ADPD – The Green Party is calling for the Constitution to be amended so that the declaration of environmental principles within grant individual citizens the right to sue the Government when this fails to take action or drags its feet in issues of an environmental concern. This was stated by ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo during a press conference in Birzebbugia on Saturday.

“A proposed site for an airstrip for model aircraft on the periphery of Ħal Far – the size of five football grounds – stretching along a designated Natura 2000 site in Wied Żnuber will mean the destruction of agricultural land as well as the spoiling of ecologically important zones”, insisted ADPD – The Green Party Deputy General Secretary and candidate Dr Melissa Bagley.

According to EU environmental rules, a Natura 2000 site should be largely centred on people working with nature rather than against it. The land earmarked for the development has been described as ‘disturbed’ due to the agricultural activity on site. However, the destruction associated with the paving of agricultural land and landfilling of garigue for the construction of the miniature airstrip and clubhouse cannot in any way be defined as working with nature and is bound to increase human activity in the area exponentially.  Birżebbuġa and neighbouring villages have already received their more-than-fair share of industrialization activity impacting on the quality of life of the residents and this proposed project would be another nail in the coffin for our natural heritage.

 “Stop playing games, stop the empty promises made on the eve of an election”, concluded Dr Bagley.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that environmental policy is inspired by the fact that as human beings we form part of an ecosystem. We cannot live without ecosystem services, that is the positive benefits that wildlife or ecosystems provide to people. We should use these carefully not just in our own interest but in that of future generations.

This is the foundation of a sensible environmental policy. Because such a policy should be much more than an instrument to fix previous damage. More so, it should serve as a means to ensure that the activity we carry out today does not lead to more harm.

Unfortunately, however, environmental destruction has continued as governments have only sought to satisfy today’s demands without giving much attention that this will many a time impact drastically on the future.

In local popular culture the environment tends to be associated with construction and with hunting and trapping. Although these have assumed disproportionate importance in local environmental policy, in actual fact this should be more encompassing. Over the past years the interest in other aspects that have been covered has increased, mainly in fulfilment of EU membership obligations.

ADPD has already proposed to the Constitutional Convention that the environmental principles found in the second chapter of our Constitution should not be words on paper but serve as a guideline for government action. It should be possible where necessary that individual citizens seek Court protection in areas where the government is procrastinating, or failing to take action, or not doing enough. In the UK and The Netherlands governments had been pushed by action in the courts to take action on air quality and climate change.

Such a measure will strengthen the status of environmental NGOs and civil society which will have a right to bring action in Maltese courts, and if necessary European ones, to reach their aims. eNGOs should also receive state aid to be able to carry out better their obligations, concluded Cacopardo.

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Il-kostituzzjoni għandha tagħti saħħa liċ-ċittadin fil-qasam ambjentali

ADPD – The Green Party qed jinsisti li l-Kostituzzjoni tkun emendata biex id-dikjarazzjoni ta’ prinċipji dwar l-ambjent fil-Kostituzzjoni tagħti s-saħħa li ċittadin ifittex lill-Gvern kull meta dan ma jiċċaqlaqx inkella jimxi bil-mod dwar azzjoni fid-diversi oqsma ambjentali.  Dan qalu ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo waqt konferenza stampa f’Birżebbuġa s-Sibt.

Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali u kandidata ta’ ADPD – The Green Party saħqet li “s-sit propost għal mitjar tal-mudelli tal-ajruplani fil-periferija ta’ Ħal Far – fuq medda ta’ art ta’ ħames grawnds tal-futbol – tul sit Natura 2000 f’Wied Żnuber sejjer iwassal għal qerda ta’ iżjed art agrikola u jirrovina żoni ta’ ekoloġija importanti”.

