More than 45 000 people reacted to Dear SA’s campaign inviting comment on draft legislation allowing meat from endangered species to be added to the list of animals allowed to be slaughtered, consumed and traded. The overwhelming majority of those participating in the campaign objected to the South African government’s plan to expand the list of animals for slaughter and … [Read more...]
Providing clean, safe water to protect human health
The provision of safe water, sanitation and hygienic conditions is essential for protecting human health during all infectious disease outbreaks including COVID-19. SANEDI (South African National Energy and Development Institute) is partnering with the Department of Defence (DoD) for a Water Treatment Works project at the SANDF Air Force Base in Hoedspruit in the Maruleng … [Read more...]
Survey reveals common concern of global scientists
The greatest threat to humanity hides in the potential cascading of impacts of five highly-related, highly-likely risks - a collision that can amplify these effects catastrophically, according to a new survey of 222 leading scientists from 52 countries. Conducted by international sustainability research network Future Earth, the survey identifies five global risks - failure … [Read more...]
IPCC report shows critical need for accelerated climate action
The launch of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on the Ocean and Cryosphere today, highlights the need for governments to urgently scale up and accelerate efforts to address the climate emergency and protect the world’s oceans. Drawn from almost 7,000 papers by over 100 leading climate scientists, the IPCC report represents the most … [Read more...]
Dumping fossil fuels to drive green development
Disinvestments in fossil fuels amounting to 11 trillion dollars – eight times the global GDP – have been recorded in the last six months of this year, according to a report released this week. According to the report, divestment “leapt from 52 billion dollars in 2014 to more than 11 trillion dollars today — a stunning increase of 22,000 percent”. But the report noted that … [Read more...]
Land reform process must take climate crisis into account
The evidence is clear: if we don’t factor land use considerations into near-term planning the land may well be of no use to anyone in the long term. With pressure building on politicians to make good on the largely unimplemented land reform process linked to the increasingly urgent need to address inequality and unemployment, the debate on expropriation without compensation … [Read more...]
Knowledge hub established to save Africa’s most iconic cat
When you think of a species on the brink, you probably don’t think of the African Lion – the king of the African savannah. But for the last two decades the lion has been quietly sliding closer to extinction, and Africa has lost half its wild population of this iconic species in the last 25 years alone. A new knowledge hub, recently launched by the Endangered Wildlife Trust … [Read more...]
Government sued for air pollution in Mpumalanga coal belt
South Africa’s government is being sued for failing to crack down on some of the world’s worst air pollution emitted by power plants operated by Eskom and refineries owned by Sasol. The case was filed in the Pretoria High Court by groundWork, an environmental-rights organisation, and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action, according to a statement sent by their … [Read more...]
Greenpeace report warns of ‘irreversible harm’ from deep sea mining
The world’s oceans could face severe and irreversible harm unless tighter environmental safeguards are put in place to protect them from the risks of deep sea mining, warns Greenpeace report In Deep Water. Shining a light on this emerging threat, the report reveals that the deep sea mining industry is aware that their activities could result in the extinction of unique … [Read more...]
Nature’s dangerous decline unprecedented according to UN report
Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history – and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely, warns a landmark new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. “The overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a wide range … [Read more...]
Bank climate activists shop for transparency
An important article published in the UK Guardian newspaper last week highlights the need to act now against the “human and financial costs of climate change." “Climate change is a global problem, which requires global solutions, in which the whole financial sector has a central role to play,” the authors wrote. Shareholder activists are now trying to force Standard Bank, … [Read more...]
Scientists call for a ‘global deal for nature’
Nations must commit to protect half of the Earth to avoid massive biodiversity loss and the worst effects of dangerous climate change, according to a new scientific paper entitled A Global Deal for Nature: Guiding Principles, Milestones, and Targets. Based on the paper, a major petition is being launched by One Earth, a new initiative of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and … [Read more...]
Millions of jobs up for grabs in renewable energy transition
At least 4.7 million jobs will be created by 2050 across energy sectors in Africa through a shift to renewable energy according to a new report released by Greenpeace today. The report shows the impressive benefits to employment of a Just Transition towards a 100% renewable energy supply - globally and across continents. This was released along with another report that presents … [Read more...]
