Has film played a significant role in your life? Have you ever watched a film that influenced your direction, or changed the way you feel or what you do? Laurence Dworkin and George Davis, coordinators of the CareTakers project, believe that film can indeed change the way we feel, think and act. Laurence is Director of an NGO called Social Transformation and Empowerment … [Read more...]
Take back the City’s waterways
A group of intrepid social activists and outdoor adventurers will take to the Peninsula’s rivers, vleis and canals to highlight the plight of Cape Town’s inland waterways. The third Annual Peninsula Paddle, set to take place on Sunday, 3 June 2012, will see paddlers use kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle (SUP) boards to traverse the waterways from False Bay in the South to … [Read more...]
Sustainablility in its truest terms
The Sustainable Living and Indigenous Plant Fair (SLIP), to be held in Pietermaritzburg at the end of April, will incorporate sustainability in its broadest and truest terms. Naturally, Green Times are the official media partners. The central event will be the Indigenous and Edible Plant Fair with a wide variety of indigenous and food plants, surrounded by stalls promoting … [Read more...]
Sustainable building benefits communities and volunteers
Sustainability is spreading into communities via greener corporates who take their green commitment to the next level. Nedbank’s Caring for Communities initiative helps to entrench the values and benefits of sustainability in the lives of mainly rural communities. They undertook no fewer than 136 projects in 2011, assisting 59 separate schools and communities around the country … [Read more...]
New matrix for eco-logic living at green expo and awards
We recently participated in our country’s first Green Expo at the CTICC in Cape Town. Normally we don’t bother to build a stand and sit around at such events. I would much rather walk around, listen to the talks, meet people and cover the event. But this time, we took a small space, determined to erect a truly green space. Those coming past did not always know it, but our … [Read more...]
A bright sun spells climate action
During the Midlands Moving Planet – Day of Global Action to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels, uMngeni residents signed a petition asking the local Municipality to make the move to a sustainable future. As part of the celebration of current sunlight and renewable energy, local children painted bright sun shapes on which the demands were written. Around the world people demanded the … [Read more...]
Hands up for a healthy environment
There's something in the air this spring and itis inspiring! PMB Eco-Schools all over Msunduzi have raised their hands for a healthy environment, healthy rivers and healthy communities. Schools have joined hands in recycling, celebrating clean-up campaigns, arbour day tree plantings, green days, climate change youth summits, creating food gardens, landscaping and gardening … [Read more...]
World Water Monitoring Day in Sekhukhune
Sebope Primary School is located in the Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province approximately 36 km from Burgersfort. The school is in its third year with the WESSA/WWF Eco-Schools programme in Limpopo province which is funded by De Beers. Water is a scarce commodity in this area and with populations growing and mining expanding it is essential that quality is maintained and … [Read more...]
WESSA: educating kids on conserving the planet
What happens to fish if you throw empty plastic bags in a river? Why is it wrong to litter? How many different types of plants exist in my community, and which ones can I plant to provide me with food? These are some of the questions WESSA (the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), a nationwide NGO that pro-actively engages with the challenges and opportunities … [Read more...]
Ecoliteracy: What comes after diversity, globalism and sustainability?
In SA, the greening of schools has been a gradual process. One initiative that seeks to change this is the WESSA/WWF Eco-Schools Programme, an environmental education programme that offers sustained engagement between schools and environmental agencies, and continuously awards schools for their efforts. Schools are assessed within their capacity and international flags have … [Read more...]
Izwilesizwe Primary starts solar cooking
The GPS diligently led me through shacks and narrow tar-less streets to an incorrect location. Temperatures already climbed into the thirties at 8am in the morning. I back tracked a bit and passed a young girl with her books under her arm and a bright blue t-shirt on. I asked for directions and she promptly pointed me in the right direction - Izwilesizwe Primary School, … [Read more...]
Speaking out against monoculture plantations
On 21 September the International Day against Monoculture Tree Plantations will be celebrated. Around the world several activities will be coordinated. This year has been declared the International Year of Forests by the United Nations. In response, the World Rainforest Movement has initiated a campaign that challenges the definition of 'forest' used by the Food and … [Read more...]
Globe goes gaga for climate
Sunday, 10-10-10 saw the biggest global Work Party for Earth ever to happen in human memory! Organised by 350.org more than 7000 groups of people in 180 countries got together and did something constructive. And if you think South Africans are asleep when it comes to green actions, think again. Across the country we rose to the occasion in a wide range of events in solidarity … [Read more...]
