With so much going on in the world many crucial political considerations, debates and decisions - both in the UK and globally - are currently taking place under the radar. A prime example of this is the outright condemnation in the UK House of Lords in July of the UK Government’s total failure to protect rural residents and communities from the cocktails of pesticides … [Read more...]
South Africans plan mass global demonstration
The immense socio-economic impact under one of the world’s most extreme lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in South Africans uniting for their voices to be heard under a grassroots movement called Move One Million. The movement, launched in July 2020, has garnered interest from half a million South Africans to date and organisers are using a combination of … [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...]
18 months to restore nature’s equilibrium
Humanity has 12 years to dramatically rein in carbon emissions to prevent the worst effects of climate change, as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) sobering report last year. But the real climate deadline is just 18 months from now. That is the assessment made by a number of climate scientists and world leaders, who point to 2020 as the … [Read more...]
South Africa’s carbon tax to ensure zero waste to landfill
South Africa's recently introduced carbon tax will ensure zero waste to landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well boost investments for low carbon alternatives, said Bertie Lourens, CEO of Wasteplan — a Cape Town based on-site waste management company. Lourens was speaking at the 2019 SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management, conference held recently … [Read more...]
Greenpeace report warns of ‘irreversible harm’ from deep sea mining
The world’s oceans could face severe and irreversible harm unless tighter environmental safeguards are put in place to protect them from the risks of deep sea mining, warns Greenpeace report In Deep Water. Shining a light on this emerging threat, the report reveals that the deep sea mining industry is aware that their activities could result in the extinction of unique … [Read more...]
What does Sydney’s climate emergency mean in practice?
The City of Sydney has became the second state capital in Australia (after Hobart a week earlier) to officially declare a climate emergency. With climate change considered a threat to human life, Sydney councillors unanimously supported a motion put forward by Lord Mayor Clover Moore to mobilise city resources to reduce carbon emissions and minimise the impact of future … [Read more...]
Meet generation Greta: young climate activists around the world
In May, for the second time this year, more than 1.5 million young people in more than 125 countries walked out of schools, colleges and universities in the biggest day of global climate action ever. Young people have protested en masse before – millions marched against the Iraq war in 2003 – but this child-led uprising is happening with unprecedented momentum on a global … [Read more...]
Single use plastic items to be banned in England
Plastic straws and drink stirrers, and cotton buds with plastic stems will be banned from sale and use in England from next April, the government has confirmed. The move, which has been in the offing for more than a year, is hoped to vastly reduce the litter and other environmental impacts of the nearly 5bn plastic straws currently used each year in the UK, along with more … [Read more...]
UK MPs pass a motion to declare a climate emergency
MPs have passed a motion making the UK parliament the first in the world to declare an “environment and climate emergency”. The symbolic move – recognising the urgency needed to combat the climate crisis – follows a wave of protests launched by the Extinction Rebellion strikers in recent weeks. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (photographed) called for the motion to “set off a … [Read more...]
Farmers fighting to save the Earth’s soil
A growing army of UK farmers are turning their back on the plough – and centuries of farming tradition – in an effort to tackle a little-noticed but potentially devastating environmental crisis: the degradation of the Earth’s soil. Read the full article at The Guardian. … [Read more...]
Adventurer returns after African anti-poaching mission
50 days, four countries and 11 235km later, South Africa humanitarian and eco-warrior, Carla Geyser, has returned home having led a successful international all-women conservation mission into Southern Africa. Geyser’s Journeys with Purpose: The Rise of the Matriarch expedition spanned South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, and attracted 12 women from around the … [Read more...]
KZN rural school’s water team heads to London
Six of South Africa’s top Water Explorer teams recently gathered at Umgeni Valley in Howick to present their inspiring water saving efforts to an expert panel. The incredible teams included Mjila Primary, Chelsea Preparatory, Port Shepstone Junior Primary, Home School Amazing Gig, Ebomvini Primary and Shea O’Connor Combined School, each with their own unique story of how they … [Read more...]
