Climate change requires behavioural change

Climate change is nature’s reaction to the cumulative impacts it has sustained as a result of human  behaviourover the years. Long periods of drought or intensive rainfall leading to flooding, longer periods of sunshine, extremes of temperature are all too familiar nowadays.

It has been emphasised time and again that we need to achieve carbon neutrality at the earliest. This signifies that the amount of carbon emissions resulting from our activities must be less than the carbon being stored in the various carbon sinks.

We must address each and every one of our activities as the carbon emissions from all of them, added up, will bring us closer to or further away from our targets.

Addressing climate change is a political issue. It involves policy decisions. If we intend to address climate change these political decisions should be complimentary and contribute to achieving the goal of mitigating climate change as well as addressing its causes.

The decision to substitute the Delimara power station running on heavy fuel oil with one using natural gas has contributed substantially to reducing Malta’s carbon emissions.

On the other hand, the current policy of encouraging the use of fuel guzzling cars and yachts pulls in the opposite direction. Increasing the capacity of our roads and planning new yacht marinas is not a positive contribution to addressing climate change. Yet it goes on, one decision after the other.

The decision to start the long road towards electrification of our roads was not linked with a decision to have a moratorium on new fuel stations. Why does current policy encourage new fuel stations when their operational days are clearly numbered?

It would be pertinent to point once more to the Transport Master Plan which emphasises that around 50 per cent of trips made with private cars in Malta are for short distances, taking up less than 15 minutes. Yet local and regional sustainable mobility is not encouraged. A behavioural change in our mobility patterns at a local and regional level could remove a substantial number of cars from our roads. Why is this not actively encouraged?

Transport policy is unfortunately not climate friendly. This needs to change the soonest if we are to make any headway in addressing climate change.

The carbon neutrality of our buildings is also of crucial importance in our climate change strategy. I have repeatedly emphasised the need of entrenching solar rights thereby ensuring that solar energy can be generated in more buildings. In addition, planning policy should establish that individual carbon neutral buildings have all the energy required for the use of the particular buildings generated on site. This would of necessity limit buildings to dimensions whose energy needs can be catered for through solar energy generated on site. This would limit building heights and substantially reduce the construction of penthouses.  Land use planning can contribute substantially to climate change mitigation!

The basic problem with climate change issues is that the link between our behaviour and the carbon cycle is not obvious or visible to the untrained eye. This makes it easier for those who seek to avoid or reduce the uptake of actions mitigating climate change.

We owe it to future generations to do all we can to address the accumulated impacts on the climate. Taming the present can ensure that there is a future.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 23 January 2022

Il-kosta tagħna lkoll: inħarsuha

Għaddej sforz kontinwu biex il-kosta tkun ikkommerċjalizzata. Sforz li ilu għaddej is-snin.

Il-jott marina proposta f’Marsaskala hi biss eżempju wieħed minn bosta li mhux limitati għan-nofsinnhar politiku, iżda li huma mifruxa mal-pajjiż.  Fost l-eżempji hemm it-Terminal tal-Port Ħieles, Manoel Island, il-Bajja tal-Balluta, ix-Xatt u l-jott marina tal-Birgu, il-jott marina fil-Kalkara u x-Xatt tal-Belt.  

Hemm ukoll għaddej il-kummerċjalizzazzjoni tal-ispazji pubbliċi mal-kosta, bil-bankini b’kollox.

L-art pubblika kontinwament qed tkun trasformata f’minjiera ta’ profitti privati, ħafna drabi għall-magħżulin. Il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti rari jagħtu każ tagħha, jekk mhux fl-aħħar minuta. Meta possibli jevitawha kompletament ukoll.

Għaddew madwar erba’ snin minn meta l-Parlament approva il-leġislazzjoni biex tissaħħah il-protezzjoni tal-kosta permezz tal-liġi dwar id-dimanju pubbliku. Kellna kemm-il Ministru li tkellem b’mod pompuż dwar dan. L-għaqdiet ambjentali ippreżentaw lista ta’ iktar minn għoxrin sit, mifruxa mal-kost,a li kollha kemm huma jikkwalifikaw għall-protezzjoni. Ninsab infurmat li l-għaqdiet ambjentali għamlu riċerka estensiva dwar min hu sid din l-art. Iżda sfortunatament l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet u l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar qed iżommu dan il-proċess milli jitwettaq, anke għal dawk il-każijiet fejn l-art hi kollha kemm hi propjetà pubblika.  

