This year’s UN Climate Conference takes place in Sharm el-Sheikh, against a backdrop of extreme weather events worldwide, an energy crisis propelled by the war in Ukraine, and scientific data reiterating that the world is not doing enough to tackle carbon emissions and protect the future of our planet. The Secretary-General has said COP27 must deliver a “down-payment” on … [Read more...]
Learning to live with water scarcity
Regions around the world are facing drought and water shortage, even where rain was once abundant — and that will only worsen as the planet warms. In many parts of the world, cities and countries are learning to adapt. Back in 2018, taps in Cape Town, South Africa, almost ran dry, making it the world’s first major city to face the risk of running out of water. That problem … [Read more...]
Win-win for people and planet: smart shepherding in South Africa
The Karoo, in South Africa, is a harsh environment in which to make a living out of agriculture—the area is mostly devoid of surface water. Its name is derived from the Khoisan word meaning “land of thirst”. The land was traditionally used by pastoralists but drought, overgrazing and predation by wild animals made this activity precarious. Predators were kept in check by … [Read more...]
Drought adaptation DIY style: steps to save water
January was not for chickens in the Cape – extreme drought and fires saw the gardens shrivel up and die. So sad to witness and feel the distress all round. Once our veggie plants got stressed the diseases followed. Watching your water consumption with Stage 3 water restrictions and growing food without the farmer’s concessions calls for innovation. How to capture each … [Read more...]
Savory wins grant for reversing desertification
Allan Savory and his African Centre for Holistic Management International was announced as the winner of the Buckminster Fuller Institute's 2010 Challenge for their surprising trimtab approach to reversing desertification, called "holistic rangeland management." Allan Savory has spent the last 50 years refining and evangelizing for a method of reversing desertification that … [Read more...]
