Greenhouse

An American Opera Film Screening

2011-12-01T21:58:00.001+01:00

Join Greenhouse, Nature Trust Malta and Moviment Graffiti featuring the first screening of 'An American Opera' in Malta.

'An American Opera' which is an operatic vision of the pets, vets, owners, adopters and community of greater New Orleans , LA as seen through the eyes of those who took action in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

There will be 3 film Screenings:
Monday 5th December 7pm -9pm at the University of Malta (LC217)
Friday 9th December 7pm-9pm at the University of Malta (TBC)
Friday 16th December 7pm-9pm at the University of Malta (LT2)

Entrance is free but donations will be gladly accepted and appreciated.

This documentary is on the animal rescue operation following Hurricane Katrina. The film shows how tens of thousands of house pets were left to perish in neighborhoods all across the gulf when the owners were forced to evacuate without their pets. Tom McPhee the director of the film went to Gonzales, Louisiana not knowing how he would help, just knowing he needed to help somehow. He volunteered at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center and by chance found himself spending the next four days taking picture after picture of thousands of house pets rescued from flooded New Orleans. For the next 16 months Tom would document this historic event as it unfolded, trying to understand where it all went wrong. An American Opera is an unflinching, operatic vision of what happened to the people of New Orleans who were forced to evacuate without their beloved pets. Follow the story of the Pets, Vets, Owners, Officials, Rescuers and Adopters of animals as they all work through the chaos to do what is right only to discover not everyone is working toward the same goal!

An Impressive Upcycling Art Exhibition - This weekend!!

2011-11-17T20:40:00.007+01:00

In completion of the Care Creates Change project

Greenhouse will participating in the Recycling Artistic Gallery behind held this weekend at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.

We STRONGLY suggest you visit this event. There is some crazy Upcycling exhibited in it! :)

To read more about the project go here.

The Closing Event is on:
Friday 18th November. From 09:00 till 18:00
Saturday 19th November. From 10:00 till 18:00
Sunday 20th November. From 10:00 till 13:00

We are participating by setting up an stand on Endemic Plant species (most of which are for same if your into it :) ), Composting/Vermiculture and Permaculture (provided by the Permaculture Research Foundation.

In addition we are holding two workshops:

Saturday 19^th November from 12:00 till 13:00. (Simone Cutajar)

Don't waste your resources - Workshop on how what we

consider daily waste could be used as a resource.

Sunday 20^th November from 11:15 – 12:15 (Peppi Gauci)

Building Resilience in our Communities - Workshop on the function of our communities to address global challenges

The full programme of activities can be downloaded from here.

Venturing in the World of Volunteering - The Island Sanctuary

2011-10-19T14:00:00.006+02:00

This is the first of a three part series of articles written by Lindsay Fenech following her experience in three different voluntary organisations. These articles serve to explain the details of her experience within The Fair Trade Shop (L-Arka), Funny Farm - Horse Rescue Association and The Island Sanctuary.

The Island Sanctuary

The Island Sanctuary is another NGO which is found in Dellimara (Marsaxlokk). The main objective of the Island Sanctuary is to cater for the needs of stray and abandoned dogs in Malta. This NGO gives home to over 150 dogs and unfortunately it is always over capacity.

Expenses must be the Sanctuary’s main obstacle. Much of the money is spent on food, treats for the dogs, medications, the vet’s visits and the electricity bills. It is really difficult to overcome all these payments. Although the government gives an amount of money to help out, the bills are never fully covered. Hence, donations made by people are vital for this NGO. People can adopt a dog but only after they fill up a form, so that the people of the Sanctuary can check on the dogs later on. This shows the dedication and responsibility of the people of the Island Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary opens both in the morning and the evening. A lot of work must be done in order to satisfy all the dogs’ needs. Apart from feeding the dogs, the volunteers must fill their bowls with water, give them their medication, take the dogs for long walks, play with these animals and clean the rooms in which the dogs stay.

Volunteering at the Island Sanctuary was a really life-changing experience. Also the volunteers were very kind and friendly. The dogs at this NGO are really cuddly and playful. Some of them are really energetic while others are calmer. I would highly recommend to anyone to spend some of their free time at the Sanctuary to help out. By doing this, one would be helping, who were neglected or abused, live a happier life, as they deserve.

Venturing in the World of Volunteering - The Funny Farm

2011-10-19T10:00:00.004+02:00

This is the second of a three part series of articles written by Lindsay Fenech following her experience in three different voluntary organisations. These articles serve to explain the details of her experience within The Fair Trade Shop (L-Arka), Funny Farm - Horse Rescue Association and The Island Sanctuary.

Funny Farm - The Horse Rescue Association

Funny Farm is found in Bidnija, the outskirts of Mosta. This NGO’s main objective is to give shelter to neglected and ill-treated horses. Nearly all horses have been saved from; being sold for their meat, abandoned or put down. This NGO also gives home to other animals such as dogs and cats.

The owners of Funny Farm have a lot of expenses that need to be covered. Horses are big animals; hence they need more food than other ones. The concentrates and the hay given to the horses are quite expensive. They also need to buy some dog food and cat food and they have to pay the electricity bills. Even though the government gives them a sum of money, it is never enough to cover all the payment. Any medications given to the animals and the vets’ visits continue to increase the expenses.

Apart from that, a lot of work has to be done every day. Feeding all the horses is one tiring job. Not to mention cleaning the stables and the yard! In addition to, horses have to be washed and their hooves need to be cleaned or else the animals would get hurt.

The volunteers work both in the mornings and the evenings. These people are really dedicated and capable to handle such needy animals.

There are many reasons why someone should be involved in this organization. Firstly horses are really smart and adorable animals. At first, I must admit I was a bit frightened of such big animals, but by time I managed to overcome my fear. After a couple of hours, I was feeling very brave near the horses. Also, this experience helps you become more aware about the needs of animals and the animals’ rights. Many people consider animals as inferior organisms. Organisations like these reduce abuses on animals and create more awareness. It is also a nice way to make new friends.

There are many jobs that a volunteer could do on the farm, for instance washing the horses. All help is much appreciated.

I can personally say that my experience at the farm was wonderful. I’ve learned more about horses, which are such amazing animals. Also, I felt like I was making a difference in the world.

Plug-in the Shark reality!!

2011-10-13T10:00:00.001+02:00

European Shark Week - Malta

Sharklab-Malta, Nature trust (Malta) and Greenhouse are joining forces for this years European Shark Week. This will not only increase the potential for volunteers at activities, but will also allow for a greater involvement from each organisations supporters and a wider sharing of information and education.

The activity list was mailed to all Sharklab-Malta members and needs to be shared with Nature Trust (Malta) and Greenhouse members so we can maximise support at each activity

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=230742880315064

Saturday 15th October: "Awareness dive for Sharks" - This is being organised for ESW by Nature Trust and is weather dependant. I do not have any specific details of this activity yet. I think this is now being organised for Sunday 16th due to the weather... more details needed please..

Sunday 16th October:    " Awareness Activity at Marsaslokk Market" - This is a joint activity with Nature Trust and Greenhouse. Meeting at Marsaslokk for the activity to run from 7.00 am until 12.00 am . This activity is being organised as a petition drive for ESW as well as an educational event to teach the public more about Sharks and the problems they face not only in Europe but more specifically here in Malta. The issues of overfishing, bycatch and lack of knowledge will all be addressed at this activity. This event needs the support and participation of as many members as possible. You can be there from the start or arrive later in the morning, but you need to let me know as soon as possible if you are able to attend and at what time.

Monday 17th October:   "The Shark" - This is a multimedia presentation all about the shark, organised byAlison Stolnicu with the Parish Priest at Santa Marija Parish Church in Birkirkara. The presentation will start at around 6.45 pm and has been organised for a group of young people who attend this evening meeting as well as the general public. All members are welcome to help out at and attend this activity. Please let me know if you are able to attend this presentation.

Friday 21st October:       "The Shark" - This is a multimedia presentation all about sharks. This is being held at Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School and is only open to students attending the school. If you are available to help setting up and helping at this activity, then please let me know. The start time of this presentation is 10.00 am in the "New Library Buildiing".

Friday 21st October: "Sharkwater" - The film is being shown at Lecture hall 1 at the University of Malta and is open to all members and members of the public. The start time is 7.00 pm and I ask that you spread the word about the opportunity to see the film which has made a global difference to the way many people percieve sharks. This is a joint activity with Nature Trust (Malta) and Greenhouse. There is no charge for attending this film and I would recommend if you have not seen it to make sure this date is in you diary. Open to all.. Please share the attached poster to all of your friends!!!

Link: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=230509790337070

Saturday 22nd October:   "Awareness in the Mall" - Sharklab-Malta organised awareness activity at "The Point" Shopping centre in Sliema. This activity will run from 9.30 am until 7.30 pm (all day) and we will be all about educating the public about sharks and the marine life around Malta. Getting as many signatures on the Shark Alliance petition as possible and making a difference. If you are available to take part in this day of awareness then please let me know. You can support this activity by being around all day or if you can't make all day then just for a few hours in the morning or afternoon would be great. Nature Trust (Malta) and Greenhouse members will also be supporting this event. Please let me know your availability as soon as possible. This will be a whole day of making a difference in Malta and if we can make this BIG then we stand a chance of making real progress to protecting more species of sharks.

Rambling in Bahrija + Permaculture site visit!

2011-10-12T23:58:00.001+02:00

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=254080264628297

Youth Ramblers Malta will be opening the forthcoming walk season by organising a ramble to Bahrija and its environs, in collaboration with Greenhouse Malta. Besides the beautiful scenery, which will include the majestic view at Fomm ir-Rih, we shall also have the opportunity to visit the Permaculture site at Bahrija, called 'Bahrija Oasis' (http://bahrijaoasis.blogspot.com/).

Day of the Walk: Saturday 15th October 2011

Meeting time and place: 1400hrs in front of the Bahrija Church

The following is some information about 'Bahrija Oasis' and Permaculture:

The Bahrija Oasis is the first Permaculture farm set up in Malta, started by Peppi Gauci, who is a professional Permaculturalist. Permaculture is a holistic design philosophy which involves creating community eco-systems in which plants, animals, human beings, and all forms of ecological diversity interact to produce a prolific, ecologically-sound, and regenerative system that can support itself indefinitely. The project has now now matured, leading to the setting up of the Permaculture Research Foundation which aims to promote this life philosophy with the Maltese public.

Venturing in the World of Volunteering - Il-Hanut L-Arka

2011-10-12T12:00:00.005+02:00

Il-Hanut L-Arka - Kooperativa Kummerc Gust.

Il-Hanut Arka, which is located in St. Paul’s Street, Valletta, is a shop run by Koperattiva Kummerc Gust, which its main goal is to promote fairness and equality between producers and consumers. The term ‘Equality’ defines a situation where everyone is treated the same and no preferences or exploitations are made. The producers of the items sold in the shop are offered better trading terms and conditions. These producers are found in various countries like Indonesia and India. These produce different kinds of commodities. In fact, in the shop one can find both food items and decorations.

The Fair Trade tries to reduce abuses made on these people by large firms, which their only concern is to make abnormal profits. The people who run the shop give a huge importance to human rights, which help poor people from being exploited. They keep track of different producers so that they won’t be taken advantage of. The Fair Trade works with various producers for example the EMA (Equitable Marketing Association) which is found in India. All the principles of a democratic society are valued in this shop.

Many volunteers help in the shop. The shop opens from 9.30 am to 1.00pm and from 4.30pm to 6.30 on the weekdays. However, on Saturday it only opens from 9.30 am till 1.00pm. The shop is always very busy especially in the mornings. Many people visit the shop because the goods sold are very original and unique. A lot of tourists visit the shop to buy gifts. Usually only one volunteer stays in the shop. Apart from selling things to the clients, the volunteer must also rearrange the items on the shelves and the shop window.

I personally suggest that volunteering with il-Hanut Arka is an amazing experience. I spent approximately 9 hours working with the shop and I really enjoyed it. I got to meet new people and the other volunteers were really friendly. Since I was working for a good cause, the experience was really satisfying. It also made feel really appreciated and help me widen my knowledge. I got to learn more about different cultures. I also realised that I should put more into consideration those who are ‘less fortunate’.

Size Matters!

2011-10-10T17:38:00.001+02:00

Artisanal fishers and civil society groups are united in calling for the CFP reform to deliver sustainable European fisheries. On Monday October 10 2011, representatives of these groups are rallying for their voice to be taken onboard in the CFP reform. They will launch a joint declaration “Size Matters – Quality Counts” on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

The following day there will be a hearing in the European Parliament on the socio-economic viability of small-scale and coastal fisheries. (Photo and text courtesy of Ocean2012 and Corey Arnold)

Greenhouse has signed the decleration in support of Ocean2012 along with fellow local NGOs Nature Trust Malta and Sharklab (Malta).

Scale Matters: Quality Counts. Securing sustainability through the CFP Reform

2011-10-10T09:04:00.000+02:00

We, the undersigned organisations, representing artisanal coastal and inland fishworkers, development and environmental NGOs and other stakeholders, share a common interest in placing European fisheries on a sustainable footing by supporting the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in ways which ensure the recovery of fish stocks and habitats, the promotion of best practice, a just allocation of fishing access based on social and environmental criteria, and an equitable distribution of the benefits derived from these activities.

New fisheries policies that reward best practices with preferential access to fish resources, and target capacity reduction programmes so as to eliminate the most harmful fishing methods would go a long way to placing European fisheries on a more sustainable footing.

This was recognized in the European Parliament resolution on the Green Paper adopted in February 2010. The resolution highlighted that, although local fishing communities should be given primary access to fish stocks, access rights should no longer be based solely on the criterion of historical catches. Rather, environmental and social criteria should gradually be introduced to determine who should have access to fishery resources, where the use of such criteria could foster a dynamic that would lead to improved fishing practices and a more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable fishing industry. (1)

A significant proportion of the European fleet is small in scale and fishes in a non-intensive manner, using a range of seasonally diverse fishing methods on a range of species, with a relatively low impact on the ecosystem. This artisanal segment of the coastal and inland fisheries generates considerable ancillary jobs and provides the social, economic and cultural fabric that sustains many communities, where it makes an important contribution to food supplies and political, social and economic stability. This has been highlighted in the 2009 Statement from the Brussels Workshop on Common Fisheries Policy Reform in the European Union and Small-Scale Fisheries (2) and in the 2010 La Coruña Statement (3), amongst others. However, the qualitative aspects of different fishing gears and practices have been largely overlooked by the Commission in its reform package.

