The eco-Gozo illusion

This week saw the Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono going around schools handing out calendars to the children. The idea behind this, according to the ministry, was to promote the eco-Gozo vision.

With all due respect to Mrs Debono, the Gozo Ministry and the Maltese government as a whole, I think this eco-Gozo vision is being approached in the totally wrong way. Children do not learn about environmental awareness by being given a little calendar. Surely, the best way to teach children about the "government's vision on Gozo" is to actually be seen to be doing something tangible in support of that vision.

What message does it send to children when people in high authority are damaging the very environment they say they care so much about for no other reason than personal gain? What message do these children get when they go on a school trip to Dwejra and see the beautiful view from the top of the hill spoiled by an ugly rusted concrete shell?

In what way does it enhance the eco-Gozo vision when children learn that the very people handing them little calendars are considering the destruction of Ħondoq Bay by constructing a marina?

Does it give these children hope in the future when they see NGOs being attacked in the press by government members and supporters for committing the sin of trying to protect the environment and heritage of Malta for future generations?

Perhaps Mrs Debono should point out to children that in Nadur, where she lives, her government has supported the construction of a cemetery on top of an aquifer which feeds the land below used by farmers to grow their citrus crops. It would be interesting to hear the minister explain to the children how liquids from decomposing bodies, thanks to her government's "Eco Gozo" concept, will forever taint the crops in this area!

Talking the talk is something that all politicians are good at, however, they usually fall well short of expectations when it comes to walking the walk.