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X-WR-CALNAME:The Green Times
X-ORIGINAL-URL:http://thegreentimes.co.za
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Green Times
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TZID:Africa/Johannesburg
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TZOFFSETFROM:+0200
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DTSTART:20210101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210605T000000
DTEND;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210605T000000
DTSTAMP:20210629T054601
CREATED:20210520T212541Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210520T213255Z
UID:58949-1622851200-1622851200@thegreentimes.co.za
SUMMARY:World Environment Day
DESCRIPTION:A fisherman in the Congo River’s mangrove forest. Mangroves are well-known coastal wetland ecosystems that are very important for biodiversity due to the services they provide. Image: Getty \nFor too long\, we have been exploiting and destroying our planet’s ecosystems. Every three seconds\, the world loses enough forest to cover a football pitch and over the last century we have destroyed half of our wetlands. As much as 50% of our coral reefs have already been lost and up to 90% of coral reefs could be lost by 2050\, even if global warming is limited to an increase of 1.5°C. \nEcosystem loss is depriving the world of carbon sinks\, like forests and peatlands\, at a time humanity can least afford it. Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown for three consecutive years and the planet is on track for potentially catastrophic climate change. \nThe emergence of COVID-19 has also shown just how disastrous the consequences of ecosystem loss can be. By shrinking the area of natural habitat for animals\, we have created ideal conditions for pathogens – including coronaviruses – to spread. \nWith this big and challenging picture\, the World Environment Day is focus in the ecosystem restoration and its theme is “Reimagine. Recreate.Restore.” \nEcosystem restoration means preventing\, halting and reversing this damage – to go from exploiting nature to healing it. This World Environment Day will kick off the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)\, a global mission to revive billions of hectares\, from forests to farmlands\, from the top of mountains to the depth of the sea. \nOnly with healthy ecosystems can we enhance people’s livelihoods\, counteract climate change and stop the collapse of biodiversity. \nInvesting in ecosystems is investing in our future\nWorld Environment Day 2021\, which counts with Pakistan as the host country this year for its official celebrations\, calls for urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems. \nFrom forests to peatlands to coasts\, we all depend on healthy ecosystems for our survival. Ecosystems are defined as the interaction between living organisms – plants\, animals\, people – with their surroundings. This includes nature\, but also human-made systems such as cities or farms. \nEcosystem restoration is a global undertaking at massive scale. It means repairing billions of hectares of land – an area greater than China or the USA – so that people have access to food\, clean water and jobs. \nIt means bringing back plants and animals from the brink of extinction\, from the peaks of mountains to the depths of the sea. \nBut it also includes the many small actions everyone can take\, every day: growing trees\, greening our cities\, rewilding our gardens or cleaning up trash alongside rivers and coasts. \nRestoring ecosystems carries substantial benefits for people. For every dollar invested in restoration\, at least seven to thirty dollars in returns for society can be expected. Restoration also creates jobs in rural areas where they are most needed. \nSome countries have already invested in restoration as part of their strategies to bounce back from COVID-19. Others are turning to restoration to help them adapt to a climate that is already changing.
URL:http://thegreentimes.co.za/event/world-environment-day-2021/
CATEGORIES:Days
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DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210608T080000
DTEND;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210608T170000
DTSTAMP:20210629T054601
CREATED:20210605T141555Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210605T141555Z
UID:59055-1623139200-1623171600@thegreentimes.co.za
SUMMARY:World Ocean Day
DESCRIPTION:June 8th is World Ocean Day\, and what better way to celebrate than by joining for a screening of the Oscar-winning documentary\, My Octopus Teacher? \nFor the first time in South Africa\, Oceaneers\, alongside partners Mahina\, Plushi\, Camissa Moon and Ocean Pledge are thrilled to bring this Proudly South African film to life on the big screen. Taking place at Cape Town’s iconic Labia Theatre\, this once-off\, free screening kicks off at 17:15. \nAlthough entry is free\, space is limited\, so be sure to reserve your tickets by answering a few simple questions on the Oceaneers website. \nFive exciting eco-conscious brands are coming together to present this once-off screening to the public. Filmed just off our shores in the Great African Seaforest\, My Octopus Teacher follows Craig Foster and his team from the Sea Change Project\, as they try to understand one of nature’s most fascinating sea-creatures. \n \nThe documentary has been described by New York Magazine as ”one of the most touching accounts of interspecies relationships ever told.” \nThe lessons Craig takes away from his spectacular encounters are significant and the message he shares with us is profound. \nIn the film Craig recounts\, “What she taught me is to feel that you are part of this place. Not a visitor. And that’s a huge difference.” \nWith Mahina towels for sale\, complimentary treats from Happy People Foods\, delicious post screening snacks from Camissa Moon and prizes from Captain Fanplastic\, this event is surely not one to miss. Plushi will alo present their short about sustainability called\, “Think Conscious.” \nFor those who feel a strong call to action\, you are invited to become an Oceaneer.