Coastal artisanal fishers are likely to be marginalised under the compulsory regime of Transferable Fishing Concessions as proposed by the Commission. Such a regime will favour the most economically powerful enterprises rather than the most sustainable fishery activities. However, if treated fairly, managed responsibly and given well defined fishing access, these kinds of fishery activities have the potential to deliver healthy fisheries and sustainable livelihoods over the long-term.

European Commission projections show employment in the fish catching sector is set to decline by 60% over the next 10 years, with the heaviest losses falling on the artisanal sector, which employs around 65% of the fisheries workforce.

We therefore call on the Members of the European Parliament, the Member States of the EU, and the Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs to turn the tide by:

Providing priority access to fish resources to those who fish in the most environmentally and socially sustainable way. Sustainability criteria should rank access to resources, favouring those who have the least impact on the marine environment, who can demonstrate compliance and who operate within and contribute to local communities;

Revoking the compulsory nature of the proposed Transferable Fishing Concessions (TFCs) scheme and providing a range of tools to be selected and adapted to enable the allocation of access to fishing opportunities based on sustainability criteria;

Including firm timelines for the development and adoption of multiannual plans that apply the appropriate measures through genuine bottom-up, participative co-management processes, through co-management committees, and giving due weight to sustainable development while ensuring the involvement and collaboration of all segments in the sector and stakeholders; and

Establishing and applying clear conditions and protocols to avoid conflicts between different users targeting shared stocks or common fishing grounds.

40+ Fishing Boat Association

5 Terre Academy

Acció Natura

African artisanal fishing organisations confederation (CAOPA)

An Taisce

Archipelagos

Asociació de Naturalitstes de Girona (ANG)

Asociacion de Armadores de Artes Menores de Catalunya (ADAMEC)

Asociación de Defensa Medioambiental Salvemos Monteferro

Asociación para la Investigación del Mar (AIMARES)

Associació Catalana d´Oceanògrafes i Oceanògrafs (ACOIO)

Association des Ligneurs de la Pointe de Bretagne

Associazione Locale-Globale

Ateneu Juvenil, Cultural i Naturalista de Girona

Baltic Environmental Forum

Baltic Wolf

BirdLife Europe

Birdwatch Ireland

BLOOM association

Blue Ventures

Bridport Commercial Boatowners and Fishermen's Association

Cadgwith and Helford Fishermen's Association

Cardigan Bay Fishermen's Association

Centre d’Etude, de Recherche-Action et d’Appuis pour le Développement (CERAD)

Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB)

Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA)

Coastwatch Europe

Cofradía de Pescadores de Cedeira

Cofradía de pescadores de l'Estartit

Collectif Bar Européen

Comité Local des Pêches Maritimes et des Élevages Marins du Var

Community Atgaja

Community of Arran Seabed Trust Limited

Confraria de Pescadors de Sitges

Cooperativa Porto de Abrigo

Coral Cay Conservation

Cornish Handliners Association

Danish Society for a Living Sea

Danmarks Naturfredningsforening

Deepwave

DEPANA - Lliga per a la Defensa del Patrimoni Natural

Deutsche Umwelthilfe

Dingle Oceanworld

Donegal Small Islands Fishermen

Eastbourne Fisherman’s Protection Society

Ecologistas en Acción

Eko-Unia

Environmental Centre for Administration and Technology

Environmental Information Center

EuroNatur

Fair Oceans

Federación Galega de Cofradías de Pescadores

Finnish Association for Nature Conservation

Fish Fight

Fishermens Federation for Small-scale fishery in Sweden (SYEF)

Fishing For Jobs

Fondazione Cetacea

Fundació ENT

Fundació Mar

Fundación Lonxanet para la Pesca Sostenible

Fundacja Sprzatanie Świata - Polska

Galway Atlantaquaria

Gent del Ter

Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine

Global Water Partnership

Goede Vissers

Greenhouse Malta

GreenLife

Greenpeace

Hastings Fishermen's Protection Society

Iberian Biodiversity

Instituto Internacional de Derecho y Medio Ambiente (IIDMA)

International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)

Irish Bass

Irish Seal Sanctuary

Irish Wildlife Trust

Irukandji Aquatik Films

Kenna EcoDiving

Klub Gaja

Latvian Anglers Association

Liffeysound Radio

Lighthouse Foundation

Lithuania Association

Lithuanian Entomological Society

Lithuanian Fund for Nature

Lithuanian Ornithological Society

M.E.E.R.

Marefondum

Marevivo

Marine Conservation Society

Marine Network of Friends of the Earth, England Wales and Northern Ireland - MARINET

Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles (Medasset)

Mediterranean Platform of Artisanal Fishers

Mediterrània-CIE

Mudeford and District Fishermen's Association

National Association of Small Boat Owners of Iceland

National Sea Life Centre Bray

Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU)

Nature Trust (Malta)

Nederlandse Elasmobranchen Vereniging

NEREO

Netherlands Inland Fishers Association

New Economics Foundation

New Under Ten Fishermen's Association

Noé Conservation

North West Traditional Fishermen

O Glaros

Observatori de deute en la Globalització

OCEAN2012

Oceana

OceanCare Switzerland

Oceanográfica: Divulgación, Educación y Ciencia

Orford and District Inshore Fishermen’s Association

Our Earth Foundation

People Uniting and Generating Aid for Development (PUGAD)

Pew Environment Group

Polish Ecological Club

Poole & District Fishermen's Association

Pro Wildlife e.V.

Prud’homie de Pêche de La Seyne-sur-Mer

Prud'homie de pêche de Sanary

Rede de colectivos Foro Social de Cangas

Reef Check

Scottish Creelers and Divers

Sea First Foundation

Seas At Risk

Share the World's Resources

Shark Trust

Sharklab

Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity

Societat Catalana d’Educació Ambiental

Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals (GSM)

South Coast Fisherman's Council

Stichting de Noordzee

Submarinistas en Acción

Sustainable Development Initiatives (DVI)

Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust

Swale Fisherman`s Association

Swanage Fishermen's Association

Swedish Professional Fishermen's Association (SYEF)

Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC)

Tethys Research Institute

The Fisheries Secretariat

The Gowienica Rivers Association

Union Intersyndicale des Petits Métiers de Pêche de Méditerranée (UIPMPM)

Verdegaia

Veterinaris Sense Fronteres (VsF)

VinVis / AKTEA

WWF Mediterranean Programme Office

(1) European Parliament report and resolution on the Green Paper on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (2009/2106(INI)), Paragraph 40

(2) Statement from the Brussels Workshop on Common Fisheries Policy Reform in the European Union and Small-Scale Fisheries: Paving the way to sustainable livelihoods and thriving fishing communities (pdf)

URGENT! Calling for Green Hands

2011-09-27T00:23:00.001+02:00

Hola beautiful people!

I hope this email finds you well! I'd like to start off this email by thanking Ritianne Ellul and Marthese Formosa for organizing the Pre Freshers Greenie Workshop.

As you might be aware next week is Freshers' Week at the University Campus. We need a helping hand! If you have some time to spare kindly send in your availability when you could be present on Greenhouse stand to greet people and possibly recruit new volunteers / members. We would brief you prior to your ''shift''. We therefore invite you to send your availability in the form of day and time preferred. We shall then set up an excel sheet with the different times and decide on a time when briefing could be held. The stand, apart from the usual will consist of a green area with music and drinks. We will be also selling bags made from reusing old clothes, plants and a bookpublished as part of Say No Racism! Campaign.

Another volunteering opportunity is our annual diary making workshop which will be held this Saturday. Kindly inform us if interested in attending.

Looking forward to hear from you on green.uom@gmail.com

Green Love,

Team Greenhouse ;)

Save Hondoq ir-Rummien - Inform Yourself!

2011-09-17T14:00:00.001+02:00

Greenhouse Malta has joined this Press Release

WE URGE you to sign the Hondoq ir-Rummien PETITION: http://raxerri.com/soshondoq/

Press Release.

Moviment Harsien Hondoq together with Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Ramblers Association,Nature Trust,Din L-Art Helwa,FOE Malta,Wirt Ghawdex Greenhouse Malta and Ghaqda Universita Ghawdxin welcome Transport Malta’s recent recommendation that MEPA should refuse the proposed alternative route to service the application for the building of a yacht marina, hotel and 250 flats and villas at Hondoq ir-Rummien. Common sense has prevailed.

It is indeed heartening to note that just as the Environment Directorate found the EIA biased in favour of the project, Transport Malta also concluded that there are serious shortcomings in the Traffic Impact Statement.

Firstly the traffic count was flawed by way of the location where it was carried out, far out of the Qala village core: in reality the project will generate unacceptable additional traffic in the centre of Qala.

Secondly the proposed traffic scheme for the project was not adequate. This is obvious considering that the objective of TM is” to provide an effective regulatory framework for land transport with road safety as a top priority, whilst at the same time promoting socio-economic development and protection of the environment.”

Moviment Harsien Hondoq and the eNGOs find it hard to imagine that the MEPA Board would ignore the expert advice of these two authorities, specialists in their respective fields, both of whom have recommended a refusal of this project.

The NGOs wish to thank the encouraging numbers who have been supporting the Hondoq cause and also signed up the petition. They ask those who have not yet signed it, to do so without delay at: http://raxerri.com/soshondoq/ in order to express themsleves in favour of Gozo’s natural environment.

Moviment Harsien Hondoq

Featured on Times of Malta, Di-ve and Gozonews

"I guess everything began when I was 21..."

2011-09-16T07:51:00.001+02:00

This is a short autobiographical story by Enrique, an activist that we at Greenhouse had the pleasure of working with albeit for a few months.

--------------------

I guess everything began when I was 21. After several years being part of parish groups, I suddenly thought It was time to do something real for those who didn´t have as much luck as I had. February 1 of 1992. It was probably the most important Saturday of my live. There we were, on a sunny morning at one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Madrid. It was something like a school playground. My five fellows and me were there all the morning, playing with almost 20 children from seriously social damaged families. One of the youngest was 2 years old and his name was Manuel. Mari, his mother, had AIDS, and had been in jail a couple of times. I think I loved that boy since that first day. I think I loved all those kids since that day and I think that love changed me forever. That was the way I started my way into volunteering. After that, I have never given up this way of understand and live my life.

Being a volunteer, I travelled to Brazil to open a kindergarten for children with serious nutritional problems. I was also in Tijuana, one of the most dangerous cities at the Mexican border with USA, working with young gangsters they call “cholos”. Back in Madrid I created a very small craft business with young people in social risk situation (one of them just when he was out of prison for the first time). I also created an association with other social workers in which, for almost 5 years, we give work to almost 11 professionals that attended more than 900 women from all around the world. What we did in that organization was to help those women, most of them immigrants, without work and with dependents, to get a job that allowed them and their families to live with dignity. And again abroad, from 2008 to 2011, I was in Perú trying to promote youth environmental volunteering, being myself a United Nations Volunteer.

Some of these experiences lasted only a few months. Some of them several years. To be a volunteer has given me a lot of things. Has opened my eyes and my heart. Has shown me different places of the world, and very different corners and realities at the town where I was born. Has given me the chance to know how life is for most of the people of this planet (almost 923 million people live with less than one dollar a day). Has shown me it´s sadness and hope. Made me meet hundreds, possibly thousands of people with whom I learned what life means, with whom I learned how and why to fight tirelessly against injustice. And what is the most important thing, has brought to my live lots of people I will love forever, even if I don´t see them again.

That February´s day changed everything. Some time after that date I gave up my studies of Marketing. Now I am a social worker with almost 20 years experience in the fields of social action and international cooperation. I could have been something like a senior executive in a multinational with a good amount of money in my bank account, but thanks to God and to Manuel´s smile, now I´m about to start working in the promotion of solidarity in my own country, withthe fundraising team of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).

I could have been one of those men that think they know everything, but infact know nothing except that money rules the world. That are absolutely sure that nothing will change anything, and that believe the best thing they can do in their lives is to earn as much money as posible.

Thanks to all the things I have seen, I’m only absolutely sure that I have lots of things to learn. And I have the deep hope that some day this world will be better. Because of that, I´m currently studying a Master’s in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, and because of that also, I lived for almost four months in Malta trying to learn some English. I´m not sure if I improved the “English thing” there, but what I certainly know is that again to be a volunteer (this time with Greenhouse Malta), gave me lots of things. It gave me the chance to learn more about environmental issues, about compromise, about how to believe in what you are doing, about how good ideas, and hard work, can change so many things. But over everything else, being a volunteer with GHM gave me also the opportunity to meet more people of this kind of people that is really worth to know.

So my friend, be very careful if one of this days you feel something like you want to be a volunteer. Perhaps that day will change your life forever. For ever, but for good. I´m also sure about that.

Clean up at il-Ballut - 18th Sept.

2011-09-15T07:33:00.007+02:00

We're holding another clean-up at il-Ballut, Marsaxlokk this Sunday 18th September. Once again this is organised in collaboration with our friends from Scubed! Il-Ballut is a Natura2000 site, very much in need of some TLC.

Please come along and bring your friends. We are meeting at 16:30 near the Marsaxlokk parish church.

Together we can really make a difference both to the place and also to the way our society views its rural areas.

8hours... let's lower the time animals spend in transit!

2011-09-01T22:21:00.004+02:00

Francesca Saliba on the 8hours campaign and petition

In 2002, animal welfare transportation was proposed to be as short as possible but it is not reflected in the EU legislation. In 2008, a report was made by Peter Stevenson for compassion in world farming. It stated the worst travel distance was 70 hours. To avoid such suffering, vehicles need to be well equipped and checked at intervals.