Għalfejn jiġu approvati dawn il-liġijiet jekk ma hemm l-ebda intenzjoni li dawn ikunu implimentati?

Nafu li wieħed mill-impatti ewlenin tat-tibdil fil-klima fuq il-gżejjer, inkluż dawk Maltin, hu bit-tibdil fl-livell tal-baħar. Numru ta’ gżejjer fl-Oċejan Paċifiku li mhumiex wisq il-fuq minn livell il-baħar diġa bdew jisparixxu taħt baħar li l-livell tiegħu qed jogħla. Robert Abela, Prim Ministru, huwa u jindirizza l-laqgħa Internazzjonali fi Glasgow dwar it-tibdil fil-klima (COP26), iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa, emfasizza dan il-punt.

L-għoli fil-livell tal-baħar ikollu impatt sostanzjali fuq il-gżejjer Maltin, skond kemm dan ikun kbir. Jeffettwa l-infrastruttura kostali kollha: l-infrastruttura marittima, dik tat-turiżmu, tal-ilma kif ukoll l-infrastruttura tal-enerġija li huma kollha b’xi mod marbuta mal-kosta. Kemm-il darba jogħla l-livell tal-baħar dawn kollha jitħarbtu.  Anke iż-żoni residenzjali viċin tal-kosta jsofru impatti mhux żgħar.  

Ħadd ma jaf eżatt dwar kemm, kif u meta dan ser iseħħ. L-ewwelnett għax il-proċess li bih dan iseħħ għad mhux mifhum biżżejjed. Imma ukoll għax għalkemm ma nistgħux nevitawh nistgħu nnaqqsu l-impatt tiegħu billi nindirzzaw u nnaqqsu l-emissjonijiet tal-karbonju.

Repetutatament fil-laqgħat tal-UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change) li jsiru regolarment tul is-snin, kien hemm emfasi fuq il-ħtieġa li ż-żieda fit-temperatura globali minn kif kienet fl-era pre-industrijali ma tiżdiedx b’iktar minn 1.5 gradi Celsius. Dan sar fuq insistenza tal-istati gżejjer u tal-pajjiżi sottożviluppati, għax għal snin twal il-limitu raġjonevoli kien meqjus li kien ta’ 2 gradi Celsius. Pass ieħor il-quddiem. Imma mhux biżżejjed.

F’Pariġu fl-2015 kien hemm qbil dwar dan kollu. Imma sfortunatament dan ma kienx ikkonvertit f’azzjoni. Huwa dak li issa qed nistennew li jseħħ fi Glasgow.

Huwa essenzjali li nindirizzaw it-tibdil fil-klima bis-serjetà. Anke l-ħarsien tal-kosta jiddependi minn hekk.

ippubblikat fuq Illum :il-Ħadd 7 ta’ Novembru 2021

Claiming back (and protecting) our coast

A continuous effort to commercialise the coast is under way. It has been going on for quite some time.

The proposed Marsaskala yacht marina is just one example. It is possibly the latest of many examples, not just in the political south, but throughout the Maltese islands. The Freeport Terminal, Manoel Island, Balluta Bay, the Birgu Waterfront and yacht marina, the Kalkara yacht marina, Valletta Waterfront are some of the most glaring examples which come to mind.

There is also the ongoing commercialisation of the public spaces adjacent to the coast, including pavements and open spaces.

Public land is continuously being transformed into private profits, many times for the chosen few. In practically all cases,the quality of life of residents is not factored in, until the eleventh hour. Whenever possible, it is avoided completely.

It has been around four years since parliament approved legislation in order to reinforce the protection of the coastline through the public domain legislation. Much was said pompously by many a Minister. Environmental NGOs have submitted a list of over twenty sites along the coast which qualify for protection. I am informed that eNGOs have even carried out extensive research on ownership issues related to these sites. It is indeed unfortunate that the Lands Authority and the Planning Authority have ground the whole process to an unacceptable halt. This applies even in those instances where it is proven beyond any doubt whatsoever that the land in question is public property.

Why approve such laws when there is no intention to implement them?

