Illum previous editions

ILLUM 24 May 2020

Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1250964

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 21 of 31

22 opinjoni Malta: b'politika diżonesta dwar il-klima IL-ĦADD 24 TA' MEJJU 2020 • illum Carmel Cacopardo Carmel Cacopardo hu ċ-Chairperson ta' Alternattiva Demokratika Today 100 best recipes Today 100 best recipes FOOD Saying it aS it iS SAVIOUR BALZAN Volume I In volume 1 of 'Saying it as it is', Saviour Balzan tells the story of his journey from being an active environmentalist, to becoming a teacher, a politician, a journalist and finally, the owner of a media house. In his uncouth and abrasive style, he speaks frankly about the thankless job of being an investigative reporter and what running a media house truly entails. But perhaps more interesting, however, are the anecdotes and inside stories also embedded in the narrative, which pick up on key happenings over the past few years. The book also has a semi-autobiographical streak, as Balzan reminisces over the incidents that ended up having an effect on his writings. He uncovers the political networks and the friends and foes of the politicians who dominated the Maltese political scene for the past 35 years. Zoning in on events which he believes left a lasting impact on readers, Balzan expands on the background behind important news stories. In 'Saying it as it is', what emerges most clearly is that scandals have no political boundaries. Saviour Balzan takes us through a brief journey of his journalistic work. He also underscores the influence of politics and politicians in Malta, and the challenges of independent journalism. MediaToday Co. Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann. SGN 9016, Malta www.maltatoday.com.mt Saying it aS it iS Volume I SAVIOUR BALZAN SAVIOUR BALZAN was born in Birkirkara, Malta in 1963. He was a biology and environmental science teacher for eight years and a part-time journalist during that time. He was active in the environmental lobby and later co-founded the Green Party in 1989 but left politics altogether in 1997. He worked for the newspapers il-Fehma, Alternattiva, The People, and The Independent. He was appointed editor of MaltaToday in 1999 and today co-owns that same newspaper, as well as the independent media company MediaToday based in San Gwann. At MaltaToday he built a reputation for running the most daring, investigative and independent newsroom. He hosted the TV discussion programme Reporter for seven years on PBS until his programme was stopped in 2009. He now hosts the same daily discussion programme on Favourite Channel. He lives in Naxxar with his wife and two children. €30 ISBN 978-99957-0-427-8 20mm All round Bleed DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS Charles Gauci Dragonflies are large, oen brightly coloured, insects which few people would not notice actively flying over water, whether it is while walking along water reservoirs in valleys or while visiting gardens where water features are present. However, these are only one stage in their life cycle aer having spent a much longer period living under water as larvae. Most species of dragonflies and damselflies are highly habitat specific in both their larval and adult stages. e Maltese Islands lack most types of riparian habitats and as a result the number of species found locally is very small. is is compensated for by the high concentration of these insects at most water bodies. is book describes each of the nineteen species recorded in the Maltese Islands and each species is amply illustrated by photographs which, for the commoner species, illustrate most or all the stages in their life cycle. It is hoped that besides being of help and interest to nature lovers, it will also raise a much needed awareness among the general public about biodiversity and nature conservation,. e author spent fourteen years teaching Integrated Science and Biology at secondary State schools before moving to the Għadira Nature Reserve where he was Managing Warden until his retirement twenty four years later. He has been interested in dragonflies for the last ten years. Having been an avid bird watcher since his early teens, he co-authored a number of ornithological books – Bird Studies on Filfla, L-Agħsafar, A Guide to the Birds of Malta, A New Guide to the Birds of Malta and e Breeding Birds of Malta. He also co-authored several ornithological papers and was the editor of BirdLife Malta's scientific journal 'il- Merill' from 1986 to 1994. Since his initial interest in dragonflies in 2008 he has been so fascinated by these wonderful insects to the extent that they now oen take precedence over birds. ISBN: 978-99957-894-0-4 CHURCHES IN MALTA maltatoday PART 1 TOWERS, FORTS & BATTERIES IN MALTA maltatoday MALTATODAY ©2017 in collaboration with the MTA TOWERS, FORTS & BATTERIES IN MALTA maltatoday CHURCHES PART 2 maltatoday MALTATODAY ©2019 in collaboration with the