Farm animals are packed into overcrowded trucks with little food, water and rest. They therefore become stressed, deyhydrated and exhausted especially since they have inadequate ventilation. Many recommendations based on scientific evidence is given to Member States to achieve improved enforcements.

During long transportation, animals become vulnerable to diseases and so shed infectious agents to other animals thus spreading animal and zoonotic diseases. Animals like cattle prefer to remain standing during their journey but after 16 hours, they are fatigued and lie down. Pigs on the other hand, suffer from motion sickness. Different rest periods need to be introduced, depending on the animal.

The Vice-President of the European Parliament Intergroup on the welfare and conservation of Animals says "The EU must make tangible progress in the protection of animals and account for the fact that the attitude among the European consumers has changed: Today, people want to know what they eat, where the food comes from and how it was produced. Animal welfare will become ever more important - not only from an ethical but also from a competitive point of view for those producing animal-derived products."

Unfortunatly, many animals collapse and die while being transported and after transportation, this is why we urge to propose only an 8 hour travel experience for them. This campaign is ongoing so that 1million people can make a difference and sign to help this happen.

Please sign the Petition - make a difference!

Be aware, act and care!

2011-08-10T15:38:00.000+02:00

This blogpost is written by Greenhouse member, Christine Cutajar, who attended a seminar in Zemun, Serbia on Sustainable Development concepts.

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A cold fresh November morning welcomed me to Zemun in Serbia where I eagerly looked forward to the seminar. Throughout the 5 days we covered several concepts with regards to sustainable development through the various presentations, guest speakers, and activities. In this blog I will mention those particular ones which struck me the most.

As the participants represented different types of organisations, mainly those working for human rights and a few from green organisations I found it great that the link between sustainable development and human rights was mentioned by Aleksandar Jovanovic in his presentation. I believe that sometimes our western culture leads us to perceive this divide between what are our human rights and what is good for nature, while we forget that we are also part of it. This reminded me of what Paul Hawken says in his book Blessed Unrest, where he explains the following: '' the division between ecology and human rights is an artificial one, that the environmental and justice movement addressed two sides of a single larger dilemma. The way we harm the earth affects all people, and how we treat one another is reflected in how we treat the earth'' (p. 2). In fact, the result of major environmental problems are seen by some as the result of anthropocentrism, where people think they are superior to nature and are entitled to control and exploit it as they please.

The philosophy defined as deep ecology is indeed addressing this problem by adopting a holistic view of the world where every living thing in nature is seen as interlinked and dependent upon each other. All life in the world is appreciated and has the right to live and flourish. In this approach humans are viewed as being one of the many parts of our environment and the world, rather than being at the centre of the universe. The presentation then touched upon the concept of de-growth which advocates the exact opposite of commercial and materialistic development. A decrease in consumerism and dedicating quality time for the family, friends, community, art and culture will lead to more happiness and well-being. To achieve this one does not need to give up anything, but rather need to adopt simplicity in their everyday lives. In my opinion, there needs to be a shift in one's focus and thoughts by being more courageous to ask 'why' and 'how', and finding ways of improving one's life through critical thinking rather than living a comfortable life.

Another concept which I found very inspirational, was that presented by Ms. Tanja Azanjac who spoke about motivating and supporting citizens to become active citizens. Ms. Azanjac explained that it is important for people to be able to see and recognize the problematic situations around them and also to find their role in it. The question then remains ''How do we sustain and support citizens?'' She mentioned the successful story from her experience working with youth in Serbia, which was very encouraging. Ms. Azanjac also showed us a theoretical model, entitled 'The circle of courage' which is focused on a need-based approach as opposed to a right-based approach. This means that organisations need to be aware that they are addressing the needs of the volunteers they seek. It is also important to make concrete actions to build know-how and skills of motivated people. This is explained further through the 4 stages within 'The circle of courage'. Ms. Azanjac's presentation is included with this blog to explain the model visually. The first is the need for a citizens to belong. Organisations need to ensure that their activities as well as approaches to citizens are welcoming and generate a sense of belonging. Once the person feels this, then he will also feel comfortable to open up and show her/his skills where s/he also has a chance to master them and improve. These will make the individual feel important through his/her responsibilities and successful actions. The person can then fulfil his/her need to be generous by using the skills to help in different areas which interest him/her. Finally this experience will lead the person to become independent and start taking initiatives on their own. Thus, they become active citizens.

Besides having learnt from the presentations and group work in the seminars I also had the opportunity to meet fantastic people in the group, some of whom became my good friends from whom I have also learnt something during my stay. The seminar also led me to reflect further and realise more that our ethnocentric view of the world can very often lead us to focus very much on our human rights and less on our responsibilities in this life. I truly believe that as citizens we should adopt a deep ecology approach to life and place a lot more emphasis on our duties and less on benefits. This shift in our mindset can then lead to more sustainable lifestyles.

To conclude I would like to mention my appreciation for the efforts made by the people coming from Belgrade to show the rest of the participants a touch of the Serbian culture. During the seminar I felt that the organisers made very good use of resources and I was happy that there was very little use of disposable waste, such as the use of glasses to drink from rather than plastic ones. I think that for future seminars it would be a good idea if this was explained to the participants to increase awareness on such issues. Another idea I would like to express is that throughout the seminar participants would be required to be responsible consumers in their actions. For instance by using recycled paper and making sure to show participants that the papers used will be going for recycling.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank Greenhouse for giving me this great opportunity, as well as ADAE in Serbia for being great hosts and having organised the seminar.

Fish 'n' Sips

2011-08-06T17:00:00.000+02:00

Here are some snapshots from the overwhelming well attended and super fun event we held at Xrobb L-Ghagin in June with the fish4tomorrow campaign and Green Drinks. The event was part social and part educational (focusing on Sustainable Fisheries of course!). We had quite a mix and match of activities including a wonderful snorkeling session run by our friends fromSharklab Malta, a cooking session by the talented Karen Mugliett , talks by myself (Anthony) and Dr Stanley Farrugia Randon from Din L-Art Helwa and one hell of a party - food provided and shared by the guests and wine kindly sponsored by Attard & Co from Ta' Mena Winery. Irie Flo entertained us with some awesome music and a great lively show.

All photos taken by John Portelli from the Malta Organic Agriculture Movement

GH Spotted at Worldfest

2011-08-03T22:31:00.003+02:00

Snapshots of Simone at Worldfest where Greenhouse had a stand promoting fair trade goodies and our events and projects!

Greenhouse Workshop - Join us!

2011-07-15T18:27:00.002+02:00

Reinventing Greenhouse from within

We're holding a half-day workshop on the strategic development of Greenhouse Malta in the years to come, on Sunday 17th July, in our office at student house, uni. Feel free to contact us on green.uom@gmail.com or visit the facebook event

Rough Programme for the Workshop:
9:30 - Meeting in front of Student House (in the Quadrangle of Univeristy)

9:45 - 10:00 'Breaking the ice in Pairs' - Icebreaking exercise

10:00 - 10:20 'The Good the Bad and the Ugly' - A 20 minute presnetation by Simone Cutajar on the past projects of carried out.

10:20 - 10:40 'Developing our Common Vision' - A 15 minute brainstorming in pairs on the Future Vision to take, analysis and presentation of the outcomes

10:40 - 11:00 Break

11:00 - 12:00 'Wielding the Concept Fan Technique' - Taking one of these long term visions at a time so as to come up with a link of ideas short term goals for greenhouse. This technique has been suggest by our member and friend Christine Cutajar and moderated by Anthony Debono

12:00 - 12:10 Break

12:10 - 12:20 'Closure' - A quick presentation by Joseph Caruana of on-going projects carried out by Greenhouse

*There is more to student life than just Books and Lectures! Join our workshop and start shaping the world around you!* :)

Time to Give!

2011-07-14T21:58:00.005+02:00

NOTE: The Auction is still on via our website with all new pieces of art: www.greenhousemalta.com

Volunteers and proud!

If you've been following us then you definitely heard about our latest pet project, Project Volunteer Auction, an art auction with a difference! The idea behind it was simple but inspiring. In order to motivate people into trying volunteering we set up an art auction at the trade fair and via our website. BUT there was a catch! Instead of bidding money, people were asked to bid volunteer hours with their choice of voluntary organisation.

Although the most important thing about volunteering is that it is voluntary (duh!) , we felt that this approach may attract people who would not have considered volunteering otherwise. Then once they tried it, they would get hooked by the beautiful spirit of volunteering. A lot of people liked the idea! In fact, 8 artists donated a total of 11 paintings and 9 high quality photo prints. The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector sponsored our materials and 18 voluntary organisations put projects forward to be bid on.

Simone explaining the concept to some stand visitors

The choice of location, the Malta Trade Fair, was a risky one. We knew that the majority of people that attend are looking for bargain deals on home appliances and the latest technology and are not exactly hunting around for a voluntary organisation to help. That only made the success of the event even sweeter!

Joseph looking serious with Minister Dolores Cristina

Throughout the event a total of 1021 hours were pledged - making this quite a success for the voluntary sector in Malta. These hours will be going to help various animal sanctuaries, environmental groups and to carry out a variety of social work.

Check out our press release on timesofmalta.com

If you would like to get involved with one of the many groups that need volunteers just send an email to green.uom@gmail.com and we'll get you in touch.

Malcolm modelling one of the new Greenhouse Tees - Community, Ecology, Participation and Education.

Greenhouse's Reaction to the Stork Hunters Sentence

2011-07-07T19:57:00.004+02:00

Below is the official reaction of Greenhouse towards the sentence filed today for the two men convicted with hunting down two protected birds. The sentence given was a €14,000 fine and 3 years jail time between the two hunters- or should we say "ex-hunters" since they were also served a life-time hunting ban.

- Greenhouse commends the harsh sentence given to the hunters who shot the protected white storks. Such fines will be a strong deterrent to prevent further cases of illegal hunting. We urge the hunting community to be harsher on these poachers and take more action to prevent such illegal hunting from happening. Poachers such as these are shedding a negative light on the legally-binding hunters. We hope that harsh sentences such as these will be maintained so that Malta will see the end of illegal hunting once and for all. We also hope that the positive outcome of this court-case will not be watered down in the appeal.

- It is a relief to see that the courts are making serious use of the power entrusted to them as the weight of their judgement will certainly act as a deterrent to those who persist in illegal hunting activity. This judgment has clearly shown that the judicial system is taking bird hunting illegalities seriously.

- These hunters have been found guilty on several accounts of national hunting laws. Our organisation hopes that this judgment will not be considered a 'quick-fix' solution and hopes that after these individuals are made accountable for their actions, the law abiding hunting community takes self-enforcement more seriously and pro-actively among its members. Only this can lead to long-term solutions.

- Although Greenhouse is pleased with this positive outcome, we cannot help but wonder what distinguishes one dead animal from another in the legal-system? What makes a living-thing more 'preciosus' or of more 'value' which result in harsher penalties? The discrepancies in penalties between animal cruelty and illegal hunting are shameful.

For the Times of Malta Article on the sentencing see:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110707/local/Stork-hunters-jailed-and-fined.374209

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110709/local/Stork-sentence-gives-strong-message.374642

Project Volunteer Auction - In Numbers

2011-07-04T10:00:00.003+02:00

As you should be aware, Greenhouse is currently a running a project with the aim of encouraging people to take on voluntary work. The idea of Project: Volunteer Auction, is that people bid on art pieces, generously donated by local artists, but instead of bidding money, they big volunteer hours with an organisation of their choice.

We ran the auction on the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) stand at the Trade Fair over the last week and it will remain open until next Wednesday 13th July via our website.

The project has been an amazing success so far, MUCH greater than our initial expectations.

Here's a resume of the project so far:

Contributing Artists: 8

Total paintings up for Auction: 11

Total Photo prints up for Auction: 9

Plus 2 full Tango courses

Number of Voluntary Organisations accepting volunteers: 18

Number of volunteer hours raised so far: 717

Total number of hours bidded (including all bids, not just top bids): 1021

Visit www.greenhousemalta.com to take part in the auction and help us reach 1000 hours!

Project Volunteer Auction: Press Release

2011-06-27T22:55:00.003+02:00

Greenhouse Malta is a non-political, non-sectarian, independent organisation set up by a group of University students who hold common values on different issues. It's aim is to raise awareness on social justice, respect for the environment, animal rights, sustainability and participatory democracy.

As part of this year’s National Trade Fair, Greenhouse, with the assistance of the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) will be organising a 'Project Volunteer Auction' on the 24th and 30th June and 3rd July, 2011. This is a new concept in Malta: a silent auction where rather than bidding money, people will be asked to bid ‘volunteer hours’, that is, the hours they are willing to dedicate to volunteering with the organisations of their choice.

People will be given the choice to bid ‘volunteering hours’ with up to 14 local organisations and campaigns. Artwork for the auction has been kindly donated by the following local artists: Christine Cutajar, Clyde Haber, Gabriel Caruana, Jeni Caruana, Joseph Caruana, Stephanie Borg and Trudy Gera. To bid on the artwork, people may pre-register online or at the stand on the days of the auction.

The silent auction will be held on the stand of the MCVS at the Trade Fair (from 6 pm onwards), but people will be given the opportunity to view and bid on the artwork online. Some artwork will be auctioned over the course of the whole week, while others will be auctioned on one day. More information on registration and on the organisations which are offering volunteering opportunities is available on Greenhouse’s website, www.greenhousemalta.com. Organisations and artists who would also like to participate in this auction may contact Greenhouse on auction.greenhouse@gmail.com.

Greenhouse would like to thank all the organisations taking part: Arthritis and Rheumatism Association of Malta, Animal Rights Group, Bird Life Malta, fish4tomorrow, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth, Funny Farm, Koperattiva Kummerc Gust, Nature Trust Malta, Noah's Ark, SASG, Third World Group, Tomasina Cat Sanctuary and YMCA.

Click to read about Project Volunteer Auction on Times of Malta & MFCC website.