We are aware that one of the main areas through which climate change will impact islands, including the Maltese islands, is through sea level rise.  A number of low-lying islands in the Pacific Ocean are already in the process of disappearing below a rising sea level.  Robert Abela, Prime Minister, addressing the Glasgow Climate Change COP26 earlier this week emphasised this point.

A rise in sea level will have a substantial impact on the Maltese islands, depending on its extent. It will impact the coastal infrastructure: the maritime, tourism, as well as the water and electricity infrastructure are all linked to our coast. A sea level rise will play havoc with all this. It will even impact the residential areas which have been developed close to the coast.

No one is certain as to when, how and the extent of this happening. Primarily this is due to the fact the natural processes in play are not fully understood yet. It is also however possible that mitigation measures planned and in hand to reduce carbon emissions could be quite effective if taken up.

During UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change) meetings it is continuously emphasised that the increase in global mean temperature should not exceed 1.5 degree Celsius over the pre-industrial temperature. This is the result of extensive lobbying by island states and under-developed countries over the years. They have been successful in adjusting the objective from the previous 2 degree Celsius.  This is definitely a step in the right direction, but it is not enough. 

In Paris in 2015 this was already agreed upon. Yet it was all words, none of which was converted into action. At Glasgow we need some decisions which are implemented the soonest.

Taking definite action on climate change is required to protect our coast.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 7 November 2021

Min hemm wara l-jott marina f’Marsaskala?

X’inhu jiġri dwar il-jott marina fil-Bajja ta’ Marsaskala? Skiet perfett s’issa.

L-ebda indikazzjoni dwar x’inhu għaddej minn wara l-kwinti. Xi ħaġa imma għaddejja żgur.

Il-bieraħ jiena ċempilt tlett telefonati, lil tlett periti li naf li huma midħla ta’ dan it-tip ta’ xogħol. Staqsejthom jekk humiex qed jippreparaw il-pjanti għall-jott marina f’Marsaskala.

L-ewwel wieħed mhux biss qalli li mhuwiex qed jaħdem fuq dawn il-pjanti: qalli ukoll li ma jaqbilx ma’ jott marina fil-Bajja ta’ Marsaskala. Qalli ukoll li lilu ħadd ma ikkuntattjah.

It-tieni wieħed qalli le ukoll. Imma qalli li kien imsiefer u għadu kif ġie lura. Qalli li s’issa ħadd ma ikkuntattjah lilu.

It-tielet wieħed qalli storja differenti. Qalli li xi ġranet ilu kellmu wieħed avukat ħabib tiegħu li hu midħla tal-politika. “Trid nidħlulha?” kienet il-mistoqsija tal-avukat. It-tweġiba tal-perit, skond kif qalli, kienet fin-negattiv. L-isem ta’ dan l-avukat midħla tal-politika ma qalulix, minkejja li staqsejtu. Ma xtaqx jgħidli ismu, għax hu ħabib tiegħu!

Ma naħsibx li hu prudenti li nsemmi ismijiet: iktar u iktar la l-ebda wieħed mit-tlett periti li kellimt mhu qed iħejji l-proposti għall-jott marina f’Marsaskala.

Xi ħaġa jidher li qed jinħema. Biż-żmien insiru nafu id-dettalji kollha!

Sadanittant, jiena u nikkonkludi dan l-artiklu, xi ħaddieħor infurmani li l-ewwel studji tal-EIA bdew!

Marsaskala: the yacht marina strings

The publication by Transport Malta, last week, of a pre-qualification questionnaire relative to the “award of a concession contract for the design, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer of a marina” at Marsaskala requires further explanation. What has been going on behind the scenes? Specifically, on whose initiative has the ball been set rolling? Is this part of the ongoing development spree, intended to bolster existing or planned development elsewhere in Marsaskala?

At some point the truth will come out. It would be hence much better if Transport Malta, and whosoever may be pulling the strings, to put all the cards on the table now.

The proposed Marsaskala yacht marina is tainted, even at this stage, with the general local plan defects: a lack of adequate environmental assessment. The assessment of the cumulative impacts of the various local plan proposals has never been carried out. These impacts add up and seen together they should have been cause for concern, even at the drawing board stage. Unfortunately, nothing was done at that stage to mitigate the anticipated cumulative impacts of the local plan proposals.

