X'wahda din...sirna "ambjentalisti"

Dawn il-ġranet, grupp ta' għaqdiet ambjentalisti ħarġu stqarrija fejn isemmu biss uħud mill-kandidati tal-Pee Enne għall-elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropew. U kif jinzertaw l-affarijiet hux? Din tassew ħaġa kbira tafux. Il-Gaia Foundation, in-Nature Trust, il-Birdlife u Friends of the Earth bħall-għaqdiet volontarji l-oħra tradizzjonalment jibżgħu jieħdu pożizzjoni li tifagħhom ma’ naħa jew ma’ oħra minħabba li b’hekk jistgħu joffendu lil naħa jew oħra tal-membri tagħhom stess skont il-lealtà politika tagħhom. Iżda issa jidher li l-affarijiet qed jieħdu xejra oħra. L-importanti hu li bħalma l-Għaqdiet ma jiddejqux jieħdu ritratti ma' George Pullicino lejlet xi elezzjoni, bl-istess mod ma jiddejqux jghidu iswed dak li hu iswed u abjad dak li hu abjad. Fi tmiem il-ġimgħa gejn mistoqsi mill-ġurnal ILLUM bħala s-segretarju ġenerali ta' Alternattiva Demokratika - il-partit ekoloġista Malti. U jien tgħajt dawn il-kummenti.... Fil-każ tal-għaqdiet ambjentali jidħol aspett speċjali billi Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party minkejja l-impenn tiegħu f’ħafna, oqsma hu partit ekoloġista msieħeb fil-European Green Party. Bilkemm jista’ jkun hemm dubju dwar l-impenn ambjentali tal-AD u għalhekk jistona ħafna l-fatt li l-AD tintefa’ fl-istess keffa mal-partiti l-oħra fl-istess nifs li jinxteħet dubju dwar l-appoġġ li jistgħu jgawdu xi kandidati minn partiti oħra mill-partit tagħhom dwar kwistjonijiet ambjentali. Mistoqsi kif laqgħet din l-istqarrija l-AD, is-Segretarju Ġenerali Victor Galea qal li ma jħossx li l-għaqdiet ambjentali riedu jonqsu lill-AD. “Tant hi ovvja li partit ekoloġista ikun qrib il-ħsieb u x-xewqat tal-membri ta’ dawn l-għaqdiet li ma ħassewx il-ħtieġa li jsemmuna jew li jsemmu b’isimhom lil Arnold Cassola u lil Yvonne Ebejer Arqueros. Il-kandidati tagħna f’din l-elezzjoni,” qal Galea, “l-impenn ambjentali tagħna fissirnieh b’ħidma politika ta’ 20 sena u l-għaqdiet ambjentali jafu sew li m’għandhomx għalfejn iħegguna nagħmlu dak li dejjem għamilna. “Dak li hu diskors ġdid għall-partiti l-oħra hu d-diskors ta’ dejjem tagħna. Konna nieħdu għalina kieku l-għaqdiet taw wieħed x’jifhem li l-kandidati tagħna m’għandhomx l-appoġg sħiħ tal-partit tagħħom fuq kwistjonijiet ambjentali bħalma għamlu liż-żewġ kandidati li għoġobhom isemmu.” Sadanittat Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas ħarġet stqarrija hi wkoll biex tirringrazzja lill-għaqdiet ambjnetali tal-appoġġ li wrewha. Triccas marret ħafna lil hemm mill-għaqdiet meta ddeskriviet il-kampanja elettorali tagħha bħala “l-ewwel kampanja elettorali nazzjonali Maltija ambjentalment sostenibbli.” Mistoqsi jagħti r-reazzjoni tiegħu Victor Galea qal li dejjem jieħu pjaċir meta jara li hemm min beda jifhem id-diskors tal-politika ekoloġika. “Biex issarraf dan l-impenn bis-serjetà Triccas trid twiegħed li jekk titla’ fil-Parlament se tappoġġa lill-grupp ekoloġista tal-Green Group u mhux lill-Partit Popolari Ewropew li għandu rekord mill-agħar f’dan il-qasam,” temm igħid Galea.

How to screw up farmers

Apply to build a cemetery on pristine land (outside development zone), down the road leading from Nadur to Ramla l-Hamra. Make sure that the number of graves applied for is big enough so that for example instead of 1,000 graves, MEPA will allow about let's say 600.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you have both the Nadur Mayor, the Gozo curia and the Minister for the Environment (now Gonzi)on your side.

Knowing that the spring water which Nadur’s farmers have been using for centuries will be contaminated, ensure that no hydrological studies will take place.

Infact this is what happened at the Nadur new cemetery.

MEPA exempted the church’s project from a proper Environment Impact Assessment, relying on a geological report carried out by Savior Scerri in 2005, which concluded that the cemetery would not have any impact on water resources.

However a report by Ing. Marco Cremona debunks the claim in a previous report commissioned by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority that the new cemetery would have “no adverse impact” on the natural springs.

