A flurry of meetings between President Jacob Zuma and Russian President Vladimir Putin have contributed to growing unease over a nuclear co-operation pact. News of a nuclear co-operation agreement between South Africa and Russia has been accompanied by much wheeling out of mirrors and blowing of smoke. Is it a done deal that we will procure 9 600MW of nuclear capacity … [Read more...]
KZN farmers still desperate for rain
Farmers around KwaZulu-Natal are hoping fervently that the rain that has fallen in parts of the province since Saturday night will spell the end of a period of drought that is threatening to ruin many of them. Inadequate rainfall earlier this year and the delayed spring rains have resulted in rivers drying up and dam levels falling to crisis levels. Farmers are suffering … [Read more...]
SA, Russia nuclear agreement not a ‘done deal’
A bilateral agreement between South Africa and Russia on the procurement of nuclear reactors was not a “done deal”, an industry source told the Mail & Guardian on Tuesday. “There will still be a procurement process. They can’t just give a [multi-billion dollar deal] to people by a minister signing a contract in Vienna.” On the margins of the International Atomic Energy … [Read more...]
City concludes embedded electricity generation contract
Today the City of Cape Town signed the first small-scale embedded electricity generation contract with Black River Park Investments, an office block in Observatory. They commend Black River Park for leading the way in the commercial real estate sector by utilising large-scale solar power systems to generate environmentally sustainable energy. Black River will be producing … [Read more...]
ICLEI at the Climate Summit 2014
World leaders are gathering in New York next week to attend the Climate Summit 2014. Convened by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Summit aims to mobilize political will and galvanize climate action. Among its eight key action areas are cities – a clear indication of the crucial role we have in fighting climate change. For over two decades, ICLEI – Local Governments for … [Read more...]
3 Litres of burned oil for one printer cartridge
Did you know that the manufacturing process involved in producing new printer cartridges requires the burning of fossil fuel, specifically oil or natural gas? It takes on average 3 litres of burned oil to create just one cartridge shell. In SA there are more than 70 million cartridges produced annually. About 75% of used cartridges end up in the landfill, with resultant … [Read more...]
Dark day for democracy but petition signed by laureates
The Mandela, De Klerk, Tutu and Luthuli foundations will be writing to President Zuma appealing to him to intervene in order for the Dalai Lama to get a visa to attend the World Peace Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates next month. A further petitioning letter will be signed by former Nobel Peace Prize laureates and has already been signed by President Lech Walesa, Mairead … [Read more...]
Liberal Democrats seek to ban ‘unabated’ coal power
Electricity generated from coal in old power plants without carbon capture in the US would be banned in a proposal that will form the centrepiece of the Liberal Democrats' commitment on the environment in its general election manifesto. Ed Davey, the energy and climate change secretary, will announce on Monday that the zero carbon Britain bill will be among five green laws … [Read more...]
‘Knowing Mandela’ to inspire the nation
I have never felt the need to read a book about Mandela, though I have always adored him. But by grace a little book came across my path … Knowing Mandela by John Carlin. Of course I want to learn more now, but I also suspect that having started with this one, it will be very hard to match. John was the South Africa correspondent of London’s Independent newspaper from 1990 … [Read more...]
Eskom and Sasol use us as pollution filters
How much is a human life worth? How much is our future and that of our children worth? Well, the answer to both is “not too much,” if Eskom and Sasol’s pollution-friendly tactics are anything to go by. Allow me to explain. On paper, South Africa has some pretty decent environmental legislation intended to protect the quality of our air and environment, in the form of the … [Read more...]
No more barefoot walks in Roundup-riddled Kirstenbosch
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, in Cape Town is a great place, not just for tourists, but also for the locals, as a place where generational memories are shared. The mountain, the streams have been a perennial witness to centuries of change that took place on the slopes of the great Table Mountain. From the days of the San people to where we are now the mountain has … [Read more...]
Pesticides linked to drug-resistant fungal infections
A recent rise in drug resistant human pathogenic fungi may be fueled by the use of fungicides (pesticides that kill fungi) on agricultural fields, according to research led by Manchester University in the United Kingdom. Aspergillus, the genus of common soil-dwelling fungi analyzed by researchers, include an incredibly diverse group of mold species. Although some provide … [Read more...]
Directors become personally liable for environmental care
Directors of companies will soon be personally liable for any negative impact, damage, degradation or pollution of the environment, with fines of up to R10 million or up to 10 years in prison. Amendments introduced by the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Act, (NEMLAA) are due to come into effect on 2 September 2014. South African businesses should note that … [Read more...]
