11-14

Waste Collection or the lack of it!

submitted by Mosta Boys Secondary School : Justin Clive Bugeja  for 11-14
dissemination(s): school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

Waste collection is part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable materials that technically are not waste, as part of a municipal landfill Diversion program. Waste Collection considerations include type and size of bins, their positioning, and how often bins are to be serviced. Overfilled bins result in rubbish falling out while being tipped. Hazardous rubbish like empty petrol cans can cause fires igniting other trash when the truck compactor is operating. Bins may be stored in secure areas to avoid having non-paying parties placing rubbish in the bin. Truck drivers are now being trained in identifying and managing power-line hazards. Front lift garbage truck lift hooks may pull down power lines if left upright at the top of the trunk



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Il-kelb qed jagħmel il-ħmieġ u sidu mhux qed jiġbru…

submitted by Mosta Boys Secondary School : Nathaniel Camilleri  for 11-14
dissemination(s): school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

Kemm hu sabih li wieħed ikollu kelb bħala pett tiegħu. Hu annimal li jifraħ ħafna meta jara lil sidu. Dan jagħmlu dejjem, anke jekk sidu jittrattah ħażin. Mhux ta’ b’xejn jissejjaħ l-ikbar ħabib tal-bniedem. Imma li jkollok kelb għandha responsabilta ukoll. Waqt xi mixja il-kelb ġeneralment iħammeġ xi ftit għax jipporga. Jekk dan il-ħmieġ ma jibdiex jinġabar jibda jakkumula, u jkun hawn il-konsegwenzi tiegħu. Mhix xi ħaġa sabiħa li tkun miexi u tara ħafna rqajja ta’ ħmieġ, triq toqgħod b’seba’ għajnejn fejn tmidd saqajk. Konsegwenzi oħra hemm ir-riħa tintenn u d-dubbien. Huwa mportanti li meta wieħed joħroġ il-kelb u dan iħammeġ, għandu jinġabar mill-ewwel f’xi borża li wieħed jista’ faċilment iġorr miegħu u din tintrema f’reċipjenti apposta. Biex jenforzaw li wieħed jiġbor dan il-ħmieġ, jekk xi ħadd jinqabad iħammeġ jeħel multa. Mela kun responsabli, ġorr borża miegħek u jekk il-kelb iħammeġ iġborr warajh biex inżommu Malta nadifa.



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Jellyfish invasion – Where are the turtles now?

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Benjamin Dalli  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, website
filed under Photos

The “jellyfish problem” in Malta persists year after year, thus becoming a major concern of tourists and locals alike, therefore coming to one question: Where are the turtles now?  Ironically, turtles are becoming endangered due to waste left by the same people who complain about the increasing amount of jellyfish.  A turtle’s diet consists of many small sea creatures such as jellyfish.  This is a threat to marine creatures as these plastic bits are mistaken for jellyfish and swallowed.  Apart from this, the turtle’s habitat is secluded beaches, and the overexpoitation of sandy beaches is furthermore eliminating turtles.  Fishing is a traditional trade in the Maltese Islands and fishermen, together with their catch, have incidentally captured turtles.  After being injured by bycatch, they are then released, without any medical attention.  Hotels and restaurants sometimes dump untreated chemicals into the sea, jeopardising marine life.  Turtles are consequently protected to avoid extinction.



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Agriculture

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Matthias Borg  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, website
filed under Photos

I took this photo when I went on hike with my family. These are fields near the town of Siġġiewi. Agriculture is very important in our lives. Siġġiewi is a tipical agriculture village. Most of the crops and foodstuffs produced by the farmers are consumed dometicaly. Most local farmers harvest wheat and potatoes they also grow peaches and plums. Nowadays farmers use the drip irrigation system to water their crops. Most of the local farmers do their work manually due to the relatively small size of the fields. Agriculture is very important for us beacuse if we do not have fruits and vegetables we can not stay healthy and these products all come from agriculture.



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The Rainbow

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Kieran Galea  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, tv, website
filed under Photos

This wonderful metereological phenomenon is admired worldwide. Looking at the beautiful spectrum of colours one wonders how this can be created through a few drops of water. When these droplets are looked at from a particular angle in relation to the direction in which the Sun is shining, this spectrum of colours is seen. Nature’s best portraits are indeed original!



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The Gardener’s Friend

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Kieran Galea  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, website
filed under Photos

The Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a regular visitor to the Maltese Islands. This bird species is one of the few bird species in which both male and female have very similar plumage – with the particular orange breast and face. Its top parts from its head downwards is usually of a greyish brown colour while its belly is white. It mainly feeds on insects and even worms and it hunts during both night and day.For a very long time it was considered to be a gardener’s friend and it was not harmed due to various legends!



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The Maltese Fresh Water Crab

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Craig Cassar, Luca Micallef, Shaun Isherwood  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, website
filed under Photos

The Maltese Fresh Water Crab (Potamon fluviatile ssp. lanfrancoi) is one of many endemic endangered species on the Maltese Islands. In fact it is only found in a few localities in Malta and Gozo. Its habitat usually consists of mud found along fresh water streams and since fresh water is quite scarce, such habitats are continuously decreasing. In the picture, the crab is literally trying to hide by camouflaging itself well with its surroundings, cautiously waiting for its prey to come along! Although it can feed on frogs, this specie also a scavenger.



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The Alien Cape Sorrel

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Kyle Fenech  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

The dazzlingly yellow flower which is commonly seen in the local countryside is locally known as Qarsu or Haxixa Ingliza, or scientifically as Oscalis pes-caprae is an alien plant species that was accidently brought over to the Maltese Islands nearly two hundred years ago. It is called alien since it is not a native plant of the Maltese islands. The Cape Sorrel as it is commonly known in English has however not only managed to survive but also to take over quite a bit of our countryside since it has found excellent climatic conditions to grow in. Although invasions of alien species can also occur naturally, more often than not it is the rate at which they spread and take over the local habitats which is of concern. The Cape Sorrel is one such case!



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Wind Energy

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Irvine Sultana  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

The Xarolla Windmill has been recently restored. Locals are very proud of this architectural testimonial which showcases a small yet important part of the life of our hard working ancestors. Our small island is decorated with such beauty and our people and local councils are working to keep it well. In this world, bigger countries have less historical features than we do so decreasing vandalism will enable more citizens to enjoyed such architectural gems. The windmill is a perfect of example which utilizes a natural renewable resource to work – wind. Wind energy used to make the palettes turn and these in turn rotated a simple gear wheel within the windmill itself. This was connected to circular plates between which wheat could be placed and then ground to produce flour and semolina. It is a sustainable practice which does not impinge on the already threatened energy industry.



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We never know the worth of water till the well runs dry

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Nick Mifsud  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

Water is indeed a precious resource locally. Since most of the rain usually falls between October and March, its scarcity during the summer months creates a huge quandary for local farmers. The picture was taken after an abrupt storm but it can be easily noticed that the water run-off is huge. Unfortunately a large amount of run off rain water ends being lost since it finds its way back to the sea. It would be great if more reservoirs could be built, maybe under new apartment blocks in order to make better use of this resource. This the way forward for sustainability.



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