A Sea ChangeA Sea Change is a gentle documentary, in contrast to some of the documentaries which give you nightmares for months afterwards like Earthlings. This documentary looks at the topic of ocean acidification which is something most people are not aware of. We are aware that the oceans absorb carbon dioxide, in fact scientists have been looking for ways to make the oceans absorb more carbon dioxide in an attempt to reduce climate change. However, as the level of carbon dioxide in the ocean increases, so does the acidity of the ocean. The change so far has been very slight and mostly in colder areas but the implications are huge.

design: anja bredellno waste, no pollution and absolutely no harm! This is not a trend. This is an opportunity to design and sustain our very own futures. Together we can create a better quality of life for all and a better place to call home, through the application of clean, smart design. Would you like to live responsibly in style? No Kak!

The Eco Design Initiative 2010 is now calling for entries from emerging designers in South Africa – all schools of design are welcome. You have until 30 April to submit your sustainable creation that is a durable product or service that minimises adverse impacts on the environment, whilst making every day life simpler and more pleasant.

There is something of the sacred in Hogsback. Perhaps it is the ethereal proximity of dense, indigenous forests that hint at faery folk, or its remoteness that make it so. But few people leave here without some element of reparation, even if it is simply their faith in the beauty of nature that is restored.

The approach to the eco shrine, which the artist Diana Graham calls the 'Voice of the Earth Eco shrine', does much to reinforce this impression. It is a tunnel formed by lean, leafy Hazelnut trees that create a vortex through which one moves from one time into another. Or so it seems.

As far as food markets go, the Wild Oats Market in Sedgefield on the Garden Route probably comes up tops. Residents of Sedgefield and visitors to the town head out in their droves on a Saturday morning to the edge of town right next to the Swartvlei lake-lagoon, where the market has a permanent home under the trees.

The market's full name is the Wild Oats Community Farmers' Market and it has won numerous awards during its ten year life span. Whilst I'd heard only good things about the farmers' market, I hadn't yet had the opportunity to visit it, but our road trip up to Hogsback had been conveniently carved into a number of stopovers that included Sedgefield, and the market was one of the first to make its way onto the itinerary.

The past few months at Khula Dhamma have unfolded quite remarkably. Our community has been going through what I can only term as ‘blessed unrest’ or growth pains. Endlessly moving through processes of embracing as well as letting go of ideologies, thought patterns and ideas of separation that have been subconsciously holding us back from living our full, free potential.

We are presently in the process of pioneering and moulding the community into a form that serves all, and thus be able to embrace truth as our compass. As I am voicing these changes we’ve been going through as a community, I innately, have been going through the exact changes within myself. I am realizing the power of individuals coming together and working through our personal ‘blocks’ in order to help each other become more authentic.

When I first saw this little AA battery with a USB connection for recharging I thought it looked like a nifty gimmick, but what would I use it for? It's turned out to be quite handy as we've got a couple of battery operated kids toys and old torches lying around the house.

The usb battery is a rechargeable battery but instead of using a separate charging device to recharge it, the battery comes with a built-in male usb connection which can plug in to your laptop or pc's powered usb port. Like most other AA size rechargeable batteries it is a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) cell, but it includes a cap which pops off to reveal the usb connection.

The usb connector is found on the negetive terminal side of the battery, covered by a cap which slides off easily but is attached with a little elastic band so can't get lost - clever idea.

As roughly a fifth of the battery's size

A new GM study by the University of Caen in France shows a negative impact on the function of kidneys and liver in rats consuming GM maize varieties for just 90 days.

From the study:
"We investigated three different GM corn namely NK 603, MON 810 and MON 863, which were fed to rats for 90 days. The raw data have been obtained by European governments and made publically available for scrutiny and counter-evaluation.

“These studies constitute a model to investigate possible subchronic toxicological effects of these GM cereals in mammals and humans. These are the longest in vivo tests performed with mammals consuming these GMOs. The animals were monitored for numerous blood and organ parameters.

A 150-turbine wind farm capable of generating 300MW of electricity is planned for near Caledon, in the Western Cape.

The Caledon Wind Farm would span 15 farms covering an area of 3500 hectares within the Theewaterskloof Muncipality approximately 16km west of Caledon and 7km east of Botrivier.

Each turbine will be able to generate between 2 and 3.6 MW, stand 80 metres tall to the hub and have a 40m blade. Additional infrastructure required will include powerlines, access roads and a new electricity substation...

When one looks at the initial cost of solar powering a home, many of us cringe at having to fork out to install the solar items that get us off grid either partially or completely.

A solar power system is an expensive home addition but it's an extremely beneficial one, particularly given ESKOM's price hike. If you don't have thousands of rands to pay for these solar power systems up front, there are other ways in which you can pay for your home to be eco friendly...

Siya sounds excited on the telephone. It takes me a moment to realise that I'm speaking to a 16-year old. He is confident, eager and brimming over with that 'something' we tend to lose as we get older – that assuredness that the world just needs a shove in the right direction for it to see the error of its ways.

Siyabongasamy Beyile intends rallying the youth in South Africa against global warming. He intends going one better than that. He wants the children of the World to stand together against global warming. It is time, that the youth, he says, take a stand and fight for our future...