More COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted on Monday, says PM

Feb 3 2022

The government will lift more COVID-19 restrictions on Monday, PM Robert Abela has revealed.

The Prime Minister stated this during a conference with Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, where he also revealed that students and workers will receive €100 cheques and pensioners and those on social benefits will receive €200.

As of January 17, people not vaccinated with a booster were not allowed to enter a number of local establishments anymore. It was then announced that as of February 7th, restaurants, snack bars and band clubs would no longer require the presentation of a vaccine certificate.

What measures do you think should be lifted?

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Every worker and student in Malta will receive a €100 cheque, pensioners to receive €200

Feb 3 2022

In a press conference addressed earlier today by Prime Minister Robert Abela, it was announced that every single worker and student in Malta will receive a €100 cheque while pensioners and individuals on social benefits will receive €200. The PM highlighted that this incentive follows the two instances of government vouchers during the pandemic to help particular sectors.

This distribution of cash is an attempt to generate economic activity and is over and above the tax refund scheme which will be extended next year. A total of €70 million in cheques are expected to be distributed, with Abela stating that the government will be “your shield against the pandemic.”

The Prime Minister went on to state that his government will be one which incentivises people and not punishes them.

What do you make of this?

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‘Extreme’ weather conditions have cost Europe around €500 billion over 40 years

Feb 3 2022

Extreme weather conditions and sever floods have cost Europe around half a trillion euros over the past four decades, the European Environment Agency has revealed.

The agency’s recently-published data shows that Germany, France and Italy were the worst hit country with anywhere between 90,000 and 142,000 deaths being linked to climate-related issues and weather in Europe between 1980 and 2020. The data does not indicate a trend of increase in losses over the years due to climate crisis.

Lead author within the EEA, Wouter Vanneuville, has stated that extreme weather evens show no clear pattern and remain to appear relatively random, but adaptation is ongoing and impactful. Despite not showing a clear trend, extreme weather issues are likely to increase in frequency and intensity in the midst of the current climate crisis. “Countries across the world are implementing adaptation strategies,” he said.

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Photo Source: Politico Europe / Pixabay

Flowers and plants blooming a month earlier due to climate change

Feb 2 2022

Despite flowers blooming being a sight for sore eyes, UK plants are now flowering a month earlier on average due to climate change.Just as autumn leaf fall is being delayed by warmer weather, flowers are appearing earlier on trees and shrubs alike. Scientists are warning of the risks of this, with the blossoming itself being a back-handed appearance.

Scientists claim that if the trend continues, there could be knock-off effect for birds, insects and entire ecosystems. Ecological mismatch may kick in, which would have a dramatic effect on functioning and productivity of nature and farming. Professor Ulf Buntgen of the University of Cambridge said that ‘our climate system is changing in a way that affects us and our environment.’ Global warming is causing spring to arrive early and autumn to come late in many places – and not all plants and animals are adapting at the same rate.

This could lead to ecological mismatch – which is when species get out of sync with each other. Pollen, nectar, seeds and fruits of plants are important food resources for many creatures. If flowers appear too early they can be hit by frost which damage the harvest.

With a study looking at hundreds of thousands of observations of the first flowering dates of native trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers. This encompassed all of the UK and Northern Ireland. Researchers compared the first flowering dates of 406 plant species with climate records, finding that early flowering is strongly correlated with rising global temperatures. The research hasn’t gone global yet but similar patterns are to be expected said most of the researchers.

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