The international premier of season two of the hit, short format documentary series, Free Range Humans, took place in Cape Town yesterday, attended by five of the six international eco-activist cast members who have heeded the call to help save the planet, its diverse ecosystems and marine life. Also in the cast is South Africa’s Loyiso Dunga who is fighting to help save the … [Read more...]
Celebrating the diversity of bees
Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities. Pollination is, however, a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops … [Read more...]
SA to be the first to answer nature’s call
South Africa is set to be the stage for the global roll out this week of an international call to action, “Nature Is Calling,” with urban hotpots in Cape Town and Johannesburg being transformed with natural settings. “Nature is Calling” is intended as a wake-up call to humanity to protect the planet and reconnect with nature. With humans in urban areas spending up to 95% … [Read more...]
Building biodiversity knowledge for action
A € 6.7 million (approximately R110-million) spatial biodiversity assessment, prioritization and planning (SBAPP) project that will improve environmental planning and monitor the status of indigenous species and ecosystems in four Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, namely South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Malawi, commenced this month. The South … [Read more...]
Mother Earth is not for sale
Mother Earth is Alive! The Earth is alive. Terra Madre, Gaia, Pachamama, Vasundhara… The Living Earth is a self-organised, self-regulating living system. She is autopoeitic, writing the poetry of life, creating the symphony of life, through the harmony of every participating living organism, from the microbes to the mammals. From the molecule, to the cell, to the … [Read more...]
Protection needed for precious Tapajós River
We cannot talk about the Amazon without recognizing the importance of the Tapajós basin. With continental dimensions, this freshwater ecosystem is rich in scenic beauty, socio-environmental attributes and biodiversity. This territory has been inhabited for thousands of years by traditional communities that protect it. Today the basin and its most famous river, the Tapajós, are … [Read more...]
Will SA join the call to protect 30% by 2030?
Time is running out to protect nature — that is the clear message from the newly launched 30x30 NOW campaign, which aims to highlight the severity and urgency of the biodiversity crisis that South Africa and the world is facing and champion the global goal of protecting at least 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030. As President Ramaphosa highlighted at the State of the … [Read more...]
Ambitious global plastics treaty sorely needed
To slow the climate crisis, we must end our reliance on single-use plastics. The same fossil fuel companies that have destroyed our climate have continued to see profits grow through their expanded production of single-use plastics. Almost all plastic is produced from fossil fuels, so we can strike a significant blow to these companies by phasing out single-use plastics … [Read more...]
New partnership cleans up polluted waterways
Several prominent brands recently teamed up to remove litter from the Jukskei, one of Joburg's most heavily polluted rivers. Polo SA has been a brand known and loved by South Africans for many years. In 2020 Polo SA launched their Naturally Polo initiative focusing on sustainability and a more eco-conscious approach not only to fashion but to the broader environment in which … [Read more...]
EWT assesses South African companies’ impact on biodiversity
Out of 354 South African companies assessed by the Endangered Wildlife Trust for their performance towards reducing their impacts on biodiversity, only 79 even recognise biodiversity as a material issue, indicating that much work needs to be done to gear up South African corporates to understand the critical role of nature-based capital in their supply chains. On 8 December … [Read more...]
Help researchers photograph endangered butterflies
Butterflies have an extraordinary power over us. For centuries, these delicate and colorful creatures have enchanted us with their beauty. Sadly, in recent times, butterflies and moths’ populations have plummeted to the point that numerous species could disappear from the face of the earth. Friend of the Earth, an initiative of the World Sustainability Organisation, has … [Read more...]
Concern grows over mega-polluting MMSEZ project
As the world prepares for COP26 (starting on 31 October 2021 in Glasgow Scotland), a small community in the far north of Limpopo province grow increasingly concerned about the potentially devastating impacts of the proposed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) mega-project. The women of the Mulambwane Community – about one hundred of whom held a peaceful … [Read more...]
Stellenbosch gears up for Arbor Week
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...]
