A group of scientists led by eminent NMMU botanist Professor Richard Cowling warned nearly a decade ago that the uncontrolled spread of alien vegetation posed a fire threat that could devastate the Garden Route. Contained in an article in the 2009 edition of the Veld & Flora magazine, which The Herald accessed yesterday after an alert from the Endangered Wildlife Trust … [Read more...]
Climate change evident in Cape storm and Knysna fires
The mother of all storms. The worst drought in a century. More intense fires than any in living memory. The hottest years on record. This is the new normal. South Africa’s climate is changing and with that comes extreme weather. Events such as crippling storms and droughts, which used to happen once a century, will happen every decade, or more frequently. We know this. There … [Read more...]
Cape storm damages 135 schools across Western Cape
A massive weather system is pummelling SA, but bringing welcome rain to drought-stricken areas. Follow all the latest details here. The Western Cape Education Department on Friday said that 135 schools in the province had been damaged as a result of the massive storm which struck earlier in the week. Education MEC Debbie Schafer said in a statement that learners and … [Read more...]
DA’s Maimane to visit fire-ravaged Knysna
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane will on Monday visit Knysna in the wake of the devastating fires which have claimed the lives of seven people, including children and left widespread damage across the region. Maimane will visit residents affected by the inferno and assess the damage caused. More than 12,000 people were evacuated from their homes due to the … [Read more...]
Taiwan to phase out nuclear power by 2025
The Cabinet reiterated Monday the government's resolve to move away from nuclear power, as it sought to reassure environmentalists who were protesting against the recent reactivation of a reactor at the country's second nuclear power plant. The government remains committed to the goal of decommissioning the three operational nuclear power plants as scheduled and making … [Read more...]
Western Cape officials brace for storm‚ prepare for ‘extraordinary circumstances’
The air force is on standby‚ schools are closed‚ swells of up to 12 metres are bearing down on the coast and people are being urged to stay indoors. What is expected to be the worst storm in living memory in the Western Cape when it makes landfall on Wednesday is not expected to break the worst drought in the province in more than a century‚ but on Tuesday disaster … [Read more...]
How hard is climate change affecting the world’s poorest nations?
When Nicholas Herold was hunting for data on how much climate change was affecting the world's poorest nations, he was surprised when he couldn't find answers in the published research. "Everyone's spoken for years about how poor countries are going to suffer more – or are suffering more – and I couldn't find one figure actually showing this," the research fellow at the … [Read more...]
Cape Town water crisis: desalination could see prices spike
If Capetonians don't cut water use even more, the next step to avert dry taps could be putting treated waste water back into the system and an expensive desalination plant, which would push water prices up by at least 50%, Mayor Patricia de Lille said on Tuesday. With the dams that feed the city at 33% capacity, De Lille plans to ask for Cape Town to be declared a disaster … [Read more...]
Tropical Storm Dineo to bring heavy rain, flooding to SA
Disaster management teams are at the ready as tropical Tropical storm Dineo prepares to make landfall on Friday. The low-pressure system was expected to bring heavy rain, flooding and possibly wind damage to the southern parts of Mozambique; parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga; and the northern reaches of KwaZulu-Natal. Nasa reported the formation of the tropical cyclone on … [Read more...]
More fires expected in Western Cape as drought worsens
The Western Cape could expect more wildfires, while drought conditions were set to worsen as the province felt the impact of climate change, authorities said on Wednesday. "Most definitely, we can expect more fires, a longer fire season and more intensive fires. All of this can be linked to climate change," James-Brent Styan, spokesperson for Local Government and … [Read more...]
‘Unprecedented’ polar melting unfolds amid climate change denial
There was a moment in early January when it was colder in Seattle (27F) than it was on the North Slope of Alaska in the Arctic town of Barrow (30F). On the day that this occurred, Barrow, whose normal high temperature for that day was negative 5 degrees, saw a record high temperature of 33 degrees above zero. This unprecedented phenomenon sums up the direction of this … [Read more...]
In 2017, disruptive forces will shape climate action
In 2016, exciting new developments unleashed a visionary sense of where renewables can take us, with solar breaking new ground. 2016 delivered the first solar-powered, round-the-world flight, plans to build roads paved with solar panels across four continents and solar roof tiles that blend into background. This is one of the most disruptive technologies the world has ever … [Read more...]
Extreme heatwave coming to Australia this weekend
Severe-to-extreme heatwave conditions are predicted to hit central and southern Queensland and northern New South Wales for three days from Friday, with temperatures forecast to crack 40 degrees Celsius in some parts. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) senior forecaster Michael Knepp said dry air coming from western Queensland would send temperatures soaring over the … [Read more...]
