Pink goes green

Malta needs to devise an adaptation plan for climate change and, although preliminary work has already started, the government needs to keep up the momentum and consider it a matter of national security and not merely another environmental threat.

This is the gist of an article on global warming worldwide, Malta's specific position and the role of every individual in the 32nd issue of Pink, which is distributed free with The Times tomorrow.

Luckily, the feature says, the EU is there to spur its members to act, but its climate change programme cannot replace a comprehensive climate change policy that has specific targets and milestones tailor-made for Malta's needs.

In Malta, the sector that is likely to be worst hit is its potable water resources that would deteriorate both in quality and quantity as a result of a decrease in rainfall of between 10 to 17 per cent in the Mediterranean.

It was, therefore, paramount for the government to address the issue of ground water management, which was being abused by illegal abstraction.

To date, Malta has no energy policy, and a water policy is long overdue, the InFocus feature maintains.

It has been inspired by World Environment Day, celebrated this month, and which, together with Father's Day, have left their mark on the June issue of the women's magazine.

In fact, Pink has gone green, staging its fashion photo shoot, featuring earthy colours, at the Maghtab civic amenity site, where separated bulky refuse is being successfully collected, while another at Mriehel has just opened.

Pink's LifeStyle section delves into how to give homes a health check. After all, the environment starts from there and the way we live our lives.

Its list of publications in BookShelf this month are all environment-related for a good background on the topical issue that should be on everyone's lips.

On the subject of climate, with summer on our doorstep, everyone starts battling to get their bodies in shape. But some people take it too far... In its health section, Pink looks into the condition that plagues women - and men - who have crossed the line and find it hard to go back, some even dying along the way.

In Malta, an average of 100 cases of eating disorders crop up each year, with the majority being young women. There are no updated figures and the last study was carried out by the Health Promotion Department in 2003 but it showed there were 77 cases in the first six months of that year, with more than half aged between 18 and 29 and a quarter under 17.

Physical appearance can turn into an issue, a scourge... and even an addiction. But even though one English lady has had several cosmetic interventions and buckets of Botox and derma fillers, she tells Pink she is not a victim of plastic surgery and is using her vast experience to consult those who are willing to go under the knife to enhance their looks. In PrivateEye, she reveals her many faces and offers advice.

Meanwhile, readers can also travel off the beaten track to China; delve into the philanthropic and jewel-encrusted world of tenor José Carreras; get sunscreen savvy; see what the future has in store for them; whip up a tasty chicken salad; and stay fit with the latest exercise equipment; while men can gauge their relationships with their children through a quiz; and compare their level of broodiness to that of the boys who spoke their mind in MouthPiece.

This edition of Pink is packed with information, co-edited by The Times journalists Fiona Galea Debono and Ariadne Massa. Published by Allied Newspapers Ltd, Pink is a MediaMaker production, designed by Helen Cassar Torreggiani and Joseph Schembri.