I am so happy to see that Din l-Art Ħelwa has taken the initiative to try to stop the madness of the Townsquare and Mrieħel high-rise projects that are nothing but proposed monuments to human greed at its worst.

I support DLĦ completely and I encourage all people of goodwill to do the same. In the face of clear complicity between the authorities and the developers it is up to the people, here represented by this organisation, which really has the good of all Maltese at heart, to try to face up to those who only see land as an opportunity to make money.

No amount of sweet talk by the developers and their replies to genuine considerations to rationalise what they propose to do can hide the terrible reality behind the Babel towers they want to build.

Laudato si` of Pope Francis offers a profound yet practical guideline to all people, Christian or not, on how we should treat the land and environment around us.

There is the important element of justice too. Land should not be seen from the utilitarian perspective, in terms of efficiency and productivity for individual financial profit, but as something which also belongs to those who come after us.

Our environment is an accepted gift which is passed over from generation to generation. Land is not there for us to abuse of selfishly.

In the Maltese context, where there is so precious little land and where so many people will certainly be affected adversely and where the Maltese topography will change forever, the Pope’s words concern us even more directly.

I appeal to the authorities and the developers to listen to the voice of reason and go beyond economic considerations only.

What will it profit us if we fill this little island with soulless concrete towers of Babel and lose our own Maltese soul? Money is not the do all and end all.

Future generations can only thank the authorities and the developers if they step back, listen to the people and change their decision for the common good.