One feels a sense of excitement when it is announced that some archaeological discovery has just been made that puts a new light on man's remote past. It is felt when the information relates to life in Malta thousands of years ago, as well as when it takes us back to a world where human beings were still on their way to becoming human.
The truth is that the remote past of humankind is much more mysterious than its future could be. The latter we don't know but eventually will. The former is unknown and much of it will surely remain forgotten. So, every bit of the past that becomes better known is priceless. It provides us with more useful information about who we are, who we were and could have been. Without this forgotten information, no matter how limited, it would be difficult to give any worthwhile explanation for man's existence.
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BERLAYMONT
The Schuman crossroad centrally situated in Brussels's European quarter and dominated by the European Commission's Berlaymont headquarters, has become embroiled in controversy. Major works were commenced to convert it into a zone free of the incessant traffic that went through it and so ready to develop into a space that's there for people, not cars. That was the official explanation. Up to some two and a half years ago, when I was still commuting to Brussels practically every week, the upcoming works were being publicly promoted according to this script.
Today however, media reports indicate that the improvements being prospected have turned out to be too onerous. The structure that was to be set up in the centre of the square will not now be built - it was too expensive. The removal of trees from the surroundings in order the accomodate the project gave rise to widespread complaints. Many are now saying that the traffic going through the square never was a problem after all, as vehicles always found it not too difficult to navigate the traffic there.
For someone coming from Malta, the manner by which public and private construction projects are carried out in Belgium has always provided some cold comfort, given our experience regarding how such projects are handled her
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HOT
It has been hot and still is. Forecasts all guarantee summers will stay like so for years to come. Indeed, they're bound to get warmer. This will mean that in order to be able to breathe properly and not get baked to death, more and more people will take care to live their lives at acceptable temperatures in their homes and wherever they happen to be.
Enemalta's top managers have admitted how surprised they were by the enormous surge in demand for energy as people did their best to keep cool. From all the information we get about climate change, the message is that most probably the future demand for energy will continue to break all records.
Meanwhile, the same heavy press exerted by the sunlight wherever we go is also providing a "cheap" source of energy. It's not always being captured and used as much as it could be. The time has probably arrived for tough measures to be put in place to ensure that wherever heat energy is pouring, we have more more panels and similar devices that from the suffocating heat we must endure, can create the energy needed to neutralise the heat.