Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/380554
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2014 Opinion 23 T his is meant to focus on one particular aspect of plastic – the plastic litter pollution in our oceans. The Mediterranean is not only no exception but even more so one of the most prob- lematic areas and seas. Various surveys conducted internationally have shown that year after year plastics make up the majority of debris found on beaches as well as in the seas. This also applies to remote island beaches. With the prevalent 'throw away' consumer culture that tends to flagrantly defy the awareness and education campaigns that various bodies conduct in a number of coun- tries, this tends to betray the flagrant indifference towards something that is after all a threat to ourselves and to wildlife. UNEP, the UN Environment Programme, is not taking this issue lightly. In a recent study it estimated that there were some 48,000 pieces of plastic litter per square mile. What makes it worse when it comes to plastic litter pollution at sea is that floating debris can be easily trans- ported considerable distances by both wind and currents. This has actually led to the deposi- tion of such items literally from many different countries. The simple explanation is that litter can travel thousands of miles around the world's oceans. The EU itself takes marine litter se- riously since not only does it consider it to be of global concern but also in the sense that the tons of litter that end up in the oceans worldwide, actu- ally turn them into the world's biggest landfill and thus pose environmental, economic, health and even aesthetic problems. There is no room for mincing of words. The persistence of marine litter in general is the result of poor practices of solid waste management, lack of infrastructure and a lack of awareness of the public about the consequences of their actions. Accepting the status quo is definitely not an option in this regard either. The problem with plastic litter is that plastic never biodegrades but with the sunlight it splits into smaller and even smaller pieces – bits that at day's end are still plastic. What worries me most is that the pieces get so small, that in the end they end up ingested by over 180 known marine species, being mistaken for food, and thus enter the food chain and even end up on our plate. The University of Plymouth is well known for its research in this par- ticular subject – plastic debris, even though its studies have a decidedly North Atlantic orientation. Another worrying aspect is that through its oil base, plastic litter when particularly fragmented tends to attract other floating chemicals in the ocean like persistent organic pollutants. The EU found that when it comes to plastic on beaches it breaks into ever smaller pieces, with the conse- quence that not only does it break into smaller and ever smaller pieces, but these microscopic bits of plastic not only litter the beach but actually become part of the beach. Literally like fine bits of sand. The quick fix solution that comes to mind is that of cleaning up the oceans but in practical terms this has been dismissed as not the most efficient method in removing and preventing marine litter since in doing so one could compare it to seaming the sand in the desert. Once this lacks practicality and is evidently something that no country can afford it leaves us with one solu- tion. The need to tackle the problem at source. The EU has long aimed to be at the forefront of efforts to reduce marine litter. Since last year it has been exploring options to set an EU wide quantitative reduction headline target for marine litter. Among the options that it list- ed were avoidance of the use of single use plastic bags and plastic bottles, awareness raising, clean up actions, and the setting of reduction targets at both a national or local level. While one tends to think of mari- time policy as something strictly and solely economy-linked and trade-ori- ented, in actual fact the environment is a key component of the Integrated Maritime Policy and also the Marine Strategy Framework Directive adopted in 2008. The main goal of the Directive is to achieve Good Environmental Status – GES – of all marine waters of the EU by 2020. One of the earliest EU Commission workshops on the subjects took place in late 2010 following parliamentary questions tabled. Pilot projects were also commissioned by the EU itself. But it is evident that the whole issue and topic are fast rising higher and higher on the environmental agenda. These had focused on the largest loopholes within the flow of packag- ing material, case studies on the plas- tic cycle and its loopholes in the four European regional sea areas, as well as feasibility studies of introducing instruments to prevent such littering. It is also studying the actual re- moval of marine litter from Europe's four regional areas. This project should run till the end of this year. Jonathan Copley, a senior lecturer in marine ecology recently commented wryly but in a very spot-on manner when he stated that research con- firms what most of us who work in the deep ocean have noticed for quite some time – that human rubbish has got there before us. It is ironic to note that as our – and by our I mean our European – deep sea floor is being explored, litter is being revealed