Time to Give - Volunteer Auction

2011-06-23T21:27:00.007+02:00

In this year’s National Trade Fair, Greenhouse Malta, with the assistance of the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) will be organising a 'Volunteering Auction' on the 24th, 30th June and 3rd July, 2011. This is a new concept in Malta were participation is encouraged by a silent auction where rather than bidding money, people will be asked to bid ‘volunteer hours’ that is the hours they are willing to dedicate to volunteering with the organisations of their choice.

People will be given the choice to bid ‘volunteering hours’ with up to 14 local organisations including: Arthritis and Rheumatism Association of Malta, Animal Rights Group, Bird Life Malta, fish4tomorrow, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth, Funny Farm, Koperattiva Kummerc Gust, Mid-Dlam Ghad-Dawl, Noah's Ark, St. Joseph Home for boys - Santa Venera, Organisation for Friendship in Diversity, Third World Group, Tomasina Cat Sanctuary and YMCA . The artwork for the auction has been kindly donated by different local artists distributing varied collections. We are grateful to Jeni Caruana, Christine Cutajar, Gabriel Caruana, Gabriella De Gaetano, Joseph Caruana, Stephanie Borg, Trudy Gera, Tango Malta and Clyde Haber who contributed to this volunteering mission.

These organizations have a common goal of promoting volunteer work to aid the community and better the environment, with no reward in mind. For instance, more animal shelters and centres depend on volunteers, to help out in cleaning, feeding and taking them for a walk or even to a vet. They would also need someone that can help with building fences and with computer knowledge. Without these people that update, making others aware and seek others to help out, saving actual animals wouldn’t be possible. So it’s not about the money its about a person’s love and commitment towards an active participation. This also includes in helping the environment, by joining a conservation group to preserve species and even take part in clean ups and educational awareness. None the less, the artists also contributed from their own will with no intention, which makes a positive impact that warm hearted people are reaching out more to be activists. They are not just showing their creative ability but giving a meaningful distribution to the public.

In certain situations, we get inspired to make ourselves worth by spending time with less fortunate people and give money to aid their way of life. Yet although those couple of minutes and hours would not be very beneficial to us, or expressed in an outrageous way, these people would still be thankful that at least someone not just cared to notice but was there to help physically. Donating time changes lives. It doesn’t just helps you on your personal development or adapt to new skills, but it makes you feel needed and understand more what certain people and animals go through and therefore such an experience would be powerful for the future by witnessing and making others aware of the current realities. With a bit of effort, a person would expand a greater cause and this would lead to a satisfactory difference. Voluntary work is also an empowering tool to the individual and not only an expression of solidarity.

Furthermore, to participate and bid on these artworks, people may pre-register online or at the MCVS stand on the days of the auction from 6 pm onwards, but people will be given the opportunity to view and bid on them online. Some artwork will be auctioned over the course of the whole week, while others will be auctioned on one day. For more information on registration and on the organisations which are offering volunteering opportunities is available on Greenhouse’s website – www.greenhousemalta.com. Organisations and artists who would also like to participate in this auction may contact Greenhouse on auction.greenhouse@gmail.com

We encourage the people that want some paintings to think of the benefits of this event that while ‘purchasing’ a personal item, a person would contribute to society in more ways than one by volunteering with particular organization/organizations. And to all those that still want to make a difference, without winning the actual item, you can still contribute in helping out with organizations and making others aware of such causes and aims.

MCAST Agribusiness Open Weekend

2011-06-09T22:28:00.003+02:00

Starting tomorrow, the MCAST Institute of Agribusiness will be opening its doors to the public for a full weekend with various hands on activities and talks by experts on horticulture, apiculture and other agribusiness topics such as aquaculture. I will also be giving a short talk on the issue of sustainable fisheries and what YOU can do to join the culture change, introducing the fish4tomorrow campaign.

See you there... and don't forget to bring your pets!

Wied Għollieqa - A Nature Reserve on Campus!

2011-06-08T18:00:00.000+02:00

This is a guest article by Zach Engerer, Nature Trust Malta's Youths and Scientific Officer which has previously been published on the @KSU magazine.

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With an area of about 0.02km², Wied Għollieqa is a small nature reserve located within the boundaries of the University of Malta, between the University and Kappara. Although not very large, this valley has quite a lot to offer to the visitor, from the myriad of trees, shrubs and flowers growing in the area to the temporary pond that fills with water after rainfall that helps in attracting many birds and insects to the area.

Since the 1990s, Nature Trust (Malta) has been managing the site by restoring rubble walls and paths, planting local trees and cleaning up the area, making Wied Għollieqa as we know it today – a great place to unwind and relax after a stressful time at the University.

Three entrances to the nature reserve exist with the main one being in Car Park 1 opposite the Wied Għollieqa Environment Centre, which also acts as NTM’s headquarters. From there one finds himself in a narrow passageway passing under a carob tree that eventually leads to an opening in the valley and later on to the temporary pond. Crossing the dam, the path gets narrow once again and passes next to a vast patch of bramble, which gives the valley its name (għollieq is the Maltese name for bramble). Turning right close to a cultivated field one may then pass through a number of terraced fields, all of which are dominated by pine trees, giving visitors an idea of a small woodland. This continues up to a small room (the għorfa), and in this area one may also encounter one of about 300 individuals of the sandarac gum tree, the Maltese national tree.

Managing the site is however not always an easy task and for this reason volunteers and members are fundamental in the upkeep and maintenance of such sites and are often the lifeline of numerous campaigns, promotions and events that NTM carry out.

Besides Wied Għollieqa, NTM also manages another site in the south of the island, at Xrobb l-Ghagin where any visitor can admire the biodiversity of three local habitats: woodland, steppe and garigue. The area also has a visitors’ centre that is a prime example of sustainable development with the presence of sun pipes, three types of photovoltaic panels, vertical and horizontal wind turbines and a biological drainage treatment system.

Anyone interested in joining the Nature Trust (Malta) team, or just for more information regarding what we do, please do not hesitate to contact us by email on info@naturetrustmalta.org or visit us at the Wied Għollieqa Environment Centre in Car Park 1.

Time to bring out the tortoise in you.

2011-06-04T16:00:00.001+02:00

This is an article by Greenhouse Executive Monique Agius which was previously published on the Insiter Magazine (and online at http://issuu.com/theinsiter/docs/theinsiter-v11e06_web_)

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What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare?...

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began. - W. H. Davies

We’re constantly running to some destination whether this is physical or a metaphorical one, all this at the expense of the journey. We’re currently living in a fast paced life in which we do not have time to stop and think, savouring the moment. Back in the 1980’s in response to a McDonalds outlet opening in Rome, Petrini a prominent activist who campaigned against the fast food chain started off the slow food movement. A movement which eventually grew over time to encompass other areas such as slow travel, slow money, slow fashion, slow sex, slow reading, and slow parenting amongst others.

The slow food movement, as already mentioned started off as anti-fast food movement. Nowadays, the slow food movement educates the public about the repercussions of fast food. Not only on one’s health but also on the environment. It also aims at creating awareness on how the food is produced and aims to preserve the local dishes. Instead of a ready made pizza, a person who advocates for slow food will rather take five hours to prepare a delicious home made stew. I suggest that the next time you’re strolling in Valletta past the parliament take a left and you should find a slow food restaurant, it is named after the food of the gods… Ambrosia.

Slow fashion or retail involves craftsmanship and will not be affected by seasonal changes. Unlike the current fashion system which we’re constantly bombarded with (just open a magazine and see how many pages are dedicated to models wearing clothes from X for the Autumn/Winter ‘11). I wonder, how many of us when buying clothes off a shop question themselves about 1) where does the raw material come from? 2) who produced it? Many might not be aware that somewhere someone is working inhumane hours to meet the demand posed by the so called developed countries. 3) is its production sustainable? With slow fashion, craftsmanship is involved, either by supporting local artists who dedicate their time creating an item or by opting for fair trade items. Slow retail also involves choosing to upcycle your clothes rather than throwing them away and donating or buying second hand ones from charity shops. All this as opposed to buying a dress which you ordered off from magazine only to find that half of your friends own an identical one.

The following might come in handy this summer, it helps on reducing your carbon footprint and gives you a new outlook on travelling. Slow travelling is not about reading as many guidebooks as one may lay his hands upon or exhausting a five-day holiday making sure you’ve visited every spot in town. Slow travelling is about connecting with the locals, taking strolls in the place one has travelled to and leaving possibilities open to whatever comes your way. Landing in mainland Europe and couchsurfing as you travel from one place to another being hosted by different people gives one the opportunity to connect and immerse into the daily lives of the locals. Opportunities such as WWOOF, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, also exist. Where one in exchange of 5 hours of work a day can have free accommodation apart from reconnecting to mother earth.

Back to the poem I started off with, what I find one is experiencing in our time is time poverty. So slow down, live moments fully, laugh heartily, fall in love, make love, and truly connect with one another. I am aware that all this might sound cliché, but take into consideration that 2011 may as well be our last full year on earth J

Act on Animal Welfare...

2011-06-01T23:29:00.003+02:00

Star, the dog who was saved after being shot and buried alive has caught the attention of many and raised questions on animal welfare. During the coming days there will be the following:

Affari Tagħna (Local TV program)

Date: 4th June

Time: 20.30

Location: City Gate Valletta

If you wish to attend the above programme to support the demonstration taking place on the 5th please send us an email on: green.uom@gmail.com

...and..

Silent Protest

Date: 5th June

Time: 17.00 - 19.00

Location: The Ferries, Sliema

We also strongly urge you to join us and others in our joint call against animal cruelty and for higher penalties on those abusethat abuse of animals.

Additional details: One may bring their dog with him / her as long as you bring along a bowl, water and plastic bag for the dog's needs! :) And if you feel creative enough, you may bring along your own posters / banners. :)

Link:

http://www.facebook.com/StarOurHope

Two other Actions!

Istrina in favour of Abandoned Animals

Description:

As the title clearly states, this group is created so that IF possible, in next December's Istrina, money would be also collected for all poor abused and abandoned animals. And I know there are many animal lovers out there who would love to contribute towards this aim. Please if you still share my same way of thinking, join and support me with likes and posts. It would be beneficial if you could forward this msg with your friends, post it on to your walls if you wish to and invite more people to join in. This is a group where anyone sharing our beliefs is welcome. Let's make this possible, with your help!

Link:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_182513738445179&ap=1

Romanian Petitions against stray dog Euthanasia

Description:

Dogs living on the streets is a huge problem in Romania, there are an estimated 100, 000 dogs living on the street in Bucharest alone. During this month, the Romanian parliament is expected to decide the fate of thousands of stray dogs in the Balkan nation. Currently, Romanian law dictates that only dogs with health or behavioral problems may be euthanized. But the legislation could open the door for the legal mass killing of all of Romania's dogs with local authorities being in charge. World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) are stressing that not only is the euthanasia of all stray dogs an inhumane method of stray population control, it is ineffective as well. Also enphasising on the fact that such a control will cost about 4.8 million euros which will not be long term effective anyway. Other Coalitions are urging the solution with neutering on a larger scale. The Romanian Parliament could not vote the mass euthanasia today because some members of parliament were absent and their presence was fundamental to have a valid outcome, so we have till Monday to make a Difference!

Action:

Taking action by:

1. Signing the petition from the link below and spread the word, http://bit.ly/hCQjnc

2. Sending emails to Maltese European members of parliament urging them to discuss this and perhaps persuade Romanians members of parliament that this is not the right control method as it is inhumane and ineffective;

john.attard-montalto@europarl.europa.eu

simon.busuttil@europarl.europa.eu

david.casa@europarl.europa.eu

louis.grech@europarl.europa.eu

edward.scicluna@europarl.europa.eu

3. Sending emails to the Romanian members of Parliament especially those that are abstaining or who have not voted yet. Contacts are in this link http://bit.ly/mgmnfB

(Facts from the dogs trust and how this legislation will not be the solution when implementing this legislation are found in this website;http://bit.ly/mdBmYH )

Link: http://on.fb.me/iqV8VF

Human Rights Walk - This Saturday

2011-06-01T18:00:00.000+02:00

Bee Informed Honey!

2011-04-29T16:02:00.002+02:00

http://blog.greendrinksmalta.org/2011/04/bee-informed-honey-may-green-drinks.html

Meet us on Saturday 7th May at 3.30pm near Dar tal-Providenza Car Park in Siġġiewi. Alfred Baldacchino will be leading an hour's walk explaining the flora and fauna of the area. You will arrive at Fawwara limits of Siġġiewi where the beekeeper Nicholas Żammit and the the bee expert Simone Cutajar of Green House will sharing with you many interesting insights about bees, bees as environmental indicators and bee products.

Green Drinks Malta guarantees a lovely afternoon in which you will be able to raise your level of green consciousness, while relaxing and meeting like-minded people.

We will be providing the tea. Should you like to bring some tea-accompanying-food, you are welcome :)

This event is free BUT registration is only acknowledged once every participant sends in a honey recipe. Recipe can be for food, sweets or drinks, in English or in Maltese. If the recipe is tried and tested all the better!

Places for this event is limited to 30. Booking on info@greendrinksmalta.org

A positive change towards active citizenship

2011-04-18T19:21:00.003+02:00

This is an Article by Joseph Caruana (Greenhouse Executive) that was original published on The Malta Independent Environment Supplement on the 17th of April regarding the clean-ups organised by Greenhouse and S-Cubed.

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Very often we go about our daily lives pretty happy with our routines and surroundings – an inevitable reality which frequently leaves us unaware of what is not always clearly visible. The initiative set up by the Science Students’ Society (S-Cubed) and Greenhouse to organise several clean-ups around the island throughout this year was precisely intended to combat this general mentality. The main aim of the campaign was to spread awareness about our environment and its importance, both from an ecological as well as an anthropological perspective. It is for this reason that the two University student organisations decided to collaborate and organise these activities. Given that the target audience was mainly (but not restricted to) University students, the activities all featured an explanation on the environmental significance of the sites visited.

