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Pamela Hansen | Sunday, 14 September 2008

Swinging the pendulum

Politicians, the successful ones, are remarkable in that the more experienced they get the better they are at hitting the right tone to allay public anxieties and concerns.
However, it is not enough to make the right noises. People expect politicians to be true to what they promise and their quotes will eventually return to haunt them.
“The pendulum has to swing towards the environment”, the Prime Minister said at a PN breakfast meeting to discuss the environment, on Tuesday.
About time too. But let us not get too excited, and wait and see how far the pendulum will swing in the right direction.
It swung at Lija, but will that be a one-off? There are more important heritage sites at risk.
It will have to rock quite a way to redress the damage done so far, and it needs more than a breakfast meeting to conduct a fruitful debate on this complex and sensitive issue made more urgent by climate change concerns.
Another thing that the PM kept repeating was the importance of our “quality of life”. And what is more essential for that than water?
Those of us who keep abreast with global news on the environment know that water is an essential commodity we cannot take for granted. Besides, we in Malta know what it is like to be short of it. Anyone over 20 has experienced summers with no water in our taps and tanks.
Marco Cremona, an engineer, made some important observations, one of which is that there is no national policy on groundwater. Besides, most of the rainwater still ends up in the sea.
Energy, another very important resource, is also something that we need to plan ahead for. We heard how much energy Smart City will require and since we know that our infrastructure is not keeping up with development, the government is going to have to pull its socks up on alternative energy.
Had there not been so many interventions I would have asked the PM, what MEPA was expecting from new developments vis-à-vis alternative energy and water saving devices, before granting new permits?
On the aesthetic side, are developers required to hide the armies of tanks and other paraphernalia on roofs, which in the case of the Strand interfere with the view of the bastions? It is bad enough that there is no sense of design in most new buildings, but do we also have to have cluttered rooftops?
There is also an issue of health and safety. It seems that no builder is required to provide safety railings on roofs and turrets housing all the paraphernalia, which need maintenance.
The PM assured us that our heritage would be protected, including the bastions and our churches and monuments. Shame that the bastions can only be seen from the Ferries now and taller concrete boxes are drowning the Baroque churches.
I am also concerned about the impact the Manoel Island development will have on the Valletta bastions vista.
The fundamental pillars his party are basing their policies on are – Education, the Economy and the Environment, the PM said. As far as two of the three Es – education and the environment – go, the pendulum should swing in the right direction; it is economic policies with short-term vision and flawed planning, which might stop the swing and take the pendulum back away from the environment.
Cranes all over the island are not swinging the pendulum towards the environment. MEPA allowing trees to be chopped down is not swinging towards the environment.
Of course development has to take place. One would have to be a Luddite not to acknowledge that. It is what we Maltese call zvilupp sfrenat that is harming our quality of life.
The village core, which the PM says he will protect, is not an isolated entity. Looking after the core environs is as important in order to maintain a harmonious living zone.
Besides, MEPA does not seem to have any concept of how residential zones should be protected from commercial activities. It gives permits for garages, in residential blocks in small residential streets, to be used for large-scale deliveries and collections, despite residents’ objections.
This involves a large number of car parking spaces being monopolised on a regular basis, with the Sliema local council’s blessing, and noise created by trucks, trolleys and other commercial paraphernalia.
Besides the point that garages in Sliema for parking cars are at a premium. Of course, when applying for such a permit it is easy to shift stock and park a car for a photo and for the duration of the application process.
MEPA is so gullible!
Noise did not even feature at the meeting discussing the environment. It escapes me how anyone can talk about quality of life without mentioning the constant blitz enactment we are subjected to all summer, not to mention construction noise and the minor nuisances, by comparison, of barking and whelping dogs and car horns and stereos.
Which brings me on to a very minor problem, and in my opinion irrelevant, brought up by an animal NGO. They were not talking about animals in the wilds of Africa, or birds flying freely in our skies.
They complained that dogs are not allowed in many local places, I assumed that they meant gardens, where ball games and bicycles are also not allowed to ensure a quiet environment, and restaurants.
Quite honestly, I cannot see how the latter fits in with the environment debate except for the irresponsible owners who allow their dogs to leave their droppings all over pavements and streets and to bark and whelp half the night.
On the same day of the environment debate, l-orizzont saw fit to carry an article about the new litter laws. It was not championing the cause however, on the contrary it was shocked that that tickets were to be given (bilfors) to anyone caught throwing cigarette butts and paper in the street.
Well that is the point of having a litter law. It is positive that the government wants to get rid of the thousands of cigarette butts messing up our streets and pavements.
Now all they need to do is get rid of the pigeons and we might have clean pavements, at least.
Just like people are meant to pick up their dog’s litter, smokers can carry a plastic bag and collect their butts until they find a thrash can.
John Pisani wrote that they had received complaints from a number of policemen that not only were required to give out tickets (bilfors), but they also were being threatened with action if they failed to carry out their duty and enforce the law.
Well we all know about the state of enforcement in this country. It is rather ironic and telling that certain police officers are complaining that they have to enforce the law.
I just hope they will also be fining the dog owners, who allow their dogs to foul the streets and pavements, bilfors.


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