Here's a challenging 'new' accronym that is sure to get the hackles rising and the tongues a wagging – the GINK – green inclinations, no kids.

The article I stumbled upon on Grist got me thinking. I was delighted actually. You see, we've had 'only' one child. I say 'only' as whoever we interact with (usually parents and grandparents) rather tactlessly refer to our decision as 'just' the one, or 'only' one, as if we've suffered a loss and the 'other' is missing.

a tree planting in gugulethuMore companies keep joining the treevolution, which will see Greenpop grow to even greater heights.

We've reached, and exceeded, our 1000 trees goal but that doesn't mean we're stopping there! This Saturday is a BIG plant day - we're planting 300 trees at Beacon Hill High School, Imperial Primary School and Beacon View Primary School, and we need all the help we can get!!

The plan is to meet this Saturday at 8am sharp at the location.

Address: Imperial Rd Beacon Valley, Mitchell’s Plain

Directions: Take the N2 towards Somerset West, take the R300 turnoff, then turn left into A.Z Berman going towards Mitchell’s Plain. Carry on straight on A.Z Berman and go through three sets of robots and then turn left into Imperial Str.

Co-ords: -34.045570, 18.630062

Once on location, Misha our Treemaster will

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

Many people in South Africa are worried about the Protection of Information Bill currently before Parliament. The Bill will heavily impact on the kinds of information that most of us have a right to know in a democratic society. The Right2Know Campaign is holding a screening of The Most Dangerous Man In America, a documentary which illustrates the dangers of restricted public access to information – even in a democracy. This feature length film was nominated for an Oscar in 2010.

The Most Dangerous Man In America will screen at the Labia on Orange cinema in Cape Town on Monday 25 October at 6:15pm.

Cape Town is making a bid for the title of World Design Capital 2014, and Men About Town, Mokena Makeka & Rory Williams, are running a competition to explore new ideas for the city. Selected entries will be brought together in a book, and will be considered for inclusion in Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 bid book.

Your entry can be submitted in written or drawn form before the 1st of November and you will be eligible for a prize and your entry considered for inclusion in the handbook. Those who submit the top 3 ideas will each get R 2000, and the next four top ideas will each get R 1000.

The topics, themes, concepts and ideas you can submit, in visual or written form, are virtually limitless. They are hoping for a mix of completely wild and wacky on the one hand, and serious planning proposals on the other.

the camissa zonesThis is our offering as part of Blog Action Day - telling the world about Reclaim Camissa: reconnecting Capetonians with their water.

Water is vital for all life on the planet and is something many of us take for granted, yet women in parts of Africa walk up to 40 billion hours a year in search of water which is still often unhygienic. When one looks at the projected models of rainfall distribution in South Africa due to climate change, large parts of the country are going to have severe water scarcity. We have already seen how changing weather has caused a drought in the Eastern Cape this year.

The City of Cape Town believes that the city will no longer be water secure by 2013, however, there is a not-for-profit organisation that has an integrated plan for water in the City of Cape Town.

coral reef in the southern red seaIt's that time of year when we all want to be spending more time out of doors and soaking up some of SA's great weather and head to the beach. This week is National Marine week and I learned something new: sunscreen swimmers wear is harming coral reefs. This was the finding of a study done back in 2008 by Roberto Danovaro of the Polytechnic University of Marche in Italy. They discovered that ingredients in sunscreen were responsible for killing off coral reefs. They estimated that 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen were released annually in reef areas.

sustainability training seminarWhat is the biggest issue that you face on a daily basis? Is it getting the mortgage paid on the house? Looking after the kids? Sure those things are important, but the biggest challenge facing us all is climate change. Unfortunately many people do not realise this fact. Businesses especially often fail to take environmental factors into consideration. Do you think that BP took into consideration what the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico would cost? No they decided to skimp on the maintenance.

The team at icologie encourage and support organisational and individual sustainability. They offer many courses and support services to businesses that educate people about environmental issues and facilitate a move towards a more sustainable economy. They offer intelligent ecological solutions combined with mentoring, leadership and support that assist pathways to sustainability.

Listening to big business, ignoring civil society: How the DoE wrote its draft 20-year electricity plan - the IRP 2010

Using scare tactics and the threat of further load shedding and blackouts, the government is rushing through its IRP 2010 (Integrated Resource Plan), which defines a twenty-year electricity plan for South Africa.

On 8 October 2010, the Department of Energy (DoE) published a final draft scenario for public comment – a scenario that suggests systematic contempt for the opinions offered in public consultation.

Millstone at Oude MolenThis is close to my heart, as, if like me, you're a Capetonian, then you will have spent time in this beautiful space.

Sign the petition here

New regulations now state the SA Government no longer has to pass Environmental Impact studies for urban developments. This seriously impacts on the future of the Cape Town based Eco village. Now the plans for mass low cost housing initiated by the ANC Provincial Government can go ahead unchallenged!