I’d like to say that the most ill considered thing about disposable nappies is the name. They last for centuries. All the disposable nappies ever "disposed of" are still around...

But even less logical, is the idea that "disposable" nappies are convenient.

The CON in CONVENIENCE
Ask a mother why she uses "disposable" nappies rather than cloth nappies. The short answer is "Its convenient". I wonder if she knows this is short for "I find it convenient to transfer current inconvenience for me into future inconvenience for my baby". I wonder if she’s thought it all through thoroughly. I wonder if she’s done her "convenience sums" correctly.

Babies in "disposable" nappies take six to twelve months longer to potty train, than babies in cloth nappies. Convenient?

Cloth nappies never run out. "Disposable" nappies are always on your shopping list. Convenient?

One of a series of pictures you can view of Earthlife Africa's recent nuke protest outside the Japanese Consul in Pier Place, Cape Town on Monday.

What has fracking (hydraulic fracturing for natural gas) got to do with water? The answer is 'everything'.

This came as something of a surprise to me, sitting virtually in the front row of the independent movie house, the Labia, in Cape Town last night, craning my neck at a rather delicate angle (the lesson here is, get to the movie house early if you want a good seat) to watch the movie Gasland, screened by the ngo While you were Sleeping.

While the South African Water Act recognizes water as a human right this does not necessarily mean water is governed and appreciated as it should be. In a country that uses 93% of its available water supply, South Africans need to be made aware of the difficulties that face our most precious resource. With National Water Week coming up next week and with the United Nations in town for World Water Day, thought we'd highlight some of the water issues facing South Africa:

Acid mine drainage
Water pollution
Drinking water quality management
Acid rain
Invasive alien plants
Commercial forestry
Water privatisation
Climate change

Acid mine drainage (AMD)
Dr Anthony Turton has described this AMD problem as "South Africa’s own Chernobyl" due to its potential to cause a huge amount of harm (including spreading radioactivity). Although the government was warned

It isn't news that Shell is targeting potential untapped shale gas reserves, in South Africa - Shell applied in December to explore 90,000 square kilometres -- twice the size of Denmark -- for gas deposits in the clay-like shale rock of the arid central Karoo.

However, what might be news, is the effect this could have on this beautiful inland region. 'Fracking', a term used to describe hudraulic fracturing where gas is extracted by creating fractures in rocks, blasts water, sand and chemicals deep underground to force rock cracks and free trapped gas...

philip morris: named and shamed in Greenpeace's Private Eye awardsVote for the top corporate offenders in this year's Public Eye awards:

Organized since 2000 by Berne Declaration and Friends of the Earth (in 2009 they were replaced by Greenpeace), Public Eye reminds the corporate world that social and environmental misdeeds have consequences - for the affected people and territory, but also for the reputation of the offender.

Whether exploitative working conditions, environmental degradation, intentional disinformation, or other disregards of corporate social responsibility: the most evil offenses appear on the shortlist of the Public Eye Awards 2011.

Top offenders this year include South African mining house AngloGold Ashanti, here is the list of the perps to be named and shamed.

A friend of mine, who lives in Hong Kong, got the following via email the other day:

API ALERT - Causeway Bay Roadside

The Average Pollution Index at the Causeway Bay Roadside air quality monitoring station is 178. The air is hazardous. We recommend that you avoid roadside situations and refrain from vigorous outdoor exercise.

The contributing pollutants are:

Whilst on the subject of plastic... brought to you from the open plains of the asphalt jungle...

plastikos exhibition @ two oceans aquariumIn recognition of National Marine Month last month the Two Oceans Aquarium has created a stunning new exhibit at which visitors can discover creatures from the mythological floating island of waste called Plastikos. The exhibition is produced by Simon MAX Bannister, and is a unique exhibition that aims to raise awareness about waste - particularly plastic and micro plastic - and its impact on the oceans, through art. The works are made from reclaimed polyethylene plastic which MAX collected by hand from the shorelines, roadsides and landfills of South Africa. Plastikos will be on display in the Aquarium until the end of January 2011.

The exhibit is incorporated into the Atlantic Ocean Gallery of the Aquarium, Plastikos includes giant sculptures, a spectacular backlit plastic rendition of the Earth, as well as an

I'm a fan of theatre in any form. I particularly admire those who do theatre with a message (alright, I know all theatre has a message, but, you know), especially one with climate change for school kids. And this one is aimed at grades 5 to 9.

What's more, the team of actors, are prepared to act just about anywhere – in a quad, hall or field – just so that they can get their message across.

The “high-octane, action-packed adventure story” by the theatre team Craig Morris, Lerato Moloi, Jacques De Silva and Joni Barnard, from the Well Worn Theatre Company has already made it to the halls and quads of at least 20 schools with their climate change programme.