Despite its magnificence and cultural diversity, South Africa is unfortunately plagued with two challenges which are unemployment and poor waste management. South Africa has a current unemployment rate of 26.7% which equates to 6 million unemployed South Africans, most of whom can be found in rural and peri-urban communities. WILDTRUST CEO, Dr Andrew Venter says that to … [Read more...]
Plastics industry encourages role players to strive for zero pellet loss
The South African plastics industry has reiterated its commitment to keep our water sources free of plastic pollution. Plastics|SA’s Executive Director, Anton Hanekom, said reducing the amount of plastics that make their way into streams, rivers and the ocean is one of the biggest focus areas for the plastics industry worldwide today. Plastics|SA was one of the first … [Read more...]
Be part of SA’s national food drive this #MandelaDay
The goal: Collect 250 tonnes of food over three days to provide over a million meals. This is the task ahead for the second consecutive Mandela Day Food Drive, and South Africans encouraged to unite together to reach this goal. “The reality in our country today is that millions continue to go to bed hungry every day,” says Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, director of transformation … [Read more...]
Public participation needed for effective environmental governance
“I think we understand why we are all here,” said Janet Munakamwe, Action 24 workshop facilitator, as she held a copy of the Constitution of South Africa in the air. “The key is in the preamble of the Constitution – the first three words are ‘We, the people’,” replied Bongani Dlamini, from Youth@SAIIA. These were the opening remarks of the Action 24 workshop in Gauteng, one … [Read more...]
Bring Your Own Bag campaign aims to keep the seas trash free
Every year South Africans use approximately 8 billion plastic bags, and less than 1% are recycled. Most end up in landfills or the ocean. With the support of A Rocha “Christians in Conservation,” South African Churches have launched a campaign to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags. At the launch, Rethink The Bag campaign founder Hayley MacLellan shared stories of the … [Read more...]
Chevron attacked for poisoning ancestral lands in the Amazon rainforest
A prominent Canadian Indigenous leader and lawyer, Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, has issued a blistering critique of Chevron in a United Nations speech for poisoning ancestral lands in the Amazon rainforest and engaging in “countless violations” of Indigenous peoples’ rights related to the dumping of billions of gallons of oil waste in Ecuador. The speech by Chief … [Read more...]
Minister Mantashe a no show at KZN mining discussions
The DMR Minister, Gwede Mantashe, has failed to honour his commitment to visit the KwaZulu-Natal province today to discuss the Mining Charter. Members of the community gathered from Newcastle area (Normandien, Kliprand Farm and Uitkomst communities) and Somkhele, where Petmin’s coal mine is being challenged by local community people. More than 70 people travelled to … [Read more...]
Wildlands praise recycling efforts in Colesberg
A group of nine hard-working residents in Colesberg (Northern Cape) signed up as Wildlands’ Waste-preneurs in 2016 with a goal of keeping their communities clean and green, while providing for their families. Continuous efforts made by this group have resulted in them forming a company known as A9. This allows them to be formally recognised as a business and draw more attention … [Read more...]
Pesticides and human health: the UK government’s ‘elephant in the room’
The UK Government currently has a consultation running until 8th May entitled ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit.’ A promising title I thought! That was until I read the various consultation documents - produced by DEFRA - where it became abundantly clear that, despite the title, there is a glaring omission of anything human … [Read more...]
Water expert talks drought lessons at Mensa
In South Africa 98% of all potential raw water sources are already allocated for use. Increasing urbanisation and demand for safe sanitation place heavy demands on our water resources. The Department of Water & Sanitation estimates that R7-billion in potable water is lost annually. That amounts to 36% of the clean drinking water supply! Dr Jo Barnes, epidemiologist and … [Read more...]
Community-run recycling initiative receives much-needed equipment
The Tembisa Self Help Association of the Disabled (T-SHAD) is a community based development programme initiated in 1990. PETCO is supporting the great work undertaken by T-SHAD through the sponsorship of much-needed protective equipment and recycling infrastructure. T-SHAD established a self-help factory with various income generating projects where people with … [Read more...]
Joburg Mayor joins Miss Earth SA for World Environment Day street clean-up
One hundred street and park clean-ups formed part of the World Environment Day celebrations for the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership programme in partnership with the City of Joburg and Pikitup. From the 1st – 5th June, 100 Miss Earth SA regional finalists have been hard at work connecting with their communities across the country. Under the banner of the international … [Read more...]
Coming together for water crisis awareness and solutions
Water is essential to sustaining all forms of life on Earth – a heavenly gift. Yet, driven most critically by climate change, water crises are on the rise and access to safe, clean water for drinking and for purposes of sanitation – as well as, of course, agriculture – is becoming increasingly problematic in many parts of the world, including our own. It is also becoming … [Read more...]