The first clean-up, for example, which was organised in an area known as Il-Ballut in the limits of Marsaxlokk (which is incidentally a Natura 2000 site) included a generic, yet very insightful introduction provided by Dr. Sandro Lanfranco, a lecturer in Plant Biology on Campus. Teamwork then characterised the rest of the activity where a whole skip was filled to the brim with all kinds of waste which previously littered the area. The second event focused on L-Ahrax in Mellieha close to l-Irdum tal-Madonna.

The Conservation and Ecological Value of the Site

L-Irdum tal-Madonna, located at the extremity of l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha is also a Natura 2000 site, protected as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the EC’s Birds Directive, as well as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive. It is also considered an Important Bird Area (IBA) and was the main site of the EU LIFE+ Yelkouan Shearwater Project, an initiative headed by BirdLife Malta in association with two other NGOs and four government authorities, aimed at reversing the decline in the Yelkouan Shearwater population of Rdum tal-Madonna and to improve the Natura 2000 site. Malta hosts an estimated 10% of the global population of Yelkouan Shearwater, with over 500 pairs breeding in the cliffs at Rdum tal-Madonna. Rats present in the area feed on the eggs and chicks of this bird and, consequently, are a threat to the population.

Understanding the problem and volunteering a solution

S-cubed and Greenhouse joint clean-up directly addresses this problem by removing waste which attracts rats to the area. This was achieved by a group of 21 volunteers who collected around 30 large garbage bags of litter. This waste largely consisted of recreational waste as the L-ahrax Tal-Mellieha is a very popular site for Maltese people to visit in the weekend and public holidays. This explains the problem of rat populations in this area as these feed on picnic leftovers and subsequently on birds nests. It is always a matter of concern for us to see that people do not respect these public spaces and unknowingly cause considerable damage to the ecology of these sites. The waste collected ranged also to construction waste which is easily disposed of in these public spaces.

To counter these practises we must start to act on them and start reporting illegal dumping in the countryside. A lot of effort has already been put in this and the authorities are slowly mobilising their resources to assist in the cleaning up of these areas. But, what ultimately matters is that through education our culture of indifference changes and that whenever someone acts irresponsibly action is taken to report the incident. If we want the environment to be protected and safeguarded its important to make sure that we are strong in enforcing its protection.

S-cubed - http://www.scubed.info/

Greenhouse Malta - http://www.greenhousemalta.com/

Better do Green

2011-04-12T17:00:00.003+02:00

This is a short article written by a friend of ours from Latvia, Dace Jece whom we have met on an exchange. Dace lives a very eco-centric and sustainable lifestyle because of her strong love for the environment better known as deep ecology. In this article she points some interesting ways of living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. On her website Dace goes into loads more detail and explains various interesting and fun ways of being a better greenie. Check it out at http://better-do-green.info.

Naturally, the hints and tips listed below are Dace's views and opinions, which might diverge from those of Greenhouse and it's members; nonetheless it is an interesting read and her website is full of good advice and an interesting perspective.

Rethink your current choices and try changing one thing a day/week/month. Doing something green is better than doing nothing. We all can be difference makers and workers for truly greener future

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Everybody knows something about green, sustainable living and carbon footprint. We are educated how to save energy by changing light bulbs, insulating our homes, choose public transport instead of driving own car. Many as well know how their diet choices impact the sustainability. Meat eating is linked with environmental destruction as livestock produces greenhouse gas and also contributes to water depletion.

There are few other less known green essentials:

Organic agriculture leads to more yields. Organic agriculture protects soil, does not pollute water and ensures biodiversity. Opt for organic food.

Minimizing or stopping use of alcohol and cigarettes saves a lot of grains, plants and fruits being used in their production. It gives more land to grow food for people, it can give access to land for starving, poor communities in the third world countries where big corporations have deals with governments to use the land, and from these deals only few are benefiting (corporation owners and bribed government officials).

Going medical drug free or using them only in true necessity, saves not only your long term health but also tap water. Tap water cannot be completely cleaned from second-hand drug residues. Sewage water also goes into rivers and oceans polluting marine life. Most drugs are also produced by experimenting on animals; supporting suffering is neither green nor human.

Daily hazardous chemicals found in personal care products, cosmetics, cleaning household products, packaging, medicines, food, clothes, building materials greatly pollutes not only your body system but also the environment. There are green choices and alternatives available.

Use of chemical hormone contraception contaminates drinking water (see 3), condoms increase the daily waste. Learn on nontoxic and natural contraception.

Putting the food scraps together with other rubbish wastes possible nutrient soil that can be created from that. Find a way to compost. If you live in a flat, find friends, relatives to donate your compost or a farmer in the market who is willing to take it. When composting you are actually growing soil!

This is not an exclusive list however it is smart to start by setting reasonable, doable goals for yourself. Rethink your current choices and try changing one thing a day/week/month. Doing something green is better than doing nothing. We all can be difference makers and workers for truly greener future.

Stop the Bloody Slaughters (Environment Fair Part 2)

2011-04-09T17:00:00.000+02:00

By Anthony Debono & Joseph Caruana, respectively

The Fish Slaughter: End of the Line Screening & Intro to the fish4tomorrow Campaign!

As part of the Environment Fair we organised a screening of the great documentary, The End of the Line , a film by Rupert Murray and based on the book by Charles Clover. Before the screening, Anthony gave the audience a brief introduction to the fish4tomorrow campaign (a sustainable fishing campaign launched by Greenhouse and friends which has recently been mentioned and supported by Dr Alan Deidun and Karen Mugliett in the local press!). You can find much more info on the campaign both on this blog and at the fish4tomorrow's facebook page.

The Bird Slaughter: Bird Migration Talk

On Friday, for the ending of the Environment Fair, we hosted a short seminar on Bird Migration in Malta, together with Birdife Malta. The scope of this short seminar was to reach out to local interested volunteers who might wish to join BLM and local birdwatchers for the Spring Watch to monitor the number of different bird species which migrate over Malta and report any illegal activity.

As Birdlife's volunteer Justine Hall explained in her presentation these camps are critical to ensure that the Birds Directive is properly enforced in Malta. But, these camps don't only prove a special case of the public taking action over lack the lack of enforcement by the authorities, these are also Unique Opportunities for everyone who wishes to learn more on different migratory birds which fly over our islands. During the last Raptor Camp together with BLM and GH volunteers I was able through the Camp experience to watch over 80 Marsh Harriers fly over Malta on their way back to the African continent. This experience is for free and the specialised people who make this camp possible is another astonishing aspect to this experience which I encourage everyone to get involved in!

The Call is Out!

Whoever wishes to attend the Spring Camp can easily do so by contacting Birdlife Malta. On the other hand you may join Greenhouse members and friends who will also be going to assist BLM during the Spring Watch. For more information send us an email on green.uom@gmail.com

Clean-up at L-Aħrax (Environment Fair Part 1)

2011-04-07T17:00:00.000+02:00

Joseph Caruana (Greenhouse)

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Environment Fair started off pretty early for Greenhouse: our members and friends, together with S-Cubed, started the week with an 'against all odds' clean-up at L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa. This activity sought to assist Birdlife Malta address the challenges that the rodent population poses on the Yelkouan Shearwater, a bird species which Malta is estimated to host 10% of its breeding population!! So what's up with the clean-up idea?

The team posing with the rubbish collected

It was the second of a series of such activities that we are organising in conjunction with the Science Student Society. Through these clean-ups we seek to (A) Promote sites of Ecological Importance [Previous site: Tal-Ballut] and (B) acting hands-on for a just cause.

Plenty of people attended the clean-up, despite the very bad weather and luckily for all of us the weather in Mellieha remained calm until we disbanded later in the day. Furthermore, we were given a presentation by Birdlife volunteer Nicholas Barbara on the Life+ project which they conducted on the site to protect the area and the bird species which make use of this area.

The activity progressed with the clean-up activity which accumulated mainly packaging waste.... some construction waste... and also metal junk. For both myself and my friends it's always impressive when taking part in these activities to see with one's own eyes how irresponsible we may tend to act just because we are either lazy or completely ignorant of what harm we are causing to these sites.

Nick Barbara (Birdlife) telling us about the Life+ project carried out at L-Aħrax

The activity finalised we all rallied to a bar in Mellieha frequented by the locals to share some drinks and get to know each other a bit better than the clean up could have permitted. A pint of beer anyone?

The economy is not an act of god, we made it, we can change it.

2011-04-05T17:00:00.003+02:00

This is an article by Ruth Chircop, student and Greenhouse member, on sustainble economies and previously published on the Insiter Magazine

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In the year 3500 an alien spacecraft was hovering around the planet known as Earth. This planet seemed to be full of biodiversity and a very beautiful planet to live on and it baffled the young aliens in the space shuttle why there is no more humans living on such a beautiful looking planet.

So the captain started explaining how the planet has spent the last 1000 years recovering its beauty after all humans extincted themselves through living in an unsustainable way and eventually burnt out the whole planet and made the planet an unlivable place for themselves.

Hopefully we may be still in time for the scenario above to be just exaggerated figment of my imagination. Right now our economic machine seems to be heading off the cliff to the abyss of environmental, economical, social and cultural catastrophe. We are not approaching the ecological limits to growth we are well past them. Matthias Wackennagel one of the founders of the footprint analyzes says that we will need the equivalent of two earths by the late 2030s to keep up with our demands. But we do not have two earth's and even if we did in a couple of hundred years time if we keep consuming, producing and creating waste at the same rate we are, we will run out of the second earth cause as Einstein points out “You cannot solve problems from the same thinking that created them. A radical change is needed. More economical growth in the rich countries is simply unsustainable. Serge La Touche a French economist, behind the Degrowth movement criticizes economic growth and consumerism.

The Degrowth movement is a political, economic and social movement based on environmentalist, anti consumerist and anti capitalist ideas. Key to the concept of growth is that reducing consumption does not require a decrease in well being but rather aim to maximize well-being through non consumptive means- sharing work, consuming less, while devoting more time to art, music, family, culture and community. In late 2001 he spoke in UNESCO conference in Paris calling for a selective economic contraction to stop environmental decay. His influence goes well beyond French borders. In Italy the magazine Carta spreads the critique of development and economic growth. Grass root movement networks formed Climate Justice Action, which aims to take the urgent actions needed to avoid catastrophic climate change including embracing Degrowth as an alternative. The idea is also spreading outside Europe. Ana Ester Cecena from the National Autonomous university of Mexico says Degrowth has also taken root in Latin America “We know that capitalism leads to large scale catastrophe. We need to confront it with radical changes in our way of life”

Sustainability is the key. We cannot continue consuming, creating waste, polluting and extracting from earth at the rate we are doing. Sustainability is the ability or capacity of something to be maintained or to sustain itself. It’s about taking what we need to live now, without jeopardizing the potential for people in the future to meet their needs. If an activity is said to be sustainable it should be able to continue indefinitely. “Sustainability is the optimal balance of natural, economic, and social systems over time." The Florida Center for Community Design & Research

And our economic system right now is everything but sustainable. We are extracting natural resources at a faster rate than they are being renewed. We are leading lives addicted to mindless consumerism which are depleting the planet's resources. A new way of measuring our well being is needed. One that is not based on continuous economic growth to the detriment of our planet. The kingdom of Bhutan has already done this. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was replaced by Gross National Happiness as its core metric of economic success. Bhutan is asking itself the question that everyone must ask: how can economics, cultural social and environmental issues be integrated in a sustainable way.

According to leading economist Jefferey Sachs this kingdom has “embarked on serious journey” and “the rest of the world’s economies should do the same”. We need a social and cultural conceptual change in the way we evaluate progress , and realize what is truly important in life. The economy is not an act of god we made it we can change it. We need to seriously consider ways of combining economic well-being with environmental sustainability, cultural vitality and social equity before, in the immortal words of Jim Morrison, "the shit house goes up in flames."

Fished Out?

2011-04-03T00:38:00.002+02:00

On Friday (25th March) we attended a conference organised by Din L-Art Helwa on the issue of the state of fisheries in Malta, something which is very much at the heart of Greenhouse.

The conference had quite a formal atmosphere, we at Greenhouse are used to student-style conferences and debates, not 5-star hotel conference rooms! There were quite high-profile speakers and guests: the conference was chaired by Prof Victor Axiak, Head of the Department of Biology and leading marine biologist. Other speakers included the outspoken journalist Caroline Muscat , Internation Ocean Institute researcher Dr Alan Deidun, Lawyer Dr John Refalo, DR Simeon Deguara (coordinator of Research and Development with the Federation of Maltese Aquaculture Producers), Dr Vassallo-Agius, a top aquaculture researcher both locally and in Japan and others. I was also invited to give a talk on behalf of the fish4tomorrow campaign, which I gladly accepted.

Representatives of MEPA (Mr Darren Stevens) and of the Fisheries Control Directorate (Dr Adreina Fenech Farrugia) gave us insight into the concepts and systems in place for management of Marine Protected Areas and the control and enforcement of fisheries regulations respectively. Ms Muscat gave an in-depth analysis of the problems associated with Blue Fin Tuna ranching, and struck a chord amongst the audience since she was not afraid to get straight to the point (her presentation has subsequently been published on her website www.carolinemuscat.com). The fisheries representatives were slightly angered by her allegations however it was obvious to all that this same debate had been going on for a long time. Dr Deguara emphasised how the science is showing an increase in tuna stocks within recent years, ever since there was a significant cut in quotas in 2008 and very strict management practices were put into place. Dr Borg also added that new measures put into place by ICCAT have, at least, limited a great deal of illegal activities which were previously resulting in total catches far greater than the actual quotas.

Blue fin tuna was of course the centre of the debate, however other aspects such as by-catch, aquaculture, discards and other important and overfished species such as swordfish were discussed. The atmosphere was on the whole quite calm, apart from some regular banter when the issue of tuna ranching was raised.

The fish4tomorrow campaign garnered positive feedback from both the audience and the panel members, who had already emphasised that education of the market is a key factor that is missing. The fisheries representatives admitted that the bluefin is being ranched as it is because of the strong market demand for high quality sushi and sashimi quality tuna (90% of which is sold to Japan) and that if there were no demand for this then the industry would not bother with it as a product. Therefore the ultimate solution to the problem is to educate the consumers, however this is a little difficult for us to do in Malta seeing as the consumer base is almost wholly Japanese. At least, the fish4tomorrow campaign is targeting the Maltese population, in the hopes of nurturing a culture of responsible consumption on our little island. Hopefully, through educating the local consumer and stressing the importance of making responsible decisions when choosing seafood we will then be able to show the legislators and policy makers that short-term profit is not more important than sustainability.

We've set up a facebook group for fish4tomorrow, like it to receive regular updates on the campaign.

The Dwelling for the Green at Heart: Greenhouse- It’s All about Sustainability

2011-03-31T17:00:00.001+02:00

An article on the past activities of Greenhouse which was published by KSU as part of the Environmental Fair publications, written by Malcolm Borg, Executive Member.

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With the University lacking a student environmental organisation, Greenhouse set forth to fill in this vacuum and commenced its work in October 2008. Throughout these years the organisation has worked with numerous entities- other student organisations, NGOs, private and public entities and the government.

On campus

The executive has been following and meeting the University’s administration on various subjects amongst which are alternative energy generation on campus, sustainable landscaping, water and waste. With regards to water Greenhouse last year collected a number of plastic bottles which were filled up with water and placed in each flushing unit on campus to reduce the amount of water used in each flush. Perhaps the major contribution Greenhouse has given on campus has been that related to waste. Discussions with a private company yielded a number of skips near the campus for use by the nearby stationeries while other discussions with a parastatal entity yielded a battery bin which is placed in the Student’s House. Greenhouse has held many a meeting with the University administration on the possibility of a tri-bin system to be installed at the University precincts albeit to no avail. Greenhouse will be pursuing the issue further. A composting site has been in the pipeline for a number of months and the last obstacles are being dealt with so that this project starts running in the near future.

Greenhouse members at a clean up way back in 2009, when the organisation was just getting started

Discussions with the administration have also focused on the canteen’s products while through discussions with KSU, the CCTV cameras at the Student’s House were changed to the more environmentally-friendly Infrared cameras.

Greenhouse also formulated the ‘Green Pact’ by which organisation signatories were bound to green their conduct in their day-to-day administration. KSU was a signatory to this pact.

Our first organisations' days

Events on campus included ‘Know Your Food’ with a special emphasis on threats of GMOs, waste reduction educational week as part of the European Week for Waste Reduction, ‘Survival is not Negotiable’- a campaign to coincide with climate change talks in Copenhagen’s COP 15 negotiations, human rights and inter-religious debates as part of human rights week and ‘Status: Refugee’ – an information event which focused on the situation of migrants in their native countries. All this apart from participating in KSU’s Freshers’ Week, Environmental Fair and Organisations Days in which information panels and debates on a variety of subjects were held by Greenhouse.

Off campus

Outside campus, Greenhouse- registered under the NGO Commission and a contributing member of two MEUSAC sectoral committees- is part of the Animal Rights Coalition. As part of this coalition, Greenhouse co-organized the Animal Circus Protest March to coincide with the animal circus on the Islands. Apart from this, Greenhouse is also vocal on the lack of shelters for cab horses in Valletta. The organisation co-organized and participated in ‘Legality Now!’- a protest march to urge MEPA to uphold the law in its decisions so that the environment is safeguarded.

In the annual Worldfest as organized by KKG, Greenhouse installed an exhibition stand on virtual water and gave information to visitors on this little-known subject. Together with other organisations, Greenhouse co-organized food-related events such as the airing of ‘Kissed by the Grape’ and ‘Surviving the Nature Crunch’- an event closing a permaculture-related project.

Greenhouse organized various social events such as rock climbing, bird watching, SCUBA diving, clean-ups, animal sanctuary volunteering, vegan gatherings and more.

During Human Rights Week 2009

This is only some of the past Greenhouse’s work.

Watch out for more Greenhouse projects coming up such as a campaign about sustainable fishing, more advocacy work and events and a variety of social events to tickle everyone’s fancy.

Greenhouse is actively seeking to recruit volunteers this year. If you would like to offer some of your time in helping Greenhouse or some other organisation do not hesitate to contact us and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.

Keep it green.

Discards: The CFP Paradox!

2011-03-29T17:00:00.001+02:00

Anthony Debono

Despite the problems facing European (and global fish stocks), 180,000 Tonnes of fish are thrown back into the Mediterranean and Black Sea every year. [1] The issue of discards is quite paradoxical, especially since one of the main factors which results in discards is in fact the issue of quotas, which have been put in place to protect fish stocks to begin with! The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has lead to this quite impressive catch 22, with fish being thrown overboard (mostly dead) simply because landing them would result in prosecution.

The issue of discards is quite complex and the current EU Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, has pledged to solve this problem. [2] Although there are a number of reasons for discarding fish at sea, they can be grouped into three main categories:

1. The fish are caught accidentally (non-target species/by-catch)

2. Quota Discards (Wherein the vessel has exceeded its quota for the particular species and if the fish are landed they would result in fines and possibly further prosecution)

3. Pre-Market Selection (this would be because of some market pressures i.e. the fish would not be attractive for sale and can be due to a number of reasons ranging from the fact that the fish spoil quickly or the particular sex or maturity of the fish are not marketable). [3]

These discards are a big question mark for fisheries scientists and law makers because although they are being physically removed from the wild stock they are not being calculated and considered when it comes to drawing up quotas and drafting legislation. Above I quoted 180,000 tonnes of discards in the Mediterranean alone, however it is impossible to give an exact figure since these discards happen before landing and fisheries statistics are based on landings.

"While the (European Fisheries) Commission sees reducing excessive fishing effort as the main way to reduce the level of unwanted catch, other measures should also be considered, such as:

temporary closure of zones where a high proportion of juveniles are found;
moving vessels to another fishing area once their unwanted catches exceed a certain level;
adapting fishing gear so that threatened species or juveniles can escape from nets;
reviewing existing management measures which may lead to discarding"[1]

An inspiring twist to the story of discards is the spark that started the European Commissioner's fire and inspired the change in tone to the problem of discards. This was celebrity chef, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's, campaign The Fish Fight, which ran a three-part TV series on the issue. Fearnley Whittingstall is a regular contributor to the Guardian where he delves into the murky waters of sustainable fisheries. [4]

It's inspiring to see a campaign like this contribute to decision making at a high level, such as the European Fisheries Commission. Putting a stop to discards altogether may be an impossible task, but developing a management plan which would not aggravate the situation such that quotas would not result in discards may be within our grasp.

Support Hugh's Fish Fight at http://www.fishfight.net/the-campaign/

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References

[1] Interesting factfile by the European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/documentation/publications/cfp_factsheets/discards_en.pdf

[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/03/fishing-food

[3] FAO Article on Discards: http://www.fao.org/docrep/w6602e/w6602e04.htm

[4] Hugh's take on Discards: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/01/plan-end-discards-protects-fishermen

European Waste Reduction Week: Malta's Best NGO based project!

2011-03-26T00:26:00.002+01:00

Good news! Our event for European Waste Reduction Week 2010 was selected as the best project in the NGO category from Malta :)

Next Monday the EU level results will be out and we'll know which NGO in Europe carried out the best event to promote Waste Reduction.

Visit the Wasteserv website to learn more about the various projects which were chosen as the best in their category.

Here's a summary of the Greenhouse event held on Campus for EWWR:

Association/ NGO- Greenhouse Organization

The project presented was spread over 4 days during the EWWR week, with each day focusing on a particular issue. These issues, although they might not be in the limelight, when it comes to waste-related issues, they are a major problem. The aim of the action was to make students and staff aware that a big part of the waste produced on a daily basis can be easily avoided by adopting simple actions which would make a big difference to our environment.

Monday was dedicated to the distribution of rough paper stands across university facilities such as Student House, Library and computer labs where students could deposit or take rough paper to be used. This was done to promote the reuse of one-sided waste paper as rough paper.

Tuesday was about creating awareness about the large amounts of waste produced due to excessive packaging and to the promotion of fresh local produce and the selection of less packaged items in the marketplace. This was done jointly with a local supermarket where a stand was set up to display the different options there are to reduce this waste stream.

On Thursday a collection of goods which are not needed any longer was organized. The aim was to give these goods to an animal charity shop for reselling and thus reuse. This day served also for the promotion of the free cycling concept via websites. This also reduces the waste going to the landfill and saves the world's resources.

Friday was dedicated to the promotion of effective composting. A stand, which provided ample information about the requirements to make good compost, was set up while an example of the final product was also set on display.

Each concept mentioned above was further promoted by the distribution of bookmarks to the students to serve as a continuous reminder of the benefits of waste reduction.

Is it about politics, economics and opportunists? Or is it just a lack of public awareness?

2011-03-24T00:32:00.004+01:00

Part one of a three-part article on The Common Fisheries Policy

Anthony Debono

A quick Google search for the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP, started in 1983) shows that it is considered to be a complete failure and that there is a great need for change. Some British parliamentarians have even suggested that the UK should opt out of the CFP and set up their own sovereign fishing zone.^[1] But what are the main problems with the current CFP? Is their any way to fix this mess that Europe’s seas are in?

Last year Greenhouse joined Ocean2012, an international coalition of organisations that have teamed up to promote a successful CFP reform, which is set for 2012. We posted an article^[2] on this blog several months ago, announcing the beginnings of our Fish4Tomorrow campaign, alongside other local NGOs (Nature Trust Malta, Sharklab (Malta), Din l-Art Ħelwa and Get Up Stand Up); this campaign is well underway and you will definitely hear more about it closer to summer.

Ocean2012 identify three main areas where the CFP has failed us:^[3]

· Overcapacity: It is estimated that some fleet segments in the EU are two to three times the size required to catch the available fishing quotas - we can fish more fish than there are fish. Newer boats with better and better technology are exhausting the stocks we have.

· Catch limits: Overcapacity creates political pressure to set higher and higher fishing quotas to keep all the boats working. In the last years, the catch limits agreed were on average 46 percent higher than scientific advice. In 2007, the quota for one population of Scottish haddock was set at eight times the recommended level.

· Harmful subsidies: The EU continues to provide subsidies to modernise fleets rather than focussing on mitigating overcapacity or investing in technologies that could support more sustainable fisheries. Furthermore, exemption from fuel tax, the cost of national administration, fisheries research and control measures could also be considered a subsidy to the fishing sector. “In several member states, it has been estimated that the cost of fishing to the public budgets exceeds the total value of the catches.” This means we are paying for our fish twice, through subsidies and at the counter.

These are three very direct problems which need to be fixed by the next reform, in 2012, however it’s easy to predict that there will be tremendous political pressure to limit change: cuts to catch limits/quotas and to industry subsidies are not exactly welcome by the multi-billion Euro fishing industry and the economies that they support. A clear example of the lack of political will is the result of the ICCAT meeting in Paris last November, where the quota for Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna was discussed. The world quota for Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna, in 2010, was 13,500 tonnes. WWF were supporting Commissioner Damanaki’s call for a 50% slash to the world quota for 2011, however all we go was a drop to 12,900 tonnes.^{[4, 5]}

Fishing quotas are a hot issue locally, in the EU and on a global platform. Unfortunately, scientific recommendations for sustaining healthy fish stocks, which we could harvest for centuries to come, are being drowned out by the industry; an industry that keeps on insisting that more and more and more is what we need. It is a sad fact that even though we have technology, know-how and incredible information on fish stocks, we can’t even manage our fish stocks as successfully as our ancestors, who had none of this.

Our members and followers of this blog might ask the most obvious – what does Greenhouse have to do with all this? Greenhouse is a student organisation, based at the University of Malta. What do we have to do with fish stocks in the Mediterranean and rest of the world? Why should we interfere in the industry, even locally?

One of our main objectives as an organisation is to raise awareness locally on environmental issues and this is one of those issues in which awareness is paramount. Why? So what if the man in the street or the student on campus is aware of the issue of over-fishing? Well, the most significant cause of overfishing is in fact a lack of consumer awareness. It’s all about supply and demand. Fishermen catch fish to sell to the consumer. Most consumers, locally at least, do not make an informed choice when deciding what fish to eat – a survey carried out by the Fish4Tomorrow team found the following results: ^[7]

70% of respondents do not take sustainability into account when deciding on what fish to eat.

48 % eat Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (a species whose stock is known to be threatened).

81% said that if they knew a fish was endangered/threatened they would not eat it.

96% said that they would choose their fish differently if they were more informed.

A list of fish-species, which are quite popular in Malta, has been drawn up by the Fish4Tomorrow team and these were sorted into categories, based on various criteria, as to whether the fish stocks on these species are sustainable, not-sustainable or somewhere in-between. This information will soon be developed into a handy booklet (a little one that can fit into a wallet or pocket) for everybody to carry around when they go fish shopping or out to eat. This is being done in the hope that the man in the street will start to consider fish sustainability and encourage a change in the everyday habits and attitude we take towards the food which we eat.

On Friday, I will be representing Greenhouse and the Fish4Tomorrow Campaign at "Fished Out?" a conference organised by Din L-Art Ħelwa on the issue of the local fisheries industry. I will be introducing the campaign and the philosophy behind it. Other speakers at the conference include Dr Joe Borg (ex-Fisheries Commissioner, EU), Dr Alan Deidun, Dr John Refalo (Representative, Azzopardi Fisheries), Ms Caroline Muscat (Journalist), Prof Victor Axiak (Marine Biologist) and Dr Robert Vassallo Agius (Aquaculture Scientist). There should be some interesting and lively discussions.

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Ref:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/bagehot/2011/01/britain_and_eu
http://greenhouse-malta.blogspot.com/2010/11/4-environmental-ngos-launch.html
http://www.ocean2012.eu/channel/index/id/1436#
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/france/101129/atlantic-bluefin-tuna-iccat
http://www.seafoodsource.com/newsarticledetail.aspx?id=8030
http://na.oceana.org/sites/default/files/o/fileadmin/oceana/uploads/europe/downloads/Fact_sheet_DMO_ENG.pdf (citing the European Commission)
Fish4Tomorrow Campaign, Market Analysis Report (2010).

