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...]
WEERHAAN voorspel reen oor die Overberg
Dit reën steeds dat die byle huil sowat 45 grade suidwes van ons, net-net buite bereik van die Atlantiese hoogdruk, wat vir bietjie klammigheid wag om na ons dorstige Swartland en die Wes-Kaap te versprei. Ons kan vorentoe baie wolke verwag en as die Indiese hoogdruk dit regkry om van die vog wat in sy rigting beweeg, vir die Atlantiese hoogdruk terug te druk , kan ons … [Read more...]
Foxglove organic stories Part 8: Spring bugs and new plans
Spring is here and the trees are in full bud. It seems a bit early since we haven't really had that much of a winter. And there are big changes afoot here to boot. Firstly, we are moving to a farm of our own near Baardskeerdersbos at the end of September. It's a huge step and we are very excited about the change. I won't talk about how sad we are to leave this lovely place, … [Read more...]
Heavy rain expected in Western & Eastern Cape
A warning of heavy rain has been issued by the Climate Change & Disaster Management (Early Warning Unit) of SA's Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishereies. The areas hardest hit will be the southern parts of the Cape Winelands, Overberg and Eden Districts of the Western Cape, as well as the extreme south-western parts of the Eastern Cape. People are advised … [Read more...]
Bangkok braces for more floods
Thirty-nine provinces across the country have been placed on alert for possible natural disasters resulting from torrential rains forecast over the next 24 hours. Chatchai Promlert, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said the rain threat comes from a strong monsoon now covering the lower Central, the upper South, the East and the lower … [Read more...]
Climate change set to exacerbate child vulnerability in SA
A new study is calling for policy makers to focus on children in addressing climate change. Climate change will exacerbate the existing vulnerabilities of kids in South Africa, unless mitigation and adaptation strategies are child-sensitive and timeously implemented. Exploring the Impact of Climate Change on Children in South Africa, a study recently made public, highlights … [Read more...]
Thinking ahead for a future worth living
“Ask yourself: Are you thinking of now, or are you thinking of your grandchild’s future?” This was the question posed by climate scientist Inez Fung, a professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of California and co-director of the Berkeley Institute of the Environment. Prof Fung was giving a lecture entitled ‘Climate Math,’ which was hosted by the African Institute … [Read more...]
Greenpeace Paulo Adario honoured as UN’s Forest Hero
Greenpeace Brazil’s Amazon Campaign Director Paulo Adario was recently honoured by the United Nations as a 'Forest Hero' at a ceremony in New York in celebration of his work in defense of the Amazon Rainforest. Adario received the Forest Hero award from the UN on the 9th of February in recognition and celebration of the unsung heroes fighting destruction of the world’s … [Read more...]
Communities deal with aftermath of heavy rain and floods
The worst might be over, but now reality strikes. Hundreds of people in Mozambique, Limpopo and Mpumalanga must now pick up the pieces of their already difficult lives after heavy rain and floods left them destitute and the community in shambles. It might no longer be front page news, but have you given a thought the terrible trauma of piecing a life together after such … [Read more...]
The world’s scientists’ climate change observations
As the UN’s climate change conference begins in Durban, Survival calls for the ecological knowledge and insights of tribal peoples to be heeded in global decisions concerning climate change. From the Amazon to the Arctic, tribal peoples typically have the smallest ecological footprints, having practiced sustainable ways of life for thousands of years, but they are also more … [Read more...]
Climate change 101
'The cost of addressing climate change is manageable, but the cost of not doing so is unaffordable,' said Yvo de Boer, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This was mentioned during a Carbon Literacy course conducted by Adam Green from Global Carbon Exchange (GCX), which I attended this week. Did you know that one ton … [Read more...]
Stoep Harvest part 5: Mulching
Having already covered the planning, preparing and planting of your vegetable garden, this month on Stoep Harvest we look at the vital importance of mulching. If you have never mulched before, now is the time! The essence of organic gardening is to emulate in our gardens what naturally occurs in the wild. I find this especially true when it comes to mulching. If we look at … [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...]