In his report Marco Cremona notes “the very evident deterioration” of the quality of the farmers’ water sources in December 2007 after the commencement of excavation works, disproving the conclusion of the Scerri report.

Samples collected by Cremona as evidence show the once transparent spring water has turned milky white because of silt.

Since no other excavation works were being carried out in the area at the time, the report links this phenomenon to the cemetery excavations.

But MEPA gave the go ahead to the Church to carry oin with the digging and the Said Construction Ltd. eagerly started the ward even though the farmers appealed from the case.

Moreover as a consequence of the excavation works, farmers may soon experience a shortage of water in the summer months as the springs start registering a shortfall in their yield.

Cremona then concludes that since the farmers spring lies immediately downstream of the site of the proposed cemetery and since the catchment area for the supply of the farmers’ spring encompasses the site of the proposed cemetery; the activities taking place at the site of the cemetery will have a direct negative impact on the natural freshwater sources in the area.

Today, the natural spring waters are not only 'milky white', but after the heavy rains from yesterday, the photo show that cement mixed with the spring water is coming out from what was once called "the natural spring waters".

This is a shame on the Gozo Catholic Authorities, MEPA and the Government. What else is expected now from ec(h)o-Gozo?

Recommended reading: click here.

Int x'tahseb mis-sena l-gdida 2009?

Jien nahseb li ser tkun sena interessanti.

Probabbli tul ix-xahar ta' Jannar in-nies jibdew jircievu l-kontijiet tad-dawl u l-ilma. U dan ser ikun ta' thassib ghall-maggoranza tal-familji bi dhul medju. Izda f'Marzu, imbaghad, ghax ikunu waslu l-elezzjonijiet, il-Gvern ihabbar trahhis fir-rati tad-dawl u l-ilma. Soltu storja nsomma.

F'April jrid jinbidel il-President u jkollna president jew presidenta, li suppost tgawdi ir-rispett ta' ghadd kbir ta' Maltin u Ghawdxin. Ma nafx kemm il-gvern nazzjonalista li m'ghandux il-maggoranza assoluta tal-voti tal-poplu Malti u Ghawdxi, jerga' jissogra jinnomina xi politikant iehor nazzjonalist. Nittama biss li ma jintghazilx xi hadd li jkun maghruf kemm hadem ghal xi partit izda mhux ghall- pajjiz.

F'Gunju wiehed irid izomm f'ghajnejh li l-Maltin u l-Ghawdxin kollha ser ikun mitluba jivvutaw u jaghzlu membri ghal Parlament Ewropew u ghal numru ta' kunsilli lokali. Hawnhekk il-poplu ser jerga' jfakkar lill-gvern li huma ghandhom il-poter fuq il-vot taghhom. Allura ma nistaghgibx li nerga' nara manuvri ma' xi kategoriji ta' votanti, bhalma gara bejn Gonzi u dawk li bnew illegalment fl-Armier lejlet l-elezzjoni generali. Lanqas nistaghgeb jekk, minkejja li l-insib spicca fl-1 ta' Jannar, in-nazzjonalisti jippruvaw jilghabu xi loghba ohra mal-kaccaturi u n-nassaba. Probabbli wkoll naraw xi applikazzjonijiet miftuha ghal-xoghol mal-Gvern u forsi anke xi sorprizi fil-hatriet. L-esperjenza urietna li l-kilba ghal poter taf taghmel minn kollox.

Mill-banda l-ohra, nahseb li nibdew naraw xi rizultati ta' xi riformi mwieghda qabel l-elezzjoni. Fosthom dik tal-ligi tal-kera, tal-kunsilli lokali u tat-trasport pubbliku. Inhoss li din ta' l-ahhar hija l-aktar wahda li ser tolqot b'mod immedjat lil ghadd kbir ta' nies. Ironikament, ir-riforma tat-trasport pubbliku suppost tibda mill-gzira t'Ghawdex, fejn it-trasport pubbliku huwa kwazi inezistenti – allura anke jekk inzidu xi rotta, din tkun okkazzjoni tajba fejn nistghu naqtghu xi zigarella u narawhom fuq l-ahbarijiet tat-tmienja ghax xi hadd jiddeciedi li din l-ahbar ghandha news value. Interessanti naraw kif Austin Gatt u Govanna Debono ser jahdmu flimkien biex ma jirfsux kallijiet.

Bil-haqq insejt ir-riforma tal-MEPA! Bhal hafna tibdiliet ohra li saru huwa inutli li tbiddel il-work practice jekk ma tbiddilx il-work ethics. Nifhem li din ta' l-ahhar ser tkun bicca xoghol iebsa ghal Lawrence Gonzi, li nehha din ir-responsabbilta' minn idejn George Pullicino. Id-diffikulta' tibqa li wara li darrew lin-nies jemmnu li 'mhux kemm taf imma lil min taf', issa jriduna nahsbu b'mod iehor. Ma nahsibx li taht tmexxija ta' gvern immexxi minn partit wiehed wahdu f'kollox, 'kollox huwa possibbli'.

