Past Entries

A new beginning

submitted by Our Lady Immaculate School : Jeanette Micallef  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): website
filed under Photos Reporting photo
awarded: Commended

What if we start afresh and we start to manage our plastic waste responsibly?



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A grey future and Malta?

submitted by Our Lady Immaculate : Nicole Mizzi  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): website
filed under Articles
awarded: Commended

60% of wildlife wiped out by human activity in 44 years.According to the World Wildlife funds ‘Living Planet’ report as at 2018, that involved over 59 scientists from across the globe, 60% of wildlife has been wiped out by human activity in the last 44 years. This equals to more than 4,000 animals with a backbone such as mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. One of the reasons that wildlife is being wiped out is because of the vast and growing consumption of food. Statistics show that 300 mammal species are being eaten into extinction. Food production and uses of natural resources are also the reason why wildlife is being wiped out. America is among the countries using the most natural resources. Palm oil is a great example of how these natural resources are affecting the wildlife. According to WWF, an area of forest that equals to 300 football fields is cleared each hour to make way for palm oil production. This is pushing many species to extinction. Example it is estimated that 1,000 to 5,000 orangutans are killed each year for this development. Palm oil is not only present in foods but also in cosmetics, cleaning and washing detergents, toothpastes and shampoos. Over fishing is another cause of 83% if freshwater species getting wiped out. Pollution and climate change are another reason. A product of this is a decrease of 30% of polar bears. Sea birds are being affected plastic is found in 90% of sea birds. Hunting , a hobby is another reason we are loosing wildlife. Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land which is then converted to a non-forest use, for example trees are used for buildings and sold as fuel. This causes animals to loose their habitat. Deforestation is not only destroying wonders of nature but also jeopardizing the lives of people. By destroying nature we are loosing fresh air, water and soil. These are all necessary for people to oceans, rivers, biodiversity and life. Current efforts to protect the nature aren’t keeping up with the speed of man-made destructions. On 12th December 2015, in Paris, an agreement was reached to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. One of their targets was to limit global temperature rises. Recently another report on 5th December 2018 it was reported that in Poland opened an international conference about climate change. Experts warn that there has to be an action taken in the next 2 years, the world is going to suffer from climate change with a large negative impact on population. This meeting in Poland is considered more important than the meeting in Paris. We took the opportunity to ask Vincent Attard the President of Nature Trust what he thinks about this subject. 1) In light of this article what is your opinion of the state of flora and fauna here in Malta? Is there any research with regards to …



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Hela ta’ Ikel

submitted by Our Lady Immaculate : Maria Tonna et al  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): other, school media, You tube
filed under Campaigning video Video Clips
awarded: Commended

The students worked on a video to raise awareness on the importance of mot wasting food.  



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ENDANGERED ANIMALS

submitted by Secondary St. Aloysius College : Nathaniel Attard  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school media
filed under Articles
awarded: Participation

This article aims to raise awareness about the need to implement and enforce stricter laws in order to protect all species particularly endangered animals.



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Agricultural Land Taken to Feed Cars Instead of People – New Fuel Station Seen Through its Security Fence Just Prior to its Inauguration.

submitted by G. F. Abela Junior College : Elise, Muscat  for 15-18
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school media, website
filed under Photos Reporting photo
awarded: Finalist

This 3,000m2 service station is almost complete and ready for opening. It was constructed on an area designated as agriculturally important in Malta’s North West Local Plan and Outside of a Development Zone. As per the current Service Stations Policy, this Service Station should not have been permitted as it is less than 500 metres from an existing service station. With internal combustion engine vehicles being eliminated in less than 20 years, is the priority correct to build mega-fuel stations on good agricultural land? What happens when the need for fuel stations dwindles in the coming years…will the land be converted back to agricultural use?



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Pavement Fuel pumps in central Mosta. Car mirror reflection represents the backwards viewpoint of fuel stations as seen through the mirror of an all-electric car

submitted by G. F. Abela Junior College : Elise, Muscat  for 15-18
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school media, website
filed under Photos Reporting photo
awarded: Finalist

The main road in Mosta has two fuel stations nestled amongst shops and terraced houses. The Government introduced a policy which encouraged existing stations such as these to relocate. From a safety perspective, this has benefits. However, the policy also permits them to be allocated prime agricultural land for the development of their new station, which goes against the normal planning policy. There are already fuel stations both to the west and south of Mosta, so making these stations redundant. However, the current station licensing policy means that these stations cannot be closed without enabling them to open up elsewhere.



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Developing a new service station on arable land with the rusting excavation equipment and security fence contrasting with the green land of the encroached field

submitted by G. F. Abela Junior College : Elise, Muscat  for 15-18
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): newspaper, school media, website
filed under Photos Reporting photo
awarded: Commended

The Mgarr Fuel Station is currently located in a vulnerable area and next to a children’s playground in the centre of the village. Their application to develop 2,406m2 of agricultural land was approved in 2011. Clearing of the land commenced but stopped soon afterwards, leaving a fenced area of part excavated land and rusting excavation equipment. This perfectly demonstrates the controversy of balancing the benefits of moving a fuel station away from a village core but at the cost of the loss of a significant amount of fertile land and placing an eyesore in a rural area.



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Construction Boom in Malta

submitted by Secondary St. Aloysius College : Karl Camilleri  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): other, This video will be view during an event taking place during 'earth week'. Further details will follow soon.
filed under Reporting video Video Clips
awarded: Commended

It feels like Malta has become a permanent construction site. From local news it is evident that local councils, NGOs are inundated with complaints by residents about the many inconveniences caused by the construction industry. However, these seem to fall on deaf ears and greedy developers are not only abusing our land but also workers. The information used to create this video was taken from information on a few articles recently published on local newspapers and photographs taken by the author himself. The aim of this video is to show the urgent state of the situation on both the environment and society.. This craze to create iconic exclusive buildings and high-rise developments, makes me question its sustainability and what will my country look like in a few years from now.



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Echoes from the Past

submitted by Cospicua Senior Secondary School St. Margaret College Verdala : Shelseya Tanti  for 15-18
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school media
filed under Articles
awarded: Participation

On the 1st of October 2018, a group of former Royal Navy students and even teachers came to visit our school and the student Shelseya Tanti had the opportunity to meet them and interview them.



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We’re spoilt for choice regarding picnic spots!

submitted by St.Thomas More College Secondary School Santa Lucija : Dyan Camilleri  for 15-18
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): other, School Facebook Page, school magazine, school media
filed under Photos Reporting photo
awarded: Participation

Our next picnic spot…. WE should be part of the solution not part of the pollution!



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