One of the worst aspects of summer heat is when there is no respite during the night. This is also when high temperatures can become dangerous to the young and elderly - as they battle to sleep and then succumb to exhaustion. Here are some cool eco-friendly tips in a story by Julie Ellis: We all know sleeping in an air-conditioned home on a sweltering night can feel … [Read more...]
Orangutans are dying as Indonesia burns
Indonesia is on fire. Right now, tens of thousands of small forest fires are burning across the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, the only habitats for orangutans and other rare species. Many of the fires appear to have been intentionally set by palm oil companies, which employ slash-and-burn agriculture to clear land of native trees to plant their cash crop, which is used as an … [Read more...]
Ugandan women mobilising for change
Let us recognise the various injustices inflicted upon women by extractive models of development. The WoMin, an African Gender and Extractives Alliance in collaboration with National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) launch its Participatory Action and Research (PAR) on women miners from Katwe Salt Lake, Western Uganda. The PAR is part of a seven … [Read more...]
Heat wave eases in India after killing nearly 2,000 people
Showers and thunderstorms in parts of southern India on Saturday helped eased a weekslong summer heat wave that has claimed nearly 2,000 lives. The intense heat, however, was expected to continue in some areas of worst-hit Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states for another 24 hours, said Y.K. Reddy, an Indian Meteorological Department director. Heat-related conditions, … [Read more...]
Extremely hot conditions expected in Western & Eastern Cape.
Extremely hot conditions are expected over the Karoo areas of the Western and Eastern Cape. Hot and humid weather will result in extremely uncomfortable conditions over the Breede River Valley and eastern interior of the Western Cape, as well as the southern interior of the Eastern Cape. In the light of this warning as produced by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and … [Read more...]
Northern Namibia withers under severe drought
The arid hills of Namibia’s northwestern Kunene Region make for a harsh environment at the best of times. With agriculture limited by the region’s dry, sandy soil, most of the local population rely on livestock farming, leading a semi-nomadic existence dictated by the search for fresh pasture for their cattle and goats. But following two years of failed rains, pasture is almost … [Read more...]
Intense cold front expected
An intense cold front is expected over the Western Cape, southern parts of the Northern Cape as well in the Eastern Cape, southern Free State and south-western KwaZulu Natal. The public and small stock farmers are advised that very cold conditions, heavy rain and snowfalls can be expected in places. Below are suggested strategies during cold/snowfall weather … [Read more...]
Contaminated water ruled out for diarrhea in Durban
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Sibongiseni Dlomo says contaminated water and infant formula are not the cause of the diarrhea outbreak that resulted in the death of 30 infants at three Durban hospitals. The deaths occurred between May and June and more than 1700 children have since been seen by various medical facilities. About 22 of the deaths were reported at Prince Mshiyeni … [Read more...]
Save water in your home and garden
With the rainstorms and snowfalls that have accompanied the winter of 2011, it might be hard to imagine that South Africa could be facing a water crisis - but experts say that unless we start taking water saving measures seriously, we could see demand exceeding supply as soon as 2020. With another scorching summer just around the corner, South Africans will need to be … [Read more...]