Those of us who have been subjecting land use planning to a continuous scrutiny, have, since way back in 2006, emphasised that the local plans were then not subjected to the emerging Strategic Environment Assessment procedures. In fact, the local plans, those still pending approval, after having been retained in draft form for some time, were rushed through all the approval stages during the summer months of 2006 specifically to avoid being subjected to the provisions of the Strategic Environment Assessment Directive of the EU which entered into force during August of 2006 or thereabouts!

The specific impacts of the proposed yacht marina will undoubtedly be eventually analysed by an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which will be triggered if a planning application for the yacht marina is eventually submitted.  Legislation in force provides ample room for involvement of all, when this commences, starting off from the basic EIA terms of reference right up to the consideration of the detailed studies, and more. We have been through that many times in respect of various development proposals.

However, the cumulative impacts on the Marsaskala community, both residential and commercial, will not be carried out as that was avoided at the outset when the local plan for Marsaskala (part of the Local Plan for the South) was approved. This is the basic underlying worry expressed in not so many words by all those who have stood up to object to the sudden unexplained intrusion of Transport Malta into Marsaskala affairs. Kudos to John Baptist Camilleri, Marsaskala local councillor, for prodding the Marsaskala Local Council to stand up and be counted. The Marsaskala local council ought to have been consulted even in terms of the Local Council Act which makes it incumbent on central government and its agencies to consult with local councils whenever any initiative having local impacts is being considered.

Transport Malta is acting as an agent of central government. Government, led by the Labour Party, has conveniently distanced itself from the political responsibilities which result from the local plans , coupled with the rationalisation exercise, which have been shouldered by its predecessor in government, the Nationalist Party.  It has been very convenient for Labour to politically lump all the local plan fallout on the PN. However, sixteen years down the line, it is pretty evident that the Labour Party, in government for over eight years, has been very reluctant to handle the long overdue revision of the local plans and factoring in considerations resulting from a study of the cumulative impacts abovementioned. This is not only applicable to the local plan relative to Marsaskala, but to all local plans! It has obviously been too hot to handle.

Minister Aaron Farrugia, politically responsible for both land use planning and the environment, has been reported in the media, in the past few days, as stating that the local plan revision will start immediately after the general election, expected shortly. He has stated that the process will take around three years.  His predecessor as Minister responsible for land use planning, Ian Borg, had made some statements in the distant past about this, indicating the then parameters for a revision of the local plans. But nothing has materialised yet except his extreme reluctance to act!

I would, at this stage, remind the Hon Minister of the proposals from the Maltese Greens on the need to reverse the rationalisation exercise as well as on the urgent need to implement a moratorium on large scale development throughout the islands. These proposals have been part of our electoral manifesto repeatedly since 2006. Over-development and the building industry have to be brought under control the soonest.

It is not just about Marsaskala and its proposed yacht marina.  It is time to take stock of the ruin inflicted on these islands by a mismanaged land use planning process, by an irresponsible rationalisation exercise and by local plans which do not consider cumulative environmental impacts.

The proposed yacht marina at Marsaskala is just the latest example of this mismanagement.

published on The Malta Independent on Sunday: 22 August 2021

Yacht marina, Marsaskala u l-ipokrezija tal-PN

Dalgħodu l-PN għamel konferenza stampa kontra l-yacht marina proposta għal Marsaskala. X’jiġifieri, qed jgħid il-PN? X’inhuma l-impatti ambjentali tagħha fuq ir-residenti.

Veru. L-anqas jiena ma naqbel ma’ din il-yacht marina.

Imma l-kelliemi tal-PN ma jafx li l-yacht marina ipproponiha l-PN stess meta kien fil-Gvern? Daħħalha fil-Pjan Lokali li dwaru m’għamilx studji ambjentali!

Ipokrezija grassa, Dr Peter Agius!

Demokrazija fl-Ippjanar

Hondoq ir-Rummien

Fil-Manifest ghall-Koalizzjoni l-AD qed tipproponi li progetti li dwarhom isir EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) ikunu soggetti ghal referendum lokali.

Dan ikun jista’ jissejjah mir-residenti (10%) jew mill-Kunsill Lokali taghhom. Fejn progett ikun f’iktar minn lokalita’ wahda ikunu r-residenti w il-Kunsilli Lokali tal-lokalitajiet kollha direttament effettwati li jkunu jistghu jsejhu r-referendum lokali.

