Quo vadis, Malta?

Malta Needs to sit back and take a hard look at where it is heading. In this world of finite resources there are limits to growth and the way Malta is heading is unsustainable.

Malta's population density is huge and will continue to rise. We are already seeing unprecedented illegal immigration from the Third World. Malta's population growth must be curbed, although this is at odds with religious principles, but unless we control the numbers, nature will do it for us.

There are building permits being issued left, right and centre for over-developed island and now the same is happening in Gozo. Before long there will be little, if any, unspoilt arable land left. Apartments are springing everywhere causing environmental pollution at the expense of the majority for the profit of a minority. We call this economic growth; I call it sowing the seeds of our own demise.

There are acute water problems as the population continues to grow. In a post-carbon world will there be enough water for everyone, including farmers, who will need water to grow food?

We have a massive waste problem: just look at Maghtab: a massive environmental eyesore and a danger to the health of all. Now we are filling up new landfills, what happens when they can no longer be used? Are we creating a toxic time-bomb for future generations to deal with? There should be more effort or even a legal framework for foodstuffs to be sourced locally and imported as a last resort; we should minimise packaging and separate our waste.

We spend money on energy-intensive projects and new roads, knowing full well that there is little future for these tarmac monstrosities, but it is done for a short-term political kick-back in the way of a vote. There is no forward thinking or little long-term planning.

We plan to build new marinas and hotels, anticipating that there will be infinite growth in tourism which is not possible, but we continue to build as we choose prosperity over preparation for a post-carbon future. We also fool ourselves that time is on our side, but in reality it is not.

We encourage our children to become lawyers and accountants and computer programmers, when we should be teaching them permaculture and agriculture, teaching them to be solar PVC engineers and providing smart young engineers with government-backed SME grants to create home-based, renewable energy companies.

We should be piloting a project for a small wind farm so that we excel in this technology and once we get that right, start on a big one. If anyone thinks that Libyan oil will last forever then they are kidding themselves - last week a Russian energy giant called Lucoil found 600 million barrels of black gold under the Caspian Sea, which, at current world demand, would last six to seven days if exploited!

If Malta were lucky enough to find 150 million barrels, how long would that last at current global demand?