Rector highlights importance of sustainability while also addressing language question

Rector Alfred Vella highlighted the importance of sustainability in his address on the opening day of the academic year at the University of Malta, also making reference to the use of the Maltese language.

Explaining that sustainability was written about profusely but had yet to be internalised and embraced by the majority, Vella said that universities should make the subject a key theme in their learning structures.

"We live in a society that, wittingly or not, preaches the value of consumption and thrift is often associated with poor and sub-standard existence.

"One associates industrialisation and abundant production of goods and services with affluence: indeed a country's well being is often measured by GDP per capita.

"Since consumption mimics affluence and given that consumption generally generates waste, then one expects that, for example, municipal solid waste produced per capita in a country should also be a measure of good living of its citizens," Vella said, nothing that Malta ranked fourth in the EU for MSW generated at 621 kg per capita.

Vella also highlighted worryingly low statistics in terms of the generation of recyclable waste (only 8% in Malta) and renewable energy (only 6% in Malta).

Following the rampant property development taking place, it was little surprise that Vella also made reference to the built environment, saying that "Malta is the EU country that is most cluttered with buildings and other artificial land uses".

He went on to announce that the university will be employing a number of measures with regards to sustainability through the creation of an 8 person committee on the issue, referencing energy saving measures, the installation of pv panels, and a green food project as key initiatives.

Maltese speakers feeling like they are in a foreign country

Vella began his address in Maltese, explaining that he could not "celebrate the start of the year in a different language".

He stressed the importance of Maltese being a language that defines the country, highlighting that it is an important tool for communication, and adding that Maltese-speaking citizens are being treated differently and feeling as though they were in a foreign country

With Minister Evarist Bartolo sitting in the audience, one has to question whether Vella was referring to his proposed introduction of  teaching of Maltese as a vocational subject and a foreign language.

from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2RcQwBc
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