There is an infectious feeling of optimism and comradery in the air when a group of like-minded individuals get together to celebrate the incredible work being done by local individuals, organisations, and communities to build a greener and more eco-logical world. And that’s exactly what the 2023 Eco-Logic Awards, which took place on 9 November at the Two Oceans Aquarium, is … [Read more...]
Pitfalls to avoid when installing a PV system
In the urgency to shield your household from the worst of load shedding, you could end up with an investment that doesn’t deliver the promised returns. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls when installing a PV system. Solar panels have become a feature of the South African residential landscape over the past few years as homeowners seek a measure of energy … [Read more...]
Embrace spring with micro gardening
There’s a gardener in everyone, and a garden waiting to take root in every space this spring. Gardeners everywhere are returning to sow and plant, but what to do if you don’t have a large soil-and-lawn garden but feel the spirit of the season stirring in your heart? Gardening has never really gone out of fashion, but its popularity is at an all-time high. In the … [Read more...]
Optimise your solar system during winter
Alaska’s Willow solar farm is sited a few hundred miles south of the Arctic Circle. While 85% of the northernmost US state has some level of permafrost, it is surprisingly sunny. And solar panels do not need heat; they need sunshine. “Colder temperatures do not have a massive impact on solar panel efficiency,” says Ross Mains-Sheard of Versofy Solar. “In fact, you may … [Read more...]
Waterford Kamhlaba places sustainability at the core of its vision
Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA, one of the first multi-racial schools in southern Africa, has placed sustainability at the core of its vision. As it celebrates 60 years of existence this year, the school is accelerating its sustainability efforts; already achieving some key milestones in this journey. Key projects already underway include water purification and harvesting, greywater … [Read more...]
SA brands meeting plastic collection and recycling targets
Newly released data shows that several major South African brands are meeting targets when it comes to collecting and recycling the plastic packaging in which their products are sold, and keeping it out of the environment. The audited data was released on June 8 by the country’s longest-standing producer responsibility organisation (PRO), PETCO. It represents 2022 collection … [Read more...]
Flip the switch and save on electricity
While you’re away this December, the last thing on your mind should be a hefty energy bill waiting for you when you get back home. As electricity prices continue to soar and an increasing number of South Africans turn to solar power to resolve their woes, the solar specialists at Alumo Energy have identified some of the average homeowner’s biggest energy wasters. Holidays … [Read more...]
Spicing up female empowerment with sustainable farming
Born from the idea, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime”, founders Dom Johnson- Allen, Anna Lusty and Leila Blom are empowering women to sustain themselves through farming. Backyard Farms is an initiative that came from the global Covid-19 pandemic. Having set up and run a feeding scheme at The Pebbles … [Read more...]
Building a brighter environmental future for our children
Growing up in a nature loving family, Natashia de Wet, felt compelled to build a brighter environmental future for her children, by creating sustainable ecosystems where bees, nature and humans can not only survive, but also thrive. After much research and consultation with sustainability experts, Natashia discovered the world of Bokashi and how by combining it with her … [Read more...]
Grow a mountain of legumes in your garden
Legumes are a cheap form of protein, albeit not a complete protein; they don’t have all the essential amino acids that our tissues absolutely demand to build strong minds and bodies. A deficiency causes stunting and, in its more severe form, Kwashiorkor. They cost a fraction of the price of meat, dairy products and eggs; and arguably are more healthy though that is contested … [Read more...]
South Africans need to cut power ties with Eskom
With 673 hours of darkness in the first six months of 2022 so far alone, this year looks set to overtake 2021’s record amount of load shedding, while energy experts have raised the spectre of unprecedented stage 8 blackouts. And as winter cold sets in and heaters turn up, Eskom has warned of constraints on the national grid and just announced the restart of load … [Read more...]
Grow a mountain of starch in your garden
Starches form the foundation of most people’s diets, rich and poor alike; at least a third and often far more. Yet they have become the new whipping boy in both the popular and scientific press; they make us fat and cause type-2 diabetes. Or do they? First it was animal fat, after researcher Radley Keys cooked the books, causing the world to eschew eggs, dairy products and … [Read more...]
SA’s untapped potential for off-grid biogas energy
Ahead of the imminent launch of the South African Waste to Energy Roadmap, a new report has found that the micro-digester sector has significant opportunities to grow if it can strengthen partnerships within the sector and with stakeholders in allied sectors. This study, commissioned by the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), has uncovered untapped … [Read more...]
