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18 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella MANAGING EDITOR Saviour Balzan Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 SEPTEMBER 2019 23 September, 2009 Malta: Divided but not polarized JUDGING by the results of a MaltaToday survey conducted in April 2009, choosing one national day which satisfies the entire popula- tion, or even a majority, could well be an im- possible task. The survey showed that none of the current five national days enjoys the support of an absolute majority of the population; and de- spite the appropriation of two of these dates by the two big parties, only 48% choose Freedom or Independence Day; while 35% opt for either Victory Day (13%), Sette Giugno (12%) or Re- public Day (10%). The survey showed that Independence Day – chosen by 27% is the most favoured day fol- lowed by Freedom Day at 21%. Independence Day enjoys greater support among university-educated respondents (35%), Nationalist Party supporters (51%) and those aged between 18 to 34 (30%). Support for In- dependence Day ranks lowest among respond- ents aged between 35 and 54 (22%) and among those with a primary level of education (25%). On the other hand only 3.8% of those with a tertiary education opt for Freedom Day as Malta's national day. Freedom Day enjoys the highest approval among Labour voters (43%). But significantly, 38% of Labour respondents opt for other national days, while 10% would keep the status quo of five national days. Unsurprisingly, only 3.2% of Labour re- spondents opt for Independence Day, which was taken off the official calendar under Dom Mintoff. Independence was only rehabilitated in Labour's history books under former leader Alfred Sant. On the other hand, 7% of PN vot- ers opt for Freedom Day. Support for Victory Day – which commemo- rates the 1565 Great Siege and the victory of Nazi Fascism in the Second World War at- tracts the highest support among Nationalist voters (18%) and those aged between 35 to 54 (18%). Sette Giugno, which commemorates the 1919 bread riots, is more preferred by tertiary educated respondents (19%) and middle aged respondents aged between 34 to 55. On the other hand, Republic Day – which commemorates the end of the monarchy in Mintoff's heyday in 1974, and which was sup- ported by a vast majority in Parliament at the time – is mostly preferred by Labour respond- ents (13%). Nearly 4% choose alternative days to the current five national days. These included May 1 (International Workers Day) and March 8 (International Women's Day). MaltaToday 10 years ago Quote of the Week Climate change cannot be fought with empty words Editorial "We need to move from the passive quasi-parasitic dependence on the state as the Big Brother ... to a pro-active co-ownership of the instruments of the state" Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, Independence Day Homily IT is highly revealing that – according to the latest Eurobarometer survey – climate change is now regarded as the top "global problem" by a relative majority of Maltese. Eight years ago, the same issue was re- garded as the world's greatest problem by just 13%. One way of interpreting this sudden in- crease is as a sign of growing environmental awareness in recent years. If so, there are other corresponding indications: including mounting unrest at local environmental is- sues, that – while not necessarily related to climate change concerns – are nonetheless symptomatic of the same underlying prob- lem: the despoilment of nature for economic gain. But it could also be down to growing per- ceptions – if not downright alarm – that the world's climate is, in fact, changing along the lines predicted by scientists for decades. Last June was the hottest ever recorded in Malta; and we have also experienced more erratic (and in some cases, very severe) weather patterns – drought, torrential rain, windstorms bordering on hurricane levels… none of which can realistically be taken as 'proof' of the reality of climate change; but all of it has compounded the fear that the stabil- ity of our entire planet may be on the brink of collapse. Whether this alarming perception is rooted in fact or mere speculation, there can be little doubt that Malta has not 'done its bit' in the global fight against climate change. The Labour government had promised to make this fight a central plank in Malta's environmental efforts but in practice, it has done very little to achieve the CO2 reduction targets of the UN's Kyoto Protocol. Like most other European countries, Malta has already missed its previous deadlines. Unlike some others, however, Malta is still on course to missing the next deadline in 2020. And while the problem has been acknowl- edged, the fact remains that nothing is being done about it even today. This, too, may explain part of the grow- ing environmental activism we have recently witnessed. When governments fail in their duties, it falls to civil society and individuals to make amends in the best way they can. This usually entails public protests – of the kind that are now taking place everywhere else in the world, as part of an international effort spearheaded by Swedish teenager Gre- ta Thurnberg – but it also takes the form of individual lifestyle choices. But while individual efforts to safeguard the environment are important to raise awareness and instil personal responsibility, it remains unclear how the fate of an entire planet can be salvaged by such small-scale endeavours as 'Beach Clean-ups', or an indi- vidual's personal choice to avoid single-use plastics in future. This alone will not address the pressing climate change emergency. Naturally, efforts like picking up plastic straws from beaches remain commendable – indeed, we must also question why Malta remains such a litter- prone country, despite the increased aware- ness – but they also risk being reduced to simple exercises in greenwash, unless accom- panied by policy changes. The truth is that effective and meaningful change can only come about by drastic policy decisions that force industries to change their practices. Part of the reason Malta has failed to meet its targets is, in fact, because Maltese governments are traditionally wary of radical changes that may 'shock the system'. While Malta is far from a net contributor to global CO2 levels, our single largest source of emissions remains motorised traffic. This government, like all its predecessors, has proved very timid when it came to confront- ing this reality. Rather than coming up with inventive ways to reduce our dependence on cars, it has maximised it by increasing road- space – often at the expense of trees and farmland; resisting alternative public trans- portation systems; placing administrative hurdles for cyclists; and postponing a fuel stations policy reform. These are not the actions of a government that is serious on its commitment to fight climate change. On the contrary, it is indica- tive of a government that is in league with the same industrial issues that make the bat- tle against climate change so hard to fight in practice. But such reforms can never do more than impart a positive message, in a country where there are no other major sources of greenhouse gases. The reality is that climate change is a global emergency, that has to be dealt with at a global level. And in this, the EU has an important role to play. Regulations such as those spear- headed by Labour MEP Miriam Dalli that were approved this year, and which curb CO2 emissions from new vehicles – provide the basis for direct and widespread action. But those regulations have to spread to other transport sectors such as shipping and aviation. At the same time, efforts must be undertak- en to address the impacts of climate change so that countries and communities can be helped to adapt. This comes at a cost that countries, compa- nies and taxpayers must shoulder. So, in ad- dressing the emergency, care must be taken not to burden those in the lower strata of society. Achieving this balance, at a time of urgen- cy, is not easy. But with the ominous risk of our planet losing its balance, no effort should be spared in working towards change.