Environmental justice groups and coastal communities are celebrating an unexpected victory. Civil society groups have been alleging that the EIA processes were flawed, and yesterday, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) made public its decision to refuse all three environmental authorisations applications (EA) for the gas-to-power projects proposed for … [Read more...]
Time to rethink the purchase and consumption of seafood
Despite the widespread availability of Norwegian salmon in our restaurants, this fish gets imported in large quantities with a significant carbon footprint and increasing concerns about the farming practices and demands on the natural environment in the country of origin. Seafood has risen on the news agenda of late with the release of Netflix documentary, Seaspiracy. The … [Read more...]
Protecting biodiversity with better waste management
For the past 50 years, human activities have dramatically reduced biodiversity across the globe. We have, through our actions, extinguished our habitats and reduced populations of plants and wild animals by up to 60% so that today, our natural resources and the species on our planet are under threat – from us. In fact, the negative impact we have made is astounding. Just … [Read more...]
Oil and gas not valid transition fuels for SA
In the wake of his speech yesterday, the Green Connection voices its dissatisfaction with Minister Gwede Mantashe’s energy budget, which continues to place too much emphasis on oil and gas – neither of which are valid transition fuels that reduce the country’s carbon emissions. Not only does the use of gas threaten to derail South Africa’s efforts to meet its conditions of the … [Read more...]
Protecting our oceans to save marine life
During my time as an oceans campaigner at Greenpeace, I’ve sat in a tiny boat in the middle of the Indian Ocean, watching a fishing boat pull in miles of drift nets. The nets were full of tuna, but there were also dead spinner dolphins, manta rays, thresher sharks and more – a grim demonstration of devastation at sea. I’ve been right up close with some of the biggest fishing … [Read more...]
Successful fishing line bin project expands its footprint
South Africa’s success with preventing discarded fishing line from ending up in the oceans or on beaches by using fishing line bins made from off-cuts of PVC pipe, is resulting in more than 77 new bins being manufactured for installation at beaches around the country ahead of next month's National Water Week campaign. These fishing line bins stand 60 cm high and are erected … [Read more...]
Concerns raised about Saldanha gas-to-power plant
While South Africa struggles to survive the impacts of the CoVid-19 pandemic, along with being ravaged by all the corruption that continues to be exposed, the Green Connection questions our government’s reasoning for pushing through Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), when there is little or no chance of meaningful engagement with those communities who will be most … [Read more...]
Sea Shepherd ships attacked at Vaquita Refuge
At about 07:00 on the morning of Thursday 31 December, a group of assailants in 5 - 7 fishing boats launched a violent attack on Sea Shepherd vessels Farley Mowat and Sharpie inside the Zero Tolerance Area of Mexico’s federally-protected Vaquita Refuge. The incident began as the crew of the Farley Mowat undertook efforts to retrieve a gillnet from the protected region, home … [Read more...]
Energy plan should include voices of small-scale fishers
This past Saturday (21 November) was World Fisheries Day – a day that highlights the critical importance of fish and the lives they sustain and issues of concern such as over-fishing and fishing rights. The Green Connection also continues to raise awareness of the negative implications of offshore gas and oil exploration and drilling for the small-scale fishers living in about … [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...]
The time to act for our oceans is now
WILDOCEANS, a programme of the WILDTRUST, is causing quite a stir on social media with the launch of their WE DON’T NEED OUR OCEANS campaign. The environmental non-profit hopes to show South Africa (and the world) what life would be like without our oceans, and subsequently place a spotlight on just how much we depend on them, as well as mobilise a regional movement for … [Read more...]
Fishing fleets putting livelihoods at risk in the Republic of Congo
TRAFFIC, a partner on the Shark & Ray Protection Project of WILDOCEANS, has released a new study based on the concerns of artisanal fishers in the Republic of Congo about massive over capacity of fishing fleets that have put local food security, livelihoods and shark populations at risk. TRAFFIC’s report found that Congolese artisanal fishers are increasingly turning to … [Read more...]
Latest oil spill further evidence of fossil fuels’ destructive risks
The arrival of the Deepsea Stavanger oil drilling rig in Cape Town yesterday has many people concerned about the risks that come along with it, especially as the current oil spill disaster in Mauritius (SA’s backyard, photographed to the right) continues to wreak havoc. It is with this in mind that The Green Connection – an NGO working to support and empower local communities … [Read more...]
