Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/655581
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 MARCH 2016 42 Environment RECENT praise for the newly-published Devel- opment Control Design Policy 2015 was di- rected at the new holis- tic design approach to streetscapes. The shift in attitude towards in- troducing a new build- ing into the context of surrounding buildings is commendable. But looking past these buildings at what happens behind them in their gardens, the level of enthu- siasm drops dramatically. With Circular to Architects 3/14, which stipulated that no new development could en- croach farther than 30m from the street into a back garden, it was thought that MEPA was finally acting in the community's inter- est. During the DC2015 consul- tation period, the draft had simi- larly proposed that no building was to be deeper than 30m from the building alignment. Fullstop. But sadly, in the published De- velopment Control Design Policy 2015, the depth of a new building is now determined by the depth of the neighbouring structures. The building left or right with the smaller building depth be- comes the limit of development for the new building, even if it is deeper than 30m. One cannot but wonder, what pressure devel- opers have exerted on MEPA to achieve their business de- mands. For highly devel- oped areas such as Sliema and St Ju- lian's, this poses a real danger to the few remaining gar- dens. Virtually every garden there has a neighbouring building far deeper than that garden. A back garden is no longer protected for its own merits, but sadly its fate now de- pends on how neighbours have developed theirs on either side. When considering the sprawl of development into garden areas in our densely built towns, the fate of the few remaining gardens, hangs in a delicate balance. Even- tually these will, within the new- ly-published legal parameters, be allowed to be developed too. To the detriment of all, and to the gain of a few select developers, garden spaces are under threat. Nervous apprehension also meets the policies which are is- sued by MEPA on a regular basis. Take the proposed new height limitations for homes for the elderly, wherever these may be. Putting aside the increase of their height for the moment, since that will have a catastroph- ic impact on old and regal build- ings used for many such homes, the policy grants another excep- tion, allowing these residences to develop their back garden spaces more than the norm "in excep- tional circumstances". Correct: the expansion into garden spac- es now lies at the discretion of MEPA. And as mentioned above, it seems the authority is easily "convinced" to allow maximum development. Picture this: a home for the el- derly can be applied for in a build- ing which backs upon a cluster of gardens. Of course the garden to that particular plot will be devel- oped to the exceptional depth al- lowed for homes for the elderly to maximise profits, even though this new development will en- croach into the green enclave. Strangely enough, the law makes no provision for the possibility of that same residence shutting down. So the building, complete with extension into the garden, is converted into regular apart- ments, and may even be used as a benchmark for neighbouring de- velopments to encroach farther into their gardens at a later stage. And so, with a handsome profit made for a select few, Malta will have more apartments and fewer green spaces at the end of the road. It is sad to see that a natural green environment – garden spaces which act as essential green lungs in Malta's polluted urban areas – does not feature high on the list of priorities in this country. Future generations will not look back thankfully at our current mania to cover every available inch in concrete, just for a handsome profit. A recently published study has gone over the whole supply chain of orange juice with a fine-tooth comb. Their conclusion in terms of social and environmental impacts of the orange production in the south-east of Brazil - where more than a half of the fruit juice consumed worldwide is produced - are disastrous. Fruit pickers working with the three main multinational companies involved in the orange juice market, were interviewed as part of this investigation. The report concluded that their experiences can only be described as "a system of modern slavery". As compensation for the very labour intensive harvesting, performed seven days a week during the harvest season, the workers get a wage lower than the absolute subsistence minimum indicated by Brazilian trade- unions. In fact, according to information from the harvesters themselves, they earn on average ten euros a day for picking nearly two tonnes of oranges. In addition to these issues, the harsh working conditions of works are to be underlined. As an example, in a case mentioned in the study, ten per cent of the measly harvesters' wages was actually deducted, as a payment in order for them to share a room that measures eight square meters with ten persons. This inhuman condition of accommodations goes along with chemical spraying in the fields without any protection clothing, insecure conditions of transport and inappropriate tools. Besides this, the opportunities for workers to claim for higher salary and better working conditions are extremely compromised. In fact, not only is freedom of association cracked down, but also a lot of violent mechanisms are implemented to prevent the plantation workers to resign. Thus, in July 2015 the workers on a plantation hadn't been paid for several weeks. Logically unable to pay their rent, they found themselves in debt with their employers. Behind these stories are Citrosuco/Citrovita, Cutrale, "Sucocitrico" and Louis Dreyfus Commodities, the three multinationals which supply over 50 per cent of the juice used by major bottling companies. It is obvious that this kind of abuse will take place in a world, in which the quest for profits is the rule. Moreover, as the study clearly demonstrates, a better understanding of the system of global production and the players which produce this injustice is one of the keys to face this reality. By spreading this knowledge, we actually increase our chances to reverse the title of this article into something positive. Take a walk along our rocky coast, look for those sheltered slopes nestling underneath cliffy areas and you should spot what at this time of year look like large, 2m tall hemispherical explosions of yellow. Meet the tree spurge (M: tengħud tas-siġra), a magnificent plant you needn't be a botanist to identify. Spurges belong to a large group of plants known as euphorbias which come in various shapes and sizes, from short stubby succulents that look like cactuses to the flamboyant Poinsettia people often give as potted gift around Christmas. One thing all euphorbias have in common is a sticky (and poisonous) milky-white sap that beads out of the smallest cut in their leaves or stalks. We have several spurges in Malta – including a lovely endemic species – but the tree spurge wins the eye-catcher contest hands down. The flower show doesn't last long, however, and soon they wither and seed. The leaves too will fall for the summer period, but even flowerless, leafless and skeletal this plant remains a looker. GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 401: SIGN THE PETITION: Stop the squeeze out – Make Orange Juice Fair! – www.foemalta.org/links/orange 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 Text and photo Victor Falzon 498. TREE SPURGE Jorg Sicot Protecting urban gardens Brazilian orange pickers squeezed by three multinationals Highly developed areas such as Sliema and St Julian's face a real danger to the few remaining gardens