The Brass Wood-Screw -Photo: Jonathan Jones
The BlueBuck Network held its first annual Youth Summit in Grahamstown recently, attracting young environmentalists throughout Southern Africa. Emily (aka SproutScout) was challenged and inspired as she travelled to Grahamstown to get a feel for the green youth.

“Can anyone tell me what this is?,” asks Lawrence Sisitka, holding up a small nail-looking object between his thumb and forefinger. “A brass wood-screw,” he answers after a few seconds of silence from the unhelpful audience. “I live a fairly sustainable life,” he elaborates “I grow my own food, I harvest rainwater, I husband cattle; yet I still rely on these tiny objects for functioning in every-day life.” Sisitka uses the example to challenge the audience; to illustrate the nuts and bolts of what a 'green lifestyle' would look like. This simple wood-screw

Cannabis for Cancer: Medicinal use of cannabis is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Israel and 16 US states, why not SA?NORML ZA Activists to Highlight The Absurdity of Arresting Medical Patients By Doing The 702 Walk The Talk Backwards.

This Sunday morning a crew of NORML ZA Cannabis For Cancer Patients activists will set out on the Backwards to NORML Walk! The Cannabis For Cancer Patients expedition team, lead by NORML ZA Community Outreach Director, Imiël Visser, will be doing the 5km walk backwards to highlight the South African Government's backwards policy of arresting medical patients for using and growing a plant which has been scientifically proven as an effective treatment for people suffering from cancer.

Respect the Earth

Youth Day, commemorating the Soweto Uprisings in 1976, reminds South Africans of the pivotal role played by the youth in overcoming Apartheid. The day reminds us that all voices, particularly those of youths, need to be heard in order to solve issues facing society. The day reminds us that the voice of the youth is indeed powerful. Perhaps, just as the youth were pivotal in overcoming the struggles of apartheid, they too will be pivotal in finding a solution to the issues facing society today. The youth can add a unique and valuable perspectives to environmental challenges and the manner in which we live on the earth.

For Alex Lanferna, a Masters student at Rhodes University, Chairman of the the South East African Climate Consortium Student Forum (SEACC SF) and founding member of the Bluebuck Network (see below) "the strange thing about these modern times is that the youth are being

Coffee Cup Swarm (Photo care of Such Initiative)

If you happen to look up in the courtyard at the RMB building in the Sandton CBD this week you'll see a swarm of bees a-buzzing around your head, swirling up to the highest floors. These bees won’t sting or hover around your sweet drinks, but gently sway above your head in the breeze.

Eco Design Competition 2011As the organisers put it: "Nokak is a beautifully South African way of expressing one's intolerance of nonsense!" And design can be full of, erm nonsense, to put it politely. The "Nokak" approach means removing waste, pollution and other harmful effects from the process and products being designed and produced.

The theme for Eco Design Inititive's 2011 competition is HOME. Because Home is where the heart is, it can be understood in any number of ways:

"The interpretation of HOME is relevant to each individual, based on our unique experiences, backgrounds and life situations; however, we do have one common HOME we all share – our Planet.

Designers are called to submit sustainable and innovative concepts for HOME. All creatives and innovators are invited to design to improve life and make a real difference!"

This set of city garden pictures, captured by artists Julie Henry and Debbie Bragg, records the rise of community gardening in post-industrial locations, as residents attempt to 'bind the community together and improve their environments'.

Send us your pictures so that we can compile similar for South African city gardens to sprouts[@]urbansprout.co.za

Or post it on our .

Images can be of community gardens, rooftop gardens, pavement gardens, your own veggie garden at home, container gardens, pond gardens, windowsill gardens! If you're into gardening (vegetable, indigenous, exotic, whatever) and live in one of SA's great cities (extended metropolitan area's too!) then share your photo!

Host a lunch, save the world - this world environment day 5 june 2011.

World Environment Day falls on a Sunday this year, so why not couple it with the great Sunday lunch tradition to benefit the environment? Sheer genius really!

How does it work? You host a lunch in your home, inviting your friends to join and ask them to donate anything from R25 - R200 to food garden NGO, Soil for Life. You cook and your friends donate online and you all stand a chance to win great prizes.

All money raised at Eat for the Earth lunches throughout South Africa will go to

Well Worn Theatre Co.

Have you ever truly thought, if human actions remain unchanged, as the process of climate change sweeps the earth, how the mountains and deserts and landscapes known and loved by your eyes would transform? Have you ever truly thought how your life would be transformed? What would the specifics of gathering food, water and medicine be in such a changing world? Would you ever be able to use, other, taken for granted items, like showers and clean socks, and (dare I mention it) feminine hygiene products? More importantly, how would you be able to make (and keep) friends? Would you ever be able to shake hands? Would you still be able to love?

The unofficial water bailiff of Gamkakloof Dam in the Karoo speaks out. A beautiful film by green renaissance.

Tomorrow, Sat 14th May, is The Big Ride In and you can join the finishing leg of the Cairo to Cape Tour d'Afrique and get to test Cape Town's new cycling paths. This could be your moment of glory as you get to cross the finish line with the intrepid cyclists that set out from Cairo over three months ago on a racing tour spanning 11 718 km (the world's longest bicycle race)!

The Big Ride In, however, is not about a race or tour and extends beyond the traditional cycling community. It is about ordinary citizens taking back their power - realising that mobililty is not just about cars or taxis.

Lots of Argus contenders will know that the original Argus Cycle Tour as envisaged back in 1977 was a show of solidarity for the rights of cyclists and for more cycle lanes to be created in the City of Cape Town. The founding fathers of the original Argus, staged a Big Ride In to