The sheer arrogance of some so-called developers is expressed in such statements as read in the article entitled “Environmentalists’ action ‘causing great harm’ to economy” (TMIS, 6 September). They have turned this island into a shameful place where speculation is rife and degraded the environment, which has destroyed the quality of life.

They are jeopardizing the possibility of having a sound sustainable tourism industry by buying off cheap landscapes which otherwise should be our main product. The tasteless, aesthetically unpleasing stupidities they expect to have approved have turned this island into a Sodom of quick profit, and ridicule whatever is good sense and fresh innovative ideas that the economic regeneration needs. The days of the building industry being the wheel of the economy are over. It is shocking to know there are still influential people who have not realised this.

Their affirmations in this article show how sterile their vision of progress is; limited to seeing economic regeneration only through what has now been proven to be the flogging the last of our resources to death.

How can a respectable developer come up with such a declaration defending a development as that happening in areas like Bahrija? – but not just Bahrija or Dr Scerri’s.

What innovations have we seen in the development scene? In design or solutions to environmental changes? What about investment in the management of eco-historical – cultural tourism projects? Where is our think tank to re-invent our economy away from what has become stagnant?

J. N. Ebejer

MARSASCALA