Photos

YRE Winner – Photo 15-18yrs: Bridge over troubled water?

submitted by St Thomas More GSS Santa Lucia : El Kayati Fatima, Farrugia Antonella, Saliba Nicole  for 15-18
dissemination(s): school media
filed under Photos

Malta is one of the countries with the least water resources. Having little rain and a highly populated area means that if the rain water is not used to its best, we will have serious problems in the coming years. At school, the school playground is the roof of a water reservoir. This reservoir needs urgent attention and could be used to water the whole of the school trees and used in the toilets flushing. The reservoir needs maintenance so as it can be used. It is an old structure but since it is at least 100 metres by 50 metres wide and more than a storey high it can hold enough water to satisfy the school’s need for second class water. If this reservoir has more water that the school needs, it could be used to help farmers in the vicinity and use this water instead of pumping water from a borehole. Pumping a lot of water from a borehole will result in a problem since it will be invaded by sea salty water instead of water good for drinking. As students we need to keep the ground clean so as the rubbish will not block the water intakes of the reservoir.



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YRE Winner – Photo 19-21yrs: One Sandwich Short of a Picnic

submitted by Eco-Centre Zejtun : Johann Camilleri  for 19-25
dissemination(s): Facebook, other
filed under Photos

In Europe, about 90 million tonnes of food is wasted annually. According to NSO Malta, on average, 22% of the amount of food purchased weekly by Maltese residents, end up in the solid waste stream. Not only households throw away food, but food is also wasted due to over-production or inadequate storage or packaging. Wiser shopping planning avoids good food being thrown away. Food leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen and used for other meals. Products like bread and vegetables can be given to farmers to feed their animals. Over-ripe fruit can make healthy fresh smoothies or fruit pies, while vegetables make delicious healthy soups instead of bulging our trash bins. Our wise great grandmothers used to turn left over bread into mouth-watering bread puddings. This is more than worthwhile considering that according to the UN Water, to produce 1 slice of bread, 40 litres of water are used up.



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Wrigley Winner – Photo 11-14yrs: Potpourri

submitted by St Edward's College : Mattia Agius Muscat  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school media, website
filed under Photos

The word Potpourri refers to a mix of dried flowers however when literally translated also means a mixture of rotten and unrelated material. A contradiction which reflects the unfortunate situation being captured by this picture of wild flora by the sea coast in the limits of Xagħjra being turned into a dump. What a beautiful world it would be if we all had to ensure that our environment is turned into a a fresh potpourri rather than a rotten potpourri!



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Wrigley Winner – Photo 15-18yrs: Gateway to Heaven

submitted by Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School Naxxar : John Charles Fenech  for 15-18
dissemination(s): newspaper, radio, school magazine, school media
filed under Photos

Fennel, cape sorrell, thistle, and many other species trying to survive the struggle against rubbish. Is this the gate that takes you to a wonderful relaxing natural place? Or a gate that takes you to broken glass, sharp tins, broken plastic and other dangerous things? What benefits are insects, worms and plants taking from this rubbish? What benefits are people taking out of all this mess? There is a simple answer to this question, there is no form of benefit. Unless there is a species which feeds on broken glass or plastic, there is no way this could be beneficial to any living organism. Apart from the fact that even people can get hurt just by walking near an area such as this (for example by stepping on broken glass), these waste materials can release toxic substances which are harmful to us and the rest of the environment. Is this the kind of place we want to step into when we pass from a gate? No one can say this is heaven on Earth.



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Wrigley Winner – Photo 19-21yrs: Fruit for Thought

submitted by Eco-Centre Zejtun : Johann Camilleri  for 19-25
dissemination(s): Facebook, other
filed under Photos

An FAO report states that 1.3 billion tonnes of food per year is wasted. This amounts to about a third of the food for human consumption and is lost or wasted through the entire food chain, from farm to plate. According to the UN Environment Program, when throwing away food, we are wasting major resources such as water, land, labor and energy which are used up to produce such food. Food waste which ends up in landfills contributes to global warming and climate change since it adds 3.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases to the planet’s atmosphere. Considering that 13.1% of people are hungry and 33% of food is wasted, we must keep in mind that the food we waste and throw away will have been the meal for those suffering hunger. As Pope Francis said: “Throwing food away is like stealing from the tables of the poor, the hungry!”



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Photos 11-14 years Commended Entry -Fertilisers… Do they actually fertilise?

submitted by St. Margaret's College Girls' Secondary School Zejtun : Erika Esposito  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, Notice boards and social media, other, School assemblies, school magazine, school media
filed under Photos

When one research the definition of a fertiliser the most frequent answer is a substance which helps the plant to grow by supplying the necessary minerals. Yet, one has to make an important distinction between organic and inorganic fertilisers. Being natural, organic fertilisers harm the environment much less compared to inorganic ones. This is because; they are made up from natural sources such as manure and compost. On the other hand, inorganic fertilizers cause fertiliser burns, water pollution by the leaching of nitrates leading to health problems such as the blue baby syndrome and also increase the amount of pests. So, think twice what the best option is… getting healthier plants with some more waiting time for their development or getting plants bigger at a faster rate but causing health problems and a great deal of harm to the environment?



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Photos 15-18 years Commended Entry – Worthy Worms

submitted by St.Michael School : Karl Buhagiar  for 15-18
dissemination(s): school magazine
filed under Photos

Some people may be afraid of worms and do not think highly of them.  But some species are really worth breeding.  The worms seen in the picture are all the time eating and eating.  In fact, they are really efficient in consuming our waste – be it kitchen or garden waste, newspapers and magazines, in fact, anything that is biodegradable.  It only takes several weeks for these worms to turn waste into fine compost and manure with no offensive smells in the process.  Local governments should consider seriously the adoption of treating waste by this method because it would save them big headaches with regards to the location of waste treatment plants, smell pollution and other undesirable problems.  In addition, the use of fine compost and manure produced by worms would eliminate the use of synthetic fertilisers by farmers and keen gardeners, thus reducing the level of pollution in our aquifers.  The work done by this amazing creation is able to effect positively our environment and should indeed be considered as worthy and precious little worms.



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Photos 15-18 years Commended Entry – Destroying my rest place

submitted by Santa Margerita GSS Cospicua : Nirvana Grech  for 15-18
dissemination(s): EkoSkola Notice board, other, Parents Day, Teachers' Face book
filed under Photos

Kultant meta jaghmlu xi progett ikissru l-paci u l-ftit hdura li ghandna…. li kultant ikun post ta’ mistrieh ghal diversi persuni matul il-jum. Fuq dan il-bank kont nistenna lil shabi qabel nidhlu l-iskola, issa qerduh. Mhux sew. Il-progress ma ghandux ikisser izda isebbah u ihaddar… meta ser nitghallmu?



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Press Kids Commended Entry – unGREATful

submitted by St Edward's College : Marcello Agius Muscat, Nicolo' Agius Muscat  for 7-10
dissemination(s): school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

After man extracted rock to build a GREAT house, the same man dumped back the remaining rock, packed in GREAT sacks, destroying nature itself. He is now left with a GREAT house, a GREAT loss of nature which is the source of all happiness and wealth, and this because he has been unGREATful.



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Dingli cliffs at sunset

submitted by Rabat The Archbishop's Seminary : Gregory Maggi  for 11-14
dissemination(s): Facebook, other
filed under Photos

This picture captures the beauty of Dingli Cliffs at sunset. The serenity and tranquil atmosphere created at this time of day is captured as some yachts pass by. The fading sun manages to sift through the winter clouds to complete the picture at the far end.



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