MTA IN GOZO maltatoday CHURCHES IN GOZO S timi dwar kemm jista' jogħla l-livell tal-baħar, b'mod globali kif ukoll fl-Ewropa, ivarjaw skond kif wieħed iqis ir-rata tad-dewbien tas-silġ akku- mulat fil-poli kif ukoll fi Greenland. Il-mod kif nilqgħu għall-emissjonijiet tal-karbonju ukoll għandu impatt fuq dawn l-istimi. Dawn l-isti- mi fil-fatt ivarjaw minn żieda ta' 34 ċentimetru sa żieda ta' 172 ċentimetru sa tmiem dan is-se- klu. Imma jekk l-emissjonijiet tal-karbonju jkunu indirizzati b'politika iffukata u effettiva, din iż-żieda tista' tkun waħda iżgħar. Minkejja dan ħadd ma qiegħed f 'posizzjoni li jantiċpa jekk din iż-żieda fil-livell tal-baħar tkunx waħda gradwali inkella jekk din isseħħx f 'daqqa. Hemm iżda l-biża' li l-gravità tas- sitwazzjoni tista' taċċellera avolja il-jekk u l-meta ħadd ma jaf. Din hi xi ħaga ġdida għal kulħadd! Kull żieda fil-livell tal-baħar, kemm jekk isseħħ b'mod gradwali kif ukoll jekk isseħħ f 'daqqa, ikollha impatt fuq il-kosta u b'mod partikolari fuq l-infrastruttura żviluppata tul iż-żmien. Din l-infrastruttura hi primarjament waħda turistika imma tinkludi ukoll żvilupp residenzjali li xi drabi jasal sax-xifer, sal-baħar: kemm bl-approvazzjoni tal-awtoritajiet u anke xi minndaqqiet mingħajrha! Il-ħsara potenzjali għall-infrastruttura kostali hi kwistjoni li għandha tħassibna. Din diġà sofriet ħsarat diversi minħabba il-maltemp qalil li żied fil-frekwenza u l-intensità tul dawn l-aħħar snin. L-impatt ta' żieda fil-livell tal-baħar bla dubju ser joħloq tibdil kbir tul il-kosta kollha tal-gżejjer Maltin. L-istorja tgħallimna. Nhar it-Tnejn 28 ta' Diċembru 1908 fil-5.20 ta' fil-għodu Messina fi Sqallija ġarrbet wieħed mill-iktar terrimoti qliel li qatt kien hawn fl-Ewropa, b'qawwa mkejla ta' 7.5 fuq l-iskala Richter. Immedjatament, inħoloq tsunami b'mewġ għoli sa 9 metri. Madwar sagħtejn wara, fit-7.45 ta' fil-għodu dan it- tsunami, it immansat, wasal fil-gżejjer Maltin. Diversi gazzetti Maltin ta' dak iż-żmien irrappurtaw li l-lokalitajiet mal-kosta viċin il- livell tal-baħar kienu mgħarrqa fl-ilma mit-7.45 ta' fil-għodu għax b'effett taz-tsunami l-baħar tela' l-art. Dan baqa' sal-4.00 ta' waranofsinnhar meta l-baħar reġa' ikkalma u rritorna lejn il-livelli normali tiegħu! Herbert Ganado, f 'l-ewwel volum ta' Rajt Malta Tinbidel jgħid li residenzi u ħwienet tul il-kosta ta' tas-Sliema, l-iMsida u tal-Pietà kienu mgħarrqa f 'tebqa' t'għajn għax daħlilhom kwantità ta' ilma fis-sular terran. Bħala medja l-baħar għola madwar erba' piedi : 1.20 metri. Fil-Port il-Kbir, imma, ma ġara xejn għax kien imħares mill- breakwater, li l-bini tiegħu kien ġie ffinalizzat madwar sentejn qabel, fis-sena 1906. Żieda fil-livell tal-baħar bħala riżultat tat-tibdil fil-klima tkun tfisser repetizzjoni tal-impatti taz-tsunami tal-1908 mifruxa iktar u fuq bażi permanenti. Il-lokalitajiet Maltin tul il-kosta li qegħdin viċin tal-livell tal-baħar jispiċċaw b'mod permanenti fl-ilma baħar. Dan ikun jinkludi r-ramliet kollha u żoni kummerċjali u residenzjali fl-Għadira, ix-Xemxija, is-Salini, l-Gzira, l-iMsida, tas-Sliema, Ta' Xbiex, Tal-Pietà, il-Marsa, Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala, Birzebbuġa, ix- Xlendi, u Marsalforn. L-impatti jistgħu jinħassu iktar il-ġewwa mill-kosta ukoll, f 'lokalitajiet li huma f 'livell tal-baħar bħal Ħal-Qormi u allura jeffettwa l-inħawi kollha mix-xatt tal- Marsa sa Ħal-Qormi b'dik li hi magħrufa bħala l-Marsa tal-Inġliżi b'kollox. Dan jeffettwa ukoll l-investiment fl-infrastruttura sportiva. Li jogħla l-livell tal-baħar issa hu inevitabbli. Imma b'ħidma bil-għaqal għad hemm ċans li nnaqqsu kemm dan jogħla. Dan jista' jseħħ kemm-il darba nieħdu passi biex innaqqsu l-emmissjonijiet tal-karbonju u allura inkunu qed nagħtu kontribut biex iż-żieda fit- temperatura globali tkun l-inqas possibli. Fis-summit ta' Pariġi, Malta, flimkien mal-bqija tal-pajjiżi wegħdet li tieħu azzjoni konkreta biex ikun possibli li jonqsu l-impatti fuq il-klima. Però anke jekk il-wegħdiet kollha li saru f 'Pariġi jkunu onorati, hu ċar li għadna l-bogħod ħafna milli nilħqu l-mira miehma li ma naqbżux iż-żieda ta' żewġ gradi Celsius fit-temperatura. Hu meħtieġ ħafna iktar mingħand kulħadd. Hemm bżonn mhux biss iktar azzjoni konkreta imma ukoll politika koerenti u konsistenti. Il-politika ta' Malta dwar il-klima, imma, hi waħda diżonesta. Nuru wiċċ b'ieħor kontinwament. Min-naħa l-waħda l-Gvern Malti jwiegħed li jaġixxi biex ikun possibli li nindirizzaw il-klima. Imma fl-istess ħin jibqa' għaddej bi proġetti infrastrutturali li jinkoraġixxu iktar karozzi fit-toroq u allura iktar emissjonijiet. L-emissjonijiet tal-karozzi jikkompetu ma dawk li joriġinaw mill- ġenerazzjoni tal-elettriku. Hemm bżonn li ndaħħlu it sens u konsistenza fil-politika ta' Malta dwar il-klima. Għax sakemm nibqgħu inkonsitenti kullma qed nagħmlu hu li qed ngħinu biex ikompli jitħaffar il-qabar tagħna.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Illum previous editions - ILLUM 24 May 2020