Climate change is the most widespread & complex problem humanity has ever faced! There is no time to waste and we need to turn green talk into profound green action. This is the intention of the GREEN TIMES.
After two weeks of negotiations, the world community has yet again failed to take any meaningful actions to prevent landmark global warming and instead has produced a "roadmap to global burning," leading climate campaigners lamented upon the close of the United Nations COP20 climate talks in Lima, Peru on Sunday. In the wee hours of the morning, two days past the intended … [Read more...]
Ecoli in the Sir Lowrys Pass river and hence the ocean at Gordons Bay is an issue that activists from the Helderberg are now fed-up with. Squatter camps in the village are suffering from a shortage of proper sanitation and sufficient waste disposal, so the river is used to dump unwanted things into. Take a look. The City of Cape Town responded with the folllowing … [Read more...]
Governments must shift subsidies and research funding from agro-industrial monoculture to small farmers using ‘agroecological’ methods, according to the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. And as Nafeez Ahmed notes, her call coincides with a new agroecology initiative within the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. Modern industrial agricultural methods can no … [Read more...]
The older sister of US President Barack Obama, Dr. Auma Obama, was appointed Councillor of the World Future Council. This Hamburg-based organisation works with decision-makers worldwide to implement policy solutions that secure the rights of future generations. At an official meeting with WFC board members Alexandra Wandel and Stefan Keinert, she signed the acceptance … [Read more...]
There is a common misconception that environmental law enforcement in South Africa is a low risk to parties evading environmental legislation requirements or causing pollution. However, from recent statistics released, it is clear that those polluters and companies avoiding their environmental law obligations will increasingly have to face the "Green Scorpion’s Sting". This … [Read more...]
The United States and China are the world’s two biggest economies, the largest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and the largest historical emitters of GHGs. China’s population is well over 1 billion people, with a rapidly expanding middle class and an economy that has been accelerating at breakneck speed for the past two decades. If the climate crisis is to be … [Read more...]
There is grave concern about the threat to our environment posed due to the proposed shortening of the period for the completion of Environmental Impact Assessments, (EIAs) before a new development can go ahead. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is one of the cornerstones of responsible stewardship of our planet and its increasingly limited resources. Before you do … [Read more...]
Members of Parliament have heard that acid mine drainage is affecting the Vaal River system and causing problems in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The Water and Sanitation Department has briefed Parliament's Portfolio Committee on solutions to the problem, particularly on the Witwatersrand. Pumping stations are removing scores of megalitres of dirty water from the western, central … [Read more...]
South Africa’s oceans made headlines this month for their potential to contribute up to R177 billion to the national GDP and create over one million jobs by 2033. This, however, can only be realised if the oceans are managed correctly to ensure sustainable use with lasting benefits to the industries that support community livelihoods such as the fishing … [Read more...]
“The focus of waste management in South Africa is changing. No longer is the emphasis on the disposal of waste, but rather on avoiding its generation and minimizing and recycling the waste stream wherever possible.” This was the key message conveyed by Lisa Parkes, Marketing Manager of PETCO, at a workshop held during Wastecon in Somerset West this month. “The law … [Read more...]
South Africa's fast emerging green economy is driven by factors such as radical cost savings, brand differentiation, sustainable futures, skills attraction and retention. Driving its uptake is business, particularly multinational companies (MNCs), which – through its global nature and the interconnectedness of markets – is harnessing green principles to do good and boost … [Read more...]
The results of the City’s home composting project was at a WasteCon presentation. The roll-out of composting containers for residents to use at their homes, as well as education on how to use them, resulted in the diversion of significant amounts of organic waste from landfill sites. This was was met with enthusiasm from all areas where it was tested. As such, it is … [Read more...]
The man chosen to head up the European Commission’s climate and energy department faced tough questions over his links to oil companies at a hearing on Wednesday. Miguel Arias Canete, a former Spanish environment minister, insisted there was no conflict of interest. He gave up shares in Petrolifera Ducar and Petrologis Canaris on being offered the climate commissioner job. … [Read more...]
