Man-made environment.

It is quite exciting for me to see that a great wonder, which I witnessed years ago in Germany, is beginning to happen here. I recalled this in my historical novel, Preservation and Progress, A Tale of Two Towns: Kaster and Bedburg (PIN, 1995ISBN, 99909.4I-22-x).

Chapter 1, entitled, "An Environment Made by Men", begins: "The recollections and reveries I am here going to recount started occurring when, some months after I had moved to Bonn to take up my post in the Maltese Embassy there, I revisited Kaster and Bedburg. You could not wish for a better place for sight-seeing or for picnicking. Around these two towns even Nature is man-made. The landscape there has been deliberately planned by 'Modern Man' to look like the 'Switzerland of the Erft'."

Now parts of Malta too are being planned to look like parts of Switzerland, while retaining their Maltese identity. I find this truly thrilling. I promised myself I would play an important role in the venture! It is wonderful, for all are invited to come onboard and sail along with us!

Doing means more than stopping

Safeguarding the environment should not be simply a question of stopping what is harmful from being done by others. It is mainly doing what is helpful yourself. The preservation of the environment does not imply passivity. It demands energetic enterprise. Leaving nature simply to its own devices would render it utterly defenceless in the face of disasters such as the tsunami of December 26, 2004.

As things stand today, environmental protection means environmental promotion. In the preface to Preservation and Progress I wrote: "If in its wake, change brings about not only improvement but also deterioration, construction in one area, but destruction in another, then the damage done must as far as possible be made good. If a tree is felled, then at least one other should be planted. If factories replace fields in one region, wherever possible, new arable land should be gained in another."

The 34U campaign is meant to enable people to participate personally towards making Malta greener, by planting trees in different parts of our islands. After attending a talk by the world renowned environmentalist, Dr Klaus Töpfer, I had the good fortune to meet Glenn Bugeja, the co-ordinator of the 34U campaign. He introduced me to the scheme, and invited me to join the movement and write about it.

He himself was seconded from the HSBC to work full-time promoting the movement. The HSBC is contributing thousands of liri to the project of extending woodland in our country by planting five kinds of indigenous trees: Araar Tree/Sandarac Gum Tree (gharghar); Aleppo Pine (znuber); Holm Oak (balluta); Carob (harruba); Olive Tree (zebbuga).

In the brochure "Trees for People" published by the Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Environment, it is stated clearly that environmental and cultural heritage issues are to be wedded together to preserve and promote Malta's particular identity. "The various parks will offer countryside, waterside, heritage as well as activity-oriented facilities". "Delimara National Park has been identified... because of its position, heritage and ecological values and commanding views".

The sites selected for short-term projects are Delimara, Xrobb l-Ghagin, Ta' Qali National Park, Salina, Mellieha. For medium- to long-term projects, the chosen sites are Buskett Gardens/National Reserve, Cottonera Heritage Park, Hal Far National Recreational Areas, Sant'Antnin, Mtahleb, Ghajnsielem, Pembroke.

Important events in Maltese history can be commemorated by the planting of trees. For instance, this year we are celebrating the 440th anniversary of the founding of Valletta. It would be most appropriate to mark the occasion by planting tress.

The 34U initiative is designed to make individuals part of the project. Not only their personal contribution, but also their memories, their loves, their family-ties and friendships, marriage, births of babies are given concrete and visible duration. The promoters of the campaign state: "The 34U campaign enables you to commemorate an important event, remember a loved one, present an original gift to someone or simply adopt a tree for yourself. The tree is identified by a wooden tag attached to it, bearing the name of a person. A photo commemorating the event will be taken and is also included in the Lm6 package."

World-wide movement

Active promotion of the natural environment was officially recognised as an exceedingly significant contribution towards world peace. The 2004 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Wangari Maathai precisely for putting this philosophy into practice. She founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya to restore Africa's forests. She set out to educate women about forestry and economics. She paid them for planting trees.

In his address delivered in Oslo on December 10, 2004, the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated: "Peace on earth depends on our ability to secure our living environment. Maathai stands at the front of the fight to promote ecologically viable social, economic and cultural development in Kenya and in Africa. She has taken a holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights and women's rights in particular. She thinks globally and acts locally."

The official citation of the award emphasised the worldwide importance of Ms Maathai's efforts to create with human hands a suitable, sustainable environment for the good of the whole of mankind. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004 to Wangari Maathai for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace. Peace on earth depends on our ability to secure our living environment... More than simply protecting the existing environment, her strategy is to secure and strengthen the very basis for ecologically sustainable development. Her methods have been adopted by other countries as well." Now, thanks to the 34U campaign, Malta too is solidly among these countries, with heart and soul!