Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/863487
11 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 AUGUST 2017 News Malta's climate is becoming hotter smallpox and the bubonic plague trapped in Siberian ice making a comeback. It paints a harrowing picture of humanity's chances of halting, and indeed reversing the phenomenon. Though the article references several studies, it has been described as hyperbolic by some climate research- ers. Many argued the global situation was bad enough without needing to be too fatalistic since this could sim- ply contribute to an increased feeling of hopelessness. "I don't believe facts and figures make people feel hopeless," said Maria Attard, the director of the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the University of Malta when asked about the article. She said that being more aware of the dangers strength- ens people's resolve to work harder, and that ultimately, the article was "clearly showing the worst-case scenario, which may or may not happen". Ciarlò, on the other hand agreed that while the article seemed to be rooted in facts, it was perhaps a bit too "dramatic", adding that it would have been better had the article informed the public on how it could contrib- ute. In addition to changes in weather patterns, Malta's seas are also at risk, according to Alan Deidun, a ma- rine biologist and environmental activist. One threat, he explained, was the acidification of the sea, resulting from an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide which is passed on to the ocean, forming carbonic acid. "A small increase in acidity could impact a large range of aquatic organisms like starfish and sea urchins, which will find it more difficult to secrete their skeleton," said Deidun. Another issue flagged by Deidun was the appearance of invasive species in Maltese waters. He said that while the occasional sighting was not un- common in the past, especially following the opening of the Suez Canal, they were previously un- able to "settle here" because the water was too cold. "The Mediterranean is becom- ing a tropical sea which these species can survive in," he said. "We are seeing more of them, but we are not aware of what the impact is going to be." He said new species, such as the recently spotted Lion- fish, could pose a threat to swimmers. They could also compete for resources with other species, tear fisher- men's nets and attack Posidonia meadows, which are es- sential in maintaining biodiversity, in part by preventing the ocean floor from being carried away, especially dur- ing rough storms. "There are also species of venomous jellyfish, such as the Nomad jellyfish – beaches could be forced to close if they are spotted," he stressed. "It's a bomb ready to explode and we are not taking it seriously enough," he added. In reality, about 100 countries around the world have been responsible for roughly 70% of greenhouse gas emissions since 1988, according to a report published by the non-profit organisation CDP. As such, efforts by countries as small as Malta are largely insignificant in terms of reducing levels of global emissions. "While it is easy to feel comfortable thinking that an individual's effect will not be noticeable on a global scale, one person's negligence validates the next per- son's, and this is not conducive to solving the problem," Ciarlò said. "We are seeing the consequence of this behaviour right now," he added. Malta has committed itself to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2% by 2020 – part of its commitments under the EU2020 framework – but progress has been slow. A recent report by the European Commission high- lighted that Malta lagged far behind other member states in reaching its targets – in fact, it was the only country that looked unlikely to meet its target. Attard explained that while the government has suc- ceeded in reducing emissions from the energy sector through the shift to Liquefied Natural Gas, it was still struggling to reduce transport-related emissions. "Growing emissions from transport alone will derail our obligations as the vehicle fleet continues to be one of the oldest in Europe and there are no current projects aimed at reducing car use," she said, noting that vehicle emissions had doubled between 1990 and 2010. Attard pointed out that in addition to reducing vehicle emissions, efforts were also required in areas such as ag- riculture and industry. While it is difficult to predict the rate at which global temperatures will continue to rise in the coming years, or how effective efforts to reduce this might be, Attard said that in addition to emissions reduction, the country must also start to think about adaptation. "We need to plan how Malta's agriculture, fisheries, water, infrastructure and buildings will cope with pro- jected impacts," she added. Taking transport as an example, Attard said there was a significant portion of Malta's transport infrastructure that might be at risk from sea-level rise and flash-flood- ing and that it was necessary for the cost of "mitigating the impact or adapting infrastructure" to be estimated alongside a concrete plan for the short-, medium- and long-term. Attard stressed that climate change was a "long-term fight", and one that required "more informed people, more research, and above all for politicians to consider it a priority." And while in the past, economic development was a more pressing issue, today Malta can't afford not to im- plement decisive climate change policy. ypace@mediatoday.com.mt 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 "It's easy to feel comfortable thinking an individual's effect will not be noticeable on a global scale, but one person's negligence validates the next person's, and this is not conducive to solving the problem"