as far more widespread than previously thought. This statistic should suffice to shake off any complacency – primarily that litter disposal and accumulation in the marine environment is one of the fastest growing threats to the health of the world's oceans, with an estimated 6.4m tonnes of litter entering the oceans each year – with plastics themselves being by far the most abundant material, introducing toxic chemicals that can be lethal to marine fauna and break down into micro plastics that have become the most abundant form of solid waste pollution on earth. Leo Brincat is Minister for Sustain- able Development, the Environment, and Climate Change Leo Brincat responsibility etc. can provide multidimensional accesses to education, especially for disadvantaged environments. • Multilingualism is an asset that should be encouraged and celebrated. • There is a need to widen public knowledge and willingness to take the issues of ELE by using celebrities of stage, screen music and sport as role models. Researchers: • ELE is an interdisciplinary issue, for which various scientific perspectives need to be cooperating to achieve a common goal: Economics, Neurosciences, Psychology, Linguistics, Educational and Social Sciences, Media Sciences including research on digital literacy. • Stronger bonds and meaningful connections between research and programmes are needed. Research must be applied to overcome the Knowing-Doing-Gap. With regard to intervention, this means that studies of effects have to be directly aimed at the optimisation of programmes. More evaluations need to be published and to be publicly discussed. • Investigations of effects on literacy interventions have to be equipped with enough resources and must be implemented over a longer period of time, which then allows the measurement of long term effects. It is only then possible to also prove and to estimate the national economic return of the literacy promotion in this way. • Research on ELE needs standards within and among countries. This is why studies should deal with comparable indicators. This needs an exchange as much as possible between researchers and practitioners involved in ELE programmes. In conclusion, ELE is everyone's responsibility. It has to start at the beginning of a child's life, to reach out to all children and to lead on to more advanced forms of literacy development. ELE is about our countries' futures. • Everyone means families, professionals, governmental institutions as well as others without an obvious connection to ELE – such as celebrities, media, volunteers, and non-governmental organisations so as to align efforts of all groups in society. This is in accordance with the recommendations of the EU High Level Group of Experts on Literacy (2012). • Successful ELE will eventually lead to economic prosperity, to an increase in GDP and more importantly will enrich individual lives. Political commitment is needed in terms of an inclusion in the rhetoric of societal debate, leading to sustainable financial and ideological support (public, private and academic). • Awareness of ELE needs to be widely disseminated; in accordance with the theory and practice debated at the conference 'Prepare for Life! Raising Awareness for Early Literacy Education'. My ministry has moved fast to implement the very important recommendations of the Leipzig Conference on Early Literacy Education. Following extensive consultation we have issued the National Literacy Strategy for All in Malta and Gozo (2014-2019) http:// education.gov.mt/en/Pages/Literacy. aspx Since the beginning of this year we have organised the very popular Aqra Miegħi/Read with Me programme in Malta and Gozo, intended for children of 0 to 3 years and their parents/caregivers. This bilingual programme is run by the Ministry for Education and the Centre for Literacy of the University of Malta. Most of the children are accompanied by their mother, however we are pleased to observe that an increasing number of fathers are also becoming involved in the programme. The objectives of the programme are to promote a love of books through fun and play activities and by involving their parents or caregivers. Free, one-hour sessions are held once a week. Each session features the sharing of story books, the singing of nursery rhymes and other fun literacy and numeracy activities for this age group. The sessions support parents to develop the reading and other literacy skills of their child. The highly interactive and fun sessions are conducted in local or school libraries. Enthusiastic session coordinators are provided with relevant training to engage both children and their parents. The centres are provided with highly appealing and attractive books and other materials in Maltese and English. Currently sessions in Maltese are held in Mellieħa, Ħal Qormi, Ħal Għaxaq, San Pawl il-Baħar, Żabbar, Raħal Ġdid, Ħad-Dingli, Mġarr and Sant'Anton Gardens. Sessions in English are held in Mellieħa, iż-Żurrieq, Qawra, Kalkara, Bormla, Żejtun, Marsaskala, Birkirkara, Sant'Anton Gardens and Għarb. To reserve a place call on 2598 2990 or send a message to aqra. storja@ilearn.edu.mt Further information may be obtained from http://aqrastorja. skola.edu.mt/ or visit the Facebook page: Aqra Miegħi/Read with Me. Evarist Bartolo is Minister of Education and Employment Plastic in our seas ends up on our plates