Tourism shapes industry - Abstract

The development of a country is often measured through the success or lack thereof of the industrial sector. Through continued dependence on foreign support Malta failed to develop in industry and technology until after its independence in 1964. In addition, industrial growth has been limited by the lack of natural resources available on the island - water and energy are limited. By considering the natural resources available, the history of industry on the island, and analysis of its current economic status, the impact of tourism on the country can be assessed. In Malta, tourism is an important economic contributor and has shaped the more recent industrial development. Tourism is important to the island of Malta given how industry has been formed around it, however, this has been a detriment to the islands technological development. These detriments can be seen through the struggle with natural resources of water and oil, the absence of manufacturing prior to 1959, and the absence of a unique industrial field.

Progress Report #1 - Malta's industry, technology, and natural resources

The focus of my report will be on the historical and current emphases of industrialization, natural resource use, and development in technology in Malta. I am curious to see how the changes in the city through industrialization lead to improvements in technology, and vice versa.

The natural resources available to the people of Malta are limestone, salt, and arable land. Thus, mining and agriculture are important parts of industry. However, one of the most socially and culturally important industries provides an almost negligible economic contribution; the Maltese fishing industry has been a significant part of the Maltese industry and culture. The beautiful weather found on the island of Malta is also a resource. Through the expansion of tourism, and Malta's accession to the EU in 2004, tourism has blossomed. This relates to the fishing industry, as local fresh seafood is a pride to local restaurants targeted towards tourists.

I believe the expanding tourist site has additionally affected both industrialization and technology. Tourism brings big changes to countries, especially small ones like Malta. There have been many cultural changes, as well as social “improvements,” better defined as changes. The mentality of a country changes with the tourism industry.

Malta first encountered statistical machines in 1950, when it purchased punched-card machines. This was the first time the government was able to take accurate statistics on the sectors of Malta's economy. This sparked an attention to improving technology, and upgrading of machines. More recently, Malta has been taking part in world wide telecommunications, establishing a large source of employment and revenue. The technology boom has been prevelent there, and “Malta is growing in the areas of customer service, support, IT development and sales and marketing” (Knights, 2008). This industry is popular as an export for other countries, because though it is more expensive than outsourcing to Africa, it is still much cheaper than paying people from other countries in Europe.

These are just snippets of information I have found about Malta's technological history, and industrialization expansion. However, I am struggling to draw the line between industrialization and historical facts, as well as technological improvements and industrialization. The lines have blurred with these subjects, providing me with an abundance of insightful facts.

Progress Report #1: Contemporary Controversies in Malta

As a member of the ICEX team my project will focus on Malta. I choose to research contemporary challenges and opportunities specifically related to the environment, power production, social/political controversies, role in European Nations (EU), role in counter-terrorism, and Malta’s vision of itself today.

Preliminary research has yielded some information that should make this project very interesting. While I have found many interesting facts and articles relating to my topic, most of them only scratch the surface of the issues and do not go into the depth of detail that I would like to see. Finding detailed information on the topics introduced above is proving to be quite a difficult task for a small country like Malta.

It is commonly said that Malta’s only natural resources are people and the sun. The people are the one and a half million tourists that travel to Malta each year, and the sun because it is sunny most of the year. I find this very odd because with sun as one of your only natural resources one would think that Malta would have an interest in renewable energy (such as solar power). However, Malta only produces 0.2 percent of its energy with renewable resources while the rest is produced with fossil fuels. Additionally, as part of the EU Malta is required to produce ten percent of its energy with renewable resources by the year 2020 - they do not seem to be making much progress. With limited natural resources, Malta should use what it has to its advantage and harness the power of the sun.

On a separate note, Malta became the smallest member of the EU in May 2004 which was a major partisan controversy at the time as the Nationalist party was in complete support while the Malta Labour Party opposed it. Since its admission to the EU, Malta has been enthusiastically involved with the EU and its decisions (except maybe renewable energy). In addition they have been quite involved in counter terrorism. With its strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea, Malta is a desired operating location for terrorists and counter terrorists alike. But, in 2005 Malta and the United States committed over six million dollars to secure Malta’s borders and general security. Malta also allowed the United States use its land and harbors to repair equipment and for use in emergency situations. This increased the United States effectiveness in fighting the terrorists because they had repair facilities and headquarters close to the action.

Above was a quick overview of what I have found interesting so far. As I move forward with my research I would like to learn more about what actions Malta is taking to create green energy sources to comply with the EU, and hopefully find some interesting current economic and political controversies.

Following is a list of facts that I found interesting and related to my topic (United States demographic statistic in parenthesis): Malta has the densest population in Europe with about 3400 people per square mile (55), is 98 percent Roman Catholic (22%), has two official languages, growth rate of .42 percent (.87%), 94 percent living in urban areas (82%), and an immigration rate of 2.03 migrants per 1000 citizens (2.92). I do not know how these demographics affect the politics, policies, and other aspects of society in Malta, but I feel that they may be an important key to understanding the internal and international affairs and controversies of Malta.

Project Progress Report #1: Leapfrogging the Fossil Fuel Model

Fossil fuel use has been the backbone of western development for over a century. Any country that wished to compete either militarily or financially with global powers had to adopt the petroleum derived energy model. This technological progression has led to almost every country in the world basing their economy on fossil fuel energy production. The pollution and climate change effects of this use has had marked impacts on the health of our globe.

When fossil fuels are the only basis for supplying energy for a country, the need to obtain more oil to fuel more growth creates an addiction cycle of a never ending need for a limited resource. Because most countries must purchase and import the oil they need for development, they are dependent on the willingness of other countries to supply this resource. The financial woes of agricultural countries are held at the whim of oil rich nations. As these resource-poor countries develop, they get more dependent of fossil fuels, which they must import. This relationship causes political distrust, energy instability, and security concerns for large portions of the globe.

 
A way to get around this limited and destructive model is to have developing countries utilize resources they do have, such as biomass electrical generation or agricultural waste products to make ethanol. Brazil is a good example of a developing nation that has utilized its agricultural resources to create the world’s most efficient ethanol production system. Brazil chose to invest in its own agricultural resources during the oil crisis of the 1970s. Their national vision has helped them achieve energy security with approximately half of all their energy use coming from domestically produced ethanol. This model has the possibility to be transferred to other nations, as nearly every region of the world has a crop that can be grown which has ability distilled into ethanol.

 
Still, there are some countries might not have agricultural resources either, for example the desert countries in Saharan Africa or the Middle East. These countries might be able to use solar technology or wind resources to meet the needs of its cities. Often times individual solar instillations are more effective than large generating facilities because desert towns tend to be small and spread out. Having self-sufficient renewable energy generation is necessary for these communities that cannot afford the huge infrastructure investments necessary for long-distance transmission lines.

During my further research, I plan on showcasing technologies and projects that hold the promise for leapfrogging the fossil fuel based development model. As the population of the world rises, and affluence along with it, more energy will be needed; it has to come from somewhere. This research is not only interesting, but necessary for the future prosperity of the planet. The supply of fossil fuels is limited and is running out, and as it does its price will rise. The amount of greenhouse gases, which are released with the burning of fossil fuels, is on the rise and will only get worse as we use the remaining supply. The future of the human prosperity and the health of the planet is at stake.