This cultural post is dedicated to exploring the impact of global climate change on Malta. I was inspired to research the challenges Maltese locals are facing, as a result of global climate change, after reading a poem entitled Tal-ġelati. The poem was written by a well-known literature professor at the University of Malta, Adrian Grima, and published in an edition of Euro Abstracts. His poem is inspired by this central topic of the journal edition: The heat is on: the race to find innovative solutions to climate change. Some of the most critical implications of climate change in the Mediterranean include intense, frequent heat waves, coastal flooding, water scarcity, extreme weather events, and changes in biodiversity. This poem utilizes repetition of il-baħar [the sea] to emphasize the changes it is experiencing. Considering Malta is made up of islands, warming and rising sea conditions could have a devastating impact on society. Grima also creates a list of things Maltese children can no longer do because of the extreme heat. He says, mhux jgħoddsu [no diving], mhux jibnu l-kastelli u jħaffru l-passaġġi [no building castles and digging paths], and m’hawnx tal-ġelati [there is no ice cream]. Malta is most admired for its beautiful geography and Mediterranean warmth, but climate change poses an extreme threat to this critical aspect of the culture. I found the end of the poem very meaningful because it seemed to suggest to me the way in which we blame climate change on nature. The sea is described as bla ndiema [without repentance] and blah ħniena [ruthless] as if there is an outside force controlling these changes, rather than ourselves.
TAL-ĠELATI
Il-baħar qed jogħla, qed jibla’ r-ramliet,
fejn bejtu minn dejjem il-fkieren
li jieklu mill-bram bil-mijiet.
Il-baħar qed jisħon, qed jikber, u miegħu
il-bram qed jiżdied;
ifekren bla sabar fejn qabel kont tara kif folla
tinvadi bla ħniena l-bajjiet.
It-tfal mhux qed jgħumu,
mhux jgħoddsu bil-flippers,
mhux jibnu l-kastelli u jħaffru l-passaġġi
li jċedu bħas-silġ taħt in-nar;
mhux jiġu t-turisti, bil-ġilda ġa roża,
bl-umbrella tal-kiri, bit-tifel jippoża,
bis-sunblock jiddewweb
taħt xemx tarmi r-raġġ’ ultra vjola.
U m’hawnx tal-ġelati.
Qed jarma, qed jgħidu,
faċċata tal-bieb ta’ l-iskola,
Il-baħar bla ndiema,
bla ħniena,
qed jogħla.
I continued my research of the subject on the Times of Malta website. I found an article entitled Malta needs to prepare for climate change, experts say, written by Philip Leone Ganado in October 2018. The problems associated with climate change could be detrimental to Malta for a number of reasons. First, degradation to the Mediterranean ecosystem would have severe impacts on the Maltese economy, which relies heavily upon tourism and aquaculture. Decreased biodiversity in native species would have a considerable impact on Malta. Next, the domestic people of Malta face the risk of extreme heat and weather patterns. Positioned in the Mediterranean, Malta is already prone to high temperatures, so the small .5-degree movements can be devastating. Advocates for addressing the problem insist that cleaner energy (reduction in carbon emissions) is the most valuable solution.
A climatologist from the University of Malta states, "“Even if statistically our size means our impact is small, we could have a major impact in terms of influence,” he said. “If we make the changes we need, the impact is not just the emissions we release, but the image we give to the world.” Although Malta's contribution alone is not enough to alter global climate change, acknowledgement and support towards the cause can inspire larger changes in the EU, resulting in a global movement. On a local level, techniques such as green infrastructure, coastal defenses, more efficient buildings, and secured water supplies have all been considered by governmental strategists. In reality, though, Malta has missed its EU emission targets and struggled to impose change.
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