This week, 55 representatives, most of them coming from island states, met in Malta to share their experiences on renewable energies. This meeting, Renewables And Islands Global Summit, was conceived at the Climate Change Conference in South Africa last December. There I met with Adnan Amin, director general of IRENA, the international agency for renewable energy, and appealed to him to organise a meeting that would bring together leaders from island states to share their positive and negative experiences as they strive towards cleaner energy. From our experience, small islands face a number of challenges that are tied to limited land, economies of scale and energy security.

(Cardinal Carlo Maria) Martini... had... found a way of talking to the world that made people sit up and listen- George Pullicino

Soon after, the director general suggested that such a meeting be held in Malta. I greatly appreciated this proposal, particularly since Malta only became a member of IRENA in 2009. This meeting was attended by ministers from about 14 countries, technical experts and investors from all over the world. Representatives from the World Bank and the International Energy Agency also joined us.

This summit gave us the opportunity to discuss our accomplishments in Malta as well as our future plans to generate clean energy from the sun, wind and waste. Last Wednesday, I presented a letter of intent to the consortium that will be installing photovoltaic panels on an area of almost 70,000 square metres on the roofs of government buildings. This €20 million investment follows a public expression of interest in which 15 companies participated and a tender process for three companies that were shortlisted.

It gave us also the opportunity to share our difficulties, exchange similar experiences and solutions. One of the challenges that we face in generating wind energy is the fact that, with the exception of one reef, our waters are deep, making it technically and economically difficult to install wind farms around our islands. In turn, the reef in question is sensitive because it is said that the wind turbines in this area may affect the migration of a particular bird that nest in nearby cliffs. We were, therefore, requested to carry out further studies on such impacts. Yet, such studies take time and time is not on our side due to the looming 2020 targets – September 7.

Another service

I recently visited a family whose daughter has Down’s syndrome. While we talked, I reflected on the progress made with regard to the services available to individuals with this condition in Malta. This progress was made possible by the contribution of the Down’s Syndrome Association in Malta, set up about 30 years ago when some parents felt the need to come together to share information, experiences and support.

Today, people who have Down’s syndrome are registered in regular schools, are benefitting from inclusive education and enjoying the support of learning support assistants (LSAs) throughout their education.

Today, people with Down’s syndrome are also being integrated within the work place. When speaking to employers, they vouch for the quality of their work. They are the employees that absent themselves least and are the most hardworking.

Until a few days ago, their health was only being monitored by the state until the age of 14. Thanks to intensive work by the Down’s Syndrome Association, an agreement was reached with the Health Ministry through which a clinic was opened for adults who have Down’s syndrome.

This clinic, which is functioning within the Birkirkara polyclinic, opened its doors about three weeks ago. The health of adults who have Down’s syndrome will now be professionally monitored, providing peace of mind for themselves, family members and carers.

This service was planned and designed with the assistance of the association’s international contacts. I would like to salute the association that recognised the importance of working hand in hand with the Government so as to provide a better future – September 5.

Carlo Maria Martini

Yesterday afternoon we lost a great individual, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the Jesuit who, for a long time, served as Milan’s Archbishop. He died in Milan, where he had returned in 2008 from Jerusalem after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Like John Paul II, Martini, who this year was to celebrate his 60th year since being ordained, never shied away from publicising his disease, facing it with courage until the end. Martini was certainly first and foremost a man of the Church, an expert in sacred scriptures, but he had certainly found a way of talking to the world that made people sit up and listen.

In a world that often seems to lack true teachers capable of enlightening our path among so many options, Martini’s voice was authoritative: he was clearly first and foremost a Christian who built his life on the Bible he knew so well and loved so much, yet, he spoke in a way that sought to inspire hope in those who heard him, not because he promised a good life after this but because he was able to see light and good where all seemed dark and despair.

I believe he did this so well not only because he was a true believer but also because he was able to listen to those who did not share his position. He never tried to avoid questions, even the most difficult ones, about bioethics, corruption in politics (recalling that he was Archbishop of Milan during the Mani Pulite scandals), the Church’s shortcomings in the past. Above all, he was a great believer in the potential of young people and in the dignity of all and every human being – September 1.

Glass exports

Leo Brincat outdoes himself time and again! In his latest gaffe, the day after the Labour-majority St Paul’s Bay local council was the centre of an environmental storm, he called a press conference. One would have assumed that he would publicly condemn his Labour colleagues for their actions.

Instead, he spoke about the storage of glass in the closed landfill in Wied Fulija. While he was claiming that nothing was being done to remove the said glass that was temporarily being stored there, WasteServ was in the process of making final preparations to export some 2,100 tonnes of glass to Portugal for recycling.

As we have already had the opportunity to explain, some of the glass will also be used for the rehabilitation of the same landfill. Most importantly, glass does not contaminate the environment because it is an inert material. Brincat has long known the facts but chose to ignore them with the scope of attacking and reducing WasteServ’s credibility. Journalists present at his press conference, however, asked about what was going on in St Paul’s Bay.

Brincat provided a pathetic response, stating that he was not responsible for local councils and that the party should address this matter internally. Can you imagine what his reaction would have been had the local council in question been one with a Nationalist Party majority? He would have soon begun demanding resignations. Yet, he refuses to take a stand when it comes to the Labour Party. This is the seriousness with which Brincat and the opposition functions and this is the measure by which they plan to lead should they have their way following the next election – August 29.

http://georgepullicino.blogspot.com

The author is Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs.