Rainfall in Cape Town is a dramatic affair. In the winter wet season, ominous clouds and strong winds rumble in from the northwest, carrying with them the life-saving moisture of the Atlantic Ocean and dumping it in cold buckets on the city bowl. For days at a time, storms batter and flood the city and surrounding areas, so much so that the region’s first Portuguese moniker was … [Read more...]
SA makes positive step by dropping nuclear expansion plans
Environmental NGOs welcomed South Africa's decision to scrap the plan on boosting energy supply from nuclear plants, and expressed hope that further steps will be taken by the country in embracing renewables, in comments to Sputnik. On Monday, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe released the draft Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) for South Africa for the period up to 2030, which … [Read more...]
SA’s energy vision for 2030: integrated resource plan finally released
The long-awaited Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) envisages the energy mix in 2030 will consist of almost half coal power, with gas and wind being the next most important contributors. "A ‘just transition’ requires that while we move with speed to respond to the changing landscape, we take calculated steps to ensure we leave no one behind," energy minister Jeff Radebe … [Read more...]
NGOs call for a tougher Climate Change Bill
In its formal response to the Department of Environmental Affairs’ proposed Climate Change Bill, the Life After Coal Campaign has called for a far more robust and proactive Bill. Life After Coal is a joint campaign of non-profit environmental justice organisations groundWork, Earthlife Africa and the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER). “While we applaud the Department for … [Read more...]
Lion breeding industry harming SA’s reputation according to new poll
A nationwide survey, by the Humane Society International (HSI), has revealed that the majority of South Africans believe the captive lion breeding industry is harming the country’s international reputation. This announcement comes on the first of a two-day South African Parliamentary inquiry into the lion breeding industry. According to the study, South Africans demonstrate … [Read more...]
Caribbean states beg Trump to grasp climate change threat
Caribbean states and territories have rounded on the Trump administration for dismantling the US’s response to climate change, warning that greenhouse gas emissions must be sharply cut to avoid hurricanes and sea level rise threatening the future of their island idylls. The onset of this year’s hurricane season has seen leaders in the region tell the Guardian that Donald … [Read more...]
The world’s largest solar farm rises in the remote Egyptian desert
In 1913 on the outskirts of Cairo, an inventor from Philadelphia named Frank Shuman built the world’s first solar thermal power station, using the abundant Egyptian sunshine to pump 6,000 gallons of water a minute from the Nile to irrigate a nearby cotton field. World War I and the discovery of cheap oil derailed Shuman’s dream of replicating his “sun power plant” on a grand … [Read more...]
Scientists urge Indonesian president to nix dam in orangutan habitat
Twenty-five of the world’s top environmental scientists have lambasted plans to construct a hydroelectric dam in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, because it would threaten the rarest species of great ape on Earth. The scientists, members of the Alliance of Leading Environmental Researchers & Thinkers (ALERT), outlined their concerns in a letter addressed to President Joko … [Read more...]
Vaal River suffocates under filthy wave of raw effluent
It's the worst crisis ever for the Vaal River, says Maureen Stewart of Save the Vaal - one that has had an impact on Parys 22km downstream in the Free State. For more than a month raw sewage has been flowing directly into the Vaal because of mismanagement by the Emfuleni and Ngwathe local authorities. The river has turned green and scores of dead fish have washed up on … [Read more...]
Allow nuclear waste disposal under national parks, say MPs
Highly radioactive nuclear waste could be permanently buried under national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs), under government plans backed by a committee of MPs. Deep geological burial is seen as the only permanent solution for nuclear waste that will remain radioactive for many thousands of years and is currently stored at surface sites across the UK. … [Read more...]
New UN report highlights crimes that have serious environmental impacts
The new Report “The State of Knowledge of Crimes that have Serious Impacts on the Environment” has been published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). Environmental crime is a complex type of crime that requires thorough analysis and strong coordination among different … [Read more...]
Trump administration asks supreme court to halt kids’ climate case
The federal government has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the landmark youth climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States that is scheduled for trial in October. The Department of Justice filed an application Tuesday seeking to halt discovery and trial, including an administrative stay on proceedings. Both the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and the Ninth … [Read more...]
Small recycling businesses in Boksburg receive welcome boost
Recycling SMMEs received support from the PET recycling sector earlier this month in the form of equipment that will enable their effective participation in the mandatory recycling programme launched by the City of Ekurhuleni this month. This follows concerns from small industry players and informal waste collectors that they could be sidelined by the new … [Read more...]
