Deposits of soot down sharply

Christian Sciberras

Mar 7th 2010, 02:58

@Eric Gahn - I didn't say the government is doing good.
In fact, if I were near the place (where this soot fell) I'd sample and test it myself.
But I prefer to see people get what they sow, to the extent of the truth laying at my grave.

But back to the main point, it's the attitude "who do you think you are" is what I don't like.

For your information, a spectrometer does take much time to results.
In fact, you can pretty much construct your own tiny (and limited) spectrometer.
It doesn't take a scientist to do it, but speaking of your opinion, it does take a scientific-minded person to do it. Thankfully, this doesn't mean such a person needs to be qualified with a PhD!

adrian gatt

Mar 4th 2010, 23:09

@ albert bezzina
yes the 'car' thing was a lapsus and i meant motor vehicles. Obviously the bigger vehicles pollute more as they have larger engines - sorry for this. I also agree with you with regards power generating plants but the only difference is that one is stationary while road vehicles go round every nook and cranny of this blessed island polluting every spot and without much control as to what is coming out of the tail pipe. With regards power station there is a small group of fixed chimneys which will contaminate areas depending on the wind direction. Again, if the authorities were serious enough by controlling emmisons of these few chimneys they could reduce quite alot of pollution, but with cars, the VRT did not work, not that the controls at the power stations did!

Joseph ( Joe ) Grima

Mar 4th 2010, 19:05

@ N Calleja. You will be grossly mistaken if you judge others by the standards that your Prime Minister Gonzi has set as leader of your party and PM. I know Gonzi a great deal better than you. Dr Gonzi has surrounded himself with a worshipping mercenary crowd who behave like a bunch of flies hovering over a corpse. You must not confound achievers like me , with a desperate crowd such as Gonzi's I have never been obsessed with money or with positions of importance Whatever posiitons I have held, I have always been a chosen one. I never offered myself to anyone. I believe that Joseph is the finest Labour Leader since Mintoff. As for aiming high. I couldn't reach any higher than the Ministerial postions I have held already so, at best, I would be repeating myself. From where you stand that is probably incomprehensible. One last point. INKONTRI is followed by thousands. Just read the smss we get to see how many sign as ex Nationalists. You and your failure of a PM have a lot to worry about. We worry too because we have to carry your sins and your greed like a crucifix.

N.Calleja

Mar 4th 2010, 17:04

@Joseph(Joe) Grima.
From the look of things it seems that you're again aiming high. Another try at parliament? Another braodcasting job? Chairmanship of any parastatal body? When you chair your discussion on 'Inkontri' you act like a Labour spokesman and you are always belittling the nationalist representative! Some things never change!

Eric Gahn

Mar 4th 2010, 15:28

@Joseph (Joe) Grima.

But that's just it. Who will he answer to when his ticket is up? Sure he will loose the election and then what? The damage done to our health in time cannot be undone. He and his buddies are abdicating a great responsability by not addressing the issue with due importance. Why is no one held liable?

@Christian Sciberras. How would you argue with someone who does not listen to reason? This Govt has shown us time over that they do not care for any reasonable argument put forward against anything they propose. They think we are mindless dumb goats. Instead they come up with ridiculous, half baked, half measure, fully indecent answers to serious problems.

Joseph ( Joe ) Grima

Mar 4th 2010, 13:32

@Eric Gahn: By the time the 600% sample will be due, it will be election time and, in one day of voting, we will get rid of him. Soon after we will all realise how long he will have been taking this country for a ride. Dr Ginzi will have a great deal to answer for when his ticket comes up for review.

Lawrence Fenech

Mar 4th 2010, 13:16

SO HAS OUR STYLE OF LIVING.

Christian Sciberras

Mar 4th 2010, 12:14

Eric Gahn - Nice way to argue.
I have yet to here more arguments like yours; "you're stupid just as I am".
Very interesting argument indeed.

Eric Gahn

Mar 4th 2010, 11:53

@Steve Rogers

Sir, people like you should know that this Govt, the best thing to happen to the people since the discovery that jam can be spread on toast, is not one who plays with statistics. Our Dear Leader Gonzi wants to have a 100% sample before he issues a statement affirming that there IS black dust in the air. The decrease noted so far is only because HE is collecting everything for this 100% sample.

When this stage is completed then he will need another sample of 200% to determine what, where and how it comes, and later a 300% sample to confirm the outcome of the analysis of the 200% sample.

That is a 600% sample over all meaning that after all the studies have been completed Gonzi will be 6 times more certain that there is really no black dust in the air and that all the people in the Southern regions of the islands are therefore surely delusional.

So who do you think you are Mr Rogers? A Scientist like our Dear PM?

J.Borg

Mar 4th 2010, 11:36

"Dr Gonzi said Mepa had not received reports of the presence of the soot for some time ......."

