While respecting the opinion of my fellow NGO workers Joseph Agius and Edward Mallia (The Sunday Times, August 8), I cannot understand why they have taken umbrage at what I consider to have been simple advice from a fellow worker.

Many NGO workers wrongly view the political class as the enemy. I do not consider my brief stint in politics as a handicap – on the contrary, it gives me an advantage over fellow NGO workers since I am acquainted with the workings of the political system.

For example, they may never appreciate the pressures from various interest groups that politicians must face. What about Mepa workers, who are regularly demoralised through constant rapping on the knuckles and no corresponding praise when rectifying action is taken.

I have just read Nature Trust’s praise of government’s designation of four new marine protected areas (MPAs). Such praise will surely not preclude Nature Trust from condemning the government if it drags its feet over enforcing the law in such MPAs in future, for example.

Fellow NGO workers, including Prof. Mallia, seem not to have enough trust in their peers who decide to enter politics since they immediately try to ridicule every statement they make. This is unfortunate, as many valid green politicians are simply shying away from politics, leaving the stage open to those with very few scruples about the environment.

I have extensively covered the many planning issues listed by Prof. Mallia – Baħrija, rationalisation and Armier.

I was the only PN candidate to attend the Ramblers’ protest over the Baħrija valley development.

I was one of the few to champion the cause of former Ramblers president Lino Bugeja when he was unjustly criticised by a journalist.

During the MEP campaign, I put my environmental principles above any political allegiance, going out of my way to decry government projects with a significant environmental impact, such as the Għadira bypass and the Delimara power station. I challenge anyone to cite a single instance where I changed tack over an environmental issue due to political considerations.

Many conveniently seek to taint the environmental movement with the same brush – that of negative naysayers. Such a perception is totally wrong but the only way NGOs can dispel such a myth is to balance their condemnation with occasional praise, which need not be fully-fledged paeans.

The analogy of a parent who constantly berates a son for every imaginable slight and then failing to acknowledge his good performance at examinations springs to mind. The son’s knee-jerk response would understandably be that of giving up study altogether.

Politicians are very much like children – they yearn for the limelight and thus the slightest appreciation for the work they do normally yields disproportionate dividends. I have adopted such a maxim in balancing my regular contributions.

For example, many would think I am taking up Minister George Pullicino’s cudgels, this time over the groundwater issue, conveniently forgetting that I had repeatedly lambasted him over the rationalisation scheme, and more recently over ill-conceived beach cleaning schemes.

The truth is that real power rests with politicians in this country and not with civil society. For NGOs to get the results they crave so much, they must engage politicians more, without compromising their principles.

Having a person in much-maligned Brussels hailing from an environmental NGO does not sound that ominous to me. Prof. Mallia is normally known for taking the bull by the horns – for example, he had once decided to run for the post of University rector since he wanted to put so many things right.

Why doesn’t he take the next step and contest the next MEP election? I would surely give him my support, as I would do to any true environmentalist.