During last summer's drought, the price of rainwater tanks shot up. Business was booming. You could see trucks full of tanks all over the place. Good for a green heart who’s been promoting rainwater harvesting forever. We reached for second hand tanks, reconditioned oil drums – looking for the best value for money. Then a newby arrived on the market. A portable tank, … [Read more...]
Calling on government to conserve our groundwater and springs
Kildare Spring, which is part of the Newlands system (and Newlands Aquifer), is situated in the Cul de Sac, Spring Way - off Kildare Road in Newlands Village. For years people have collected Water here, with only one outlet. It took one Water activist with foresight and initiative, to set up the pipes, so that multiple people could collect at any one time. Active citizenry … [Read more...]
South Africa: Stop this criminal devastation of the Transkei ecology
Now you can voice your concern about the toxic spraying in the Transkei. In 1995, the South African Police Service (SAPS) began the aerial spraying of cannabis in the rural former Transkei. Every year since 2000, three SAPS Air Wing squirrel helicopters (donated by the American DEA) arrive at a luxury resort in Port St Johns on the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast. For 3 - 4 weeks, … [Read more...]
Campaigners attack UK government u-turn on fracking
Campaigners have attacked a UK government U-turn that could result in fracking being carried out beneath the New Forest and the South Downs National Park. A cross-party committee of MPs will debate the potential impact of fracking and the level of protection given to special areas of the English countryside. The government originally pledged that fracking would be banned … [Read more...]
Berg River swim cut short by high water pollution and low flow
High water pollution levels and exceptionally low flows have forced extreme swimmers Andrew Chin and Henko Roukema to abandon their quest to swim the length of the Berg River. They had set off on Monday 19 October on an initiative to heighten awareness around the state of our rivers by swimming the Berg from source to sea. Yet the polluted water caused such illness in the … [Read more...]
A global tour of seven recent droughts
Every inhabited continent, to varying degrees, faces extremely high water stress. That means that in certain areas more than 80 percent of the local water supply is withdrawn by businesses, farmers, residents and other consumers every year. Not all of that water is consumed - it may flow back into a river after it’s used and be available again downstream - but the demand … [Read more...]
Minister Molewa urged to address fracking implications
The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) considers the Minister’s decision to gazette the intention to declare fracking a controlled activity a portent of the risk fracking poses to our water resources in the greater Karoo. WESSA continues to urge the Government to exercise the precautionary principle enshrined in the National Environmental Management Act … [Read more...]
Coal expansion in China means water scarcity for many
'China’s huge thirst for energy is going to increase the scarcity of water already threatening people in western China and Inner Mongolia,' says Brian Blomme. A planned major expansion of coal mines, coal-fired electricity plants and coal-based chemical plants in northwest China will drain almost 10 billion cubic metres of water a year from water resources. This new … [Read more...]
Destroying the Cradle of Humankind
The historical town of Magaliesburg with it's tranquil surrounds, unspoiled scenic vista's and high quality landscapes stands on the brink of destruction by the mining industry. This highly popular eco-tourist destination, on the doorstep of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site will be destroyed forever if the miners and the Department of Minerals have their way. The … [Read more...]
28 new coal ash water pollution sites revealed
A new report by the Environmental Integrity Project documents that 49 coal-fired power plants have contaminated groundwater at 116 coal ash disposal sites in the United States. The data, which was released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, revealed 28 previously unknown contamination sites in Iowa, … [Read more...]
Of chickens and horses
Dating back to the 1970’s and the emergence of the environmental movement in the US, multi-national corporations were schooled to trivialize environmental viewpoints. A simple, ‘You’re being emotional, we’re scientific’, was often sufficient to render the argument of environmentalists powerless in the face of economic forecasts and industry spin. The advent of the … [Read more...]
Canadian fracking blowout sends dire warning to SA
A fracking well blow-up in Canada ought to be seen as a warning shot fired across the bows of fracking in South Africa. This is the opinion of Treasure Karoo Action Group (TKAG) group Chairman, Jonathan Deal who said; “This incident demonstrates precisely why we have raised serious concerns about fracking in South Africa. We simply cannot allow any threat to South Africa’s … [Read more...]
Oils and solvents are groundwater contaminants
Around two thirds of South Africa's surface area is heavily dependent upon its groundwater. Pulled underground by gravity and stored in mainly non-porous rock cavities, groundwater is a valuable resource, especially in times of drought. The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA)'s Western Cape branch hosted a workshop last week to address the issue of Oils … [Read more...]
