We are handing our youth a climate-unstable world that could to be way more ugly, brutish, and short than the one Hobbes thought our hunter-gatherer ancestors evolved in. We owe it to the next generation to give them everything they need to prepare for it, writes Leonie Joubert on Youth Day. Read full article at Daily Maverick. … [Read more...]
Ramaphosa named in multi-billion-rand coal pollution court case
It has been 12 years since the South African government officially recognised the lethal levels of air pollution caused by the Eskom and Sasol plants on the Mpumalanga and east Gauteng Highveld. In that time, with international experts linking our national coal-fired pollution to thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of chronic illnesses a year — costing the economy in … [Read more...]
Environmental group enters legal fight over Cape Town’s bid to procure its own electricity
The Centre for Environmental Rights has applied to be a friend of the court in the case in which the City of Cape Town is seeking to be allowed to procure its own renewable energy without needing permission from the national energy minister. The matter is being heard in the high court in Pretoria. The organisation said on Tuesday that municipalities, which accounted for 40% … [Read more...]
African businesses urged to dive into Blue Economy
African businesses are being challenged to wake up to the economic, social and environmental power of the Blue Economy. Africa Blue Economy Forum (ABEF) comes to Tunis on June 25-26; Confirmed speakers include Government ministers and officials from Gabon, Ghana, Morocco, Somaliland, Tunisia and Seychelles; Aims to raise awareness of the economic, social and environmental … [Read more...]
Join the fight for renewable energy in Africa
Africa doesn’t need fossil fuels to reach its development. As the least responsible, but yet most vulnerable to climate change, Africa must follow upon the Climate Vulnerable Forum pledge made by 16 African governments in November 2016 to accelerate the transition towards an economy powered by 100% renewables. Our fight against fossil fuels is a pathway to a united African … [Read more...]
Stop the uncontrolled spread of dangerous EMF emissions
To the South African Minister of Health, MECs for Health in the Nine Provinces, and to Municipal Authorities across the country: We, the people of South Africa and the world, appeal to you to take into account the severe negative effects of electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation when approving cell masts in communities. People are rightly concerned about the fact that … [Read more...]
Fight to preserve fertile Cape Flats farmland
Those who want land are not necessarily after a big, remote farm. We visited three urban farming ventures to find out what it means to farm in the Philippi Horticultural Area. A community-based organisation, the PHA Food and Farming Campaign, is challenging further development in the area in the Western Cape High Court. Read the full article at News24. … [Read more...]
Dare to declare capitalism dead – before it takes us all down with it
A system based on perpetual growth cannot function without peripheries and externalities. There must always be an extraction zone – from which materials are taken without full payment – and a disposal zone, where costs are dumped in the form of waste and pollution. As the scale of economic activity increases until capitalism affects everything, from the atmosphere to the deep … [Read more...]
Cyclone Kenneth: Mozambique may need another huge aid effort
The destruction caused by Cyclone Kenneth, the strongest storm on record to hit Mozambique, may require another massive aid effort in a country still reeling from the year’s first tropical cyclone, the UN has said. With high winds and torrential rain, Kenneth made landfall in the country’s north on Thursday night, five weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated its centre. … [Read more...]
Air force assists Eastern Cape flood rescue operations
Serious flooding prompted the South African Air Force to dispatch helicopters to assist with rescue operations in Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape. The Alfred Nzo District Municipality on Wednesday urged residents in low-lying areas to monitor water levels and to move to higher ground if necessary. There are a number of dropoff points nationwide for those wishing to … [Read more...]
Plastic Neutral: a big step closer to a healthier planet
The WILDTRUST is proud to partner with Wedgewood Crafted Confectionary to deliver on its first ‘Plastic Neutral’ initiative. Wedgewood is a KwaZulu-Natal based business that has a proud history of investing in its community and working to reduce its environmental footprint. Recognising that its operation uses in excess of 20 000 kgs of plastic annually, it has entered into … [Read more...]
Donate to the victims of Cyclone Idai
The death toll from Cyclone Idai keeps rising. Now, cholera is taking lives and threatens the survivors of the cyclone. That's the thing about these extreme weather events. It doesn’t end when it ends. Cyclone Idai has destroyed access to clean water and access to sanitation, escalating health risks for the survivors. The countless families hit by the disaster are strong and … [Read more...]
Activists hold funeral for planet Earth
Environmental activists will be holding a funeral for the entire planet in Cape Town on Saturday from 11:00 to 13:00. Extinction Rebellion South Africa invites you to join for a symbolic Funeral for the Earth to mark the loss of life our planet has, is, and will experience due to climate breakdown. This will be our chance to express our grief and sadness at the harm being … [Read more...]
