The Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Southern Africa will be hosting a monthly webinar via Zoom: 25 July - Session 1: Farm organism and the origin and role of biodynamics in agriculture. 29 August - Session 2: A phenomenological approach to soil, plants and animals. 26 September - Session 3: Farm fertility, biodynamic preparations and compost. 31 October - … [Read more...]
Features to look for in an eco-friendly home
Being eco-friendly is no longer just a fad or trend; it’s a lifestyle choice and it’s here to stay. With the Western Cape’s current severe drought situation, and thousands of tonnes of waste poured into our landfills every year, there’s no time like the present to think more seriously about adopting the ‘green’ lifestyle. If you’re browsing for houses for sale, and want to … [Read more...]
How to ditch Day Zero
The ways to respond to our looming Day Zero are as vast as the diversity in this country. But there seems to be two poles in conflict with each other: Those who have decided to do what they can to avoid it – as we still can. This means you’ve made your calculations. Minimum 3 million folk for 200 water points? I think best the City delivers the water in trailers behind the … [Read more...]
Sustainable Food Gardening Part 2: Composting for food gardens
To grow healthy food we must create soil conditions that enable plants to get the best possible nutrition in their growing cycle. Compost is one of the most important tools organic food gardeners can use to improve soil fertility and plant nutrition. Good compost reduces weeds, improves soil humus levels, structure and fertility, improves soil drainage, helps retain soil … [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...]
Say ‘no’ to food waste this festive season
The festive season, with all its glorious food is with us! The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) calls on all residents to be mindful of their food spend this time of year and gives some tips on composting organic waste. 9.04 million tonnes of food waste per year South Africa generates a staggering amount of approximately 9.04 million tonnes of food … [Read more...]
Vertroetel jou plantjies nou
Die reën wat weerhaan verlede week sien kom, is maar swakkerig in die suide en suidwestelike gebiede van die land. Mens kan maar net hoop die bietjie bietjie wat aan die Natalse kus kan uitsak, verhang die krieketbordjies daar. Die huidige toestand in die bolug is na mening, tipies van die onstabiliteit wat met die vermeende klimaatsverandering gepaard gaan. Dit bevestig … [Read more...]
Join the Earth Imagineers and reclaim your future
The Earth Imagineers Tour covers the birth of a radical new consciousness and explores how the human body is the most potent tool to change the world. It covers new understandings of what the sun is, how the human heart is a frequency generator that can affect all life and how we interact with light to be this change. Dan Schrieber of Starseed Gardens Austrailia, acclaimed … [Read more...]
Home composting project reveals impressive results
The results of the City’s home composting project was at a WasteCon presentation. The roll-out of composting containers for residents to use at their homes, as well as education on how to use them, resulted in the diversion of significant amounts of organic waste from landfill sites. This was was met with enthusiasm from all areas where it was tested. As such, it is … [Read more...]
Food waste composting curbs climate change
When are we going to stop sending our food waste to landfills, where it emits dangerous methane gas contributing to climate change? One local entrepreneur is doing just that and enabling the return to the eons-old circular systems by which nature has always recycled organic matter. And so challenging our wasteful linear ways of thinking about and treating our planet's … [Read more...]
Soil: the law of return
The thin mantle of Soil that covers our Earth is what feeds and nurtures us. We are innately and inextricably connected to soil for our survival, for like humans it contains the universal life-force without which we would not survive. Only a fertile soil contains the billions of amazing and diverse creatures and microbes, from earthworms to fungi, which provide the energy … [Read more...]
Hang up your heels for gumboots
The Miss Earth South Africa Women Empowerment and Leadership Programme once again promises to be one jam-packed with environmental milestones, sustainable achievements and green dreams as the organisation embarks on their annual search for South Africa’s next green beauty. Young women between the ages of 18 and 26 are invited to submit their applications for the 2014 … [Read more...]
Waste is the new dinosaur – it’s time is up
National Recycling Day is this weekend on 14 September. What are you doing with your “waste?” Do you still have such a word in your vocabulary? At the Green Times we regard it as a dinosaur – it’s time is up. Nothing can be wasted as there are limited resources on this planet. So we can speak about resources, or materials instead. Everything should remain in a cyclical system, … [Read more...]
