Across the planet now we see ever more flood, ever more drought, ever more storms. People are dying, communities are being wrecked — the impacts we’re already witnessing from climate change are unlike anything we have seen before.
This year the Our School Cares awards programme, sponsored by Peninsula Beverages (PenBev), is being expanded to include the recycling of particularly beverage containers, such as cans and PET bottles. This environmental education based programme now enables more schools to compete for the awards, whilst raising their level of awareness of and participation in recycling at school level. PenBev plans no less than 8 beach and river clean-ups this year.
The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon is 41 years old this year. It all started with just 26 runners and is now attracting over 26 000 across the ultra, the half marathon, the trail runs and the fun runs.
Do you know the impact a pair of shoes has on a child's life? The Green Times supported the 'One Day Without Shoes' cause this year to raise awareness for those people who don't have shoes around the world. Over 250,000 people went without shoes in 2010. In many developing countries children must walk barefoot for miles to school, clean water and medical help.
Step one in reducing our harmful footprints on the earth, is knowing how big they are.
So the first dragon to be slayed on our heroic journey towards a greener planet is Ignorance himself. He blocks our path with his soft and cushy body and flirts with us in sweet voices of 'it's ok, it's not so bad' or 'just keep going, things will right themselves' or 'it's better than my consumerist neighbour anyway' or, my personal favourite 'we're doing enough for the earth already.'
"The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river." - Ross Perot
The African Renaissance team have no doubt been in the river getting their hands dirty this past year and the hard work, dedication and vision of 'Green TV Team' is starting to bear fruit. Yesterday, at the 22nd annual SAB Environmentalist and Environmental Journalists of the Year Awards, African Renaissance Productions were honoured with a merit award in the Radio and Television Category for its series, The Nature of Change.
