A group of scientists led by eminent NMMU botanist Professor Richard Cowling warned nearly a decade ago that the uncontrolled spread of alien vegetation posed a fire threat that could devastate the Garden Route. Contained in an article in the 2009 edition of the Veld & Flora magazine, which The Herald accessed yesterday after an alert from the Endangered Wildlife Trust … [Read more...]
Once again, climate change cited as trigger for conflict
The national security establishment needs to prepare for a series of global crises sparked by climate change, a group of experts wrote in a report released today. The analysis by the Center for Climate and Security identifies 12 “epicenters” where climate change could stress global security, possibly igniting conflicts around the world. American diplomats and military … [Read more...]
Climate change evident in Cape storm and Knysna fires
The mother of all storms. The worst drought in a century. More intense fires than any in living memory. The hottest years on record. This is the new normal. South Africa’s climate is changing and with that comes extreme weather. Events such as crippling storms and droughts, which used to happen once a century, will happen every decade, or more frequently. We know this. There … [Read more...]
Cape storm damages 135 schools across Western Cape
A massive weather system is pummelling SA, but bringing welcome rain to drought-stricken areas. Follow all the latest details here. The Western Cape Education Department on Friday said that 135 schools in the province had been damaged as a result of the massive storm which struck earlier in the week. Education MEC Debbie Schafer said in a statement that learners and … [Read more...]
DA’s Maimane to visit fire-ravaged Knysna
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane will on Monday visit Knysna in the wake of the devastating fires which have claimed the lives of seven people, including children and left widespread damage across the region. Maimane will visit residents affected by the inferno and assess the damage caused. More than 12,000 people were evacuated from their homes due to the … [Read more...]
Taiwan to phase out nuclear power by 2025
The Cabinet reiterated Monday the government's resolve to move away from nuclear power, as it sought to reassure environmentalists who were protesting against the recent reactivation of a reactor at the country's second nuclear power plant. The government remains committed to the goal of decommissioning the three operational nuclear power plants as scheduled and making … [Read more...]
Western Cape officials brace for storm‚ prepare for ‘extraordinary circumstances’
The air force is on standby‚ schools are closed‚ swells of up to 12 metres are bearing down on the coast and people are being urged to stay indoors. What is expected to be the worst storm in living memory in the Western Cape when it makes landfall on Wednesday is not expected to break the worst drought in the province in more than a century‚ but on Tuesday disaster … [Read more...]
Tackling environmental challenges with the help of a 100 city network
As Cape Town continues to experience the worst drought on record in South Africa, the city has the opportunity to implement solutions that will not only address this acute environmental shock, but also strengthen the fabric of the city overall. The city has less than 10% of its useable water remaining for all of its nearly 4 million residents, representing one of the lowest … [Read more...]
Trump poised to quit Paris climate deal
US President Donald Trump is poised to pull the country out of the Paris climate accord, US media report, quoting senior officials. The 2015 accord for the first time united most of the world in a single agreement to mitigate climate change. It was signed by 195 countries out of 197 in a UN group on climate change, with Syria and Nicaragua abstaining. In a tweet on … [Read more...]
Time to end our destructive obsession with economic growth
The idea that the economic “pie” can grow indefinitely is alluring. It means everybody can have a share without limiting anybody’s greed. Rampant inequality thus becomes socially acceptable because we hope the growth of the economy will eventually make everybody better off. The Conversation In my new book “Wellbeing Economy: Success in a World Without Growth” I point out … [Read more...]
Quick action vital for GHG emission reporting regulations
On 3 April 2017, the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs Ms Bomo Edith Edna Molewa gazetted the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Reporting Regulations under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), the GHG Emission Reporting Regulations aim to introduce a single national reporting … [Read more...]
Climate change is already forcing U.S. communities to abandon their homes
Projections of climate-fuelled sea level rise show terrifying scenarios with major economic centers like New York and Miami losing much of their land to rising seas. But for some communities in the United States, losing land to climate change isn’t a future nightmare — it’s a present and daily struggle. According to new analysis from the Center for Progressive Reform, at … [Read more...]
Translating climate science to society through playing
Games are not just child’s play, and their value stems beyond a good laugh! Learning through play is a term used in education and psychology to describe how we can learn to make sense of the world around us. In essence, play can supercharge learning and therefore has the potential translate climate science to society. Simulation gaming (or modelling) is not a new concept, … [Read more...]