Animals: The Abandoned & Abused (Part 4)

2011-03-22T17:00:00.000+01:00

This is the final part of a four-part article by Francesca Saliba (Greenhouse Executive Member) on animal rights and animal cruelty.

--------

Entertainment also brings about animal cruelty where an animal is sometimes taken from its natural habitat and being made to perform tricks, which they do not normally do in the wild. This is the case in the circus entertainment industry. These creatures are being constantly under pressure as they are kept in small areas, keeping in mind the animal size in question, and left alone for hours where they often get stressed and depressed which is shown from their repetitive behaviour. Not to mention their constant travelling and teaching manner used to make a tiger, elephant, bear, hop and down or perform artificial acts. In some animals, like elephants, you can see light patches where he/she was maltreated. They are most often left in cages after the performances, especially while travelling and abused regularly, to learn and be in charge, even if they are born captive, they are performing unnatural tricks. International Organisations like PETA- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and MFA - Mercy For Animals and National Organisation, Animal Rights Coalition aim at stopping this cruelty as anti circus messages for awareness.[1]

The logo for the Circus Animal Rights Coalition, a local coalition of which Greenhouse is affiliated with.

An animal is more gracious to see in the wild rather than for your own pleasure, such animals go through a lifetime of misery just because you are not able to see him in his natural environment. This also happens in other shows like dolphinarium where dolphins have this missed signal as they are seen always smiling but they do get tired and angry and in fact some even burst in the glass tanks trying to get out. CETFREE is a coalition of Maltese and international NGO’s sharing the common belief that captivity is cruel and that education cannot be accomplished through the use of animals in captivity.

Although it is very difficult in certain cases to put them back in the wild, but at least certain shows should be stopped and animals should be respected!

Protesters at an ARC protest in Valletta

[1] http ://news .bbc .co .uk /2/hi /uk _news /8588332.stm

Animals: The Abandoned & Abused (Part 3)

2011-03-20T17:00:00.001+01:00

This is the third part in a Four-part article by Greenhouse Executive member Francesca Saliba, which deals with animal cruelty and what we can do to make a difference to the lives of unfortunate animals.

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Animal Testing is also a major aspect of animal cruelty. It was brought about in the late nineteenth century by testing on sheep to investigate the importance of vaccines via the germ theory. Nowadays, it is used for cosmetics and household products and so many other things which people most often ignore. Scientists can use many other methods that are beneficial and more useful to humans. Especially since animal testing can result in inaccurate data as rats, rabbits etc have physical differences which could compromise the results.

The following is a list of tests which are carried out on animals for various products: whole body testing, Short-term Toxicity, Skin Penetration, Skin Irritancy, Eye irritancy, Skin Sensitization, Phototoxicity & Photosensitisation, Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, Reproductive Toxicity, Teratogenicity and Finished Product Testing. Some animals are bred for testing while others, such as dogs and cats, are taken from the pounds. Mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, and monkeys are frequently used. Fish Scales are also used, for shimmery lipsticks and soaps are used from whale blubber. Many products that are used everyday can be animal tested. It all goes down to reading a bit about the product and reading the label carefully to know where your product came from and how it was made.

Other Creatures like foxes, chinchillas, beavers, bears, seals, minks, rabbits, and raccoons are all used in the fur industry. Where they are skinned alive (without anasesthetics) so the skin remains fresh and silky which is another shocking way in which animals go through an excruciating amount of pain. Cats and dogs are also used for fur in china's trade where they are bludgeoned, hanged, bled to death, and strangled with wire nooses so that their fur can be turned into trim and trinkets. They are used for the unsuspecting consumer as they are cheap and labelled as fake fur. To make these fashionable clothing, animals that may or may not be extinct are taken from their natural habitat despite everything else. Nowadays faux fur is the imitational fur that some animal right activists have, where the money goes to aiding more awareness and helping animals and that’s why it should be more promoted.

http://www .therainforestsite .com /clickToGive /home .faces ;jsessionid =972 B 91 BC 0 E 0 E 259 FD 6 D 9 A 438 C 5 C 89 C 30.ctg -b ?siteId =3&link =ctg _ars _home _from _trs _home _sitenav

Clean up activity today at L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha

2011-03-20T15:37:00.003+01:00

Greenhouse & SCubed were featured on today's Independent regarding today's clean up. Here is a reproduction of the article (taken from Independent online: http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=122053). Photos are from the Greenhouse & SCubed clean up at Marsaxlokk earlier this year.

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It often occurs when walking down by the seaside or in the countryside that we complain of the horrid state of some of the most beautiful landscapes on the Maltese Islands. But, what follows to the initial reaction is usually little more than an acknowledgment of the disregard to this form of heritage by some individuals and the hypocrisy of public discourse on environmental issues in the face of this recurring tragedy. Few if any ever take on the matter further by either reporting the issue to the relevant authorities or understanding the dynamics of the policy in the management of public spaces in the area.

The question of who is truly responsible for this waste needs to be asked. A joint committee between S-Cubed (Science Students Society) and Greenhouse, two student organisations from the University of Malta, sought to look at this issue as an opportunity to promote a culture of active citizenship with their members through regular clean-up activities.

The first clean-up site was found coincidentally by John Gabarretta a member of the Science Student Society while trekking with friends by the seaside in Delimara. The site, known as Tal-Ballut is a saline marshland, a rare and very specialised habitat on our islands, and a Special Area of Conservation under Natura 2000. The state of the site was a disgrace due to the large amount of waste which had accumulated over time. John unconventionally drew inspiration and sought to remedy the situation by engaging his organisation S-cubed with Greenhouse, the environmental organisation on campus, to develop a campaign to tackle this problem and promote a culture of responsibility and active citizenship.

The clean-up at Tal-Ballut, which took place on the 9 January 2011, was the first of a series of clean-up activities which are to take place the coming months. The event received ample coverage and a lot of positive feedback. The outcome was self-evident - a whole skip filled to its maximum capacity and 30 bags of recyclable material were collected by a team of 22 volunteers, a success which we were sincerely not expecting to achieve to such an extent!

The rubbish collected was interestingly a mixture of boat wreckage and domestic waste washed ashore by the currents. People generally pass through the marshland as a short-cut to arrive at Marsaxlokk centre, and do not linger in the area. Since this backs up the argument that most of the rubbish is washed on shore rather than directly deposited there, rather than closing the area off to the public, the authorities should commit to a regular cleaning exercise. Furthermore, in the absence of a proper site management plan for this area one must still balance the protection of this ecological site while catering for the social function it holds for the locals and visitors alike.

The latter call is part of an ongoing exercise led by the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism which is seeking to develop the itinerary potential of these sites of touristic potential, with the necessary infrastructure which would balance ecological, social and economic dimensions. The early stage of this exercise was uncovered as the organisers sought the necessary permits. One must acknowledge the considerable support stemmed from the relevant authorities in regards to the permits, equipment and logistical advice required to set up the is activity.

As the first of a series of clean-ups which we seek to organise we feel encouraged by the positive feedback, the experience of the volunteers and long-term commitment of the authorities. We look forward to understand better the policy dynamics in relation to the management of public spaces. More so, with respect to the site management plans which ought to regulate activities held within these special areas of conservation.

The next clean-up activity is being held today at L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha together with Birdlife Malta. For more information on the organisations responsible for this campaign, please visit their websites on:

S-Cubed: www.scubed.info

Greenhouse: www.greenhousemalta.com

Animals: The Abandoned & Abused (Part 2)

2011-03-18T17:00:00.002+01:00

This is part 2 of a four-part article penned by Greenhouse Executive Francesca Saliba on the issue of Animal Rights.

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Another aspect of the maltreatment of domestic animals, is when they are thrown out onto the streets, having to live day by day in sadness and betrayal because of some type of their owners, who usually have some sorry excuse for their terrible act of neglect. Everyone should think about the long term when they are adopting an animal.

One of the most common excuses for people abandoning animals is when a newly formed family is expecting a child. The problem is that, although some people buy their houses with 2/3 bedrooms (sometimes even five years before they are married, because they know how many children they want to have), they fail to anticipate what will happen to their pet! Another typical excuse is that when their pets are sick, instead of taking care of them when they mostly need it, they throw them out because sometimes they think that it’s something that could be easily spread to humans, which is rarely the case. Another classic excuse is when their pets are pregnant, instead of neutering them if they didn’t want any young ones, they throw them out.

Nowadays with all the neutering campaigns, like Dogstrust one can no longer bring about the excuse that it is too expensive to neuter and microchip your pet, because they do it all for free. This helps the people trace back their pet or rightful owner and even decrease in diseases. Do people choose just the easy way out in life? What does that tell you about a person, culture, society? Maybe, very few people think ahead and lack knowledge. Awareness is a definite need in our country. Pets thrown in the streets become strays, if they are lucky, they are left in the responsibility of others to take action and try to help them in the best way possible. To make it easier for the people who are willing to help such innocent creatures, the animal ambulance is now available 24/7 by calling 2122 4001. It was made possible thanks to Noah’s ark which was being taking care of By the Animal Welfare Department later on.

Members of Greenhouse carrying out voluntary work at a local shelter

Moreover, without awareness that animals should be treated well, we are imposing on a revolution of bad situations. In particular cases, children are sometimes seen throwing rocks at cats and trying to harm them, just because their anger is unleashed on innocent creatures which could result in a horrible factor for the cat and for the future child. Enforcement of the law should be made so that these cases will stop. Justice is important when involving mistreatment. It’s also the case since many people hate the idea of too many cats close to their homes in streets since they are considered as filthy creatures. The responsibility comes from the person taking care of this colony of cats, to not leave any wastes behind, and always cleaning after feeding. The cats are not the one to blame if such a situation is not the case scenario.

End of the Line & Fish4Tomorrow

2011-03-17T21:57:00.003+01:00

On Wednesday we will be screening "The End of the Line" at University (KSU Common Room) as part of Environment Fair from 13:00 and 15:00. The screening is free, so come and watch this interesting, inspiring and intense documentary on the state of the world's fisheries.

We will also be introducing the Fish4Tomorrow Campaign, a project we are working on with other local NGOs (Nature Trust, Sharklab, Din L-Art Helwa and Get up Stand up) and volunteers. The campaign is an attempt at building public awareness on sustainable awareness and an attempt at nurturing a culture of sustainable consumption in this country of ours!

Come to find out more about what YOU can do to help solve this global problem!

Animals: The Abandoned & Abused

2011-03-16T21:30:00.007+01:00

Animal Rights is an issue which is close to our green hearts, here at Greenhouse. Francesca Saliba, an Agriculture student at UoM and Greenhouse Executive Member, sheds some light on the truth about animal cruelty, exploitation and neglect in a four-part article.

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Despite the small size of our country, various situations brutally shock animal lovers of all ages. In every response I witness, the majority of conflicts bring about, that actions speak louder than words.

The majority of people go about their lives without realising just how much animals suffer on a daily basis. For instance, cab horses that are used daily for tourists, go through a great deal of stress working whether it’s raining or very hot. They are used for human benefit, transporting them from place to place, with no drinking stops or sheltered areas where the horse is protected from natural elements.

In November 2009 TAWS (World association for transport animal welfare studies) proposed facilities to take care of these poor horses. Structures th

at would give shelter to the horse while waiting for customers. These aim of these structures are to keep the horse in the right conditions even in Malta`s hot weather. Other issues like hygiene and water were also mentioned however it all fell on deaf ears. Now in 2011, Arrangements are being made to try and compromise a sort of solution to help these innocent creatures on duty, especially since the proposed sum of a shelter costs €20,000. Petitions and comment papers are making others more aware because every person can help save those that have no voice in our daily lives. They depend on us to never give up on this struggle.[1]

Furthermore, I think that more investigations should be carried out, especially with regards to dog fighting events which are a shocking reality frequently heard in the Maltese island despite the fact that they are illegal. A new law on animal welfare specifically lays down that "animal fights shall not be organised and nor shall animals be entered for animal fights".

Anyone who violates this law "shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than Lm100 but not exceeding Lm20,000 or to a term of imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or to both such fine and imprisonment". Vets also witness these agendas but are bound to be secretive or afraid do speak out. In some cases, the owners even invent excuses as to not get caught. Last reported case was found to be in 2002 in Siggiewi from an anonnomous caller but no one was arrested as they left in a hurry and even left things behind. Some people simply do not understand the extreme amount of pain, suffering and torture dogs go through, whether the dog is the winner or the loser. [2]

Francesca & Joseph with volunteers from Birdlife during organisations' week 2011.

[1] Times of Malta

[2] Times of Malta

L-Aħrax Tal-Mellieħa, Cleanup & Tour of Yelkouan Shearwater (garnija) Conservation Site...

2011-03-15T07:51:00.005+01:00

...on Sunday 20th March at L-Aħrax Tal-Mellieħa (Cross on the Map)

Event Desciption:
"After the success of S-cubed & Greenhouse’s last Clean up at tal-Ballut, we are organising another clean-up, this time at Ahrax in Mellieha together with Birdlife Malta. We feel that most effective way of raising awareness is by hands on experience. During clean-ups students see for themselves the state at which certain areas are and are given the opportunity to make a small difference. Moreover it helps people come to terms with the negative impact mankind has on the environment.

The site for this clean-up is a Natura 2000 site which is being managed by Birdlife Malta who are carrying out a conservation project on the Yelkouan Shearwater that breeds on the cliffs. We will be collaborating with Birdlife Malta as the clean-up will be part of a rat eradication project that shall be aimed to reduce predation on the Shearwater chicks and eggs.

Following the clean-up, we will also be given a tour of the Yelkouan Shearwater conservation site by members of Birdlife."

Hope to see you there! (See poster below for more details)

International Women's Day Film Festival: Screening of "Pushing the Elephant"

2011-03-01T20:59:00.004+01:00

Greenhouse would like to invite you to the screening of Pushing the Elephant which is part of International Women's Day Film Festival. The screening will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Dr Marceline Naudi from the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, FEMA.