Nahseb li din is-sena wkoll tibqa is-sena tas-skiet u fomm maghluq fuq affarijiet li suppost isahhu d-demokrazijka f'Malta Ewropeja. In-nies mhux ser jinsew il-manuvri li nkixfu lejn tmiem is-sena li ghaddiet mill-e-mail ta’ Pawlu Borg Oliver fejn talab lill-Gvern jerga' jibda jghaddi lill-Partit Nazzjonalista informazzjoni personali u sensittiva ta' nies privati li jkunu marru ghandu b'xi ilment jew talba ghal ghajnuna. Ghalhekk mhux sorpriz li matul din is-sena wkoll, Lawrence Gonzi jibqa' sieket dwar dan ukoll.

Mill-banda l-ohra, zgur li din is-sena ser nisimghu hafna kliem ta' ottimizmu kemm mit-tmexxija nazzjonalista u anke mit-tmexxija laburista. Diskorsi.

Fuq livell internazzjonali, nahseb li hemm stennija dwar il-hidma tal-President Amerikan Barak Obama. Nahseb l-akbar stennija hija kif dan l-ewwel President Afro-Amerikan ser jahdem favur il-paci u s-serhan tal-mohh f'dinja mbezza' mill-kunflitti, traffikar tan-nies f'pajjizi b'mod irregolari, gwerer, guh u ngustizzji.

Nahseb li naraw tibdiliet drastici dwar il-politika Ewropea rigward dak li kien jissejjah is-suq hieles f'dinja globalizzata.

Indunajna issa li s-sinjur aktar ma jkollu aktar irid, xi drabi b'detriment ghal min hu ifqar. Nahseb li fejn qabel il-gvernijiet tal-pajjizi hallew liberta’ assoluta lis-suq b'rizultat li l-ekonomija dinjija falliet; issa naraw li l-gvernijiet ser ikollhom jaghtu kaz aktar il-harsien socjali tac-cittadini taghhom. Allura nistenna li nara Ewropa aktar socjali.

Fuq livell personali, nahseb li ser tkun sena fejn ser inkompli nitghallem hafna affarijiet godda fosthom kif norganizza l-quccija ghat-tifel, li f'Mejju 2009 jaghlaq sena.

U INT?

ara l-link billi taghfas hawnhekk.

Happy New Year 2009

AD Gozo Christmas get-to-get-her

"Let’s work in Europe for a better and more beautiful Gozo"

It was great to meet again a good number of friends and supporters on Sunday. This year the Christmas social gathering was held at Tal-Wileġ Restaurant in Qala. Apart from having a great lunch, Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party Chairperson, presented Yvonne Ebejer Arqueros' and his own European Parliament candidatures for the European elections scheduled for next June 2009.



Arnold Cassola said that through the presence of Alternattiva Demokratika in the European Parliament the whole country would gain because Malta would not remain represented in the European Parliament in only two of the present ten parliamentary groups, but would also start being represented in the third group, The Green Group in the European Parliament. This would mean that for the first time around another 50 Green MEPs would be influenced directly and positively to safeguard the interests of Our country.

Yvonne Ebejer Arqueros said that the election of an Alternattiva Demokratika Member of Parliament would signify the defence of European environmental legislation, which is so necessary for the enhancement of quality tourism and for the ensuing jobs created, in particular in Gozo.

It was also nice having Dr. Harry Vassallo ex-AD leader with us. During the same activity, Michael Bajada, in the name of the AD Gozo regional Committee presented Dr Harry Vassallo with a memento for all the work he has done throughout the years for the betterment of the quality of life of all Gozitans.

Alternattiva Demokratika also announced that it is working to present candidatures for the Local Council elections scheduled in Gozo for 2009.

Get into the Xmas Spirit and dance along with AD Ghawdex

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Aktar dwar eku-Għawdex u l-belveder tal-Qala

Jekk tħares biss lejn dan il-bini propost fuq il-belvedere tal-Qala wkoll tistaqsi: "Xi jridu igħidu biha din ta' l-eco-Għawdex?"

Niftakar, xi żmien qabel l-elezzjoni ġenerali li għaddiet, kienu kellmuni xi nies minn dawk l-inħawi. Qaluli li jixtiequ li l-Alternattiva tgħinhom joġġezzjonaw.

Pero' sibt li l-closing date sabiex wieħed joġġezzjona kien ilu li għalaq. Jien staqsejthom jekk laħqux għamlu 'objection' huma jew jekk kellmux xi avukat jew perit. Huma qaluli "L-Avukat bgħatna għandek, għax hu ghandu post hemmhekk ukoll".

Jien ghidtilhom sabiex ninġabru u nagħmlu konferenza stampa fuq il-post. Pero' x'ġara?

Dak iż-żmien, ħadd ma ried juri wiċċu ma' ta' l-Alternattiva "anke minhabba l-Avukat, mhux sew li nidhru magħkom li ma jmurx jaħseb li se nivvutaw AD flok xi partit iehor".Qiegħdin tajjeb f'dal-pajjiż!

Għada hemm il-każ quddiem il-famuża MEPA. J'alla tiġihom żewgt.

Saħħa