Some years ago we sent a journalist on one of the 5 Gyres Institute boats to share in the crucial research into the impact of plastic beads on our oceans. Our passion for the ocean demanded that we get involved with this plight of the most important source of protein on the planet - and of many of our connection to nature. If there is one issue which moves me deeply it is … [Read more...]
How humans have altered the planet forever
We are living in the Anthropocene age, in which human influence on the planet is so profound – and terrifying – it will leave its legacy for millennia. Politicians and scientists have had their say, but how are writers and artists responding to this crisis? In 2003 the Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht coined the term solastalgia to mean a “form of psychic or existential … [Read more...]
Tree Talk Part 1: A tree in an instant
That planting trees is a good idea is not disputed by many. But which trees and when? We are happy to start a tree series by arborist Caroline de Villiers from Themba Trees to help us all along: Trees are not known for their speed and they sometimes seem out of place in this modern, bustling world of instant gratification. They like to take their time, gradually easing … [Read more...]
7 months of new highs: April breaks global temp. record
April 2016 was the hottest April on record globally – and the seventh month in a row to have broken global temperature record The latest figures smashed the previous record for April by the largest margin ever recorded. It makes three months in a row that the monthly record has been broken by the largest margin ever, and seven months in a row that are at least 1C above … [Read more...]
Keep your house clean the natural way
We have a two year old who loves to draw. She draws every day and can spend ages on one of her masterpieces. She draws circles, hearts, triangles, dogs, cats and people. Of course all of these look like spirals and scribbled lines to me but who am I to judge. I once went to a modern art gallery in Madrid and saw a 2metre x 2metre grey painting on sale for €9,000. It was just … [Read more...]
World watching how carbon majors respond to human suffering
Can Chevron, ExxonMobil and BP be held accountable for the vulnerable communities most affected by climate change? It’s a question a legal case in the Philippines could answer. Last month, lawyers for the petitioners met with the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR), a constitutional body tasked with investigating human rights violations. Their goal was to … [Read more...]
Fish as serial migrators know no borders
We humans love drawing lines on maps. Over many centuries borders have been created by our peoples or have been imposed on them, separating our languages, our cultures, our traditions. But fish knows no borders, they migrate from the waters of one country to another. In West Africa, millions of people critically depend on fish either because they catch and trade them or because … [Read more...]
Will Eskom join the renewable energy party?
South Africa is the 11th most attractive country in the world for renewable energy investment, revealed a recent story by Ernst and Young. Yet Eskom CEO Brian Molefe, during his State of the System briefing in Cape Town, claimed that Renewable Energy is a ‘disappointment.’ In response Greenpeace has said: “Greenpeace condemns the anti-renewable energy propaganda coming … [Read more...]
Waste into home building materials brings new hope
Here is a beautiful fusion of human and environmental needs addressed through innovative design and creative solutions. The Polystyrene Packaging Council (“PSPC”) in partnership with the Mobile Education and Training Trust (“METT”), a Non-Profit Organisation, recently launched the new Village of Hope, a R285 million project that is nearing completion in Kosmos in the North … [Read more...]
Seized Chinese trawler escorted to Cape Town in illegal fishing rumpus
A seized Chinese fishing trawler was escorted into Cape Town harbour by a coastal protection vessel on Saturday and was expected to be searched for evidence of illegal fishing. It is one of nine vessels suspected by the Department of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries of fishing illegally in South African waters. "They were spotted around Durban‚ Port Saint John's and … [Read more...]
The human dynamics of sustainability
What are the human dynamics that play a critical role in ensuring the success behind sustainability initiatives? As part of the Cape Town Sustainable Brands Conference, P&G is hosting a workshop in partnership with Neuralsense that looks at this important human aspect of sustainability. The workshop on Monday at 17:15 aims to equip those involved in sustainability … [Read more...]
Why your life depends on healthy soil
In the first of a series of articles on growing your own food, Valerie Payn starts at the root of the matter – how human health depends on fertile soil. “Healthy societies depend on healthy soil, healthy soil depends on healthy biology, and healthy biology depends on what goes into the soil,” said Sir Albert Howard, one of the 18C founders of the organic movement who became … [Read more...]
Thousands evacuated as Canadian wildfire spreads South
The wildfires raging through the Canadian province of Alberta have grown into a behemoth blaze that has consumed an area bigger than New York City. They have now scorched 85,000 hectares — 328 square miles — Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said Thursday. By comparison, all five boroughs of New York City add up to 304.6 square miles. Notley warned that the 49 fires, which … [Read more...]
