J.P. Morgan today announced its funding in support of The Nature Conservancy-led Greater Cape Town Water Fund (GCTWF) to remove invasive plants in priority source water areas in the Greater Cape Town region. GCTWF brings together a diverse coalition of public and private sector partners to invest in watershed restoration activities that will yield the greatest benefit for … [Read more...]
Working together to solve South Africa’s crises
My journey in activism started about four years ago, after my family was severely affected by the water crisis that hit the Western Cape. I saw first-hand how the drought was affecting small-scale farmers, including my mother, who rely on rain to grow crops and feed cattle. When you see your cows dying, you see money going down the drain. I conducted research on the internet … [Read more...]
Is SA doing enough to avert a water crisis?
As South Africa battles the third wave of Covid-19 vaccinations and amidst the chaos, destruction and looting that has taken place in parts of South Africa in recent weeks it’s easy to forget another looming catastrophe: a water crisis with potentially devastating consequences. In the Eastern Cape dam levels are perilously low after a multi-year drought with dams servicing … [Read more...]
Better recycling needed to protect limited water resources
Water, as we know, is a limited resource that is essential for all life on this planet. This makes it all the more astounding that so many of us simply take it for granted, especially in a semi-arid country like South Africa. This should clearly demonstrate that it is vital that the nation as a whole changes the value it places on this life-giving resource. World Water Day … [Read more...]
More decisive action needed on climate change
Responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent comments at the World Economic Forum's Davos Agenda, Greenpeace Africa's Climate and Energy Campaign Manager Happy Khambule has said: "The President of South Africa and Chair of the African Union is peddling 20th century solutions to 21st century problems. The President missed an opportunity to rise to the challenges of … [Read more...]
SA launches first organic pollinator programme
The South African Organic Sector Organisation (SAOSO) in collaboration with Participatory Guarantee System South Africa (PGSSA) has launched SA’s first Ecological Organic Agriculture Pollinator programme. The programme is training 20 people to set up PGSs throughout South Africa that will help build more connected local food systems, provide organic assurance for consumers … [Read more...]
Limpopo communities demand action on air pollution
This morning, in a peaceful demonstration – that started at the crack of dawn at the Medupi, Matimba and Exxaro crossing – Earthlife Africa Johannesburg joined local community activists in Lephalale in Limpopo Province, to demand that the World Bank forfeits its loan to Eskom’s Medupi coal-fired power station for failing to install pollution-abatement technologies to help ease … [Read more...]
Inga 3 project going ahead amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) concluded a week-long conference in June earlier this year on the beleaguered Grand Inga Dam Project, where South Africa restated its commitment to purchase 5000MW of electricity from the proposed project, and the SA Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy is reported to be pressing ahead with their plans to procure power from the … [Read more...]
Growing in the now
When the news broke it hit me in the chest. I have a high-risk child on immune suppressant drugs. Have fought so hard for him. My own lungs are damaged from embolisms. My other 2 smoke. Brutal. Yet all of life is at any given moment perched on the tip of a pin. Life had taught me that many times. The news unfolded in waves of shock… then the conflicting stories… matched by … [Read more...]
Condemning eco-fascism in the time of COVID-19
People have commented on the virus in many different ways. You may have seen posts connecting the impact of the coronavirus with positive changes in the environment. We are greatly concerned by these, and as climate justice activists, we wish to address this urgent issue. COVID-19 has definitely changed our lives; isolation, working from home and shocking news headlines have … [Read more...]
Climate change review: humbling lessons from Australia
Australia, like South Africa in the last week and so many other regions across the globe before, has instituted strict lockdown measures to combat the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Though this is not the first large scale crisis the country has been faced with since the start of the year, as just a few short months ago Australia was still making international headlines … [Read more...]
Cape High Court rules in favour of the PHA Campaign
In a precedent-setting ruling, Judge Kate Savage on Monday declared that South African municipalities must take climate change and water scarcity into account when making planning decisions. The Western Cape High Court ruling states that the rezone permission and environmental authorisations for the development known as Oaklands City are suspended, and must be returned to … [Read more...]
Extinction Rebellion responds to 2020 SONA
“We undertake this decisive shift in our energy trajectory at a time when humankind faces its greatest existential threat in the form of climate change. Yesterday I met Ayakha Melithafa, a young climate activist from Eerste Rivier who attended the World Economic Forum in Davos this year to call on world leaders to stand firmly for climate justice. Ayakha asked me to make … [Read more...]
