An 'enlightened' future

From the roof of my parents' home in Zejtun I grew up seeing the chimney of Delimara power station progressingly picking up in size until, in a matter of a few years, it became part of the panorama. Concurrently, I also grew accustomed to occasional instances when black soot deriving from the Marsa power station haphazardly deposited itself around our immediate environment.

Sandwiched between these two massive polluters I dreamt of the day when the promise would be kept, the day when the Marsa power station would be shut down and the Delimara power station's emissions would be down to acceptable standards. A few years down the line, in my own home now further south in Marsascala but still very near to the two massive polluters, I have stopped dreaming.

On August 25, 2003 Enemalta recorded its highest peak for energy demand, scaling 397 megawatts. This is 30 megawatts higher than the previous record of August 2002. It also established a new trend for Maltese electricity demand since the summer demand has surpassed the peak winter demand of 395 megawatts of February 2003.

The trend is set to continue with more use of air conditioning systems in summer and more use of heating appliances in winter. Such ever-rising electricity demands are pushing towards an unwelcome balance between energy generation and energy use.

I have stopped dreaming of the day when the promise would be kept and instead found myself hearing and seeing Enemalta go into the next step of expansion at the Delimara power station prior to expected plans. The use of combined-cycle technology in the new plants offers only partial relief.

The only true alternative to this progressively bleak scenario is to introduce green concepts, namely the use of renewable energies, a change in consumption pattern and the use of energy-saving appliances. In simpler words, the way forward is to decrease demand, distribute better the peak demands for electricity throughout the hours of the day and generate energy from more environmentally friendly sources at a national level and at household level.

It is to be acknowledged as a positive step that the Malta Resource Authority tendered a study on how to achieve a five per cent share of energy generation through renewable sources by 2010 but I hereby support the calls of our environmental NGOs and the varied appeals of various citizens on media outlets. I too ask for more in less time.

For three reasons.

The scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been proved right. Climate chaos is already with us, as shown by the frightening floods of September and the extremely hot summer of this year. And climate chaos is, among other causes, the result of emissions from the burning of fossil fuels in energy plants like the ones I am sandwiched in between.

The Maltese islands "boast" high levels of respiratory illnesses like asthma and hay fever, as documented by the ECRHS and the ISSAC studies of recent years. Complaining of sinusitis in the morning is almost part and parcel of commuting in certain localities of our islands.

The EU has set up a tentative target of an EU average of 22 per cent share of energy generation through renewable sources by 2010 and even fellow small accession countries like Cyprus or small non-EU member states like Israel have done very well indeed in this area.

I shall then pledge again for national authorities on the Maltese islands to believe in and practise sustainable development.

I am looking forward to the day when further initiatives to make solar water heating devices, which are at present double the price of what an Israeli citizen spends, become a widespread reality.

I am calling for a national educational campaign on tips to save energy, such as not leaving lights switched on unnecessarily and not having air conditioners at excessively cool temperatures.

I am in favour of appropriate legislation imposing eco-labelling of electrical devices to make citizens able to opt for energy-saving appliances, such as low-consumption household equipment.

I ask for an assessment of the possibility of having differential day-time and night-time electricity tariffs to distribute better the load on the power plants, of allowing changes in the national grid system such that energy generated from renewable sources by individual households can be integrated with energy generated by the fossil-burning power stations and of having companies investing in renewable energy sources able to enter the energy market.

I am in favour of a sustainable future.

The author is a Labour candidate for the European parliament and a Labour councillor.