The Paris Agreement on Climate Change -- Il-Ftehim ta' Pariġi fuq it-Tibdil tal-Klima

 

On the 12th December 2015, an important agreement was announced between members of the United Nations on what to do about climate change caused by anthropogenic (human) sources.1  This agreement has the following main characteristics:

 

• •that countries determine their own targets on how much they are ready to reduce emissions of gases contributing to climate change; 

• •that they need to report transparently on how these targets are being reached, although there are no sanctions if they aren't; 

• •that targets are reviewed every 5 years, with the aim of their ambition increasing; 

• •that developed countries contribute $100 billion a year to help undeveloped countries, which are often the ones mostly affected by climate change; 

• •that the increase in temperature until the end of this century (2100) be limited to well below 2C, as this limit is considered too risky and can lead to countries disappearing under the waves, and to attempt to reach 1.5C. 

 

It's accepted that the country targets published to date will not result in an increase of 2C, let alone 1.5C.  That is the reason for the decision that targets should be reviewed every 5 years.  This will doubtlessly result in pressure on all countries to increase their ambition.

 

It is also accepted that countries are not legally obliged to reach their goals, although they are legally obliged to have a goal.  Nevertheless, it is thought that there is sufficient scrutiny from other countries that will prevent any country from thinking it can have a free ride.

 

As an Australian citizen, I was pleased to note my adoptive country join a group of another 100, the so-called 'Ambition Coalition' which were resisting a watering down of the agreement.  This would probably have been unthinkable if the Australian Prime Minister was still Tony Abbott.  I also noted Canada joining this group, again this would probably not have happened if that country's prime minister hadn't changed.2

 

Truly, it can be said that there's been a sea change in the Australian climate change policy under the new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

 

Under Tony Abbott, the government was always claiming to be taking significant and responsible steps in the fight against climate change, while doing everything possible to roadblock the upcoming renewable energy industry.

 

Under Malcolm Turnbull, the opposite is happening: the government is quietly removing these roadblocks, while claiming to be changing next to nothing from the previous regime's policies.  I understand this is being done to keep together the Liberal-National coalition, which includes several climate sceptic members.

 

Paradoxically, the more Turnbull convinces those around him that nothing much is changing, this exposes him to attacks by the Labor Party, music to their ears in their desire to paint Turnbull as nothing different to Abbott.

 

I have to say that the Labor Party needs all the ammunition it can get, as so far if the current popularity of Turnbull remains unchanged,3 at next year's election the Labour Party is facing a whitewash.

 

The last word goes to the Paris agreement - as one who believes in leaving the world a better place for our children and grandchildren, I cannot not rejoice at this agreement, which can however be no more than the start of vigorous action that needs to occur around the world.  In fact, many other agreements will be needed in future, so that mankind and nature avoid the more serious consequences of burning without restraint of fossilised energy sources and ancient forests.

 

Step by step!

 

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Fit-12 ta' Diċembru 2015, tħabbar li ntlaħaq ftehim importanti bejn il-pajjiżi tal-Ġnus Magħquda fuq x'għandu jsir dwar it-tibdil tal-klima kkawżat minn sorsi antropoġeniċi (jiġifieri ġejjin mill-bniedem).1  Dan il-ftehim għandu dawn il-karatteristiċi prinċipali:

 

• •li l-pajjiżi jiddeterminaw il-miri tagħhom infushom dwar kemm lesti jnaqqsu mir-rimi ta' gassijiet li jikkontribwixxu għat-tibdil tal-klima; 

• •iridu jirrappurtaw kemm dawn il-miri qed nitlaħqu b'mod trasparenti, għalkemm m'hemm sanzjonijiet jekk dawn ma jintlaħqux; 

• •il-miri jridu jiġu rriveduti kull ħames snin, bl-iskop li l-ambizzjoni tagħhom tiżdied; 

• •li l-pajjiżi żviluppati jikkontribwixxu $100 biljun fis-sena biex jgħinu lill-pajjiżi mhux żviluppati, li ħafna drabi huma dawk li l-iktar se jħossu l-effetti tat-tibdil fil-klima; 

• •li l-żieda fit-temperatura sal-aħħar ta' dan is-seklu (2100) għandha tkun limitata għal ħafna inqas minn 2C (żewġ gradi Ċentigradi), għax din iż-żieda hija kkunsidrata riskjuża wisq u li tista' twassal għal pajjiżi baxxi jisparixxu taħt il-mewġ, u li jippruvaw jilħqu l-mira ta' 1.5C
   

Huwa aċċettat li l-miri ppubblikati s'issa mill-pajjiżi, mhumiex se jwasslu għal żieda fit-temperatura ta' 2C, aħseb u ara ta' 1.5C.  Għalhekk kien hemm id-deċiżjoni li l-miri ta' kull pajjiż għandu jiġu rrivedut kull ħames snin.  Dan bla dubju se jwassal għal pressjoni fuq kull pajjiż biex iżid l-ambizzjoni tiegħu.