URL:http://thegreentimes.co.za/event/world-ocean-day-2021/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210617T080000
DTEND;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210617T170000
DTSTAMP:20210629T054601
CREATED:20210602T165917Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210602T165937Z
UID:59042-1623916800-1623949200@thegreentimes.co.za
SUMMARY:Desertification and Drought Day
DESCRIPTION:Image: Shutterstock \nThe 2021 Desertification and Drought Day to be held on 17 June will focus on turning degraded land into healthy land. Restoring degraded land brings economic resilience\, creates jobs\, raises incomes and increases food security. It helps biodiversity to recover. \nIt locks away the atmospheric carbon warming the Earth\, slowing climate change. It can also lessen the impacts of climate change and underpin a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. \nThe United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will work with the Ministry of Environment (MINAE) of Costa Rica\, the host of the global observance\, to encourage households\, communities\, private sector and countries to have a better relationship with nature as we recover from COVID-19. \nNearly three quarters of the Earth’s ice-free land has been altered by humans to meet an ever-growing demand for food\, raw materials\, highways and homes. Fixing damaged ecosystems mitigates against climate change and bolsters nature’s defences against disasters and extreme weather events such as wildfires\, droughts\, floods\, and sand and dust storms. Restoring natural landscapes reduces close contact between wildlife and human settlements\, creating a natural buffer against zoonotic diseases. \nAvoiding\, slowing and reversing the loss of productive land and natural ecosystems now is both urgent and important for a swift recovery from the pandemic and for guaranteeing the long-term survival of people and the planet. \n“Land restoration can contribute greatly to post-COVID19 economic recovery. Investing in land restoration creates jobs and generates economic benefits\, and could provide livelihoods at a time when hundreds of millions of jobs are being lost.”\n— Ibrahim Thiaw\, UNCCD Executive Secretary \n“Smart land-based restoration initiatives would be particularly helpful for women and youth\, who are often the last to receive help in times of crises. As we enter the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration\, we have a real chance to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. If countries can restore the nearly 800 million hectares of degraded land they have pledged to restore by 2030\, we can safeguard humanity and our planet from the looming danger\,” adds Mr. Thiaw. \n“The COVID19 pandemic has reinforced just how much we need our forests\, drylands\, wetlands and other land ecosystems: for food\, for the green economy\, for eco-tourism\, as a buffer against extreme climate events. In Costa Rica\, our unique tropical forests are a limited and precious natural resource that we cannot neglect. On Desertification and Drought Day\, I urge us all to push hard to restore our lands. We all have a role to play\, because we all have a stake in our planet’s future.” \n— Andrea Meza\, Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica \nDesertification and Drought Day – known as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought before 2020 – is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. The day is a unique moment to remind everyone that reversing land degradation is achievable through problem-solving\, strong community involvement and co-operation at all levels. \nIn 2021\, the goal of Desertification and Drought Day is to demonstrate that investing in healthy land as part of a green recovery is a smart economic decision – not just in terms of creating jobs and rebuilding livelihoods\, but in terms of insulating economies against future crises caused by climate change and nature loss\, and in accelerating progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals as we recover from COVID-19.
