The third book in the 'I Live Smart' series is seeing the light, with a competition attached... Two years ago, we launched our first puppet storybook Keep the Beach Clean. It is based on the popular puppet show by the same name, performed daily in the AfriSam Children’s Play Centre in the Aquarium. The book tells the story of Beauty and her ocean friends as they struggle to … [Read more...]
‘Knowing Mandela’ to inspire the nation
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...]
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.'' 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...]
New book for tree lovers
There is a beautiful new South African tree book for both the scientifically and artistically minded to indulge in. “...(T)his book is a humble attempt to capture the beauty and power of trees for lovers, the lovers of the glory of the tree; from those who talk to trees to those who cannot name a single plant.” So reads the introduction to “South African Flowering Trees – A … [Read more...]
The rich are choosing a bleak future for humanity
It’s not too late to avert a climate crisis but “pervasive human short-termism” makes it highly unlikely that society will do so in the next 40 years. “Starvation of the poor is one of the inevitable consequences predicted, if we continue to live in a democratic system, where the major focus is on short-term gratification and crafting the best possible life for yourself,” … [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...]
New guide to teach SA government about renewable energy
A new book was launched recently to assist local government officials, city managers and politicians to adopt renewable energy systems. A South African Renewable Energy Guide for Local Government aims to help government to cut greenhouse gas emissions while increasing energy supply from renewable sources. According to the book’s editor Lisa Thompson, Western Cape Premier Helen … [Read more...]
SU marine biologist writes new sea guide for children
Did you know that a starfish feeds by pushing its stomach out through its mouth and placing it directly over its prey? Did you also know that octopuses are quite clever? Or that Columbus’ crabs are sky blue? These are some of the facts contained in a new marine guide for children by Stellenbosch University marine biologist Dr Sophie von der Heyden. Her 88-page Southern … [Read more...]
The Vanishing Face of Gaia – A Final Warning
If I look back on the many moments of challenge and disturbance in my life it’s clear that a critical question at such moments has always been “How much truth am I willing to expose myself to?” I think it’s fair to say that the only reason I’ve been able to come through some of those challenges and move on has been because I’ve opened myself to a fresh degree of truth, usually … [Read more...]
Fragile butterflies have nowhere to go
Anyone who has made their way along the Midlands Meander will know that it is represented by a butterfly. This little guy, known to entomologists as Orachrysopsariadne, is restricted to the Karkloof and Merrivale area because of its life cycle. Like most Lycaenids, its larval stage depends on specific plant and ant species. This fussy eater is extremely vulnerable to … [Read more...]
SA is world leader in plant species survey
In one of the continent's largest collaborative conservation projects to date, South Africa has become the first of the world's mega-diverse countries to fully assess the status of its entire flora - a staggering 20 456 species. The assessment was published in a book entitled the Red List of South African Plants, which was launched at Kirstenbosch, Cape Town on Earth Day by … [Read more...]
