Our survival. It's so fundamental that one would think we all would unite to find a fast solution.

Sometimes I go to remote places in Malta, the few we have left, and I lay down on my back on the ground and close my eyes. I dream of a Malta that once was and the one it will be one day. Yes, call me crazy, but I need to dream at times to stay sane in this very depressing reality. I take a deep breath in and try to filter out the good feelings from the bad. I’m telling myself that we will win this.

I see a Malta where children can grow up without suffering from respiratory illnesses caused by severe air pollution.

I see a Malta where we live a sustainable life, using the resources in a way to safeguard the environment for the generation to come.

I see a Malta where we live among greenery, even in urban areas. A Malta with a long-term master plan.

It always makes me smile and it fills my heart with hope. Somehow, every time I open my eyes, I feel recharged. It's a bit like dreaming of blue skies on a rainy day. We know it's there, we just don't see it yet. We need to go through those rainy days to get to the good ones.

I stopped counting the days when I'm day dreaming and the amount of nights I've been sleepless due to feelings of hopelessness. From time to time if feels like the grief of a lost healthy environment will choke me, that the human behaviour is a parasite which can't be cured.

Being a person who at times cares too much is not always easy, but it has also meant that I've experienced many amazing things in life. That's why I wouldn't change these days of despair for anything, they are worth it. Every single one.

Yes, for sure my life would be easier if I just sat down in the sofa and said "Screw this!" and put my feet up. But what kind of life would that be? For how long would I be able to live a life where I am not part of the solution, where I feel that my lifestyle harm others directly or indirectly? Not very long.  

I need to wake up every morning and tell myself that today is the day I will do something to be part of the change. The days I don't manage to do this, I feel like time has been lost.

We have created a world where humans take life for granted. It's frustrating, very frustrating, but the only way we can tackle it is too keep on pushing for a positive change.

Sometimes the situation in Malta feels like a bad love story. I want a healthy Malta and love this country to bits. But Malta is at the moment in a relationship with someone who takes advantage of her goodwill and beauty.

The ones in charge of her say that they have the right to tear her down, piece by piece. Then they will build her up like they want her, no matter what. Even if she won't cope, they will do it their way. Just like an abuser, they don't realise that every soul has its limit. And these people do everything they can so that people around Malta won't notice the abuse.

There are two ways out of an abusive relationship, leaving with an empty and broken soul or death. We can only hope that Malta gets out at the right time, before there is no turning back time. And once Malta gets out, people who always fought for her will be there to build her up. This might happen during our lifetime or the one of our children.

That's why it's so important to make our children love the vision of, and dream of, a Malta where they can fulfill their lives. I shiver every time I hear an adult saying that there is no need to fight! We need to get our act together and fight for what is ours. Because nature is a shared resource.

Hope isn't lost even though it seems written in the stars. Every time I open my eyes, I remind myself that we can turn this around.

We aren't meant to be greedy, it's not a human instinct. The meaning of life is to live so that others can thrive. The connection between everything on this planet is what makes us important. We are not superior but equals and we better start behaving like it. We say we love our children, time to show it!

One thing is for sure. Their lives are not for sale. No money in the world is worth our children's future.

Camilla Appelgren is a Partit Demokratiku candidate for EP election