Invented by social entrepreneur James van der Walt, the SolarTurtle recently scooped a win at the Inventors Garage at the 2017 SABC Education SA Innovation Summit, walking away with R10k. The SolarTurtle, converted from shipping containers, charges solar batteries that can be used on site or at home in low-income communities to power LED lights, charge phones or other … [Read more...]
Upcycling gives waste an exciting new purpose
Upcycling is a fun and creative way to transform old products and packaging into something with a new purpose. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA)’s Waste Management Hierarchy, upcycling, which in the most basic sense is ‘reusing’ waste, is the second most preferred waste management option after ‘reducing’ your waste. Have you ever used an old glass … [Read more...]
Sharing people-driven films to inspire change
Green Renaissance are a passionate collective of four creatives, on a journey to share positive stories. Everywhere we look, we see a world filled with inspiration. Sometimes it's capturing a conversation with someone who appreciates the true beauty in the world. Other times it's meeting interesting people who are inspired by nature. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. … [Read more...]
Entries now open for 2017 Recycled Plastic Product Awards
South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) is inviting entries to this year’s Recycled Plastic Product of the Year Awards. SAPRO is proud to announce the sixth prestigious competition, with the aim of acknowledging the wide variety of products that are locally manufactured using recycled materials. The Recycled Plastic Product of the Year Awards were held for the … [Read more...]
Duo welcomed home in Cape Town after rowing to raise awareness
On 1 January 2017, Braam Malherbe and Wayne Robertson left Cape Town for a demanding transatlantic row without assistance or support. After rowing in two-hour shifts, 24 hours a day for 92 days, they completed their 8100km journey from Cape Town to Rio De Janeiro. Braam and Wayne aren’t just rowing for themselves, but rather to raise awareness for an important cause: the … [Read more...]
Local musicians work together to create environmental awareness
The preservation of the environment is a matter which Jean Marais, owner of Tunes Studio in Stellenbosch and local drummer, has held dear since an early age. A few months ago, and to his utter dismay, he discovered that his hometown sports a severe lack of recycling infrastructure. After a few phone calls to the local municipality and recycling companies in Stellenbosch, … [Read more...]
Cape Town to open Africa’s first electric bus factory
Cape Town's dream of becoming the heart of Africa's green economy got a boost on Tuesday with the announcement of an electric bus manufacturing plant that will create hundreds of jobs. The plant will be opened in 2018 by Chinese green energy firm BYD‚ and it will also make products such as mass-transit monorail systems and solar panels. Mayor Patricia de Lille said BYD … [Read more...]
Young filmmakers the world over invited to strut their stuff
The Film4Climate Global Video Competition invites filmmakers between the ages of 14-35 years old from all over the world to showcase their talents and create a Public Service Advertisement (PSA) (less than 1 min) or a Short Film (1-5 minutes) about climate action. The videos should show a personal climate change narrative: What does climate change mean to you? What … [Read more...]
A Message of Hope and Inspiration
My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world now. Ours is a time of almost daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people. You are right in your … [Read more...]
‘Normal Is Over’ premiere at Labia Theatre
I have seen so many movies about the decline on our planet. What more is there to learn? How to keep strong when you know so much? But there is a local film maker, Renée Scheltema (pictured, right) from the Netherlands originally, who has dedicated the past 5 years of her life – and mostly her own funds – to travel the world and construct a film to communicate this message … [Read more...]
Teen scientist plans to solve SA crop woes with orange peels
A 16-year-old South African is the regional winner for Middle East and Africa in the Google Science Fair’s Community Impact Award. She is now in line to be one of 16 global finalists and will travel to the Google headquarters in California for the award ceremony. The finals are in September. Kiara Nirghin (photographed right)‚ from St Martin’s High School in Johannesburg‚ … [Read more...]
Why climate change needs 60,000 artists to tell its story
In 2013, one of the world’s leading public relations experts, Bob Pickard, cried out to the climate world: “mobilise us!” In a frustrated op-ed, he listed 20 key problems with climate communication. One of them was “story fatigue”: bland stories with “highly repetitive and stale” themes. Climate information is still often confusing, unengaging and absent from the wider … [Read more...]
Journalists set off in search of African sustainability stories
On April 9th 2016, a 3-person team of mobile journalists will begin an epic 14,000 km trans-African cycling expedition from Cape Town, South Africa to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Travelling unsupported for up to 10 months, carrying all their equipment, the team will produce documentary shorts that showcase ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their community and planet. … [Read more...]
