It was the ultimate David versus Goliath battle. Two female South African environment activists working for small NGOs taking on the South African government and winning a legal challenge that stopped a $76 billion dollar nuclear deal with Russia. For their herculean efforts, Makoma Lekalakala, 52, and Liz McDaid, 55, were awarded the prestigious 2018 Goldman … [Read more...]
Top environmental awards dominated by women for first time
The world’s foremost environmental prize has announced more female winners than ever before, recognising the increasingly prominent role that women are playing in defending the planet. The struggle for a healthy planet may sometimes feel like a series of defeats, but this year’s Goldman environmental prize celebrates six remarkable success stories, five of them driven by … [Read more...]
Web of corruption blamed for SA rhino poaching
Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and conservationist Jane Goodall have joined a list of famous names who have signed an open letter to South Africa's government calling for an end to rhino poaching. More than 1,000 rhinos were killed across the country in 2017 for the fifth year running. The international monitoring group Traffic says nearly 5,500 rhinos have been killed … [Read more...]
Long-awaited renewable energy deals a milestone for SA sustainability
The power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed by State-owned power utility Eskom earlier this month ended three years of waiting and uncertainty and it is a significant step towards a truly sustainable energy vision for South Africa and Africa as a whole, says solar energy equipment supplier Juwi. “The signing [of PPAs for] 27 Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer … [Read more...]
Carbon offsetting spekboom a must for every garden
Referred to as ‘spekboom’ by both English and Afrikaans speakers, iNtelezi in Zulu and iGqwanitsha in Xhosa, this plant is an important part of the Addo elephants’ diet. Portulacaria afra is a slender, evergreen shrub with small, rounded succulent leaves. It has a varied growth habit; in the Addo Elephant Park the plant grows wide with a loose, rounded shape due to its … [Read more...]
Cash before conservation – the commoditization of lions in South Africa
Concern is growing that SA's legal lion bone trade may be used to launder illegal wildlife products. With a legal export quota set by the DEA of 800 lion skeletons (with no grounding in science) from our captive bred lion population there is now also a growing body of evidence. This evidence is contained in an alarming report titled “Cash before Conservation, an overview of … [Read more...]
Are solar panels worth it?
A few years ago, we thought that not having electricity in our homes for some parts of the day would become a regular occurrence as then Eskom CEO Tshediso Matona said load shedding was “here to stay”. Fast-forward to this year when we may not be suffering from load shedding at the moment, but the increase in electricity tariffs threaten many households that are already … [Read more...]
Battle against climate-destroying new coal plants escalates
In the past week, the Life After Coal Campaign (which comprises: the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), Earthlife Africa, and groundWork) has instituted fresh court proceedings against the Minister of Environmental Affairs in relation to the proposed Thabametsi independent power producer (IPP) coal-fired power station. The Campaign has also made further written and oral … [Read more...]
Six die from listeriosis-tainted corn in Europe
Nearly 200 people have died from listeriosis since January 2017 in South Africa. Ready-to-eat meat products have been blamed for the biggest outbreak of listeria the world has seen. In recent weeks countries like Australia, Namibia and now Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom have recorded listeria cases. In the most recent case, 32 people have fallen … [Read more...]
Will an electric car push up your insurance premiums?
When it comes to electric cars, South Africa should start to adapt to this revolutionary automotive technology, despite being predominantly dependent on fossil fuel and lacking sufficient electric infrastructure. Globally, several brands are already starting to shift towards the eco-friendly approach to car manufacturing. Volvo announced that it will stop making vehicles … [Read more...]
Entrepreneurs turning waste into opportunity
Africa is home to an emerging community of social entrepreneurs who care about people and the environment, and their inventive spirits are being harnessed to create jobs and opportunities for vulnerable people. One such business is All Women Recycling in Cape Town. The company employs single mothers and women with little to no work experience or education. Unlike most … [Read more...]
Triple stacked GM maize destined for SA food
South Africa’s staple food, maize, could soon be loaded with new combinations of foreign genes, and sprayed with new cocktails of agrochemicals. Agribusiness giant, Dow, is applying to South African authorities for the right to sell yet another GM maize variety for cultivation and ultimately consumption. The variety in question is designated as MON 89034 x TC1507 x NK603. It … [Read more...]
Union blocks signing of government deals with IPPs
Government and Eskom will not be able to sign contracts with 27 independent power producers (IPPs) on Tuesday as planned, after the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and Transform RSA were granted an urgent court interdict. The Energy minister was forced to give an undertaking in court that he would not sign the agreements, until the matter has been … [Read more...]
