Several wildfires rage across California, yet again, collectively burning over a million acres of land. Rapid melting of ice sheets in both Greenland and Antarctica aggravates sea-level rise and displacement. The oil spill in Mauritius threatens the life of several marine species and types of coral. Summer wildfires in the Arctic Circle magnified due to warming set carbon emission record in seventeen years.
Above are only a few of the countless international headlines that my eyes have traversed across painfully these last few months. Painfully as evidently this is not news we have not encountered time and time again. Yet, as prominent as news regarding our changing climate is, people in power especially still refuse to see the real danger that rests behind the climate crisis, its urgency felt at different extremes around the world. It is either that they do not wish to believe the science which clearly states that anthropogenic factors have accelerated climate change, or they do not wish to face the truth – that a future on this planet looks bleak and uncertain if we do not implement a green transition, fast.
Malta is not immune to climate change, or to political irresponsibility for that matter. As the crisis worsens – and it will – we have a lot to lose as a small island in the Mediterranean Sea and we do not have the luxury to believe otherwise. The climate crisis topic has been brought up many times in conversations I’ve had with different people and a large percentage of the time I receive a similar response: We cannot do anything, the government will do whatever it wishes to anyways.
This is exceedingly problematic. They have pushed forth their agenda, no matter the consequences that will or might arise, and we have sat idly by. We have recognised our politicians’ lack of willingness to act and have accepted it as it is, in turn feeding climate inaction. How do we expect our politicians to do better if we do not force them to? Local emissions were slightly deducted during the ongoing pandemic due to the reduction of cars on the road. Some will say that this is a step forward, and yes, it is, but it does not mean that we have done our part in tackling climate change. A complete reduction in the use of carbon-emitting vehicles is merely one resolution amid a resolution pool.
The widening of roads to ‘reduce’ traffic, the Malta-Gozo tunnel which will supposedly make things easier, the Central Link project which has disrupted farmers’ livelihoods and saw the cruel chop of copious mature trees, the construction of apartments on ODZ land. These projects are doing anything but helping the public. They are trampling over natural carbon sinks, which are indispensable, and essentially placing money into the pockets of the power-hungry. We have heard word from our Prime Ministers regarding the introduction of electric cars and greener transport, word of the introduction of carbon-neutral strategies, word of greater investment in renewable energy, and so on and so forth. A climate emergency was even declared by parliament last year. Yet, we are yet to see any change being implemented. Talk is cheap, but action is priceless.
You may or may not have heard of Extinction Rebellion, a non-partisan global movement, present in over 72 countries including Malta, which is using non-violent acts of civil disobedience forcing governments to declare and act on the global climate emergency. With bold demands, such as achieving net-zero emissions by 2025, and several resilient values and principles that allow the movement to justly bring about systemic change, Extinction Rebellion has earned global attention – and rightfully so.
Following a brief pause at the beginning of the year due to COVID-19, Extinction Rebellion Malta introduced an August campaign in which members took to the steps of Castille in a series of sit-ins to bring awareness to the government’s lack of action. Respecting COVID-19 restrictions, the sit-ins provided a platform on which we could voice our priorities to the public, some of which include carbon neutrality, curtailing unsustainable development and endorsing urban greening, promoting green transport initiatives, and greater investment in renewable energy. These demands are only a few of the many, as the main aim remains to not only change one facet of but the entire system.
As Extinction Rebellion Malta, we have done our part in supporting the XR global movement, not only in bringing awareness to the global climate emergency but also to local climate inaction and unjust environmental degradation. There is very little to no time left and that is why our work as a movement is of great importance. Tactics such as lobbying or voting – though of immense significance – have not brought about the necessary changes. We must believe in an active democracy. That is why Extinction Rebellion has stepped forth with a different and impactful approach, and we will not stop until significant change is brought about.