Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1476201
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 AUGUST 2022 OPINION 11 Daniel Desira Climate inaction, corruption and dictators cy'. But I felt the need to spell it out, because… if we accept the argument that Frank Psaila should have rejected those ap- pointments, out of some kind of (rather bizarre, when you think about it) 'misplaced allegiance' to a political 'cause' he had al- ready abandoned anyway… … well, we would also have to ask ourselves what this 'cause' he abandoned actually was, to be- gin with. (And – more pointed- ly – whether it is any 'different' from the cause he is supposed to have 'abandoned it for'). Then again: we don't real- ly have to, because the same questions are now being asked by others. Here I will resort to a Facebook comment by Prof. John Baldacchino (not only does he phrase it more suc- cinctly than I ever could; but he also manages to make the same point, without labelling Psaila a 'turncoat'.) "It's amazing how easy it is for some to spend years militating in a political party and severely criticizing the party opposite which happens to be govern- ment, and then at the drop of a hat not only leave the Party but get two or three positions in the same government […]. It's like changing jobs. And the reason given is exactly that: I was not given the opportunity to realize my full potential, he says. So I switch company!" Yep, folks: that's the long and short of it, right there. For let's face it: in a country where there is no real 'ideological dif- ference' between the two main political parties - and where both adhere to exactly the same policies; and are beholden to precisely the same commercial pressures, etc. - what is there left to even base our choice on, anyway… if not their 'manage- rial capabilities'? Ultimately, it's not just Frank Psaila who regards those two political parties as rival 'spring- boards', from which to launch a private career… everybody else does it, too. Not only be- cause we all likewise view those parties in precisely the same terms: (i.e., as prospective 'CE- Os', to be entrusted – or not - with 'managing the country like a business…') But because we've all been guilty of precisely the same sort of 'treachery' ourselves: every time we opted for a career move in our own (non-political) jobs and professions, for instance; by choosing one employer over another, on the basis of our own career advancement… in other words, exactly like Frank Psaila has only just done (and got lambasted for doing). So if that makes Frank Psai- la a 'turncoat' – even though he had no more reason to feel 'allegiance' to the PN, than you yourself did, to the com- pany you 'deserted' when you last changed job – sorry, but doesn't it also make 'traitors' of us all? THE EU taxonomy regulation is supposed to provide a list of environmentally sustainable economic activities, to build back better follow- ing the COVID-19 pandemic and the econom- ic upheaval which it has brought about and is meant to provide a standard for government authorities and companies when investing in a project. For example, it is one of the recommen- dations when it comes to the issuing of green bonds, as well as for investing in such bonds. Climate change, the "green deal" and other environmental issues are mentioned several times in the text and would have been a step in the right direction had it not included nu- clear and gas "under strict conditions". Quite ironic, especially with gas, which still is a fos- sil fuel producing greenhouse emissions and a common source of income for powerful dic- tators as well as conflict, so while it is under- standable that we are dependent on natural gas for the time being, we should be moving away from it in favour of truly sustainable sourc- es. As for nuclear, it is more of an open discus- sion with several pros and cons related to the technology. While nu- clear power comes with no carbon-emissions, high power output, re- liability and relatively smaller land footprint, one may also right- ly argue that it is still a non-renewable source of energy and requires transportation and storage of radioactive waste. Moreover, nucle- ar is very costly to run in the long run and malfunction of a plant may have fatal conse- quences. The proliferation of nuclear weap- ons through the production of nuclear energy is another of the risks worth keeping in mind. A few weeks ago, the S&D, Greens/EFA and Left political groups in the European Parlia- ment have presented a resolution revoking gas and nuclear from the taxonomy, a motion which was defeated by the EPP, far right and Renew Europe. None of the Maltese MEPs have voted in favour and stood by the right side of history, with David Casa abstaining, while Alfred Sant, Alex Agius Saliba and Jo- siane Cutajar completely defying their own socialist group by voting against. Pseudo-pro- gressive Cyrus Engerer opted not to vote at all despite having voted on other affairs on that day – a clearly indifferent attitude to our future as the devastating effects of climate change are more evident than ever, an ener- gy crisis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fi- nanced by Europe's appetite for Russian gas, moves on. What does this tell us about the state of the European project? And what does it tell us about Malta? Definitely that decisions are often not taken on the grounds of the com- mon good but powerful lobbies around the European Commission. We can also see this in the way that fossil fuels are still subsidised, as well as how the criteria for European funds for infrastructure still allows for road widen- ing projects for cars, rather than requiring incentives for alternative means of transport, like we can observe in Malta. Moreover, Commissioner Ursola Von der Leyen is now cozying up to the Azerbaijani president, yet another ruthless dictator, to secure a stable supply of gas, a move which does not really spell well in terms of the Union's beliefs on democracy and freedom. And as for Malta, it's quite evident that "La- bour" MEPs are more interested in protecting the corrupt Electrogas deal, while the National- ist ones just follow their European conservative peers. Our represent- atives in the European Parliament are very far from walking the talk about environmental protection, which their political masters lately preach about. Climate change has recently become a buz- zword for career politicians and policymak- ers. Part of the credit for this should go to the countless activists worldwide who have put on the pressure for a sustainable future. However, there is little use if climate action is not at the heart of their economic policy. Labelling gas as "green" is very far from the way to go and does not help us to either reach emission targets, or averting the catastrophic effects the climate crisis will have on human- ity, especially those living in the poorest re- gions and the earth as we know it. Needless to say, we need a unified and vig- ilant environmental movement, as well as a strong Green Party that can give mainstream parties a run for their money. Only then, will we see our policymakers walking the talk re- garding climate action and truly focus on a just transition to renewables and energy ef- ficiency. Daniel Desira is a green activist Instagram: @danieldesiraxellugahdar We need a unified and vigilant environmental movement, as well as a strong Green Party that can give mainstream parties a run for their money. Only then, will we see our policymakers walking the talk regarding climate action