasport pubbliku. Jekk irridu nirnexxu ma jistgħux jinfirdu.

 

Niftakru li jekk ikollna servizz tat-trasport pubbliku effiċjenti, il-prezz tal-petrol u d-diesel ma tantx ikun relevanti għal numru ikbar ta’ nies għax ħafna minna ma jkollhomx ħtieġa li jagħmlu użu mill-karozza tagħhom. Forsi jkun ukoll il-waqt li għal uħud karozza ma tibqax iktar neċessita.

 

 

Runway għal Għawdex ?

 

 

 

Donnu li d-diskussjoni dwar runway għal Għawdex qatt ma tieqaf.

 

L-argument li qiegħed jinġieb huwa li hu ferm iktar ekonomiku li topera b’ajruplan żgħir li jġorr madwar 19-il ruħ milli b’helicopter. Allura xi piloti u oħrajn midħla tal-industrija qed jipproponu runway ta’ 1000 metru. Qed jgħidu li dan jibbenefika lit-turiżmu !

 

Interessanti li xi ħadd jispjega kif dan jinkwadra fil-pjan ta’ trasformazzjoni ta’ Għawdex fi gżira ekologika. Mhux aħjar li jsir sforz ikbar biex Għawdex isir ċentru ta’ turiżmu sostenibbli ? X’qiegħed isir biex ikun sviluppat l-agrituriżmu f’Għawdex ? Diġa jeżisti imma fuq skala żgħira. Imma ma jidhirx li hemm l-ebda inkoraġġiment mill-awtorita. Għax l-emfasi qegħda fuq it-turiżmu tal-lukandi.

 

 

Jinġiebu ħafna argumenti fuq airstips f’Lampedusa, Pantalleria u l-Gżejjer Griegi, imma ma jgħidux illi dawn huma l-bogħod mhux ħażin mill-eqreb art. Imbagħad wara kollox issa beda jaħdem l-airplane. Mhux aħjar naraw ftit kif jista’ jitjieb dan is-servizz bl-inqas impatti ambjentali, milli nippruvaw neqirdu iktar raba’ ?  Ma nqerditx biżżejjed matul is-snin ?

 

 

Imbagħad hemm argument ieħor li ftit jitkellmu dwaru. Malta u Għawdex kemm jifilħu turisti ? L-infrastruttura tagħna tiflaħ il-kwantita ta’ turisti li nitkellmu dwarha?

 

Ejja naraw ftit x’nifhmu b’turiżmu sostenibbli. Xi jfisser fir-realta’ għalina ilkoll. Mhux għal Għawdex biss, iżda għal Malta ukoll. 

Quote – Winston Churchill

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.

Winston Churchill
British politician (1874 – 1965)