Become part of the urgent declaration for the rights of Mother Earth. The Rights of Nature is emerging as one of the key alternatives to what many critics call severe shortcomings in the current draft proposals centering on a new Green Economy – RIO+20’s main theme to take forward the initiatives of the 1992 Earth Summit.
At the turn of 2009/2010, local filmmaker Daréll Lourens and her friend Simone van Keulen had the vision of Earth Junkies, an eco- awareness journey aiming to travel overland through Africa, the Middle East and Europe and work with children to foster ecological citizenship in their foundation years. 2 years have passed and the project has finally realized.
An amazing journey? Yes. In four weeks I saw 17 cities and witnessed some of the most interesting people tell stories of their struggles with climate change.
The COP17 Climate Train was today welcomed in Durban with a fanfare and a range of dignitaries Including National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) executive secretary Christiana Figueres and chief of the COP17 negotiations and EThekwini Speaker Rogie Naidoo.
After a beguiling journey through some of South Africa’s remote communities, the Climate Train has reached its final destination in time for the biggest conference SA has ever hosted.
COP 17 Climate Train journey ends this weekend in Durban.
Climate change is fast becoming one of the biggest threats that mankind faces, yet if you walk through the village of Vatsonhga it’s hard to believe any of the scientific predictions.
Zambia, Uganda, United States of America, Canada, Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa. These countries were all represented in one room to make their voices heard in the fight against climate change.
Sheltered from the fierce heat of the Namboomspruit sun, 16 Mokopane community members gathered for an Earth Forum in the cool shadows of an oasis of tall palm trees.
On its travels through South Africa the Climate Train has been creating unique spaces for community members - notables and ordinary people alike- to engage in meaningful discussions around climate change and the lively Pretoria was certainly no exception.
“COP17 comes and it goes and then we are still left with this climate change”.
It was the morning of day nine of our journey across South Africa on the Climate Train. I found myself lying on the boardroom table in the conference carriage.
When the Climate Train arrived in Johannesburg, Nasrec station earlier this month we all knew we were in for an eventful three days.
Ask the Kliptown youth which million words their pictures tell about and you will see the effects of climate change in their community.
The Climate Train has made a detour and is stopping over at Bosman Station instead of Centurion from today (Friday, 11 November) until Sunday.
