Amidst news about disastrous floods, extreme weather events and other climate chaos, it is easy to despair. However, there is nothing as powerful as collective action to show we are not alone and that solutions for a brighter future exist. To this end, Friends of the Earth Malta has brought together hopeful visions for Malta’s future in the creative zine ‘Imagining a Fossil Free Malta’, to share inspiration for a fossil free future for Malta.
To define what a better, more hopeful future may look like, we need the power of our imagination. That’s why we asked artists, writers, poets, musicians, children and other creatives how they imagine a fossil free future for Malta. Their visions are brought together in a beautiful and inspiring zine designed by graphic designer Aprille Zammit, with contributions by cartoonist Sebastian Tanti Burlò, photographer Inigo Taylor, Earth-pop band Berne, and many more.
Climate Campaign Coordinator at Friends of the Earth Malta, Dr Suzanne Maas, explains what we mean with a fossil free future: “for us, a fossil free future means a move away from our current economic system, dependent on fossil fuels and unsustainable exploitation of resources, causing climate change, biodiversity loss and social injustices. Further fossil fuel use is incompatible with global climate targets, which are essential to limit runaway climate change and secure a liveable future. We oppose further investment in fossil fuels, including the proposed Melita TransGas pipeline, and demand a fossil fuel phase-out date, by 2035 latest, and an immediate halt to fossil fuel subsidies. Instead, we promote investment in energy savings, renewable energy, active and public transport, and community energy”.
The zine ‘Imagining a Fossil Free Malta’ will be launched publicly on Thursday 9 January at 19:00 at Storeroom, Ta’ Xbiex. During the evening, we will have poetry and essay readings by contributors to the zine, artwork from the zine on display and live music by Earth-pop band Berne. The zine will be for sale during the event and on the Friends of the Earth Malta website. All proceeds will go towards supporting the work of Friends of the Earth Malta, to continue our fight for a liveable future, where humans live in harmony with nature.