During a symbolic action held on the day that parliament reconvened after the holiday recess, Friends of the Earth Malta urged MPs to keep climate change and other pressing environmental issues on top of their agenda.

MPs were presented with an FoE Malta 2010 calendar, featuring images submitted by various local schools. The monthly images form the letters ACT NOW made up of students in a bid to remind our politicians that immediate and drastic action needs to be taken to secure the future of our generation and the planet’s wellbeing from the expected threats of man-made climate change.

We need strong leadership on climate change. Too many politicians are happy to speak about the issue, but their promises have often turned out to be just hot air. One exception is the United Kingdom, where a climate law has just been adopted, which will force the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions every year.

No-one would accept a toss-of-a-coin chance of their house burning down or of there being a major terrorist attack – we mustn’t take such huge risks with climate change either. Developing a low carbon economy can also bring huge economic advantages too – slashing energy waste and developing Malta’s green energy potential will create new business opportunities and many new jobs, and help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.