 

Huwa aċċettat ukoll li l-pajjiżi mhumiex legalment marbutin li jilħqu l-miri tagħhom, għalkemm huma legalment marbuin li jkollhom mira.  Madankollu, huwa maħsub li se jkun hemm biżżejjed skrutinju minn pajjiżi oħra li ma jippermettix lil xi pajjiż jitħajjar sempliċement jgħid ħaġa u jagħmel oħra.

 

Bħala ċittadin Awstraljan, kien ta' pjaċir ninnota lill-pajjiż adottiv tiegħi jingħaqad ma' grupp ta' 100 pajjiż ieħor, hekk imsejjaħ 'Koalizzjoni tal-Ambizzjoni' għax kienu qed jirreżistu li l-ftehim ikun inqas ambizzjuż milli seta' kien.  Din il-ħaġa aktarx ma kinetx isseħħ kieku l-Prim Ministru Awstraljan kien għadu Tony Abbott.  Rajt ukoll li l-Kanada wkoll ingħaqdet ma' dan il-grupp, ukoll din aktarx ma kinetx isseħħ kieku l-prim ministru ma nbidilx.2

 

Tassew, fil-qasam tal-politika Awstraljana fuq it-tibdil tal-klima, seħħet bidla sħiħa malli sar Prim Ministru Malcolm Turnbull.

 

Taħt Tony Abbott, il-gvern kien dejjem jgħid li qed jieħu passi sinjifikanti u responsabbli fil-ġlieda kontra t-tibdil tal-klima, filwaqt li għamel minn kollox biex jagħmel il-bsaten fir-roti lill-industrija l-ġdida tal-enerġija sostenibbli.  

 

Taħt Malcolm Turnbull, l-oppost qed jiġri: il-gvern qiegħed bil-kwiet ineħħi dawn il-bsaten fir-roti, waħda waħda u mingħajr ħafna daqq ta' trombi, filwaqt li jgħid li mhu qed jibdel ftit li xejn mill-politika tal-gvern ta' qablu.  Milli nista' nifhem, qed jagħmel dan tal-aħħar biex iżomm magħquda il-koalizzjoni Liberali-Nazzjonali li jinkludi fih diversi membri xettiċi fuq it-tibdil tal-klima.

 

Paradossalment, iktar ma' Turnbull jikkonvinċi lil ta' madwaru li fil-prattika mhu qed jinbidel ftit li xejn, iktar jesponi ruħu għall-attakki tal-Partit Laburista, li dan li jridu jisimgħu ħalli jpinġu lil Turnbull bħala xejn differenti minn Abbott.

 

Irrid ngħid li l-Partit Laburista Federali għandu bżonn kwalunkwe munizzjoni, għax s'issa jidher li, jekk il-popolarità ta' Turnbull tibqa mhux mittiefsa kif inhi issa,3 fl-elezzjoni tas-sena d-dieħla il-Partit Laburista qed iħares lejn disfatta kbira.

 

L-aħħar kelma dwar il-ftehim ta' Pariġi - bħala wieħed li jemmen li għandna nħallu lid-dinja aħjar milli sibniha għal uliedna u wlied uliedna, ma nistax ħlief nifraħ li ntlaħaq dan il-ftehim, li però jista' jkun biss il-bidu ta' ħidma sfiqa li hemm bżonn issir mad-dinja kollha.  Fil-fatt, baqa' ħafna ftehimiet oħrajn li jridu jintlaħqu fil-futur, biex il-bniedem u n-natura jevitaw l-konsegwenzi l-iktar serji ta' ħruq bla rażan ta' sorsi ffossilizzati tal-enerġija u ta' foresti antiki.

 

Pass wara pass!

