With 673 hours of darkness in the first six months of 2022 so far alone, this year looks set to overtake 2021’s record amount of load shedding, while energy experts have raised the spectre of unprecedented stage 8 blackouts. And as winter cold sets in and heaters turn up, Eskom has warned of constraints on the national grid and just announced the restart of load … [Read more...]
Grow a mountain of starch in your garden
Starches form the foundation of most people’s diets, rich and poor alike; at least a third and often far more. Yet they have become the new whipping boy in both the popular and scientific press; they make us fat and cause type-2 diabetes. Or do they? First it was animal fat, after researcher Radley Keys cooked the books, causing the world to eschew eggs, dairy products and … [Read more...]
Western Cape reducing organic waste to landfill
At the end of 2022, the Organic Waste Landfill Ban in the Western Cape will kick in requiring a 50% reduction in organic waste going to landfill. The Organics Recycling Association of South Africa is actively marketing the new requirements with regards to the management of organic waste to ensure valuable organic waste is saved from landfills. While 22 495 households in Cape … [Read more...]
Making heating and cooling energy efficient
A Day of the year has been allocated to the power of the sun thanks to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). International Day of the Sun on 03 May is meant to recognise and promote the expansion of this abundant renewable energy resource. International Day of the Sun also coincides with a major research collaboration to identify the optimal thermal technologies that … [Read more...]
Home biogas systems offer solution for waste management
HomeBiogas develops biogas systems enabling people and businesses to turn their organic waste into clean energy for cooking or heating, on-site. HomeBiogas is a publicly traded Israeli company engaged in developing, manufacturing, distributing, and selling domestic and industrial-scale biogas systems that offer a comprehensive solution for waste management, renewable energy … [Read more...]
Cape Town receives certificates for energy smart buildings
The City of Cape Town is proud to announce that it has received Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for three of its municipal buildings. We can only manage what we measure, so EPCs are a critical first step to reducing our energy use. The City is the first in South Africa to achieve this feat. This is good news for customers as more resource efficient facilities make … [Read more...]
Time to do waste in a whole different way
South Africans are no strangers to overcoming adversity and challenges, with the ability to rise from whatever is thrown their way, often becoming global role models. Just three years ago the nation was on the verge of the Day Zero water crisis, but through rapid interventions were able to change the way our resources were handled and make the most of a dire situation. What … [Read more...]
Is sustainability finally becoming more mainstream?
As the world grapples with the uncertainty surrounding the long-term implications of Covid-19, there is a measure of agreement on one thing - the global pandemic has fast-tracked numerous trends which were already emerging prior to the crisis. Says Anthony Stroebel, head of New Business Development for Pam Golding Properties and a director of the Green Building Council South … [Read more...]
International recognition for local manufacturing ecolabel
Eco-Choice Africa, a locally developed ecolabel for consumer products has become the first of its kind on the Continent to receive international recognition as an associate member of the Global Ecolabel Network, the international controlling body for ecolabelling. The Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) is a non-profit association of leading Type 1 ecolabelling organisations … [Read more...]
Celebrating the end of Mad March
What a month March has been! First we had a burglary and my son was assaulted in the house in the middle of the day. My life changed in an instant. Nothing can be as intense for a mother as having your child’s life threatened. How are people so brazen to commit crimes in broad daylight? Why did my big and uber defensive German shepherd not protect him? Was she drugged? How I … [Read more...]
Moratorium on the rollout of 5G essential
Radiation exposure has long been a concern for the public, policy makers and health researchers. Beginning with radar during World War II, human exposure to radio-frequency radiation (RFR) and associated technologies has grown more than 100,000-fold. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed the published literature and categorized RFR as a … [Read more...]
Let’s turn the corner on food wastage
If you take a moment to digest the statistics around the amount of food we waste today, it can be pretty overwhelming. It is thought that around one third of the food produced around the globe is lost or wasted. Richer countries waste something like 222 million tonnes per year, in Europe and North America that equates to 95-115kg of food per person, per year. The numbers are … [Read more...]
Features to look for in an eco-friendly home
Being eco-friendly is no longer just a fad or trend; it’s a lifestyle choice and it’s here to stay. With the Western Cape’s current severe drought situation, and thousands of tonnes of waste poured into our landfills every year, there’s no time like the present to think more seriously about adopting the ‘green’ lifestyle. If you’re browsing for houses for sale, and want to … [Read more...]
