Friends of the Earth Malta Launches Photo Competition for Car Free Day

Friends of the Earth Malta Launches Photo Competition for Car Free Day

Car Free Day to be organised on September 16th Click here to submit your pictures ! Friends of the Earth Malta launched its Photo Competition “Car free Adventures” as part of the national activities being held locally with the support of MEPA. For this competition, FoE Malta is inviting people from all walks of life to share their individual experience with alternative means of transport in Malta. These could be anything from using the bus service, bicycle, walking or maybe even using some exotic vehicle like a donkey cart. Car free day isn’t just about one day without any cars...

Read More
Rio+20 – of International fluff and local double standards

Rio+20 – of International fluff and local double standards

The NGOs Friends of the Earth Malta, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA), NatureTrust (Malta), Malta Organic Agriculture Movement (MOAM) and Ramblers Association of Malta share Environment Minister De Marco’s conclusion that the Rio+20 Summit lacked ambition. The Rio+20 declaration reaffirms the ‘Rio Principles’ first agreed at the 1992 Earth Summit but does not go any further. It ignores the needs of developing countries and highlights the lack of political will on the part of governments. Politicians around the world are understandably concerned about the economic crisis – but it will only be remedied when politicians stop treating it separately from...

Read More
Environment Groups Commend Mepa Board and Appeal to Political Parties

Environment Groups Commend Mepa Board and Appeal to Political Parties

Friends of the Earth Malta together with environmental groups Ramblers’ Association, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Din l-Art Helwa, Nature Trust, wish to commend the recent unanimous decision by MEPA to turn down an application by Enemalta for a substation to be built in the out of development zone at Armier which was intended to serve the squatter community there. We now urge the two main political parties to unite behind the move for the demolition of Armier’s illegal township and to prove that they are able to place national before party interests. Environmental concerns cannot be dissociated from political ones...

Read More
Call on Mepa to refuse new Hondoq application

Call on Mepa to refuse new Hondoq application

In the face of an overwhelming outcry against the proposed Hondoq project to develop a large hotel and hundreds of real estate units around a yacht marina, the developers of Qala Creek have decided to drop the idea of the marina at Hondoq Bay, limiting themselves to a ‘swimming lagoon’. Friends of the Earth Malta together with the NGOs Moviment Harsien Hondoq, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Ramblers Association, Nature Trust, GUG, Din l-art Helwa and Wirt Ghawdex have studied the 2009 EIS Co-ordinated Report where the developers themselves state “the project would struggle if it had to be developed as...

Read More
Tree Planting Event on World Refugee Day

Tree Planting Event on World Refugee Day

Trees planted by Libyan refugees and representatives from UNHCR and Friends of the Earth Malta As part of a programme of events to mark World Refugee Day 2011, Friends of the Earth Malta organised a tree planting event in conjunction with UNHCR Malta at the GAIA Foundation in Ghajn Tuffieha. Refugees currently residing in Malta, joined volunteers and staff from FoE Malta and UNHCR on a visit to GAIA’s “Elysium” visitor Centre at Ghajn Tuffieha. They were given a tour of the Centre, the Nursery for indigenous plants, the organic Olive groves and the Special Area of Conservation at Ghajn...

Read More
Energy Generation Plans – Reaction to comments made by PM

Energy Generation Plans – Reaction to comments made by PM

In its reaction to the statement made recently by government informing us that the long-term goal of the government was to have our power station running on natural gas, Friends of the Earth Malta believes that besides being no news, contained statements which were inaccurate. Reducing our dependence on oil and transferring it to natural gas does not do much to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. A more rapid and fuller development of our wind power potential would lead to a quicker improvement in that respect. A switch to a natural gas source in either of its current forms...

Read More
Climate Action Day 2010 – We’re all in the same ‘boat’

Climate Action Day 2010 – We’re all in the same ‘boat’

For this year’s Climate Action Day, Friends of the Earth Malta teamed up with Moviment Graffitti and Greenhouse in a bid to raise awareness on climate change. The event was planned to coincide with the annual United Nations Climate Talks which are taking place this year in Cancun, Mexico. Unfortunately the event had to be called off as the Valletta Local Council refused to grant a permit for the event. Ironically, on the same day that the Valletta Local Council refused the permit, it was announced in the papers that 2010 is set to be among three warmest years on...

Read More
OUR COUNTRYSIDE – PARKS OR ILLEGAL DUMPS?

OUR COUNTRYSIDE – PARKS OR ILLEGAL DUMPS?

The NGOs Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth, Gaia Foundation, Greenhouse, NatureTrust and Ramblers Association are concerned that in spite of the official message being given that the countryside is being protected, in fact many areas in Malta and Gozo are increasingly coming under attack. In Gozo, illegal dumping has been taking place at Ta’ Muxi, near Qala, affecting an area of nearly 70,000m² or 60 tumuli, as can be seen on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSuJlorrxg . Most of this dumping has occurred in an area of great geological interest and scenic beauty, proposed as a geological park. MEPA itself states:...

Read More
New GM proposals could open Europe’s doors to risky unauthorised crops

New GM proposals could open Europe’s doors to risky unauthorised crops

European Commission accused of caving in to industry scare tactics Leaked European Commission documents obtained by Friends of the Earth Europe reveal new proposals that would open Europe’s doors to the import of unauthorised genetically modified (GM) feed. The proposed change in EU policy is a direct response to industry pressure to weaken Europe’s safety laws. The documents reveal that the European Commission has provided to EU member states a new proposal to change legislation on GM foods and feeds. The proposal, which will be discussed in a meeting of member states on 15th November, weakens the EU’s zero tolerance...

Read More
Environmental NGOs shocked on how Mepa gave green light for environmental degradation to occur in the Natura 2000 Site – Dwejra

Environmental NGOs shocked on how Mepa gave green light for environmental degradation to occur in the Natura 2000 Site – Dwejra

The environmental NGOs Nature Trust (Malta), Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Din L-Art Helwa, Ramblers Association BirdLife Malta and Friends of the Earth Malta are appalled by the way filming was being allowed in the Natura 2000 site at Dwejra in Gozo, with the depositing of tonnes of sand over the protected Dwejra rock-face. This activity was allowed to happen on a site that is of geological, geomorphological, botanical, ornithological importance and on an area rich in Scutella fossil beds and fossilised burrows which forms part of the CORE ZONE, ie. the most important part of the whole protected area in...

Read More

Donate now!

X