The European Commission has decided to take infringement procedures on some member states that are not fulfilling their obligations on Climate Change. Malta unfortunately got three warnings!

Every burning organic material emits carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

This colourless gas acts like the glass in greenhouses by trapping heat inside. The resulting global warming can melt the polar ice, resulting in an increase in the sea level. In Malta, this means that we may have to evacuate our homes and move to higher places such as Dingli!

Those who watched the blockbuster “The Day After Tomorrow”, can understand me better.

Climate change is a threat to humanity’s future. Scientists from Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research are warning us that a further rise of just 0.4 degrees Celsius in global average temperature would give rise to flooding of the Himalayas and millions more people facing famine!

In fact, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. We saw, for example, how in 2003 more than 14,000 people had died in France in an extraordinary heat wave!

The irony is that in spite of all this, we have lately introduced another fireworks festival in the Maltese calendar. Although global warming is a very critical topic that is worrying scientists and governments worldwide, it seems as though we Maltese people are not interested.

Now the ball is in our hands to decide whether we really wish to save the Earth, especially for the younger generations to come!

Global warming is not simply about illnesses such as asthma due to dust pollution, or skin cancers due to the Ozone layer “hole” business. It is much more than that. Why should we remain ignorant and passive on this topic? We are heading towards a possible catastrophe....

Charles Micallef

Fgura