Climate change is the single biggest environmental threat facing our planet. Burning too much coal, oil and gas increases the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which in turn heats up the planet. On the 27th of February Friends of the Earth Malta will be launching its Climate Change campaign together with Friends of the Earth groups in 17 countries across Europe. The launch will take place at City Gate in Valletta at 16:00. Local bands will be playing live music and together with volunteers from Friends of the Earth Malta will be raising awareness on the issue of climate change....
Environmental NGO condemn attacks on Birdlife Malta Volunteers
Friends of the Earth Malta together with Din L-Art Helwa, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Gaia Foundation, Light Pollution Awareness Group, Ramblers Association and Nature Trust (Malta), strongly condemn the vandal attacks on the cars of 3 Birdlife Volunteers at Buskett. These incidents only show how certain people have no respect towards others and enjoy performing cowardly acts on people who dedicate their free time towards the environment and civil society   The NGOs urge the relevant authorities to intensify their work so as these culprits are caught as soon as possible and are given the punishment they  deserve. Only this...
NGOs Condemn Dwejra vandalism
Friends of the Earth Malta together with Birdlife Malta, Din L-Art Helwa, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Gaia Foundation, Light Pollution Awareness Group, Nature Trust (Malta) and Ramblers Association strongly condemn the vandal attacks recently held at Dwejra Heritage Park in Gozo where graffiti was sprayed on information boards and on rocks in the area. Dwejra is today a designated Natura 2000 site and a possible candidate as a World heritage site due to its paleontological, geological, ecological, ornithological , marine ecology and scenic importance.  Apart for its ecological importance, Dwejra is also one of the main tourist sites on the...
DPA Amendments Welcomed
Friends of the Earth (Malta) together with the environment NGOs Din l-Art Helwa, Flimkien għal-Ambjent Aħjar, Gaia, Light Pollution Awareness Group, Nature Trust Malta and Ramblers Association of Malta welcome the decision taken by government to amend the DPA regulations and give a stronger voice to civil society in such issues. This falls in line with the Aarhus Convention and the promise of Government to give the public greater access to environmental information as well as the right of every citizen to voice his and her concern on issues affecting each one of us.  The NGOs have over the...
Redefinition of Incineration Undermines Sustainable Resource Use
With reference to Mr. Paul L. Cardona’s reaction (The Times, July 7) to our position on the re-definition of incineration, FoE (Malta), together with several other FoE groups across Europe, oppose incineration for one simple reason– incineration does nothing to create a shift towards more sustainable and equitable use of the world’s resources. In fact, its continued advocacy highlights our failure to cut down on waste production at source, and to recycle most of what is left. Furthermore, it encourages the burning of the world’s precious resources at the expense of other nations and future generations. While we realize that...
ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS MUST REJECT EU PLAN TO PROMOTE INCINERATION
Friends of the Earth (Malta) today called on EU Environment Ministers to reject a plan to redefine waste incineration from ‘disposal’ to ‘recovery’, arguing that the redefinition would promote environmentally-damaging incineration and is, in any case, unnecessary. Under current EU law, most incinerators are defined as disposal installations, and installations can only be defined as ‘recovery’ (a step up the waste hierarchy) if their ‘primary purpose’ is the generation of energy i.e. if waste was not available they would buy in fuel. The Commission has proposed a new ‘efficiency equation’ to define recovery instead but even the UK’s...
Friends of the Earth (Malta) queries government’s waste plans
It is shocking to hear that the proposed and much awaited new landfill at Ghallis will last for only seven years. This, despite the fact that time and time again government had pledged that this facility will have a 20 year lifespan. FoE claims that since the waste management strategy was published in 2001, the government has failed to design, finance and implement a national waste reduction and waste separation policy. To date, the government has been shying away from its responsibilities and blinding the public with sporadic waste separation initiatives such as those in some government departments and schools....
Land Reclamation is a Clear Failure of Construction Waste Strategy
Friends of the Earth (Malta) has noted with concern recent declarations by the Government and the opposition regarding land reclamation. FoE (Malta) strongly recommends that stone be seen as a valuable natural resource of the Maltese Islands. It should therefore be used in a sensible and sustainable manner first prior to resorting to dumping it at sea. On the contrary, land reclamation is an end of pipeline solution that does not tackle the root of the problem. Our country generates considerable amounts of C&D waste as a result of irresponsible wastage at the excavation and processing stage. In fact, based...
Alternatives to temple landfills not studied
Friends of the Earth (Malta) is reviewing the EIS on the temporary engineered landfills presented by SLR last week and has already noticed serious shortcomings in the study. Apart from details, the SLR EIS does not properly weigh up all the possible alternatives to the proposed sites, as expected following the EIS’s terms of reference. The site selection exercise that was accepted by Minister Ninu Zammit was carried out over three days and was conducted by people lacking expertise in heritage and sociological matters. Heritage Malta has clearly stated that any landfill in the vicinity of the Hagar Qim and...
Proponents of incinerators should prove their point
The discussion about landfills has sent several people scurrying to suggest that incineration, or a similar technology is adopted instead of landfills as a solution for waste disposal. Friends of the Earth Malta has opposed incineration and other similar end of pipe solutions for a number of years and will continue to resist this type of solution for domestic and industrial waste. Those proposing incineration should realise that Malta does not have an option between an incinerator and a landfill since, even if incineration is adopted, Malta will need an EU standard engineered landfill, albeit a smaller one. Nevertheless incineration...