The potential of a Green Malta

The Green and eco adjectives are frequently bandied about for political convenience. The difference to be spotted is between who talks the talk and who walks the walk. In the context of the economic and energy crises, the Greens have never been more relevant.

Green parties and environmentalists have brought about a consensus that a commitment to sustainability is not only good for the environment but also good for the economy. The Obama Administration is using this time of immense economic turmoil to build a new industrial pillar for future growth. Similarly, the European Greens are proposing a Green New Deal, calling for a €500 billion package with a view to generating five million new, largely Green jobs, mostly in the area of clean technologies and Green enterprise.

Within the confines of our scale, the same opportunity exists for the Maltese islands. We need to bring home this seriousness of purpose. These are some areas where an AD MEP would work in order to tap EU funds so as to make the best use of our resources and motivate new developments while in the process generating a wealth of new jobs.

Water: Malta is the ninth driest country in the world, the first eight being desert countries. We have never really had a water policy except in the time of the Knights, when all houses were forced to have a well as a catchment area for rain water. Now, we have started thinking again. But, unfortunately, though having two sewage treatment plants functioning and a third one commissioned, we are throwing away precious second-class water (which is good for agriculture, industry and home toilets). This water should be collected and put to use in our daily lives, saving money and generating new jobs in the process.

Solar energy: We are the laggard of the 27 countries in the EU as regards solar energy. Yet, of the 27 we are the country with the biggest number of sun hours per year. For this reason we will feel the brunt of global warming. But we could turn this into an opportunity for all of us. Just imagine if we turned our country into a research and innovation centre centred around solar energy. Photovoltaic, solar and UV panels could all be constructed, mounted and used in Malta, thus generating hundreds if not thousands of jobs in the process: from Mcast and University lecturers to scientists, technicians and experts in mounting and servicing the various panels.

The building industry: Converting to renewables and to sustainable energies will boost the building industry. New European rules in building practices will help us generate jobs in energy-efficiency measures for buildings. We will need to train people in mounting double-glazing windows and doors and in the use of recycled insulated materials to keep our houses warm in winter and cool in summer. Even the restoration and adaptation of the over 60,000 vacant houses in Malta will mean work for a myriad of skilled workers, not to speak of those masons who will be trained in conserving old Maltese limestone and reusing it in the renovation of buildings.

Waste management: Hundreds of jobs here too. The philosophy of the three Rs will mean new jobs for people employed in the reduction and separation of waste and packing it to send abroad, in transforming and reusing plastics, paper and glass, not to speak of the technicians, scientists and engineers, labourers etc working in waste separation plants, the abattoir, the incinerator, landfills etc.

The ideas above are just a taste of what is possible with the right motivation and a sense of today and the immediate future. The technology to execute the ideas above is with us and has been tried. Its "cost" may appear to be high but often so because the overall costs of the status quo are ignored. Our future lies in understanding the total cost of how we use our environment today.

We are at a crucial frontier in these days and we need to move towards a more sustainable future- Green initiatives, Green jobs and a Green economy. At this crossroad, Malta can both be a leader and create benefits for itself. Our choice is to will it.

The author is chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika, the Green party in Malta.

arnoldcassola@gmail.com, www.alternattiva.org.mt, www.arnoldcassola.wordpress.com