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220 deaths from air pollution in one year

Lower rate than EU of life lost due to particulates Pollution caused 220 premature deaths in Malta in 2012, according to a study by the European Environment Agency. While Malta has made substantial progress in cutting air pollution it still exceeded certain limits set by the EU and the World Health Organisation, according to... [...]

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Environment agenda for 2016

The government’s agenda for 2016 goes way beyond its two major milestones: the imminent setting up of the Environment and Resources Authority and the launching of three major EU-funded projects in the waste sector totalling €64 million. This agenda reflects the pathways charted in the pre-Budget document. It stands in sharp... [...]

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AIR QUALITY – A PIVOTAL KEY FOR A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Speech delivered by Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change Leo Brincat during the opening of The Air We Share – 2 nd MNEP National Conference, held on Wednesday 28 October 2015 This conference could not have come at a more timely manner. At a time when the international media have been long... [...]

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Cost of traffic congestion

In recent months, traffic, bad infrastructure and the related congestion dominated the news and social media. Whether it’s bus or priority lanes, new high-rise building developments or the never-ending Coast Road project – which, incidentally, no longer lets you see the coast at all – it has been one debacle after another. In... [...]

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‘Fewer trees than ever’

A woman walking past trees reflected on a lake in front of a construction site of a residential compound on a hazy day in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Photo: Darley Shen/Reuters Earth has three trillion trees but they are falling at an alarming rate Earth is home to just over three trillion trees – the redwoods of California,... [...]

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How Trees Calm Us Down

A new study found that an additional ten trees on a given block corresponded to a one-per-cent increase in how healthy nearby residents felt.  ILLUSTRATION BY TIM LAHAN In 1984, a researcher named Roger Ulrich noticed a curious pattern among patients who were recovering from gallbladder surgery at a suburban hospital in Pennsylvania.... [...]

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The End of the Line? E.A.Mallia

The EC has recently been giving a good deal of attention to some of the infringement procedures still operational against Malta. The two of interest here are those relating to hunting in Spring and to song-bird trapping. The process related to possible infringements of the Wild Birds Directive through use of a derogation allowing... [...]

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Facing impending water crisis

Malta is among the most water-stressed countries in the world. Its groundwater reserves are being depleted and they are severely affected by both nitrate pollution and increasing salinity – consequences of largely unregulated human activities. For 35 years, the island has been increasingly dependent on energy-intensive desalination... [...]

Environmental Health

Environmental Health

Environmental health refers to aspects of human health and diseases that are affected by the environment. It relates to the direct pathological effects of chemicals, radiation and some biological agents, and the often indirect effects on health and well-being of the broad physical, psychological, social and aesthetic environment,... [...]

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Fighting air pollution

No action plan to combat air pollution can succeed unless it is holistic, integrated and actively monitored in its implementation. While I am committed to ensure that the new Environment and Resources Authority will give air quality issues the top priority it deserves, this must also come accompanied by the necessary capacity... [...]