The Malta Independent 10 February 2025, Monday
View E-Paper

Air quality should be given priority, ADPD says

Saturday, 25 January 2025, 13:39 Last update: about 15 days ago

ADPD-The Green Party on Saturday highlighted the need for better air quality, saying that many respiratory health issues are a result of air pollution, affecting one's quality of life. 

Sandra Gauci, ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson made reference to a study published by the European Court of Auditors that European cities have very high levels of air pollution.  Every EU member state, including Malta, will need to work harder to reach the strict standards that are to be introduced in the future.  According to the European Environmental Agency, air pollution is responsible for the deaths of at least 250,000 people in Europe every year, and 250 persons in Malta. 

This is a worrying number of people, especially now that a number of parties in the EU are trying to sabotage the Green Deal and are ignoring climate change. In Malta, we see similar issues - when you see a construction site on practically every corner, or a government who is clueless on how to reduce car traffic, you realise that nobody has the courage to take strict measures to improve the quality of the air we breathe. 

There is the need for construction sites, including quarries, to be subject to restrictions and that permits are given out after thorough planning, she said.  The quarries in question have been around for many years before residences were built; the question is why these were allowed to be built knowing that these buildings would be near quarries? It is a well-known fact that quarries produce substantial amounts of dust when in operation. 

Gauci pointed out that car usage is one of the main causes of air pollution, and therefore there is the need for the government to invest in public transport.  Whilst we have seen an improvement in the quality of such services, there is much to be desired.  Our roads are packed with cars stuck in traffic every moment of the day, so much so that the country is paralysed, creating more pollution in the process. 

Air pollution is related to a number of health issues and diseases, primarily heart disease, cancer and respiratory disease.  In Malta we have many who suffer from diseases that are linked to environmental factors, and therefore we need to reduce environmental risk factors that lead to these diseases.  The government is duty bound to protect people from exposure to these environmental hazards to safeguard their health and well-being.  It is enough to only supply medicines, concluded Gauci.

 


  • don't miss