 

 

 

1UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; Conference of the Parties, 21st Session FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev.1, 12 December 2015

2http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/australia-joins-paris-climate-coalition/story-fni0xqlk-1227642659074, retrieved 14/12/2015

3http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/newspoll, retrieved 14/12/2015

1UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; Conference of the Parties, 21st Session FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev.1, 12 December 2015

2http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/australia-joins-paris-climate-coalition/story-fni0xqlk-1227642659074, retrieved 14/12/2015

3http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/newspoll, retrieved 14/12/2015

A 'Nigerian' representing Malta? -- 'Niġerjana' tirrappreżenta lil Malta?

A 'Nigerian' representing Malta?

 

I'm naturally referring to the young Destiny Chukunyere, who has a Nigerian-born father and a Maltese mother, who has just won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for 2015 with her song Not My Soul, landing Malta the title for the second time in three years.

 

How delighted were my wife and I, stuck to the TV as we do yearly for this festival and its adult equivalent, listening to this fabulous voice that distinguished itself from the other singers.  It reminded me in many ways to Chiara, who had bewitched so many people with her voice and presence.

 

Since coming to Australia, we've kept this annual appointment courtesy of SBS, after having discovered it by accident.  Over here, the large number of immigrants from Europe means there's significant interest in this festival, not only by the Maltese.

 

Nevertheless, for us Maltese, this festival represents one of the few activities in which the land of our forefathers is one of the better players when compared to far-larger countries, making a name for itself and giving the Maltese much pride.

 

Beyond these happy thoughts, while watching the festival, I also reflected upon the complexity of our world.  I remember Destiny's father, Ndubisi Chukunyere, while I was still in Malta, playing soccer with Paola's Hibernians, apart from the Nigerian national team.  Ndubisi ended up staying in Malta, becoming a Maltese citizen, marrying a Maltese woman and having Destiny who's no less Maltese as I am.

 

What a world this is, with so many people leaving their country of origin, going to live in another country and naturalising there, while remaining ethnically and culturally tied to their origin, like me and the Maltese diaspora.

 

But again, this is a story of so many millions of people, and not recent at all.

 

Migration is an ancient story.  Australia has seen waves of migration after and before the second world war, the English and the convicts they brought with them, and the other Europeans that came before.  Before them again, the aboriginals have been here for around 40 thousand years, and before this time were on their way along Asia in the migration of our human species, homo sapiens.

 

At the same time, this species had entered Europe from Africa and gradually took over from other previously existing human species, homo neanderthalensis.  We could go over the continents and find a similar, very interesting and complex story, that is still today not fully known.

 

What's clear is that the human story is one of continuous migration.  A country's political borders are wholly artificial, and don't reflect cultural geographies, and the need for people, and other creatures, to have a livelihood.

 

We are occupying, and dominating, this planet, which goes round a star that is just one of 100 billion in this galaxy, that in turn is just one out of 100 billion galaxies in the universe.  We think we're so smart, while in fact ruining this miniscule part of the universe, polluting the air, land and sea alike with our endless consumption.  The callousness, lack of charity, cruelty and greed we show other people are quite ugly.

 

When will we start looking at our world as a gift to be cherished, instead of a fountain of resources that we need to exploit before the next man does?  When will we start behaving as brethren instead of drunken thieves?  When will we stop pretending that our religion has all the answers while that of others have no value?  When will we start treating as friends only those who have our same skin colour?

 

Will I live to see the day?

 

 

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'Niġerjana' tirrappreżenta lil Malta?

 

Qed nirreferi naturalment għaż-żgħażugħa Destiny Chukunyere, li għandha missierha mwieled in-Niġerja u ommha Maltija, li għadha kif rebħet il-Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, li bil-kanzunetta tagħha Not My Soul (Mhux Ruħi), reġgħet rebbħet dan it-titlu lil Malta għat-tieni darba f'tliet snin.

 

Kemm tpaxxejna jien u l-mara, msammrin quddiem it-televiżjoni bħal ma nagħmlu kull sena għall-dan il-festival u dak tal-adulti, nisimgħu lil din il-vuċi favoluża li spikkat mill-kantanti l-oħra.  Fakkritni ħafna fi Chiara li wkoll kienet saħħret lil tant nies bil-vuċi u l-preżenza tagħha.

