Protect our Next advocacy organisations have launched a campaign calling for Big Tobacco to clean up its mess called ‘Susa Udoti Wakho - #yourbuttsstink.’ The 2022 World Health Organisation (WHO) theme - “Tobacco: Threat to our environment” - focuses on the damaging impact tobacco has on the planet throughout its lifecycle, including deforestation, erosion, water pollution … [Read more...]
Grow a mountain of fruit in your garden
According to UNESCO, the global demand for food will increase by 50% between 2012 and 2050, driven by population growth. Given the uncertain times in which we live, it is highly unlikely agriculture will be able to provide this food. Fertiliser prices have surged and become unaffordable to many farmers. They also predict that we will need 50% more water, in part to provide … [Read more...]
Clarity needed on safety of ‘plugged’ deep sea oil well
Following the announcement, last week, by oil and gas giant Total that it has “demobilised its Deepsea Stavanger drill rig along with all support vessels, after concluding its drilling activities on the exploration well Luiperd-1X in Block 11B/12B on 23 November 2020”, the Green Connection’s Neville Van Rooy says he is concerned about who will be held responsible for any … [Read more...]
Will the UK House of Lords protect rural residents from toxic pesticides?
Despite the fact that we are in the midst of the biggest public health crisis for a century with the Covid-19 pandemic - and all the mass deaths and horrifying devastation it is causing - the UK government is forging ahead trying to force through various crucial pieces of legislation. One of those pieces of legislation is the Agriculture Bill which was debated and voted on … [Read more...]
Eskom cannot be given a new licence to kill
Greenpeace Africa has submitted comments to Naledzi Environmental Consultants opposing Eskom’s application for postponements and suspensions from complying with South Africa’s Minimum Emission Standards (MES). The MES, which are relatively weak, are designed to improve air quality in the country, but this has been significantly compromised by Eskom’s almost complete reliance on … [Read more...]
Plastic packaging contains thousands of chemicals, including hazardous substances
At least 148 substances in plastic packaging are highly hazardous and many compounds are untested for toxicity and/or unknown. Plastic packaging is associated with more than 4,000 different chemicals, including at least 148 highly hazardous substances, as new results from an ongoing scientific research project show. The first project output includes a freely accessible … [Read more...]
Help ban toxic dicamba and protect seed sovereignty
This pesticide flies through the air, destroying most plants in its path - even on neighbouring land. Almost no crop survives but Monsanto GMOs. It’s a greedy scheme that will make Monsanto billions and destroy our food system! But now 1,000 farmers are fighting back. They've forced the governor in a major US farm state to issue a temporary ban and now he’s deciding … [Read more...]
Shopping in plastic land
Yesterday I posted a picture of lemons and oranges, each individually wrapped in plastic. I was not expecting such a huge response. 3,375,404 reached, 14,420 shares and 2,238 comments. People asked me where the photo was taken. It was in Southern France but it really does not matter, plastic is an issue around the globe. That is why Sea Shepherd is involved with the … [Read more...]
Spray drift in Eastern Cape: fifty shades of green
During the week people outside of our community realized that the SAPS were spraying cannabis crops using helicopters. Marijuana, dagga, weed, pot, ganja, Mary Jane, call it what you want but the ‘green grass’ were suddenly not so green anymore. The entire incident managed to achieve what weed allegedly didn’t do – it energized and aggravated everyone all at once. This is … [Read more...]
Food waste composting curbs climate change
When are we going to stop sending our food waste to landfills, where it emits dangerous methane gas contributing to climate change? One local entrepreneur is doing just that and enabling the return to the eons-old circular systems by which nature has always recycled organic matter, hereby challenging our wasteful linear ways of thinking about and treating our planet's … [Read more...]
Tentative hope for Stellenbosch air quality
A touch of tentative hope in the air surrounds the more than six year long battles in the Stellenbosch area by sensitive residents, who have and are suffering from the ill effects of toxic spray drift from neighbouring wine farms. The event which gave me hope that things will now be moving towards giving effected residents a proper hearing and respite from their troubles was … [Read more...]
Are your Levi’s poisoning you?
Over the weekend South Africans joined the global call for Levi's to Detox. Over 700 activists in over 80 cities around the world made their voices heard and demanded that Levi's eliminate all hazardous chemicals from its clothing and supply chains. Through street art and creative confrontation Greenpeace demanded Levi's, the world's biggest jeans producer, to "go forth" and … [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...]