Could it be Dr.Gonzi that residents are fed up of reporting soot deposits, because evrytime they report.... these reports fall on deaf ears!!!!!!!

tony abela

Mar 4th 2010, 11:19

Is it a coincidence that the precipitators were switched back on and hopefully they are still functioning as expected?

It is very correct that some bloggers are more concerned about the invisible pollutions, which are more dangerous to our health than the building industry dust.

Some, on the official side, implied that most of the pollution is coming from vehicular traffic, especially commercial vehicles and machinery. Up to now, nobody questioned the inferior quality of petrol and diesel Enemalta is supplying on the market. One can easily notice the difference on his car's performance if he crosses over to the continent for a holiday or business trip when the car is filled up with petrol or diesel in the other European countries. Trailers operators and drivers who drives over to the Continent can confirm this.

Sander Depasquale

Mar 4th 2010, 10:49

@ Adrain Gatt
You have made very valid points. A lot of talk of dragging feet and the government does not take care of our health is simply rubbish!
The government himself has told us a few months back from where the problem originated but apparently some people in the blog were taking a siesta or to engulfed in their maltese gemgem searching ways and means to throw all the mud that they can find towards the government!
I think this is a question of culture, the maltese must be proactive and educate themselves of emissions that are much more dangerous to health than the niusance black dust.
But please note containing emissions comes at a cost! So dont start grumbling again on higher fuel cost after that....

Albert Bezzina

Mar 4th 2010, 10:36

Adrian Gatt. You are quite right in reminding us of NOx, Benzene and Particulates. I hope you also made an innocent lapsus at stating that "mainly generated by processes of combustion from car engines"
If for the word 'cars' you mean road vehicles including also commercial and public transport vehicles you are partially right and only at road level and in traffic 'hot' and 'warm' spots.

If you mean cars literally, are you one of those who are trying to convince the public that the only emitters or these pollutants are passenger cars?

Commercial and construction industry vehicles are ever becoming so pollutant invisible in the eyes the authorities and people like Mr Gatt.

As regards road vehicles, passenger cars only cause 20% of particulates, quantitatively the most hazardous pollutant. NOx emissions are dependant on engine technology but in 2006 passenger cars accounted for only 35% of NOx emissions from all road vehicles. Benzene is on the decline and passenger cars account for 60% of emissions.

Overall, the biggest producer of NOx and particulates are the power generating plants.

Await your reply!

Michael Parnis

Mar 4th 2010, 10:14

If it is true that it has decrease and thus the Prim Minister is taking the credit for this then it is clear that he knows the source !!! Which one is the lie?

John Micallef

Mar 4th 2010, 10:00

Laboratories in the UK and Austria have been contacted

Imma Dr Gonzi int biss serjeta ghedt hekk?? Sa hemm ghadek wasalt?? Imma taf tisthi??

Kif niskantaw bl-Africa, Afrika fl-Ewropa gibtuna, mhux Svizzera fil- Mediterran.

E Compagno

Mar 4th 2010, 09:49

Of course it is down sharply. Stronger winds carry the particles further and are dispersed over a wider area, rather than being concentrated over the closest villages.

It's not rocket science!

Sometimes I really can't shake off this feeling that this governent is so out of touch with the normal day to day lives of people on the lower echelons of society. It's almost like they're living on another planet.

adrian gatt

Mar 4th 2010, 09:26

Alot of commenting has been done regards this soot, and they are right to comment. Its a nuisance and a health hazard. But this is just the visible tip of the iceberg. There are many more pollutants which are not seen and thus do not need sweeping away, and probably many people do not know about them so they cannot comment. Various articles are appearing on media commenting about these invisible pollutants like NOx, Benzene, PM10 and PM2.5 which are mainly generated by processes of combustion from car engines mostly which have a higher degree of health hazard associated with them. Apart from the black soot, people need to be informed more of these invisible hazards and put more pressure through the media so that the government stops dragging its feet when it comes to our health. The Sliema Residents Asociation urges other residents associations and local council to take this seriously since this type of pollution is everywhere around us. Its not just in Sliema, Msida, Fgura and Floriana.

Steve Rogers

Mar 4th 2010, 09:19

"Laboratories in the UK and Austria have been contacted to analyse the soot once enough samples are collected. More samplers are to be installed in Paola, Tarxien and Sta Lucija."

Who are you trying to fool? Anyone who ever ran an AA spectrometer knows that a small amount is needed to determine trace elements. Il poplu stupidu mhux injorant sur PM but they are slowly learning from their mistakes.

Steve Compagno

Mar 4th 2010, 09:03

Wait till it's May! That's when it all begins...It's usually during the Summer....and it's got nothing to do with BBQ's :)) then you can come as many samples as you like!