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Archive for the ‘GREEN ISSUES’ Category
The City of Cape Town established the Responsible Tourism (RT) Pilot Project in September 2011 in a number of tourism establishments throughout the city. It has yielded positive results. Read more below:
Responsible Tourism is an approach to the management of tourism aimed at maximising economic, social and environmental benefits and minimising cost to destinations. Results for the first two quarters of 2012 have showed:
路 An average saving of 9,1% for water used per bed per night(pbpn);
路 17,5% less electricity consumed pbpn;
路 27,5% less waste generated pbpn.
For the third quarter of 2012, there were savings of:
路 29,3% water used pbpn;
路 35,88% less electricity pbpn;
路 44,36% reduction in waste generated pbpn.
In addition to this, there has been an increase of 31,8% in waste recycled.
Posted in 
The City has expanded its Smart Living series with the Smart Office Toolkit, which focuses on environmental awareness for the workplace. Read more below:
The City of Cape Town launched its latest environmental resource 鈥 the Smart Office Toolkit yesterday. 聽The launch aptly coincides with Earth Day and the start of Green Office Week.
The comprehensive and user-friendly Smart Office Toolkit will assist individuals and organisations to green their workplaces. This toolkit will be a valuable addition to the City鈥檚 popular Smart Living series of resources.
The toolkit is only available online, at www.capetown.gov.za/smartoffice , and consists of the Smart Office Handbook: A guide to greening your office; a range of supporting resources and publications; and an A3 reminder poster to put up in your office.
The handbook itself is available to download as a visually appealing interactive PDF (on screen view), as separate sections, or as a black and white printer-friendly version with no graphics.
鈥淭hrough training staff at various organisations with our Smart Living Handbook over the past few years, we became aware of the demand for a resource that was more focused on greening the office environment. Thanks to our generous sponsors: Pick n Pay, Eskom, Santam and the Clicks Group 鈥 who also recognised this need 鈥 we have not only been able to produce a handbook, but a comprehensive Smart Office Toolkit,鈥 said the City鈥檚 Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning, Councillor Garreth Bloor.
This toolkit is based on the four smart living themes of energy, waste, water and biodiversity. It is designed to assist in identifying:
The snared leopard that was found on the Lourensford Wine Estate during September this year is alive and well.
During September, Biodiversity Management staff from the City of Cape Town鈥檚 Environmental Resource Management Department received 聽a call from the manager of the Lourensford Wine Estate located on the Helderberg Mountain. A leopard had been caught in a snare thought to have been placed by illegal poachers, probably attempting to hunt small antelope species.
City Biodiversity Management staff responded immediately and the animal was sedated in order for it to be released from the snare and its wounds attended to. This was achieved with the assistance of Owen Wittridge of the City鈥檚 Biodiversity Management Branch and Dr Andrew Grey, veterinarian from Drakenstein Veterinary Clinic.
The Cape Leopard Trust Boland Project team was also notified as the area where the animal had been caught was within their research study area.
The Cape Leopard Trust (CLT), established by Dr Quinton Martins, has been in partnership with the City鈥檚 Biodiversity Management branch for two years and has been involved in a camera trapping study of Cape Leopards (Panthera pardus) across the Boland Mountains, including portions of City-owned land.
The captured animal also provided an opportunity for a tracking collar to be fitted so that its recovery can be closely monitored. The information received through the tracking collar will aid the Cape Leopard Trust in collecting invaluable information towards the CLT Boland Project鈥檚 research which focuses on the abundance and habitat use of leopard in the Boland areas. It will also provide information on the extent to which these animals move, as well as on their behaviour and adaptability in areas of human habitation and activity.
Over the past weeks the young male leopard鈥檚 progress has been monitored closely. Data collected from the collar show that the animal is moving across its range again, and a sighting of the leopard has indicated that its wounds have healed completely.
This once again highlights the importance of partnerships between municipalities, the private sector, academic institutions and organisations. In this case the focus is the conservation of biodiversity and critical species to ensure the preservation thereof.
For more information on the City鈥檚 Nature Reserves, please visit聽www.capetown.gov.za/
For more information on the Cape Leopards Trust and its projects, please visitwww.capeleopard.org.za
A snared leopard that was found on the Lourensford Wine Estate has presented an opportunity for co-operative management between conservation authorities, research professionals and private land owners in order to protect Cape Town鈥檚 leopard population.
On Monday 17 September 2012, Biodiversity Management staff from the City鈥檚 Environmental Resource Management Department responded to a call from managers of the Lourensford Wine Estate located in the Helderberg mountains. A male leopard had been caught in a snare thought to have been placed by illegal poachers, probably attempting to hunt small antelope species.
City Biodiversity Management staff accompanied Lourensford鈥檚 Biodiversity Manager, Johan West, to the site where the leopard was trapped. The Cape Leopard Trust was also contacted immediately to assist.
