Feast excesses have to stop - Church commission

Beautifully-lit churches generate an annual carbon footprint of 350 tonnes during parish feasts, the same amount of carbon dioxide emitted by 60 people in one year.

While this may be a small percentage of the total domestic electricity consumption, the Malta Archdiocese's Environment Commission is issuing guidelines for every parish priest and church, in the light of rising energy costs and environmental concerns.

In the run-up to the village feast, the electricity consumption of churches increases by five to 25 times more.

"We are not saying churches should not be lit during the feast but there are ways and means whereby this can be done in a more sustainable manner," commission chairman Victor Axiaq said yesterday.

Prof. Axiaq was launching the commission's second and final study into the impact of religious feasts and fireworks, the noise and air pollution they generated, the residue of chemicals in the soil and the tragedies caused.

This time, the study was specifically timed at the end of the festa season and launched to coincide with the Church's Environment Day, marked today.

In 2006, the commission was criticised for launching its report in June, when the feasts were in full swing. It now hopes its recommendations will be adopted by the time the next season opens.

One thing that strikes a discordant note with the public is the excessive noise level of fireworks and Prof. Axiaq said that despite highlighting this problem two years ago the noise levels had not abated, "if anything they had increased".

In certain instances, noise levels of fireworks monitored during 14 feasts surpassed the maximum of 120 decibels - levels that basically translate into the sound generated by a plane during take-off.

The noise generated by ground fireworks and Catherine's wheels also surpassed the acceptable levels of 110 decibels, posing a risk to pregnant women, children and elderly people.

Although in July Parliament approved a law amending the Explosives Ordinance, Prof. Axiaq said that so far there was no law regulating the noise levels in feasts and he believed there should be a commitment from authorities on this.

"Noise levels need to be controlled and if necessary excessive noise stopped completely," he said.

"The civil authorities need to show a stronger will to amend the regulations that control the manufacture and letting off of fireworks."

While reiterating the feasts' importance to the island's culture, the commission is on a mission to control the excesses that exist and it felt parish priests should have a more prominent role in this.

Each year, about 200 tonnes of chemicals are imported for the manufacture of fireworks and an interesting fact that emerged from the new report is the amount of toxic fine dust (Particulate Matter 10) that lingered in the air during feast time.

A study, which should soon be concluded, establishes that the PM10, which enters people's lungs, increases during the summer months, compared to spring.

The study shows a concentration of toxic metals in the air, which are specifically related to the manufacture of fireworks. The rate of aluminium in the air also increases dramatically during feast time.

"It is disconcerting that the population is being exposed to these metals generated by fireworks for such a long period throughout the year," the report said.

First results also show significant levels of lead and copper are deposited in the soil, up to 50 metres from where the fireworks are let off - an average of nine milligrams of copper are deposited per square metre of land and two milligrams of copper.

Prof. Axiaq said that, while these were still preliminary results, this was a significant amount, although he did stress that this figure was far less than the amount of lead used in pesticides.

The study also delved into the tragedies and deaths. In the past 11 years there were 59 fireworks-related incidents, which left 24 dead and 43 people seriously injured. A recent study by historian Eddie Attard also showed that 150 Maltese lost their lives as a result of fireworks in the last century.

The commission attempted to compare the number and frequency of deaths caused by fireworks in 10 other countries. The lowest rate was in the UK. Comparatively, for every death in the UK, 549 people died in Malta, surpassing China (19 deaths for every one in the UK), which was the biggest manufacturer of fireworks in the world.

The use of potassium chlorate was often the culprit that led to the explosion of fireworks factories. The commission was recommending that potassium perchlorate is used instead. Although this was a more expensive substance, it was less dangerous.

The commission condemned the illegal manufacture of fireworks, especially in residential areas. Every Christian had a duty to respect and protect life, not endanger it.

In its recommendations, the commission felt there should be a more professional structure of issuing licences and there should be a written examination to strengthen the industry. It also felt that property development should not encroach on the footprint of fireworks factories.

"We believe this industry can be embraced once it becomes more professional," Prof. Axiaq said.