PM calls for common Euro-Med front on climate change

Speaking at the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean Prime on Sunday, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that climate change problems go beyond environmental issues and cause a chain of social, political and economic effects on countries within the region. He therefore called for a united front on such common challenges. The Mediterranean is in a critical situation, PM Gonzi said. Annual rainfall is expected to decrease by 20 per cent by the end of the century and regional problems caused by a shortage of water will grow worse. The Prime Minister said that the Mediterranean could serve as testing ground for new technologies such as sustainable bio-fuels, solar energy, deep sea wind turbines and other energy alternatives. A Euro-Mediterranean university could also contribute to encourage and facilitate cooperation in... [read full story]