During a press conference in Birżebbuġa AD spokesperson on industry, energy and transport Ralph Cassar spoke about the need to switch to gas as a transition fuel on the road to cleaner energy and ultimately to renewable energy.

“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges humanity faces. Gas is a transition fuel for energy generation, since it emits less carbon dioxide than than other fuels such as diesel and Heavy Fuel Oil. It is also a much cleaner. “

“Our vision goes beyond gas. Our goal for our country is increasing year after year renewable energy until we get to 100% renewables, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels as we go along. Those who say that there is no need to switch to gas or that we should rely only on the interconnector have no idea what they are talking about. We have to vary our sources of energy as much as possible because it is economically dangerous to rely excessively on one source. There has also been talk of energy from the interconnector as being free of pollution. This is a myth. The carbon dioxide and other pollutants, generated at the places generation of power transmitted over the interconnector actually counts as pollution generated by Malta.”

“AD’s position is clear – we need to switch to gas and accelerate the move to more and more renewable energy. This need to switch to gas doesn’t mean that things should be rushed and that shortcuts are taken when it comes to safety and risk mitigation. The fact remains that if towards the end of the nineties we had a government which took the power generation sector seriously, today we would have a gas pipeline and we would not be discussing gas tankers in Marsaxlokk with all the issues it raises.”

Carmel Cacopardo Deputy Chairperson and spokesperson for sustainable development said that the Greens participated in the public consultation exercise organized the Environment and Resources Authority. AD’s submissions focus on the emergency plan which the Department of Civil Protection were duty bound to submit for public consultation. Instead they kept it under wraps under the pretext of national security (click here to read submission). “The Department of Civil Protection has an obligation to publish the external emergency plan under the EU’s Seveso III Directive which has been transposed into Maltese law by the 2015 Regulations on the Control of Hazards from Major Accidents. “

Cacopardo said that public consultation with those affected by the external emergency plan is a democratic duty which the Department of Civil Protection cannot avoid.

“AD will continue to insist that this plan is published.”

—

Il-qalba għall-gass neċessarja iżda l-affarijiet għandhom isiru sew

Waqt konferenza stampa Birżebbuġa l-kelliem ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika dwar l-industrija, l-enerġija u t-trasport Ralph Cassar tkellem dwar il-bżonn li ssir il-qalba għall-gass bħala fuel ta’ tranżizzjoni lejn enerġija aktar nadifa u fl-aħħar mill-aħħar enerġija rinnovabbli.

“Il-bidla fil-klima hija wahda mill-akbar sfidi li qed niffaċċjaw. Huwa għalhekk li l-gass huwa sors ta’ enerġija ta’ tranżizzjoni propju għax jiġġenera anqas dijossidu tal-karbonju minn fuels oħra bħall-Heavy Fuel il u d-diesel. Huwa wkoll ħafna aktar nadif.”

“Il-viżjoni tagħna tmur lil hinn minn hekk. Il-mira tagħna għal pajjiżna hija li nżidu sena wara sena sorsi ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli sa ma naslu għal 100% u nnaqqsu d-dipendenza tagħna fuq il-fuels fossili. Min jgħid li ma’ hemmx bżonn naqilbu għall-gass jew li għandna niddependu biss mill-interconnector ma jafx x’qed jgħid. Irridu nvarjaw kemm jistgha jkun is-sorsi ta’ enerġija għax huwa perikoluż anke ekonomikament li niddependu iżżejjed minn sors wieħed. Sar ukoll diskors li l-enerġija mill-interconnector ma tniġġisx. Din hija ħrafa. Anke d-dijossidu tal-karbonju, fost tniġġis ieħor, iġġenerat fil-post minn fejn tinxtara l-enerġija tal-interconnector fil-fatt jgħodd mal-inventarju ta’ Malta meta jiġi ikkalkulat kemm il-pajjiż qed iniġġes.”

“Il-pozizzjoni ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika hija ċara – għandna naqilbu għall-gass, u aktar minn hekk inżidu l-pass biex naqilbu għal enerġija rinnovabbli. Iżda l-affarijiet għandhom isiru sew, jitnaqqsu r-riskji ta’ incidenti u jkun hemm trasparenza sħiħa. Il-fatt jibqa’ li kieku fl-aħħar tas-snin disgħin kellna Gvern li jieħu s-settur tal-enerġija bis-serjeta’ kieku illum għandna pipeline tal-gass u mhux qed niddiskutu tankers fil-port ta’ Marsaxlokk bil-problemi li dan iġib miegħu.”

Carmel Cacopardo Deputat Chairperson u kelliemi għall-iżvilupp sostenibbli qal li Alternattiva Demokratika ħadet sehem fil-konsultazzjoni pubblika li organizzat l-Awtorita għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi. Is-sottomissjonijiet ta’ AD jiffukaw fuq il-pjan ta’ emerġenza li d-Dipartiment tal-Protezzjoni Ċivili kellu l-obbligu li jippreżenta għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika imma minflok żammu mistur bl-iskuża tal-ħarsien tas-sigurta’ pubblika (aqra hawn).

“Id-Dipartiment tal-Protezzjoni Ċivili għandu obbligu li jippubblika l-pjan estern ta’ emerġenza skont id-Direttiva Seveso III tal-Unjoni Ewropea li ġiet trasposta fil-liġijiet Maltin permezz tar-regolamenti tal-2015 dwar il-Kontroll ta’ Perikli ta’ Inċidenti kbar.”

Cacopardo qal li l-konsultazzjoni pubblika ma’ dawk effettwati mill-pjan ta’ emerġenza esterna huwa obbligu demokratiku li d-Dipartiment tal-Protezzjoni Ċivili ma jistax jaħrab minnu.

“Alternattiva Demokratika se tibqa’ taħdem biex dan il-pjan ikun ippubblikat.”