No more greenwashing, please!

It's that hectic time again, with our daily lives being turned into one political cauldron in view of the upcoming referendum and elections. For four and a half years politicians are oblivious to environmental problems, shunning them as cries from a bunch of fanatics.

However, in the gruelling final countdown before elections, our politicos suddenly realise that the word 'environment' is a fabulous vote magnet and, hence, they start coining whole welters of phrases containing this awe-striking word. They start promising the unimaginable in frenzied pre-election bouts, with the public being roped in with calls of a utopian Malta. One wonders if any of our political class can distinguish between garigue and maquis, for example. Environmental NGOs have realised that little or nothing of what is promised is delivered.

One initiative which positively raised my eyebrows was the one by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whereby he publicised his pre-electoral promises. Would I be wishing for pie in the sky when I say that local politicians should take the cue by publishing their pre-electoral promises (especially those in the environmental field which boasts the largest number of broken promises, by far) and reviewing them periodically so as to introduce a modicum of accountability.

Despite increasing public clamour for political parties to unite against unscrupulous lobbies, such as hunters and boathouse owners, these continue to fail us by pandering to these same lobbies so that the majority, not belonging to such lobbies, feel hijacked by the minority who belong.

God knows what esoteric pre-electoral promises have already been made to such lobbies. Surely, the most titanic political victory in this country would be for an administration not to be held ransom by any lobby, rather than the much acclaimed independence or EU accession.

Dear politicians, please promise only what you can deliver.

Road projects in the pipeline

February saw the start of new road projects worth about Lm100 million in construction and upgrading works. The total road works span a staggering 90 km. While the upkeep of our road network is vitally important, the accent should be on how to limit the environmental impact of such projects.

The Transport Ministry should stress this with road contractors awarded the road projects, besides the need to respect deadlines. The T'Alla u Ommu and Burmarrad works have claimed the scalp of many mature roadside trees while encroaching further on surrounding rural land.

Unfortunately, some hype is raised only when road contractors inadvertently hit some waterpipe, rather than when they smother roadside vegetation through negligence. Some of the projects in the offing - particularly those at Mgarr-Victoria (Gozo) and at Mosta - are particularly sensitive to a lack of awareness by our hapless road contractors since they traverse picturesque landscapes. The latter should be given some tenets of environmental education in courses tailor-made for them.

Vandalism galore

It seems that we Maltese have an insatiable appetite for anything that is public, in that we strive to make it private. A few weeks ago, the Gharghur council denounced the fact that parts of the Victoria Lines had been vandalised and stones from it had been transported away. In addition, a number of graffiti were sprayed on a stretch of the fortifications.

In addition, the newly-fledged Environmental Landscaping Consortium Ltd. has reported repeated cases of tree uprooting and stealing. What is highly ironic is that the perpetrators of such deeds may be of the same ilk as those phoning on radio programmes to complain about a lack of greenery and respect for our historical heritage.

Dumping and suburban development

In its relentless campaign to report any dumping cases, Nature Trust brought to the limelight the rampant dumping goings-on at Mtahleb, near Wied il-Busbies, under the towering radio masts in the area.

The area is popular with tourists and locals, as it has the picturesque Mtahleb church as a backdrop. This, obviously, did not preclude those responsible from dumping virtually anything in the area, from fridges and cookers to building rubble. All this so as to spare the minuscule cost of dumping at Maghtab? Do these people know about the bulk refuse collection service, which is absolutely free from every local council?

The Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure has cleared tons upon tons of such dumped waste - yet it seems that demand for such services is greater than the supply courtesy of a handful of ruthless blokes.

While conceding that MEPA officials are under continuous pressure from developers, NT had to deplore the issue of permits for the construction of two chicken farms in the Tal-Garnaw area between Sta Lucija and Gudja.

Although the developer has to change his original intention of building four such chicken farms, the area in question is a cherished lung and green buffer area between the rapidly mushrooming villages in the area.

In addition, the site is in a water catchment area and the two buildings in question have not been landscaped in the slightest - to add insult to injury, they are surrounded by discarded vehicles on their rear.

While I embrace the point raised by a resident from Sta Lucija (Mr Anthony Saliba) in a letter to a newspaper that the land in question was privately owned, that trespassing should not be condoned and that land ownership should be made publicised, I disagree with him in some aspects.

Land ownership should be made public not just to rectify trespassing offences into private land (which are isolated, very temporary cases) but mostly to rectify the colonisation of public land by hunters, etc on a more permanent basis. I already made a plea (complete with visual suggestions) to our authorities to make changes in the land ownership laws in a previous article (January 19). People can cherish a site for recreation not just by passing through it but also for its aesthetic appeal - the Tal-Garnaw area offers, in fact, plush countryside views which were, until yesterday, unbroken by any development.

In addition, depending on its location and nature, the ownership of land doesn't automatically empower one to develop it or to ward people off it. What would happen if all our farmers unanimously decided to cordon off all their private agricultural land so that people can't enjoy some country walks? Or if MEPA decided to give them a carte blanche to develop it?

Land ownership should not be the only criterion upon which to make development decisions. Otherwise, the top financial brass in this country would gobble up all prime sites, with us paupers living in our squalid urban jungles.

My conclusion is that the Tal-Garnaw site should not have been developed, not because it is not privately owned (which I am sure it is) but for all the other reasons (aesthetic, ecological and recreational) aforementioned.

I think residents and all those with a genuine love for the environment would not have made such a palaver had the owner just cordoned the area off and used it for farming practices, for example; or at least, landscaped the area properly before developing it. It is with such minor development concessions that vintage sites in this country are eventually committed to full-scale development through the adage of precedents.

Silver linings

To see the other side of the coin, the vandalism at Victoria Lines may have come as a blessing in disguise since it spurred even more the very valid work of the Victoria Lines Action Committee, which has representatives of all local councils whose territories are graced by these fortifications, and the restoration work itself is being undertaken by Construction and Maintenance Department staff under the direct supervision of the Restoration Unit; the cleaning of the areas is being carried out by staff from the Environmental Development and Management Section. Both form part of the Works Division.

Access to vehicles has been barred by bollards while a fence has been put in place along collapsed stretches.

February also saw a number of initiatives being undertaken by MEPA in collaboration with other entities. Namely, a half-day seminar was held, in conjunction with the Federation of Industry and the Cleaner Technology Centre, whereby discussions were held in an exercise targeting about 150 local companies as to how local industrial operators can attain higher environmental standards. What is especially encouraging is that, although voluntary, the consultation process is legally binding and its progress would be periodically monitored by MEPA.

Alan Deidun, B.Sc. (Hons.), is PRO of Nature Trust (Malta)