I have never felt the need to read a book about Mandela, though I have always adored him. But by grace a little book came across my path … Knowing Mandela by John Carlin. Of course I want to learn more now, but I also suspect that having started with this one, it will be very hard to match. John was the South Africa correspondent of London’s Independent newspaper from 1990 … [Read more...]
Carbon Footprinting Guide reaches over 53 000 downloads
Who would not like to read and consult a free Carbon Footprinting Guide to help tweak your life and business? Well, this is probably why this online guide has achieved more downloads than any other SA publication of its kind to date. Historically, such guides at best registered a few thousand downloads per annum, and the Guide is clocked over 53 000 six months after … [Read more...]
Defy the rules and change the world
“Don’t accept no for an answer. Defy the rules! It’s the only way we’re going to make the change.” This was the opening statement by Prof Gunter Pauli, Blue Economy entrepreneur from Belgium, who was the keynote speaker at the international Student Environmental Network summit hosted by the Stellenbosch University. He has written 20 books, published in 34 languages, … [Read more...]
Turning vicious business into virtuous business
Business seems to be slowly adopting ‘do good and do well’ thinking. Advocates Richard Branson and Al Gore have called for a ‘return to values’.1 The bad news is that there are just too many disconnects between their stated values and actual practices. The ‘do good and do well’ slogan is useful for public relations purposes, based on selective activities designed to bring … [Read more...]
Order Mother Earth Book
Here is a loving tribute to Mother Earth and a call to action for children, their parents and grandparents. "What if our religion was each other If our practice was our life If prayer, our words What if the temple was the Earth If forests were our church If holy water--the rivers, lakes, and ocean What if meditation was our relationships If the teacher was life If … [Read more...]
UNESCO publishes climate change guidebook for journalists
African media can and should do more to tell the story of climate change, observes a new UNESCO publication, titled Climate Change in Africa: A Guidebook for Journalists. “This guidebook is part of UNESCO’s overall effort to raise awareness of the interdisciplinary core of climate change, and how journalists can reflect that in their practices”, says Fackson Banda, UNESCO … [Read more...]
The Fly and How It Could Save the World
We know that our oceans are currently being depleted by the international reliance and consumption of fishmeal. In fact, more than 90% of the large predatory fish like cod and tuna are gone. Yet the production of fishmeal has remained relatively constant over the past two decades, consuming about a third of the global catch of fish. We are talking about 30 million metric tons … [Read more...]
Attuned leadership is what we need now
Dr Reuel Khoza has recently authored the book Attuned Leadership: African Humanism as Compass, which provides a richly reflective discussion on leadership and transformation. In a world where tyrants abound in corporations and in states, his book gives direction to ethical leadership. A leader who is not attuned to his or her followers soon becomes a leader in limbo and … [Read more...]
The essence of organic gardening
This is the title if a comprehensive and unusual gardening book and an all-round treasure for the environmentally conscious gardener. The author, Irmela Reichardt, was a respected authority and advocate of natural and organic gardening in South Africa, dispensing her knowledge on this subject through countless magazine articles, books and lectures over a period of 25 years. … [Read more...]
Deforestation: why YOU need to stop it
Deforestation is just one of many crises facing the world. It is closely related to environmental crises such as climate change. Modern human relationships with nature are profoundly dysfunctional and, on the current trajectory, can only lead to a global ecological catastrophe. So says Leigh Collingwood in 'Deforestation: Need to stop it now.' It deals with two chief … [Read more...]
Boek Resensie – Rus vir die hele aarde deur Ernst Conradie
Die Bybel is nie ‘n wetenskaphandboek nie. Daar is baie aspekte van ons daaglikse moderne lewe wat glad nie deur die Bybel aangespreek word nie. ‘n Goeie voorbeeld is die ekologiese krisis waarmee ons vandag gekonfronteer word. Reg? Verkeerd! In Ernst Conradie se 'Rus vir die hele aarde' wemel dit van Bybelverse met ‘n ekologiese inslag – van Genesis reg deur tot in … [Read more...]
The new energy book by sarah ward
This book was the first down to earth basic book about saving energy in the household using layman's terms that i have found. a must buy to have handy. it educates people like me who only know Eskom as a monopoly and all the bad press around it. it informed me of all the other parties involved and that there are plans in place to make Eskom one of many to supply energy and … [Read more...]
The last hours of Ancient Sunlight
The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight is one of those books that every now and then someone mentions and you make a mental note to read it someday. Well 'someday' just arrived and now I'm left wondering what direction my life might have taken if I'd read it before. Perhaps though, 23 years ago when this was published, most of us were too laid back about environmental issues and … [Read more...]
