A time of crisis can be a time of opportunity. The opposition surrounding the spring hunting season, the proposed shooting range right next to the Jesuit retreat house of Mount St Joseph, as well as the planned ‘American University of Malta’ in Marsascala, point to a rising ecological consciousness.
The reasons which explain this welcome change in attitude are not so difficult to identify. Many of us are realising that when it comes to the protection of our environment we have failed miserably.
We have failed to protect our beautiful countryside; we have failed to preserve our natural heritage; we have failed to come up with a concept of development which is truly sustainable; we have failed to prevent our roads from becoming clogged with noise-polluting and air-polluting vehicles.
And, in a way, and to varying degrees, we are all responsible for this state of affairs. It is far too easy to point fingers at politicians or at so-called developers. But we must accept that, by omission or commission, we have all played a part in building a society in which we are suddenly realising that there is something seriously wrong in our relationship with our natural surroundings.
So why not just give up? To quote Henry Ford: “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” On a national, as well as on an international one, we are at a decisive moment in our history. In a few months’ time, governments will meet in Paris to decide what action to take – if any – to combat the serious threats we face due to human-induced climate change.
The decisions we take will determine not only our immediate future but also that of future generations. The road ahead is treacherous and slippery and the pitfalls that must be avoided are numerous.
The first danger comes by the name of ignorance. When it comes to the environment, ignorance is not bliss. Contrary to what we might think, a thriving democracy is not judged according to the number of comments we post online.
Just because we have the right to express ourselves does not mean that we should not take seriously our duty to inform ourselves properly before uttering words that are often based on incorrect and/or incomplete information.
The second danger is that of abdicating our responsibility. An ‘it’s not my problem’ attitude is unfortunately quite widespread within Maltese society where ‘armchair critics’ abound. Many, out of fear, laziness, disinterest or interest, choose to ‘delegate’ environmental issues to a handful of NGOs, expecting to reap the benefits from the struggles conducted by others often at great personal sacrifice.
Many of us are realising that when it comes to the protection of our environment we have failed miserably
This leads us directly to the third danger, which is that of feeling helpless. If only a small number of citizens do their utmost to defend the environmental cause they believe in, it is so easy to feel frustrated, tired and helpless. What can an individual do when up against a well-resourced ‘system’? As a result, many people of goodwill who are initially willing to do their part for the environment end up retreating from the battlefield.
If we want our failure to be truly a moment of opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently, we can choose the path of an informed, responsible and empowered citizenship away from the dangers highlighted above.
Against the pitfalls of ignorance and superficiality, we have to make that extra effort to consult multiple and reliable sources of information. Against the danger of abdicating our responsibility, we are all called to stand up and be counted.
We must overcome the fear and apathy which paralyse us. We must find the courage to become personally involved.
Finally, against the danger of helplessness and hopelessness, we must convince ourselves that even a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can make a difference. It will not be easy. We will fail and we will make mistakes. But, at this point in time, doing nothing is simply not a viable option.
The words pronounced by Theodore Roosevelt more than a century ago remain as relevant as ever for those of us who think that giving up is not an option:
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
Fr Mark Cachia is the director of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice.