The President of Chile, Dr Michelle Bachelet (photographed, right) will deliver the 12th Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in Cape Town under the theme ‘Building social cohesion through active citizenship’ on Saturday 9 August 2014. This is the second time that the lecture will be held in Cape Town, with the event previously being hosted in the city in 2012. Dr Bachelet is a … [Read more...]
September is Clean-Up-SA month
September is traditionally the month in which South Africans from all walks of life are encouraged to “spring clean” the environment in celebration of the arrival of spring. This year, the annual Clean-Up and Recycle Week will be taking place from the 15th to the 20th of September, culminating in National Recycling Day on Friday, 19 September and the 29th International … [Read more...]
Go treeplanting in Hogsback this Arbor month
In light of September being Arbour Month, Greenpop is pleased to announce the Hogsback Reforest Fest! Much like the Platbos Reforest Fest that occurred this past May, the Hogsback Reforest Fest aims to celebrate our Earth and our trees through reforestation, music, workshops, competitions, and yoga. Happening in the magical Amathole Mountains in the Eastern Cape Province … [Read more...]
Help make solar power better and win $1 Million
“Smaller is baller,” “Min it to win it,” “Think shrink.” Those are the puns Google is using to promote its new competition: $1 million to whomever can invent a working power inverter for solar and other forms of renewable energy that’s roughly as small as a laptop. The company has teamed up with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to launch the … [Read more...]
67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day
When you think of knitting, what comes to mind? A grey-haired dear? Think again! Knitting is now hip and is being done, en masse, for a good cause. 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day started as a challenge but has quickly grown into what some are calling a movement. It’s captured the attention of the Minister of Arts & Culture, Paul Mashatile, Hugh Masekela, Angela … [Read more...]
Lwandle: don’t shoot the wounded
Last week I received a call from Ses’khona head, Loyiso Nkhona about the forced removals and demolishment of housing in the Lwandle informal settlement. I was due to meet with Loyiso yesterday out at the settlement. At 3pm he went into a meeting with the Minister of Transport and the Premier of the Western Cape. He asked me to go out and meet with a Ses’khona representative and … [Read more...]
Church leaders pledge support for strike
A range of high-profile church and community leaders have issued a petition calling for humanitarian support to families in the platinum belt. “There is a humanitarian tragedy unfolding on the platinum belt. While supporting current attempts to reach a settlement to the dispute, the reality on the ground is that children, women and men do not have food, and hardship will … [Read more...]
Join the fracking debate this Friday
As the ANC’s new cabinet moves into gear, expectations are that President Zuma will soon issue final regulations in connection with shale gas mining. This, as promised by Mr. Zuma in his State of The Nation Address, ‘will be followed by the processing and granting of licences.’ At that point, the doors to exploration will have been opened and Shell, et al will be set loose … [Read more...]
US Federal Communications Commission set to kill net neutrality
Is the protection of the internet from corporate domination important to you? Last week the news broke in the US that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a new decision to end net neutrality. Here is the story by watchdog.net on the recent decisions by the FCC - the US regulator of interstate and international communications by television, radio, wire, satellite … [Read more...]
Which US city will be submerged by climate change?
A new Climate Central report shows which U.S. cities’ fates are locked in by sea-level rise. The long list of 1,400 cities includes not only obvious coastal candidates like Miami and New Orleans, but also inland cities such as Sacramento. They’re doomed to drown by 2100 even if carbon emissions immediately—like right now—drop to zero. Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), a … [Read more...]
French energy minister promises 100,000 green jobs
Segolene Royal, appointed French energy and environment minister this month, said she planned to create 100,000 jobs in the next three years with a drive for green growth. Royal told a news conference she wanted to accelerate investment in renewable energies like wind, solar, biomass and marine energy, as well as in insulation of buildings. In coming days, Royal will make … [Read more...]
Skills drought taking its toll on SA water sector
The water sector is experiencing a critical scarce skills shortage, owing to an insufficient skills base and fierce competition in the labour market for skilled personnel, said the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) acting director- general Trevor Balzer. During his address earlier this month at the Civilution Congress, in Ekurhuleni, he stated that a high … [Read more...]
Shopping to make a difference
Viva to the Capetownians who consider where their food comes from, who shop local, organic and seasonal, who support community empowering farming initiatives and who benefit themselves and the planet in the process. Watch this video made by UCT students and see some bright young faces who think, care and act … [Read more...]
