Climate scientists have begun talking about a strategic ‘managed retreat’ as a response to climate change. This retreat they say is not an admission of defeat, but rather entails “a coordinated movement of people and buildings away from risks, which, in the context of climate change, are approaching from numerous fronts, including sea level rise, flooding, extreme heat, … [Read more...]
Obama “backflips” on climate goal
Environment and development groups from around the world condemned the U.S. Climate Envoy Todd Stern's recent statement* at Dartmouth College renouncing a limit of 2°C temperature rise as a global goal for UN climate negotiations. Mr Stern said that agreeing to a framework to achieve the 2C goal would "only lead to deadlock" and that a new agreement should give countries … [Read more...]
Nuclear protection threats still looming
Why does the political prestige and prowess associated with the acquisition of nuclear weapons by a government still weigh heavier than considering future damage to the planet? Surely they know by now of the long-term effects of these radioactive chemicals on the environment? Why is a country like Iran developing their nuclear capabilities, while Germany has decided to do … [Read more...]
Tree woman determined to leave a forest for posterity
A once an under-greened and neglected area in the outskirts of Durban will soon be boasting with countless lush trees once their homegrown yellowwood and paw-paw trees start spouting up like skyscrapers around them. For about 6 years Natalie Rowles, a 66 year old house wife from Kwazulu Natal has been donating thousands of her home-grown indigenous Yellowwood and paw-paw … [Read more...]
First Global Children’s Charter for the Rights for Mother Earth
At the turn of 2009/2010, local filmmaker Daréll Lourens and her friend Simone van Keulen had the vision of Earth Junkies, an eco- awareness journey aiming to travel overland through Africa, the Middle East and Europe and work with children to foster ecological citizenship in their foundation years. 2 years have passed and the project has finally realized. Daréll has now … [Read more...]
Maria, Queen of Cardboard
Her territory is a labyrinth of hidden refuse rooms bathed in charcoal light. Masterfully she flattens a mountain of discarded cardboard boxes into an efficient bundle. Later she will haul her treasure to a buyer a few roads away and earn her income for the day. Maria Vilakazi is a collector of cardboard at the Workshop Shopping Complex in central Durban. Over the eight … [Read more...]
What are local governments going to do now?
At the Durban Local Government Convention, 114 Mayors and other elected local leaders representing over 950 local governments from around the world have adopted the Durban Adaptation Charter, a political commitment to strengthen local resilience to climate change. The Durban Local Government Convention: adapting to changing climate towards COP17/ CMP7 and beyond, ran in … [Read more...]
Shipping emissions still in the hands of IMO
The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, the key outcome of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2011, has been dubbed by many as the platform for inaction, with the decision to find agreement by 2015 being seen as the agreement to disagree at a later date. COP17 did little to directly answer the … [Read more...]
New climate dialogue needed
“Are the right people in the climate change debating room? Evidence shows climate change hugely impacts on the health and the welfare of children, but conversations in the negotiation process seem removed from this reality and finding solutions for this suffering.” This was one of the questions raised at the jam packed COP17: What Happened and What Does it Mean discussions … [Read more...]
Sunlight inspires responsible copiers
Copiers and office equipment are notoriously greedy consumers of energy, even when sitting idle. Yet we cannot run a business, school or educational institution without this essential equipment. That is why we are excited today to introduce you to a leader in more environmentally responsible copiers, making it possible for all of us to get those notes out with a fraction of the … [Read more...]
COP17: success or disappointment?
They came to Durban in their hundreds, they saw, they talked, and talked, and talked, and talked but the question is did they really conquer? Notwithstanding the extra day and half and the much heralded agreement. What were the successes of the Durban platform as the agreement has been dubbed? The big success is that Durban pulled together all the key role players and … [Read more...]
Please don’t squander this moment
An open letter to the governments of the world meeting in Durban. Dear friends, Welcome to our city. We remember a time in Durban – indeed, a period in the history of this nation of South Africa – when we feared that the apartheid states’ intransigence would spark a conflict in which much blood would be shed. But even at our lowest ebb, even when the injustice we faced … [Read more...]
An African COP to prevent a global flop
As the first week of negotiations at the so-called “African COP 17” drew to an end and the final week begins, it is perhaps a poignant time to ask: What could possibly be meant by calling COP 17 “an African” COP? It’s becoming clearer as the negotiations draw on that Africa can play an important role in pushing the negotiations forward, and that many of their proposals can … [Read more...]
