A new study finds quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression. Specifically, the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, found that people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area, as opposed to participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting, showed decreased activity in a region of the brain … [Read more...]
World’s largest air pollution hotspot is Mpumalanga
A groundbreaking analysis of satellite data from 1 June to 31 August this year reveals the world’s largest NO2 air pollution hotspots across six continents in the most detail to date. Greenpeace analysis of the data points to coal and transport as the two principle sources of air pollution, with Mpumalanga in South Africa topping the chart as the world’s largest NO2 hotspot … [Read more...]
100 Mayors adopt Seoul Declaration for sustainable cities
Over 100 Mayors and elected leaders today adopted the “Seoul Declaration”, which sets out how to make cities sustainable. The Seoul Declaration is one of the major outcomes of the ICLEI World Congress 2015 - the biggest gathering of urban sustainability leaders worldwide. Gino Van Begin explained: “The Seoul Declaration is a landmark commitment by our Members, our … [Read more...]
Solving climate problems and beyond by looking at core issues
The core drivers of climate change cause other problems too. The good news is, for every problem there’s a group of people who would benefit from solving it. From the first exploratory survey for fossil fuels until the end of the century, when today’s greenhouse gas emissions will still be influencing our planet, the fossil-fuel economy causes harm. Climate advocates have … [Read more...]
SA Earth Hour challenge entries demonstrate green promise
South African cities that have entered the latest round of the global Earth Hour City Challenge 2014 - 15 are demonstrating significant progress in their efforts towards low-carbon development. The WWF challenge, which is being run for the second time in South Africa, has been taken up by four local metros; City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay … [Read more...]
ICLEI at the Climate Summit 2014
World leaders are gathering in New York next week to attend the Climate Summit 2014. Convened by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Summit aims to mobilize political will and galvanize climate action. Among its eight key action areas are cities – a clear indication of the crucial role we have in fighting climate change. For over two decades, ICLEI – Local Governments for … [Read more...]
SA cities in the running for global eco challenge
Two South African cities have been selected as finalists in the 2014 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Earth Hour City Challenge, a global competition that recognises the substantial long-term efforts of cities to combat climate change. The two contenders – Cape Town and Durban – were among six South African cities that participated in a collaborative programme between WWF … [Read more...]
Cities discuss conservation in a changing climate
Addressing biodiversity conservation in a changing climate by sharing local examples and lessons strenthened the international pool of knowledge at the 2013 International BiodiverCities Conference in Joondalup, Western Australia. The 2013 International BiodiverCities Conference was a resounding success. Hosted by the beautiful City of Joondalup from 9-11 September, in … [Read more...]
Working towards a better food system
Last week, the African Food Security Network (AFSUN) hosted a workshop in Cape Town about food security, urbanization and migration in a comparative context. The workshop was presented in a unique “U process”. This consisted of a step by step method which started on the left side of a U shape, and ended on the far right. The first step was “sensing”. This was basically a … [Read more...]
Bee attacks raise concerns about city beekeeping
The recent dramatic bee attacks in the Western Cape have raised fresh concerns about the growing trend of urban beekeeping in South Africa. The recent incident saw more than thirty cyclists participating in a race being attacked by bees from a nearby hive – some riders had as many as 100 stings removed and others who were allergic had to be airlifted to hospital. Urban … [Read more...]
Smart cities in the spotlight
Smart city planning and sustainability issues have been in the spotlight with the recent announcement of a new infrastructure programme to transform South Africa's cities. Environmental sustainability refers to the ability to cater to the needs of the current and future generations through the careful use of available natural resources. With the rapid increase in population, … [Read more...]
Green Star buildings on the rise
The green movement in the built environment is spreading like wildfire and in the month of September alone the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) certified three new green buildings in SA under the Green Star SA rating system. This brings the total number of Green Star SA ratings in SA to nine, with two of these having achieved both Office Design and Office As … [Read more...]
Ecopolis to operate urban metabolism
In a new report titled Regenerative Cities, the World Future Council (WFC) called today on national governments at the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancún to enable their cities to take vigorous measures to deal with climate change. “Cities must be the focal point of action in the global effort to reduce global warming”, WFC Co-Founder Prof. Herbert Girardet said in an … [Read more...]