Date: Monday, 7th March

Time: Noon

Location: Common Room, University of Malta.

STOPoverty in partnership with CAMYouths, Ceratonia Foundation, Greenhouse, KKG and SKOP is organising a Film Festival on the occassion of the 100th Anniversary of the International Womens' Day.

Film Synopsis:

In the late 1990s, Rose Mapendo lost her family and home to the violence that engulfed the Democratic Republic of Congo. She emerged advocating forgiveness and reconciliation. In a country where ethnic violence has created seemingly irreparable rifts among Tutsis, Hutus and other Congolese, this remarkable woman is a vital voice in her beleaguered nation’s search for peace. Now, Rose is confronted with teaching one her most recalcitrant students how to forgive—Nangabire, the daughter who remained behind.

When war came to Rose’s village, she was separated from her five-year-old daughter, Nangabire. Rose managed to escape with nine of her ten children and was eventually resettled in Phoenix, Arizona. Over a decade later, mother and daughter are reunited in the US where they must face the past and build a new future.

We follow Rose and Nangabire over the course of a year as they make up for lost time. Rose struggles to find balance in her life as a mother of ten and a full-time advocate for refugees. She is the co-founder for Mapendo New Horizons. Her speaking engagements have her traveling around the world from the White House to the UNHCR in Geneva to peace talks in Goma, Congo.

Meanwhile Nangabire, now seventeen, must adapt to America and discover how she fits into the sprawling Mapendo family. As mother and daughter get to know one another, they must come to terms with a painful past, and define what it means to be a survivor, a woman, a refugee and an American.

Through this intimate family portrait unfolding against the wider drama of war, we will explore the long-term and often hidden effects of war on women and families, particularly those in traditional societies—financial despair, increased susceptibility to rape, and social ostracism.Pushing The Elephant will capture one of the most important stories of our age, a time when genocidal violence is challenged by the moral fortitude and grace of one woman’s mission for peace.

http://www.artsengine.net/pushing_the_elephant/

Volunteering an afternoon towards Abandoned Animals.

2011-02-21T19:20:00.000+01:00

Dear Greenhouser,

We're looking for volunteers for this Saturday 26th February! No requirements needed except for unconditional love for man's best friend and food for oneself, unless you'd like to fast for the day.

For the month of November; Greenhouse is going to Abandoned Animal's Association (AAA), where we shall spend a day at the place volunteering. We're meeting at 9am in front of Phoenicia Hotel. The day includes a briefing and division of responsibilities among the attendees. One is also encouraged to donate foodstuff for adult dogs apart from your time

which is indispensable!

So, if you made up your mind and feel like giving up some time to spend with these wonderful animals let us know via email green.uom@gmail.com and don't forget to bring your cameras along!

Best Regards,

Greenhouse Team

Open Letter & Letter to the Editor by ENGOs for Sustainable Landscaping.

2011-01-08T16:04:00.001+01:00

Letter to the Editor sent by Greenhouse, Nature Trust Malta and Friends of the Earth after recieving no reply on their concerns by the Environmental Landscape consortium .

Environmental Landscape Concerns

In an open letter sent to the Environmental Landscape Consortium, the NGOs : Greenhouse, Nature Trust Malta and Friends of the Earth expressed their concern about the Consortium’s unsustainable practices.

While the NGOs expressed the acknowledgement that the ELC had brought about a change in the rural environmental landscape of the Maltese Islands yet they voiced their concerns on the rationale behind the excessive pruning of various trees which provide roosting sites for birds and shady places for passers-by especially during the summer months. Trees at the Mriehel Bypass, Naxxar, Valletta and other places have been defoliated extensively risking the survival of such trees.

The landscaping with alien species has been a recurrent concern for many people. Species such as the Hottentot Fig have been used risking their escape into the surrounding countryside where they have the ability to become invasive to the detriment of native biota.

In this letter the organizations question what type of pest management is used by ELC and if any precautions are used if pesticides are applied and why do ELC insist on planting annuals instead of perennials so as to reduce the amount of organic waste produced. They also raised the issue of water use in areas where turf is being planted as this poses a high maintenance and high water quantity needs - when our Islands are struggling to ensure a sustainable water supply.

The organizations feel that with improvement on the landscape practices the ELC can bring about a positive change but if the above concerns are not addressed the NGOs feel that the urban environment will become greener at the expense of other environmentally-related elements.

Original Letter sent to ELC but left unanswered on the 19th of November 2010

Dear Sir/Madam,

Greenhouse, Nature Trust Malta and Friends of the Earth are local environmental organization concerned about Malta’s biodiversity and sustainability. It is for this reason that we are writing this letter to you.

The Environmental Landscape Consortium has done a very good job in turning some of Malta’s derelict places into green areas which are pleasing and aesthetically beautiful. The Consortium has filled in a very important gap in greening our urban areas but we would like to draw your attention to some practices which are unfortunately tarnishing the very good work being done.

First of all, the ELC has been criticized not for the first for its excessive pruning. Tree foliage is an important urban feature for a variety of reasons. Species of birds roost in such foliage and excessive pruning strips the birds of their roosting site. Excessive pruning has been practiced in locations such as the Mriehel Bypass, Naxxar, Valletta and other places. Large trees with dense foliage provide much-needed cooling by creating shady areas underneath them especially in the summer months. And although pruning is important for urban trees both for the trees’ and the cities’ benefits, such excessive landscaping is both scientifically and aesthetically unfit. Excessive pruning can also kill the tree eventually because in order for it to re-grow its foliage it needs to use energy stored in other places as it lacks its photosynthetic organs causing energy depletion.

Secondly, as has also been reported in the media some time ago, there is absolutely no need to use alien species to landscape. Imported species of grasses, flowering plants and trees have been used for this purpose. South African succulents in the form of the Hottentot Fig have also been used. The latter is of particular concern when considering its invasive ability to establish itself as an alien in our countryside. In the Guidelines on Trees, Shrubs and Plants for Planting and Landscaping in the Maltese Islands prepared by the Environmental Management Unit Planning Directorate (1992), it is explicitly stated that “the use of such species [exceedingly invasive species], is considered unacceptable irrespective of their proposed sitting; wherever any doubt exists about whether a species falls within this category, a precautionary approach shall be adopted.”

On a related note, we would like to express our doubts as to how sustainable turf-landscaping is. Its high maintenance and high water needs hardly do any justice for an island struggling to ensure a sustainable water supply. Furthermore it is common to have water sprinklers used for turf irrigation spewing water onto the streets in a clear wastage of water.

Thirdly, we would like to ask what is the pest management system used by the ELC. Are pesticides and herbicides used? And if yes, what precautions are taken to ensure passers-by and nearby houses are not exposed to the residues and wind-carried spray of these toxic chemicals?

Lastly we would like to enquire why perennials are removed after flowering. Some perennial species used in landscaping, such as geraniums, are transplanted just before flowering and removed right after. This surely adds to the organic waste generated in our country when other simple alternatives are available.

We thank you for your time and co-operation,

Best Regards,

Greenhouse, Friends of the Earth Malta & Nature Trust Malta

Media: Malta Independent, Times of Malta

Anthony's Trail: Grundtvig Workshop Round-up

2010-12-12T16:00:00.016+01:00

To close up these posts about the Grundtvig Workshop on Sustainable Energy I'd like to share some photos taken by Anthony during his week in Lisbon with the new friends he made from all over Europe.

The Participants of the Workshop, from Italy, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Lithuanian and, of course, Malta.

A sack race competition with a twist!

Chiara (Italy) and Ivelina (Bulgaria) trying out some experiments at the Museum of Electricity.

Pedro (Portugal) trying out a solar powered car, not a ferrari, but it works!

Jose (Portugal) carrying out some energy experiments and debunking some energy myths.

Ulderica, Stefano, Chiara and Fabrizio, the Italians during the inter-cultural evening.

Raimond, Annija, Ivo and Juris (all from Latvia) during the inter-cutural night.

For more info on 5elemento, the NGO that organised the fantastic workshop, or the workshop itself visit 5elemento.org or contact Greenhouse (green.uom@gmail.com)

Anthony's Trail: A Visit to Edificio Solar XXI

2010-12-05T16:00:00.003+01:00

While I (Anthony) was in Lisbon on the Grundtvig Workshop with 5elemento, we visited an interesting "passive building" called Edificio Solar XXI. This is a building which was designed to use very little energy, virtually no external energy is used in the building.

They did this by incoporating a variety of technology including:

advanced insulation systems

innovative ventilation

clever design of blinds and apertures to provide as much natural lighting as possible

solar collectors for heating water

photovoltaic cells, both on the wall of the building and also on the parking area (this serves as an energy source and also a shelter for cars!)

earth tubes for passive cooling

a ventilation system which serves as heating thanks to the photovolatic cells

and much more clever ideas!

Check out the powerpoint presentation attached for an explanation on how the building was designed. This was presented to the participants of the workshop by one of the engineers that works in the building.

Ed Solarxxi 5elemento

Climate Action Day 2010 – We’re all in the same ‘boat

2010-12-04T19:56:00.001+01:00

For this year’s Climate Action Day, Friends of the Earth Malta teamed up with Moviment Graffitti and Greenhouse in a bid to raise awareness on climate change. The event was planned to coincide with the annual United Nations Climate Talks which are taking place this year in Cancun, Mexico. Unfortunately the event had to be called off as the Valletta Local Council refused to grant a permit for the event.

Ironically, on the same day that the Valletta Local Council refused the permit, it was announced in the papers that 2010 is set to be among three warmest years on record, and will cap the warmest decade ever. This was revealed by the UN's World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) at the world climate talks in Cancun. While Nero Played The Fiddle, Rome Burns!

During a press conference held this morning in Valletta, the three NGOs argued that climate change should be tackled at all levels, starting from an individual level to the global.

On a local level, we need to look into changing our habits and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. Such change in attitude will not only benefit the environment but also makes economic sense. Why are we willing to invest in expensive and polluting cars but are then not willing to invest in renewable energy sources and energy efficient appliances which make more financial sense? FoE Malta, Greenhouse and Moviment Graffitti questions such illogical behaviour. The age of irresponsible consumption is over; if we are not willing to do our part how should we expect politicians and businesses to lead.

On a national level, the government should have a clearer and more effective policy on carbon emissions. This requires shifting from heavy expenditure on projects that do not reduce our emissions level to more projects that do. Malta is still, considered a carbon dinosaur with its biggest sources of emissions coming from our oil-burning power stations and from land transport. Our country needs to look into having more efficient ways in the use of energy generated. This has to move decisively towards maximum utilisation of renewable energy sources and usage of efficient, low-emission land transport. There is urgent need to improve the efficiency of our main generating equipment. The Delimara extension – using diesel and not HFO – will provide a first improvement. The interconnector from Sicily, if supplied by a natural gas power station, will also improve matters: a net cut back of perhaps 0.5 million tonnes CO2 from 2.1 million.

Globally, the increased role for multilateral development banks as a channel for climate finance is not a blessing but more adept at causing climate pollution than in helping countries to mitigate or adapt to it. Using these channels would also mean climate finance in the form of loans or other debt-creating instruments. Using other instruments such as grants by developed countries as compensation for damages done will reduce the costs of dealing with climate change to the already heavy debt burdens experienced by many developing countries. Hence, we demand that all public money to fight climate change must go through the UNFCCC, not the World Bank, because the World Bank is the wrong institution to control financing for climate change. The decision to establish a global climate fund under authority of the UNFCCC should be adopted in Cancun.

The current global economic crises should be seen as an opportunity to move away from the current inefficient practices. This should lead us to the new, green economy more quickly so that many of the old problems of oil demand and energy consumption can be dealt with. Investing in new technologies, and moving much more decisively to renewable energies as well as energy efficiency can create more jobs, lower energy bills and indeed saves lives as well as livelihoods.

Media Features: Di-ve, Times of Malta, Times of Malta, Malta Today, Independent, Gozo News.

Anthony's Trail: Ivo's Greenhouse

2010-11-28T16:00:00.032+01:00

In the previous Blog post we shared some hints and tips on how to reduce your energy consumption in the home. This helpful information was passed on by Anthony (Greenhouse member) who attended a Grudtvig workshop in Lisbon, which was organised by a certain 5elemento, a Portugese NGO that focuses on sustainable energy and much of the information and presentations published in the recent blogs were prepared by Jose and Pedro, our friends from 5elemento.

So, we've already seen what little things we can do to make our homes more energy efficient without spending much time or effort on it.

Now, I'd like to introduce Ivo:

(Put pic 2 here)

Ivo is from Kuldiga in Latvia, a country were the temperature is below 0'C for most of the year and where it often goes below -40'C. This kind of climate is very hard to imagine for people who live in a country with such a mild climate, where we never ever have sub-zero temperatures (except for in walk-in freezers!). To get an idea of what it's like in Latvia in winter, the water pipes often freeze up during the worst part of the winter. Soil often freezes for the metre or so under ground. Let's just say it's pretty difficult to keep warm.

Ivo had an incredible idea. He decided to build his own home from scratch. Apart from the daunting idea of designing building a timber house from scratch, only with the help of family and friends, Ivo also decided to make his home as energy efficient as humanly possible. He knew this would entail a lot of planning, hard work and a good bit of money, but he didn't let that get him down and he went for it.

One of the most important aspects that Ivo had to consider when designing his house was good insulation. He used a type of insulation very popular in Baltic States called ISOPLAAT which is a composite material which provides very effective insulation. The photo shows Ivo's wife admiring the ISOPLAAT on the half-constructed house. He also used some interesting methods of heating, he built his own floor heating (shown in the next photo) and also created a great system for his furnace which circulated the whole house.

When asked whether it was honestly worth all the work to create an energy efficient home he replied simply, "100%".

Here's a powerpoint presentation about Ivo's Green-house, in which he explains how he carried out this great work, with details on the insulation, heating systems and chimneys.

Ivo's Home Pt 1

Ivo's Home Pt 2