The trust, established by Dr Quinton Martins, already has a relationship with the City鈥檚 Biodiversity Management branch and has been involved in a camera trapping study of Cape Leopards (Panthera pardus) across the Boland Mountains, including portions of City-owned land.
Boland Leopard Project Co-ordinators, Jeannie Hayward and Anita Meyer, met up with the team accompanied by Dr Andrew Grey, veterinarian from Drakenstein Veterinary Clinic, who also assists with the project. A quick assessment was made regarding the condition of the trapped animal and an action plan implemented.
Thanks to Baydu, I had the opportunity to see the documentary Saving Rhino Phila at the 14th Encounters (an annual South African international documentary festival) at the V&A Waterfront last week.
Ironically, the Department of Environmental Affairs issued the latest rhino poaching statistics the following day. And according to their figures, 251 rhinos have been poached since the beginning of this year while 170 suspects have been arrested.
In 2010, the year the story of rhino Phila begins, the total number of rhinos poached stood at 333. That year, Phila survived being shot at several times on two occasions. In the first instance, she manages to escape, only for her companion to be killed and its horn removed. In a second attempt, poachers shot at her for 40 minutes while she was in rehabilitation.
Part reenactment, part interviews 鈥 Saving Rhino Phila highlights the scourge of rhino poaching across the country. I鈥檒l be the first to admit that while I shed a tear or three, the acting in the reenactments were poor as was the narration.聽 It was the stories of the individuals interviewed that moved me. Their frustration, sadness and helplessness.
Richard Slater-Jones can be commended for his attempt to tackle this complex issue. The documentary gives an overview of what rhino owners are faced with every day, as well as possible solutions to the on-going problem. However, as the majority of the interviews are with rhino owners, there鈥檚 a lack of balance in opinion and insight.
Overall, it鈥檚 a real eye-opener for anyone who may have seen the news headlines each time a rhino is poached but has not quite grasped the complexity of the issue. There are moments of hope, loss, laughter and anger. Having said this, one should walk away with a different perspective on rhino poaching matters as often we are overly critical of government and/or those working together to curb rhino poaching. And in that regard, I sincerely hope it opens up a new level of debate and engagement. One that is solution-driven as opposed to finger-pointing-driven.
Here is the trailer
Happy Greening,
Queen Green
Wow, well done Pepsi, for real! By bloody time SOMEONE who makes billions takes a stand where saving the environment is concerned!
Is it Pepsi v. Coke all over again?聽
PepsiCo Inc. has unveiled a PET bottle made entirely from plants. The bottle looks and feels just like a regular petroleum-based plastic bottle, but relies on raw materials such as switch grass, corn husks and pine bark.
Coca-Cola Co.鈥檚 patented PlantBottle, which hit stores in 2009, is only 30 percent plant-based, but also includes recycled content. Heinz recently licensed Coke鈥檚 technology for its bottled ketchup.
Here is the full story from thegreenregister.com:
http://thegreenregister.com/pepsi-unveils-100-plant-based-bottle/
More than two planets needed by 2030 鈥 WWF 2012
Living Planet Report finds
An ever-growing demand for resources by a growing population is putting tremendous pressures on our planet鈥檚 biodiversity and is threatening South Africa鈥檚 future security, health and well-being. That鈥檚 according to the 2012 edition of WWF鈥檚聽Living Planet Report(LPR) 鈥 the leading biennial survey of the Earth鈥檚 health.
鈥淲e are living as if we have an extra planet at our disposal. We are using 50 per cent more resources than the Earth can sustainably produce and unless we change course, that number will grow fast 鈥 by 2030 even two planets will not be enough,鈥 said Dr Morn茅 du Plessis, CEO of WWF South Africa (WWF-SA).
The LPR uses the global Living Planet Index (LPI) to measure changes in the health of the planet’s ecosystems by tracking 9,000 populations of more than 2,600 species. The global Index shows almost a 30 per cent decrease since 1970, with the tropics the hardest hit 鈥 where there has been a 60 per cent decline in less than 40 years. Just as biodiversity is on a downward trend, the Earth鈥檚 Ecological Footprint, one of the other key indicators used in the report, illustrates how our demand on natural resources has become unsustainable.
The difference between rich and poor countries is also underlined in the report. High income countries have an Ecological Footprint on average five times that of low-income countries.
The 10 countries with the biggest Ecological Footprint per person in the world are Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, the United States of America, Belgium, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Yet according to the global Living Planet Index, declines in biodiversity since 1970 have been most rapid in the lower income countries 鈥 demonstrating how the poorest and most vulnerable nations are subsidizing the lifestyles of wealthier countries. Decreasing biocapacity (a region鈥檚 capacity to regenerate resources) will require a country to import essential resources from foreign ecosystems 鈥 potentially to the long-term detriment of the latter.
