Environment

Court victory for South Africa’s protected areas in Mabola case

Today, the North Gauteng High Court set aside the 2016 decisions of former Mineral Resources Minister Zwane and the late Environmental Affairs Minister Molewa to permit a new coal mine to be developed in the Mabola Protected Environment near Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga.

The case was brought by the coalition of eight civil society organisations challenging a range of authorisations that have permitted an underground coal mine in a strategic water source area and a protected area.

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Mpumalanga tops world nitrogen dioxide air pollution charts

Thursday 1 November, 2018 - 11:09

30 October 2018

Mpumalanga province has the highest levels of air pollution in the world, topping nitrogen dioxide levels across six continents, according to a new analysis by environmental activist organisation Greenpeace.

Greenpeace compiled the analysis using data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel 5P satellite. It provides imagery detailing air pollution levels across six continents from June 1 to August 31 2018.

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CER attorneys to warn MPs of the dangers of new coal in the IRP

On Tuesday 16 October 2018, attorneys from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) will tell Parliament that an Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) that provides for expensive new coal-fired power, at a time when South Africa needs to be urgently transitioning away from harmful coal, would be in conflict with the Constitution. This means that an IRP that irrationally includes expensive new coal could be held up by court challenges for years to come.

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Future of Water project commences at Bloekombos

Water is a vital resource in all communities. Despite the good rainfall this past winter, water restrictions in the Cape continue to negatively impact communities, especially those living in under resourced areas. One such settlement is the Bloekombos informal settlement, bordering Kraaifontein, where small businesses such as car washes and micro-farming gardens are prohibited from using municipal water for their trade.

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Vaping Products Association of South Africa shocked by continued marginalisation of industry players at the gathering of World Health Organisation (WHO)

The Vaping Products Association of South Africa (VPASA) is shocked by the continued side-ling of the vaping industry at the World Health Organisation gathering to discuss the regulation of smoking and vaping on public health. The gathering, attended by more than 130 members of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was attended by nations represented by Ministers and senior health officials from countries which are signatories to the Convention.

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Combating plastic waste as a global community

The amount of pollution floating in our oceans has skyrocketed over the past decade. Last year, a study conducted by the United Nations noted that if we carry on dumping waste at the rate we are right now, there will be more litter in the ocean than fish by 2050.

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UN report confronts nations with tough choices on climate

Thursday 4 October, 2018 - 19:34

30-09- 2018

The world’s nations will gather at a UN conference in South Korea on Monday to review and approve a 20-page bombshell — distilled from more than 6 000 scientific studies — laying out narrowing options for staving off climate catastrophe.

When the 195 countries who signed off on the Paris Agreement in 2015 requested a report from UN-led scientists on the feasibility of capping global warming at 1.5℃, the gesture seemed to many unnecessary.

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African voices being unequivocal and united

Thursday 6 September, 2018 - 14:30

African countries have the power to force the rest of the world to ban nuclear weapons if almost all of them adhered to the treaty on this.

The International Committee of the Red Cross’s (ICRC) Head of Regional Delegation for Southern Africa Vincent Cassard urged African officials at the start of a four-day seminar on Tuesday on international humanitarian law at the Department for International Relations to lobby their governments to ratify the treaty on the comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons, which opened for signature almost a year ago, on September 20.

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Fate of unique species hangs in the balance

Thursday 6 September, 2018 - 14:21

Tanzania is known for its tapestry of lush forests, expansive grasslands and tropical beaches, and abundant and diverse wildlife.

Its coastal forests are part of the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa biodiversity hotspot – a place recognised for its wealth of wildlife but threatened with destruction, making it a high priority for conservation efforts.

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Joburg taps R8.2m from illegal water meters

Wednesday 30 May, 2018 - 8:38

The city of Johannesburg says it has collected R8.2-million from various developers at the Waterfall Estate in Midrand whose water meters were not on the city’s billing system.

In a statement‚ the city said its Operation Buya Mthetho ('Bring Back The Law') collected this amount from various developers at the estate after they allegedly illegally connected water meters which were not procured through standard processes‚ stealing water from the city.