Id-decizjoni tar-referendum lokali jkun jorbot.

Dan ifisser illi wara li l-MEPA tigbor l-informazzjoni kollha u tassigura li l-process tekniku tal-pjanti u l-istudji jkun konkluz, tpoggi l-proposta ghall-konsiderazzjoni tal-pubbliku.

Jekk jintalab referedum fiz-zmien li jkun stabilit dan isir a spejjes tal-izviluppatur. Jekk il-progett ikun wiehed tal-Gvern ikun il-Gvern li jhallas.

Id-decizjoni tar-residenti tkun torbot.

Dan ikun ifisser li f’kaz bhal, per ezempju dak ta’ Hondoq ir-Rummien fil-Qala Ghawdex, fejn il-Kunsill Lokali organizza referendum li fih ir-residenti tal-Qala qalu le, il-progett propost ma jsirx.

L-istess ghandu jsir fil-kaz tal-Yacht Marina proposta f’Marsaskala. Hu inutli f’dan l-istadju li noqghodu nghidu favur jew kontra ghax dak li hu propost ghadu m’hux maghruf. Huwa wara li jkun maghrufa u li jsiru l-istudji necessarji li jkunu accessibli ghall-pubbliku li nkunu nistghu nikkummentaw.

B’hekk lehnek jinstema. Tkun inti li tiddeciedi. Dritt li dawk li joqghdu hdejn Pender Place San Giljan, jew hdejn il-Mistra Village fix-Xemxija San Pawl il-Bahar ma kellhomx.   

Titjib mehtieg f’Marsaskala

Il-bierah flimkien ma Harry Vassallo u Saviour Sammut iltqajt ma’ delegazzjoni tal-Assocjazzjoni Kummercjali ta’ Marsaskala li maghhom kellna diskussjoni utli hafna. Id-diskussjoni li kellna ffukat fuq id-diffikultajiet li tifaccja l-komunita kummercjali fil-hidma taghha.

Jixtiequ li x-Xatt ikun maghluq ghat-traffiku u li minflok tinholoq rotta alternattiva. Dan ikun ifisser lok iktar trankwill ghal min fil-ghaxijiet iqatta’ l-hin liberu tieghu f’dawn l-inhawi. Ifisser ukoll generazzjoni ta’ iktar negozju u xoghol.

Izda jfisser ukoll li l-inkonvenjent tat-traffiku ggenerat minn trid principali jista’ jiccaqlaq ghal inhawi godda li llum huma hielsa mill-istorbju u t-tniggis li tiggenera triq traffikuza. Dan l-inkonvenjent ghan-nies m’huwiex jinghata bizzejjed importanza.

Fissrulna ukoll il-proposta li ssir Yacht Marina f’Marsaskala. Filwaqt li jemmnu li din  tista’ tiggenera l-kummerc huma konxji li proposta bhal din meta attwata m’ghandhiex ixxellef il-karatteristici tal-bajja.

L-AD thoss li ma tistax tiehu posizzjoni la favur u l-anqas kontra yacht marina f’Marsaskala sakemm ma tkunx taf ezattament x’qieghed ikun propost.  Imbaghad, meta l-proposta tkun maghrufa ghandu jkun car li din hi materja li tinteressa l-komunita kollha ta’ Marsaskala. Ghandha tkun il-komunita kollha flimkien (komunita’ kummercjali flimkien mar-residenti) li b’mod matur tiehu decizjoni. Jekk mehtieg permezz ta’ referendum lokali. Dan isir wara li kulhadd ikollu l-opportunita li jkun jaf dak kollu li jkun qieghed jigi propost. F’dan il-kuntest l-awtoritajiet ghandhom jiffacilitaw diskussjoni matura li tista’ twassal ghal titjib fil-komunita kollha.

L-AD permezz tal-manifest elettorali taghha ser tinsisti illi proposti ta’ zvilupp ta’ din ix-xorta ghandhom ikunu rizolti b’dan il-mod wara process trasparenti. L-awtoritajiet ghandhom jassiguraw li l-informazzjoni tkun korretta u li l-aspetti teknici u ambjentali jkunu kollha indirizzati. Id-decizjoni johduha r-residenti. Ghax l-ippjanar dwar l-uzu tal-art ghandu jkun demokratizzat.