Skont regoli ambjentali tal-Unjoni Ewropea, sit Natura 2000 għandha tħaddan primarjament attività fejn in-nies jaħdmu flimkien man-natura u mhux kontriha. L-art li ġiet identifikata għal dan l-iżvilupp hi mfissra bħala waħda li diġà ġiet ‘mittiefsa’ minħabba l-attività agrikola fil-post. Madankollu, il-qerda li ġġib magħha l-illivellar ta’ art agrikola u l-qerda ta’ xagħri għal bini ta’ mitjar żgħir u faċilitajiet oħra bl-ebda mod ma jistgħu jitqiesu f’armonija man-natura u żgur sejrin iżidu ħafna l-attività umana fiz-zona. Birżebbuġa u rħula fil-madwar diġà qegħdin isofru minn impatti negattivi fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħhom minħabba attività industrijali u dan il-proġett propost sejjer jolqot għal darb’oħra l-wirt naturali tagħna.

“Ieqfu ilabgħu bil-kliem, ieqfu mill-wegħdiet fiergħha ta’ lejliet l-elezzjoni”, ikkonkludiet Bagley.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-politika ambjentali hi mnebbħa mill-fatt li aħna, bħala bnedmin, nifformaw parti minn ekosistema. Ma nistgħux ngħixu mingħajr is-servizzi li tipprovdilna n-natura. Għadna l-obbligu li dawn nużawhom bir-reqqa mhux biss fl-interess tagħna illum imma iktar fl-interess tal-ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ warajna.

Hu fuq dan li tinbena politika ambjentali li tagħmel sens. Għax il-politika ambjentali għandha tkun ferm iktar minn strument biex issewwi l-ħsara li diġà saret. Iktar għandha tkun mezz biex ikun assigurat li fil-mod kif inġibu ruħna nevitaw il-ħsara illum.

Sfortunatament, iżda, l-ħsara issir kontinwament għax il-Gvernijiet fittxew li jinqdew il-ħtiġijiet tal-lum mingħajr wisq każ li dan kollu, ħafna drabi, għandu impatt drastiku fuq għada.

Fil-lingwaġġ popolari lokali l-ambjent hu iktar assoċjat mal-iżvilupp tal-art u mal-kaċċa u l-insib. Filwaqt li hu veru li dawn l-oqsma assumew sinifikat sproporzjonat fil-politika ambjentali lokali, din hi u għandha tkun ferm iktar wiegħsa minn hekk. Tul dawn l-aħħar snin kiber l-interess u żdiedet il-ħidma f’diversi oqsma ambjentali, prinċipalment biex ikunu onorati obbligi tas-sħubija tagħna fl-Unjoni Ewropea.

Aħna diġà ipproponejna lill-Konvenzjoni Kostituzzjonali li l-prinċipji ambjentali li hemm fit-tieni kapitlu tal-Kostituzzjoni ma jkunux biss dikjarazzjoni fuq il-karta li suppost iservu bħala linja gwida għall-ħidma tal-Gvern. Għandu jkun possibbli li fejn meħtieġ kull ċittadin li jidhirlu hekk meħtieġ jitlob il-protezzjoni tal-Qrati biex il-Gvern jaġixxi f’oqsma ambjentali li dwarhom ikun qed ikaxkar saqajh, ma jkun qed jagħmel xejn, inkella ma jkunx qed jagħmel biżżejjed. Hekk ġara fir-Renju Unit u fl-Olanda biex ikunu mċaqilqa gvernijiet ħalli jaġixxu dwar il-kwalità tal-arja u dwar il-bidla fil-klima.

Miżura bħal din isaħħaħ l-istatus tal-għaqdiet ambjentali u tas-soċjetà ċivili bid-dritt li dawn jintervjenu quddiem il-qrati Maltin, u jekk meħtieg dawk Ewropej, għal dan l-iskop. L-għaqdiet ambjentali għandhom jingħataw għajnuna finanzjarja mill-istat biex ikun jistgħu jwettqu aħjar l-obbligi tagħhom, temm jgħid Cacopardo.