Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/630594
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 JANUARY 2016 40 Environment THAT lovely buzzword 'sustainability'. Sounds good, sells nearly any product splendidly. And yet, if we ask our- selves what the word actually means, an awkward silence arises. The word 'sustainabil- ity' is derived from the Latin sustinere (tenere, to hold). Sustain would mean to maintain or to support. To maintain or support something means to take responsible actions. Whether that applies to our eating patterns (healthy food vs junk food), our modes of transport (public serv- ices vs private vehicles), shopping routines (buying locally vs support- ing large international corpora- tions) or our construction building methods (well insulated buildings vs energy wasting inferior structures): at the end of the day, if that action is to be a sustainable one, it needs some thought. And a look at the bigger picture. This opinion piece will focus on the partnership, or lack thereof, between sustainability and our green environment. It is generally known by now, that a green environment promotes the health and happiness of a society. Where an abundance of green spaces and trees are available, the well-being of those able to enjoy them, is high. Since nature has a wonderful method of cleaning our polluted air through green plants and trees, areas with a higher density of green lungs are supplied with a much higher proportion of clean, non-polluted air. Which in turn lowers the levels of dementia, car- dio-vascular illnesses and asthma rates of the im- mediate population, least of all due to lower stress levels that characterise densely populated areas. The benefits of green spaces at our disposal goes far beyond a healthy and happy body, but includes also a balanced and happy state of mind. But in order to uphold such green lungs, a healthy dose of sustainab- lity and maintenance are required. Facts are facts: removing green open spaces in order to construct build- ings and infrastructure such as roads, is not sustainable. The wiser solution would be to keep the green open spaces intact, to target creation of more parks, and above all, maintain them, in order to avoid vast patches of land which are just wasting away, but which in turn sustain our health and wellbeing. The maintenance of such green spaces requires dedica- tion and active involvement of the community, to ensure that such green lungs remain untouched, and are cared for well and constantly, in order for all to reap the benefits of a healthy environment. It is easy to ex- pect local councils and governments to make sure we have green spaces available to enjoy: it is equally easy to litter in these spaces, vandalise them and when we register their neglect, to shrug our shoulders and do noth- ing. No action taken from our end is not sustainable. Nor is it particulary responsible. So how exactly do sustainability and responsiblity pair up? Whilst we, as a nation, feel a strong sense of patriotism for our history and the masterpieces of our heritage which we are duty bound to save for fu- ture generations, that same sense of duty is found lacking when environ- mental issues crop up. Is it not part of our duty as a nation to safe-guard not only temples of utmost histori- cal importance, but also landscapes and green areas for the health and well-being of our future generations? That is ultimately the definition of sustainability: to maintain what we have currently, and to support it for our children and theirs to enjoy in future. Of course one repeatedly hears the worn out claims that development is needed to further economic growth. But what exactly stops us from look- ing at truly sustainable develop- ment, to reach that much-quoted and sought after economic growth? What stops us from investigating the "recycling" of derelict buildings to fullfill today's needs and require- ments, instead of exploiting virgin green areas for that purpose? If it boils down to earning a quick buck in the process, we are off the right track by a long shot. By taking up valuable green spaces for further develop- ment, simply because the costs are lower and the returns faster, we need to bear in mind that such quick-fixes do no good for future generations. To leave those generations a wealth of full bank accounts while leaving them no healthy green spaces to en- joy, is anything but sustainable. And ultimately, it would not be fair either. As we enjoy the tranquility of green parks and open spaces, so will they want to enjoy those later. Bearing that in mind, clearly, is an important step to sustainable environmental thinking. The heart and soul of environment NGOs consists of regular citizens, all needing to earn a living, some of those even from within the devel- opment sector. Which means that those very people are not opposed to development. What they do object to, is a short-sighted form of develop- ment which does not factor the sus- tainability element into the equation. Those people wish to live in a green and healthy environment, and they wish even more strongly to leave for future generations an environment, where healthy areas for the nation's enjoyment play an as important role, as pure material wealth. That is sus- tainablity viewed from any perspec- tive. A catastrophe caused by climate change is seen as the biggest potential threat to the global economy in 2016, according to a survey of 750 experts conducted by the World Economic Forum. The annual assessment of risks conducted by the WEF showed that global warming had catapulted its way to the top of the list of concerns. A failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation was seen as likely to have a bigger impact than the spread of weapons of mass destruction, water crises, mass involuntary migration and a severe energy price shock – the first time in the 11 years of the Global Risks report that the environment has been in first place. The WEF confirmed that evidence was mounting that inter-connections between risks were becoming stronger. It cited links between climate change and involuntary migration or international security, noting that these often had "major and unpredictable impacts". It added that risks appeared to be rising, with global average surface temperatures increasing by more than 1C over pre-industrial levels for the first time, and the number of forcibly displaced people at 59.5 million – almost 50% more than in 1940 when the second world war was being fought. To me the call of a curlew evokes images of wide open spaces, windblown grass and a grey drizzly sky. While many birds love trees, many others opt for treeless expanses like moors, steppes, shores and mudflats; these are the Eurasian Curlew's des-res, and the wetter the better. The bird is a wader – the largest European wader in fact – meaning it belongs to that group that generally have long/longish legs to help them walk in shallow water and look for small fish, etc. which they snap up with long/longish beaks. The curlew qualifies admirably in both anatomical departments. Its almost impossibly long beak is also curved, a feature that greatly helps in identification. Curlews breed in northern and central Europe and most migrate to coastal areas for the winter. It's a scarce visitor here, but there was one last week at Għadira nature reserve. The names curlew in English, gurlin (Maltese), chiurlo (Italian), courlis (French), etc. are all miserable attempts to transcribe this bird's haunting call into our limited human alphabet. GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 393: STOP PAPER BANK STATEMENTS Most banks offer E-statement facilities. If every household took advantage of online bank statements a considerable amount of paper would also be saved. Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate Climate change heads top economists' concerns for first time Text Victor Falzon Photo Aron Tanti 490. EURASIAN CURLEW Sustainablity and our environment Astrid Vella