Farmers in Sutherland can breathe a little easier after the successful drilling of new boreholes as part of a R15 million project to save farms in the area. The Gift of the Givers project follows one of the worst droughts the province has seen. Eleven Sutherland farms were lost, livestock died and 56 farms remain at risk. Gift of the Givers decided to step in to drill 200 … [Read more...]
Stand up for democracy – say no to the anti-espionage bill
The Australian government is seeking to introduce new espionage and foreign interference laws that threaten democracy. On face value they could be seen as being about modernising the laws that are meant to tackle foreign interference in Australia’s domestic affairs. But a closer look reveals a dangerous agenda which will limit the ability of Australians to exercise their … [Read more...]
Keeping tabs on genetically modified crops
Genetic engineering and plant breeding techniques are used in biofortification programmes to improve the nutritional quality of African cereals such as sorghum and pearl millet. Apart from being important food sources for many poor people around the world, especially those in drought-stricken areas, these cereals also contain important plant-based chemicals that can assist in … [Read more...]
A look at active volcanoes
This year has seen its share of explosive volcanic activity, from Hawaii's Kilauea eruptions that have so far forced more than 1,700 people to evacuate their homes to Guatemala's Fuego volcano eruption in early June that killed at least 99 people. However, these volcanoes are just two of many active volcanoes around the globe. Mount Yasur, Vanuatu Mount Yasur on the Tanna … [Read more...]
Why India is the world’s deadliest country for forest rangers
On February 20, 2017, range forest officer (RFO) Daulat Ram Lader was having his ritual after-dinner tea with wife Pushpa when there was a knock at the door. Lader was posted at Lailunga, Dharamjaigarh forest division, in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district. Lader opened the door and stepped out to speak with the visitors. An hour later, his body, hacked to death, was found some … [Read more...]
Chevron attacked for poisoning ancestral lands in the Amazon rainforest
A prominent Canadian Indigenous leader and lawyer, Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, has issued a blistering critique of Chevron in a United Nations speech for poisoning ancestral lands in the Amazon rainforest and engaging in “countless violations” of Indigenous peoples’ rights related to the dumping of billions of gallons of oil waste in Ecuador. The speech by Chief … [Read more...]
Prospect of mining on Olifants River estuary alarms fishermen
Traditional fishermen in the Olifants River estuary are alarmed at a decision by the government to grant prospecting rights to controversial Australian mining company Mineral Sands Resources on the northern bank of the estuary. This is the third largest estuary on the South African coastline and one of the country’s most pristine estuarine systems. The estuary, also host to … [Read more...]
Wildlands praise recycling efforts in Colesberg
A group of nine hard-working residents in Colesberg (Northern Cape) signed up as Wildlands’ Waste-preneurs in 2016 with a goal of keeping their communities clean and green, while providing for their families. Continuous efforts made by this group have resulted in them forming a company known as A9. This allows them to be formally recognised as a business and draw more attention … [Read more...]
Pesticides and human health: the UK government’s ‘elephant in the room’
The UK Government currently has a consultation running until 8th May entitled ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit.’ A promising title I thought! That was until I read the various consultation documents - produced by DEFRA - where it became abundantly clear that, despite the title, there is a glaring omission of anything human … [Read more...]
Meet the people building alternatives to mining in Colombia
On the 26th March 2017, citizens from the mountainous municipality of Cajamarca, Colombia, voted, with a 98% majority, to ban South African miner AngloGold Ashanti’s vast La Colosa gold mining project, in a ‘popular consultation’ led by grassroots youth activists and small-scale farmers. One year on, and Cajamarca’s victory has helped inspire a much wider movement of … [Read more...]
Xolobeni community fights for a voice in mining decisions
From Monday 23 April until Wednesday 25 April, the Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC) will be meeting the department of mineral resources (DMR) and Australian mining conglomerate Transworld Energy and Minerals (TEM) in the Pretoria High Court regarding the Xolobeni farming community. The ACC, along with the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), will be arguing that in terms of the existing … [Read more...]
Water expert talks drought lessons at Mensa
In South Africa 98% of all potential raw water sources are already allocated for use. Increasing urbanisation and demand for safe sanitation place heavy demands on our water resources. The Department of Water & Sanitation estimates that R7-billion in potable water is lost annually. That amounts to 36% of the clean drinking water supply! Dr Jo Barnes, epidemiologist and … [Read more...]
Mega coal plants versus people of South Africa: The battle for clean water
South Africa is currently facing up to the reality of a mega water crisis over three provinces. The water crisis has been declared a national disaster, which means that the national government recognises that the impacts of the water crisis go well beyond just the three provinces that have been named. An additional R6bn has been set aside in the budget for responses to the … [Read more...]
