In one of the continent’s largest collaborative conservation projects to date, South Africa has become the first of the world’s mega-diverse countries to fully assess the status of its entire flora – a staggering 20 456 species. The assessment has been published in a book entitled the Red List of South African Plants. It was appropriately launched by SANBI in Cape Town on Earth Day – 22 April 2010.
`Scorched` is a vivid journey through southern Africa`s mesmerising landscapes as climate change sets in. It wanders through the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands to capture the last faltering calls of a rain frog that was named after the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. The author pauses for thought following an elephant stampede to consider how savannahs might shift in an altered climate.
The science is indisputable – climate change is a reality. Our lives will change irreversibly as we begin to adapt to these changes and as government, business and individuals begin to dramatically cut emissions to avoid catastrophic climate shifts. While these changes might create uncertainty and some anxiety, they herald a tremendously exciting era of transition, where our generation gets to redesign how we do everything.
Of all the planets in the known universe, only Earth has a living, breathing `skin` formed over the course of countless millennia. Our entire world is dependent on the health of our dirt, and it is safe to say that we don`t even consider dirt and soil - it`s probably at the very bottom (if even on) our list of things to improve our environment and incorporate green and sustainable business practices into our company`s standard operating procedures.
A new documentary, Food Fore-Thought (an IZWA production), sets out to open our eyes to the broad scope of possibilities around the growing and production of the food we eat. It also enlightens the viewer about the need to stand up for one of our most basic human rights – the right to safe, nutritious food that heals, and harms none.
