You have to see Apple’s Reno, Nevada, data center from the inside to truly understand how huge it is. It’s made up of five long white buildings sitting side by side on a dry scrubby landscape just off I-80, and the corridor that connects them through the middle is a quarter-mile long. On either side are big, dark rooms–more than 50 of them–filled with more than 200,000 … [Read more...]
Western Cape to scrap environmental commissioner post after 20 years
The Western Cape government is set to scrap the position of commissioner for the environment, created 20 years ago, but never filled. This incensed a young advocate, Winston Erasmus, who was called to the bar just two weeks ago and decided to take on the Western Cape government for failing to appoint an environment commissioner, who he argued could have helped prevent Cape … [Read more...]
Are South Africa’s shopping bags really being recycled?
Despite many claims to the contrary, the shopping bags of most SA retailers are not actually being recycled because of one additive. In spite of wording on their plastic shopping bags such as "Recycle me - set a trend" (Woolworths), "Reduce, reuse, recycle" (Pick 'n Pay & Shoprite) and "We love our country, please recycle" (Spar), these bags are not being recycled … [Read more...]
Become a Conservation Champion
The WWF brought together stakeholders from the wine industry and conservation to create the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) in 2005. Over the next decade, the initiative fostered greater awareness of the Cape’s unique natural heritage and encouraged many farms to implement biodiversity-friendly farming. The partnership also saw South Africa’s voluntary sustainable … [Read more...]
HSBC: what they’ve said about funding deforestation, and why it’s wrong
Over three weeks ago, we exposed how HSBC is funding palm oil companies that are tearing up Indonesia's forests. Since then, thousands of emails have been sent to the CEO. Now HSBC is responding to those emails, but what it's saying is at times misguided, and other times just plain wrong. More than 200,000 people across the world - including many HSBC customers - have … [Read more...]
The state of green business in 2017
In 2016, among the world's largest companies showed positive signals in sustainable business KPIs. The challenge of 2017? To identify business models that decouple growth from resource use and pollution, says Trucost CEO Richard Mattison. 2016 was undoubtedly a year of change. Aside from major political shifts, there were also significant shifts in climate action. The … [Read more...]
A ‘green guarantee’ could stop Brexit ruining our environment
It is finally happening. After 40 years of membership of the European Union, the UK is now on course for an extreme Brexit that will have serious implications for all of our lives. Many aspects of the UK’s departure from the EU have been pored over. But one of the most profoundly impacted areas, our environmental policy, has barely been discussed. For those of us in the … [Read more...]
Win a floating edible island and fight the drought
Water shortage? How to use what you have and thrive. List as many benefits as possible to this home-made system and stand a chance to win one floating island, worth R1200. PS the floating islands are vegetated with edible plants. Food. Make your list in the comment space below this story. Entries close 31 October. … [Read more...]
Ecopreneurs for the climate gather for Green Business Week
Cape Town green business speak up on Friday at the Ecopreneurs for the Climate 2016(ECO4CLIM16) event at the Artscape. This week green business climate movements are happening in cities, towns and communities around the world. This in the lead-up to the Climate Change Summit in Marrakech ala COP22. ECO4CLIM16 contributes by empowering ecopreneurs to provide communities … [Read more...]
Oceans facts and futures: valuing South Africa’s ocean economy
Conservation of marine ecosystems is the foundation of ensuring that our oceans are able to produce goods and services which we rely on. It should hence not be seen as separate from human survival and development. In South Africa, coastal goods and services alone are estimated to contribute over a third – 35% – to our gross domestic product (GDP). As a country with … [Read more...]
How to care for breasts naturally this Pink October
Most women have no idea that simply not wearing a bra can have a major impact on the likelihood of developing breast cancer - one of the major killers of women in the western world. It is also one of the most over-diagnosed and over-treated conditions. A new study from Brazil, published in May 2016 in the journal Advances in Oncology Research and Treatments, explains that … [Read more...]
Nuclear plans ‘too sensitive’ for public to see, says minister
Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has refused to supply the DA with a range of documents related to the government’s nuclear power procurement plans, saying they are privileged, sensitive state documents the release of which "could compromise the new build process". Another ground for her refusal is that the requested documents are also subject to the sub judice rule as … [Read more...]
76 Samsung workers dead after chemical exposure
Samsung deliberately kept secret the harmful chemicals its South Korean workers were exposed to, fearing its competitors would learn trade secrets. 76 workers are now dead. Most of the dead were in their 20s or 30s. One former worker—a breast cancer survivor—reported that Samsung brought in “uninformed kids” and treated them like they were “disposable cups.” Samsung … [Read more...]