URL:http://thegreentimes.co.za/event/desertification-and-drought-day-2021/
CATEGORIES:Days
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DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210618T080000
DTEND;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210618T170000
DTSTAMP:20210629T054601
CREATED:20210602T140502Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210602T143339Z
UID:59039-1624003200-1624035600@thegreentimes.co.za
SUMMARY:Sustainable Gastronomy Day
DESCRIPTION:Gastronomy is sometimes called the art of food. It can also refer to a style of cooking from a particular region. In other words\, gastronomy often refers to local food and cuisine. Sustainability is the idea that something (e.g. agriculture\, fishing or even preparation of food) is done in a way that is not wasteful of our natural resources and can be continued into the future without being detrimental to our environment or health. \nSustainable gastronomy\, therefore\, means cuisine that takes into account where the ingredients are from\, how the food is grown and how it gets to our markets and eventually to our plates. \nThe United Nations Educational\, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN General Assembly work to facilitate the observance of Sustainable Gastronomy Day\, in collaboration with Member States\, UN organizations and other international and regional bodies\, as well as civil society\, to observe the Day in raising public awareness of its contribution to sustainable development. \nSome of UNESCO’s initiatives include: \n\nLaunching the UNESCO Creative Cities Network\, created in 2004 to share best practices and develop partnerships in 7 creative fields. As of 2020\, 26 cities have been designated Creative Cities of Gastronomy;\nPromoting clean energy for local restaurants (use gas and electricity instead of coal\, use natural gas rather than carbon);\nRaising public awareness of sustainable gastronomy through TV food channels and gastronomy shows and through food cultural exhibitions\, intended for the food industry and farmers.\n\nAs for the FAO\, the Organization promotes green culture diets that are not only healthy\, but sustainable and suggests that countries that already have dietary guidelines should begin to consider a process of incorporating sustainability into them. \nThe “Crop of the Month\,” an FAO online feature\, has been promoting the diversification of crops in favour of underutilized traditional crops\, and applying sustainable food production and natural resource management practices.\nFocusing on the role of sustainable gastronomy \nThe decision acknowledges gastronomy as a cultural expression related to the natural and cultural diversity of the world. As the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding across the globe\, sustainable gastronomy – celebrating seasonal ingredients and producers\, preserving wildlife as well as our culinary traditions – is today more relevant than ever.
URL:http://thegreentimes.co.za/event/sustainable-gastronomy-day-2021/
CATEGORIES:Days
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DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210621T080000
DTEND;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210621T170000
DTSTAMP:20210629T054601
CREATED:20210617T181818Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210617T181818Z
UID:59210-1624262400-1624294800@thegreentimes.co.za
SUMMARY:World Giraffe Day
DESCRIPTION:Image: Shutterstock \nThis is an exciting annual event initiated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) to celebrate the tallest animal on the longest day or night (depending on which hemisphere you live!) of the year. \nNot only is it a worldwide celebration of these amazing and much-loved animals\, but an annual event to raise support\, create awareness and shed light on the challenges giraffe face in the wild. By supporting World Giraffe Day\, you directly help save giraffe in Africa. With only approximately 117\,000 giraffe remaining in the wild\, the time is right to act NOW! \nZoos\, schools\, NGOs\, governments\, institutions\, companies and conservation organisations around the world are hosting events on this date to raise awareness and support for giraffe in the wild. Check out who else is celebrating. \nWorld Giraffe Day 2021 is dedicated to saving the last West African giraffe! \nImage: Shutterstock \n  \nThere are only about 600 West African giraffe left in the world. All of them live in Niger\, one of the world’s poorest countries.\nHowever\, West African giraffe are a giraffe conservation success story. While these giraffe were widely distributed in West Africa\, from Nigeria to Senegal\, only 100 years ago\, by the mid-1990s only 49 individuals remained in the wild. \nThen the Niger government decided to turn the tide and together with GCF and many other conservation partners they managed to protect their own giraffe. The population has now increased to about 600 and after a successful translocation in 2018 (Operation Sahel Giraffe) \nThere are now two populations of West African giraffe in Niger – and the world! \nThe people of Niger continue to need our help to protect their giraffe. \nTogether we #StandTallForGiraffe and we can continue to create conservation success stories in Africa.
URL:http://thegreentimes.co.za/event/world-giraffe-day-2021/
CATEGORIES:Days
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DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210622T080000
DTEND;TZID=Africa/Johannesburg:20210622T170000
DTSTAMP:20210629T054601
CREATED:20210602T133627Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210602T134840Z
UID:59036-1624348800-1624381200@thegreentimes.co.za
SUMMARY:World Rainforest Day
DESCRIPTION:Rainforests are vital for the survival of life on Earth. They absorb our carbon dioxide\, stabilize climate patterns\, and are home to half the world’s plant and animal species. \nYet every minute\, we lose 40 football fields of rainforests\, which threatens our biodiversity and imperils our planet’s health. Deforestation causes 15% of global carbon dioxide emissions that accelerate climate change—more than from all cars in the U.S. and China combined. Natural climate solutions like protecting and restoring forests\, however\, could reverse global emissions by a third. \nWorld Rainforest Day celebrates this precious natural resource and encourages action to preserve it. Your efforts\, together with the actions of others\, will have a positive impact on rainforests and the climate worldwide. \n\nPass on meat and Palm Oil\n\nCattle farming contributes to deforestation\, whilst rainforests are being cleared to expand palm plantations. Eat meatless meals and choose products with alternative oils. \n\nSupport Rainforest Protectors\n\nPut your money where your mouth is by contributing to organizations that preserve our rainforests.
URL:http://thegreentimes.co.za/event/world-rainforest-day-2021/
CATEGORIES:Days
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