 

Kemm ilna l-Awstralja, żammejna dan l-appuntament annwali li jipprovdilna l-SBS, wara li konna skoprejnih b'kumbinazzjoni.  Hawnhekk, l-ammont kbir ta' immigranti mill-Ewropa jfisser li hawn interess kbir f'dan il-festival, mhux mill-Maltin biss.

 

Madankollu, għalina l-Maltin, dan il-festival jirrappreżenta wieħed mill-ftit aspetti fejn pajjiż missirijietna iħabbatha sew ma' pajjiżi oħra bil-wisq ikbar, u jagħmel isem għalih innifsu, u jagħmel lilna kburin li Maltin!

 

Apparti dawn il-ħsibijiet ta' ferħ, waqt li kont qed nara l-festival, irriflettejt ukoll fuq kemm hi kumplessa d-dinja.  Missier Destiny, Ndubisi Chukunyere, niftakru meta kont għadni Malta, kien ġie min-Niġerja jilgħab il-futbol mal-Hibernians ta' Raħal Ġdid, kien ukoll jilgħab mat-tim nazzjonali Niġerjan.  Ndubisi Chukunyere spiċċa baqa' Malta, sar ċittadin Malti, iżżewweġ lil Maltija, u kellhom lil Destiny li għalhekk hija Maltija daqsi.

 

X'dinja din, fejn tant nies jitilqu minn pajjiżhom u jmorru jgħixu f'pajjiż ieħor u, kif ngħidu aħna, isiru tal-post, waqt li jibqgħu etnikament u kulturalment marbutin mal-oriġini tagħhom, bħali u d-dijaspora Maltija.

 

Imma, terġa u tgħid, din hi l-istorja ta' tant miljuni ta' nies.  U din mhix storja riċenti.

 

L-istorja mal-migrazzjoni hija antika.  Fl-Awstralja, kellna l-mewġiet tal-migrazzjoni ta' wara t-tieni gwerra dinjija u ta' qabilha, tal-Ingliżi u l-ħabsin li ġabu magħhom, u tal-Ewropej l-oħra li ġew qabilhom.  Qabilhom kien hawn l-aboriġeni li kienu ilhom hawn mal-40 elf sena, li qabel dan iż-żmien kienu fi triqthom tul l-Ażja fil-migrazzjoni tal-ispeċje tagħna l-bnedmin, il-homo sapiens.

 

Fl-istess żmien, din l-ispeċje kienet daħlet fl-Ewropa mill-Afrika u ftit ftit iddominat fuq l-ispeċje ta' bnedmin li kienet hemm qabel, il-homo neanderthalensis.  Nistgħu nibqgħu nduru l-kontinenti, u nsibu storja simili, interessanti ferm, u kumplessa, li għadha mhix magħrufa għal kollox.

Li huwa ċar huwa li l-istorja tal-bniedem hija waħda ta' migrazzjoni kontinwa.  Il-fruntieri politiċi tal-pajjiżi huma għal kollox artifiċjali, u ma jirriflettux il-ġijografija kulturali, u l-bżonn tal-bniedem, u tal-ħlejjaq l-oħrajn, li jfittxu l-għajxien tagħhom.

 

Aħna qegħdin nokkupaw, u niddominaw din il-pjaneta, li ddur ma stilla li hi biss waħda minn 100 biljun fil-galassja tagħha, galassja li hi biss waħda minn 100 biljun galassja fl-univers - mingħalina li tant aħna bravi u fil-fatt qed neqirdu din il-farka tal-univers, bit-tniġġis tal-arja, tal-art u tal-baħar, bil-konsum bla rażan.  Il-ħdura li nuru ma' bnedmin oħra, in-nuqqas ta' karità, il-kefrija u r-rgħiba bla qies huma tal-waħx.

 

Meta se nħarsu lejn id-dinja bħala rigal li għandna ngħożżu, minflok għajn ta' riżorsi li rridu nisfruttaw qabel ma jagħmel dan ħaddieħor?  Meta se nġibu ruħna ta' aħwa minflok ta' ħallelin fis-sakra?  Meta se nieqfu nippretendu li r-reliġjon tagħna għandha t-tweġibiet kollha u tal-oħrajn m'għandha l-ebda valur?  Meta se nieqfu nittrattaw bħala ħbieb dawk biss li għandhom l-istess kulur tal-ġilda tagħna?

 

Tgħid, ninnotaha xi darba f'ħajti?