Several projects from 2014 up until 2021 have been aimed at greening the communities within the Stellenbosch Municipal boundaries and restoring the ecosystems, especially catchments and rivers in the area. The Stellenbosch Project had its roots in the Million Trees Project, initiated in April 2014 by then Stellenbosch Mayor, Conrad Sidego, as a partnership between the … [Read more...]
Reusing waste crucial for improving water quality
Waste generation is threatening biodiversity and the planet as a whole. With the global population expected to significantly exceed nine billion people by 2050, of which some 2.5 billion will be living on the African continent, biodiversity is shrinking, even as the waste generated by billions of people grows exponentially. The loss of biodiversity across the globe is a … [Read more...]
Ecosystem restoration for people, nature and climate
UNEP has released a synthesis report as a call to action for anyone and everyone to join the #GenerationRestoration movement to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It details the economic, environmental and social rewards that restoration can bring. Far from being a ‘nice to have’, ecosystem restoration is needed on a large scale in order to … [Read more...]
Urgent action needed to prevent fatal nature loss
Hundreds of millions of people across the globe are showing their rising concern about nature. New global research, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and commissioned by WWF, shows that public interest in, and concern for nature has risen markedly (16%) in the past five years and continues to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic. The figures came ahead of … [Read more...]
Protecting biodiversity with better waste management
For the past 50 years, human activities have dramatically reduced biodiversity across the globe. We have, through our actions, extinguished our habitats and reduced populations of plants and wild animals by up to 60% so that today, our natural resources and the species on our planet are under threat – from us. In fact, the negative impact we have made is astounding. Just … [Read more...]
Help protect bird breeding grounds in Kleinbaai
The coastal strip in Kleinbaai is currently being excavated for the installation of a new sewer system. This area is the breeding ground for African Oystercatchers and white-fronted plovers. For years the people living next to this coastline have admired the birds looking after their young. They have protected the nests by putting up signs so that holidaymakers and dogs do … [Read more...]
SA youth picket in Joburg for Earth Day
On Earth Day 2021, the Climate Justice Action Group (CJAG) held a picket demonstration outside Gauteng’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) to call attention to the ongoing socio-environmental injustices that continue in South Africa. CJAG is a youth-based group facilitated by driven by Earthlife Africa Johannesburg to promote awareness of climate justice … [Read more...]
EU Sustainable Taxonomy must be rooted in climate science
The global climate strikes have consistently made a simple demand: listen to the science. We agree. Just as experts and evidence have been key assets in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, so too must they, and not sectoral interests, determine our policies to fight the climate crisis. WWF Central and Eastern Europe, along with a coalition of NGOs, think-tanks, experts and … [Read more...]
Pesticide spray drift in South Africa
The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture is a serious source of pollution in our country. Not only are farm workers and nearby rural communities suffering severe health issues, due to direct exposure through spray drift, but these agrochemicals contaminate our soil, waterways and underground water. While the Pest Management Act has provisions relating to the impact of … [Read more...]
‘Protecting forever, together’ more important than ever
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is proud to share with you their 2020 Integrated Report, which provides an overview of the EWT’s conservation impact throughout the region in the previous financial year. Here is the intro by EWT CEO Dirk Ackerman: 2020 will go down in the annals of history as the year of the pandemic, as COVID-19 dominated the news agenda. One of the … [Read more...]
Global SO2 emissions dropped last year according to new report
Anthropogenic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions fell globally in 2019, reveals a new analysis of NASA satellite data by Greenpeace India and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). In 2019 human-made SO2 emissions fell in all three of the world’s top SO2 emitter countries - India, Russia and China - the report shows. "While heartening at first glance, the drop … [Read more...]
Let’s raise our voices and demand a just recovery for all
In July, the people that control the budgets of the world’s 20 richest countries – Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors – will meet to discuss how they will spend public money. In the midst of a global health pandemic, where people have lost so much, will they opt for a ‘business as usual recovery’ and bail out industries that drive climate crisis and inequality – or … [Read more...]
Stop the next coronavirus: ban wildlife trade!
Our world has changed beyond belief - hundreds of thousands have died, shops are shuttered, and we can’t even hug our family and friends. The likely cause of this pandemic? The global wildlife trade. We know it’s driving the extinction of thousands of species, and is responsible for animal rights abuses - and now experts warn wildlife markets could be a “ticking time … [Read more...]
