FAA Letter to the Prime Minister gains momentum

The Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar Open Letter calling on the Prime Minister to act in favour of Malta's deteriorating environment and quality of life launched in this newspaper last Sunday has gained significant momentum, this newsroom is informed.

The signatories have increased from 300 to 1,000 in the space of a week. Rather than aiming for numbers, FAA has focused on personalities whose names carry weight in their field. These include leading personalities in the academic field, such as Prof Kevin Aquilina, Dean of the Faculty of Laws of the University of Malta.

The letter, takes aim at pollution, the destruction of heritage and landscapes, lack of enforcement, industrial development, high-rise developments and several other issues.

Those active in the environmental field are at the forefront, represented not only by local academics like Dr Paul Pace, Dr Maria Attard and Prof Alan Deidun, but also by leaders on an international scale, like Michael Zammit Cutajar, former head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat.

This newsroom is informed that heritage architects have also come out in force, with Prof Conrad Thake and architect Claude Busuttil backed up by none other than Prof Richard England and Prof Mario Buhagiar. Archaeologists and historians Prof Anthony Bonanno, Dr Ruben Grima, Prof Henry Frendo, Prof Roger Vella Bonavita and Prof Anthony Frendo who might not otherwise speak up, have expressed outrage at the destruction of Malta's unique heritage threatened not only by the destruction of heritage buildings all over Malta and Gozo, but also by construction on archaeological sites. Engineers Marco Cremona, Brian Restall and Prof Carm Pule have also thrown their weight behind the letter as has sociologist Dr Michael Briguglio.

The creative sector has also made their opinion known - Dr Vicki Ann Cremona, John Schranz, Maria Grech Ganado, Prof Im- manuel Mifsud, Dr Adrian Grima, Dr Marco Galea, Trevor Zahra and Charles Xuereb, Dr Alex Vella Gregory, Anna Borg Cardona and Cecilia Xuereb have all endorsed this initiative along with artists Tonio Mallia, Debbie Caruana Dingli and Anthony Weitz, cartoonist Steve Bonello, international photographer Daniel Cilia and, perhaps unsurprisingly Marc Storace, the Swiss-based rocker who never fails to champion his island roots.

The Open Letter, this newsroom is informed, does not include many politicians; Only Dr Marthese Portelli and David Casa feature representing the PN, along with Partit Demokratiku's Dr Marlene Farrugia and AD Chairperson Arnold Cassola, and Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo.

Other personalities who have signed include Alfred Baldacchino and Rio Sammut, who will always put environment first, and also Prof Lino Briguglio Dr Mary Darmanin, Charles Xuereb Gillian Bartolo and Marie Benoit.

Leading members of the commercial community like Helga Ellul, Godfrey Leone Ganado and Pierre Fava have also signed on, against the idea of over-development.

Lilian Miceli-Farrugia and the Jesuit community have likewise come out in favour of of the open letter.

In this open letter, Malta's major environmental groups present a united front as they have done in most of their statements over the last few years. Besides FAA, the rolls include most committee members of Din l-Art Helwa, Ramblers, Friends of the Earth, Nature Trust, Malta Noise Abatement Society and the Malta Water Association as well as Martin Scicluna, Dr George Debono, Joseph V. Tabone, Patrick Tabone and Dr John Vassallo of the Today Public Policy Institute. The Open Letter can be signed online at: www.change.org/p/prime-minister-of-malta-our-health-comes-first