鈥淲e can create more just and equitable societies 鈥 providing food, water and energy for all 鈥 through the sustainable management of the Earth鈥檚 natural capital. The loss of biodiversity and its related ecosystem services particularly impacts the poor, who rely most directly on nature to survive 鈥 particularly for their food, said Du Plessis鈥.
The top 10 countries in Africa with the biggest Ecological Footprint per person are: Mauritius, Mauritania, Botswana, South Africa, Egypt, Namibia, Tunisia, Chad, Mali and Gabon.
South Africa has an Ecological Footprint of 2.59 per person per hectare, of which the biggest component is due to our large carbon footprint. The term聽Ecological Footprint聽refers to a measure of how much biologically productive land and water an individual, population or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes, and to absorb the waste it generates, using prevailing technology and resource management practices. The Ecological Footprint is usually measured in global hectares (gha).
Rising consumption in high-income groups around the world and BRIICS (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa) countries, combined with growing population numbers, provide warning signs of the potential for even larger footprints in future. The human population is forecast to reach 7.8-10.9 billion people by 2050, with a medium estimate of just over 9.3 billion.
The rapid economic growth of the BRIICS group merits special attention when looking at the Ecological Footprint and the pressure onbiocapacity. This term refers to the capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and absorb waste materials generated by humans. It is measured in global hectares. The BRIICS economies have increased their per capita footprint by 65 per cent since 1961. These countries are expanding more rapidly than high-income countries and face increased sustainability challenges.
However, there are solutions for living within the means of one planet: the 鈥淥ne Planet鈥 perspective. Du Plessis explained: 鈥淚n order to reverse the declining LPI; bring the Ecological Footprint down to within planetary limits; avoid dangerous climate change; and achieve sustainable development, a fundamental reality must be embedded as the basis of economies, business models and lifestyles: the Earth鈥檚 natural capital 鈥 biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services 鈥 is limited.鈥
The聽Living Planet Report聽outlines a number of solutions needed to reverse the declining Living Planet Index and bring the Ecological Footprint down to within planetary limits. These are set out as 16 priority actions, and include improved consumption patterns, putting an economic value on natural capital, and creating legal and policy frameworks that manage equitable access to food, water and energy.
鈥淲e can create a prosperous future that provides food, water and energy for the 9 or perhaps 10 billion people who will be sharing the planet in 2050,鈥 concluded du Plessis. 鈥淪olutions lie in such areas as reducing wasteful consumption, smarter water management and using renewable sources of energy that are clean and abundant 鈥 such as wind and sunlight.鈥
DARE THE WORLD TO SAVE THE PLANET
Today鈥檚 launch of WWF鈥檚 Earth Hour 2012 campaign,聽I Will If You Will,聽marks one month to go to the annual lights-out event. This year, the world鈥檚 largest voluntary action for the environment takes a giant leap to showcase how everyone has the power to change the world we live in.
WWF-SA鈥檚 Executive Manager for Communication and Marketing, Zubair Sayed, says 鈥淓arth Hour is a global celebration that helps raises awareness about the need for everyone to take positive action for the environment. On Saturday, 31 March hundreds of millions of people across the globe will switch off the lights in their homes and businesses in a symbolic gesture to show their commitment to action that will benefit the planet.鈥
鈥淚t also shows the incredible results we can achieve when we all take action together.聽I Will If You Will聽adds another dimension to Earth Hour, making it even more fun and exciting than before.鈥
The聽I Will If You Will聽campaign uses an online video platform聽www.earthhour.org.za聽that encourages people to share a personal dare with the world by asking, 鈥淲hat are you willing to do to save the planet?鈥 People may share their 鈥渄ares鈥 publically through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and e-mail. Friends can be invited to participate and accept each challenge using these popular social networks. WWF鈥檚 Earth Hour digital platform also hosts a global library of聽I Will If You Will聽challenges.
The concept of聽I Will If You Will聽is based on a social contract between parties 鈥 connecting one person, business or organisation to a promise and their friends, family, customers or members to a challenge 鈥 uniting them behind the common goal of saving the planet.
Sayed explains, 鈥淭he campaign not only creates awareness about a host of environmental issues but can also directly influence behaviour. It provides an opportunity for individuals, businesses, organisations and government to challenge each other to take action beyond the hour.鈥
The simple promise can range from recycling, to switching to energy efficient light bulbs, turning off your mobile charger and other appliances at the wall, or reducing water usage.
To-date the DHL Stormers, the MTN Lions, actress Quanita Adams, eNews weatherman Derek Van Dam, radio and TV personalities Saskia Falken and Elana Afrika, radio personality Clarence Ford, the award-winning Freshlyground, DJ Euphonik, media personality Shado Twala, surfer and model Roxy Louw, musician and composer Neo Muyanga, SABC鈥檚 biggest youth show Hectic Nine-9, the Cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town and the eThekwini Municipality, have all pledged their support to聽I Will If You Will.
Earth Hour 2012 will take place from 8.30pm 鈥 9.30pm on Saturday 31 March
