COP17 Durban

Lance Greyling, MP and National Policy Convenor to the DA, recently hosted a talk on South Africa and Climate Change. What quickly evolved was an intricate debate on climate change, COP17 and the politics behind our power sources, how they are impacting our world globally and locally, and what we can (or should) expect in the next few years.

With COP17 just around the corner, there is a growing deliberation around what this year’s Durban hosted conference will achieve.

After the Kyoto Protocol was brought into force in 2005, industrialised countries were bound by a legal treaty to reduce their combined GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by at least 5% over the period of 2008 - 2012. This was a big step in the right direction, from a convention to a legal commitment, the protocol created some certainty around the fate of much of our global emissions. The problem we face this year: the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end in 2012 and the destiny of any legal obligations rests on the outcomes of COP17. Not only does this

What's on this weekend... 17 / 18 / 19 November

Our green guide to this weekend

Carrotmob Cape Town:

Join Climate Smart Cape Town in South Africa's first carrotmob this weekend in the heart of Cape Town. Carrotmob is a global movement aimed at creating social change and builds upon the power of consumers to change the way in which businesses operate. You will be mobbing certain carrotmob businesses, who will in turn agree to invest a certain percentage of the profits into improving its environmental or social impact. It is a “buycott” instead of a “boycott”.

Carrotmob takes place at Maria’s Café on Dunkley Square, Gardens, this Friday 18 November from 5pm till 10:30pm

For more information, click here

Green Expo Cape Town:

The Green Expo in Cape Town takes place this weeked at the CTICC. Expect some to find some great eco-friendly goods, green technologies, earth-friendly products and more.

For more information, prices and contact details, please click here

Inspiring Change:

Inspiring Change is brought to you by Climate Smart Cape Town and runs concurrently with

Image: www.clker.com

We are generally kept in the dark when it comes to the dangers of nuclear power and radioactive materials.

Japan had a scary awakening after the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis wrecked the No. 1 nuclear reactor at Fukushima. Since then the ‘no-entry zone’ totals roughly 1 100 square kilometres while caesium contamination zones are now estimated at over 8 000 square kilometres.

Cape Town has a nuclear reactor - Koeberg, and it sits slap bang in the middle of the west coast. Yet Koeberg has no evacuation strategy should a nuclear disaster occur, and their emergency response plan only deals with a radius of 16km around the site. This is slightly concerning considering the Cape Peninsula is exactly that – a peninsula. What’s even more concerning is that those evacuated from Fukushima were from a radius of 20km around the site!

Not only are emergency response plans seriously under-prepared, but the scale of possible disaster is also underestimated. The Cape Town city centre is only 28 kilometres from the current Koeberg site and despite this being almost 10 kilometres over the ‘outer reaches’ of an evacuation area, developments along the west coast over the past decade have been enormous.

Oddly enough, the South African Government wants

Inspiring Change: 18 - 20 Nov, CTICC

Running concurrently with the Green Expo this weekend (18th - 20th Nov), the Cape Town Climate Change Coalition is hosting a gathering called Inspiring Change.

Held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 18 – 20 November 2011, this series of talks and demonstrations aims to stimulate fresh thinking and to share ideas about our city.

The gathering includes several cool aspects including the Siemens electric mobility roadshow, Pecha Kucha sessions, inspiring panellists deliberating on Cape Town's role in climate change solutions, site visits and a Carotmob.

The travelling exhibition by Siemens has already been in many parts of the world and makes its

A new energy drink hits South African shelves, certified 100% Organic

Say hello to the world's first 100% organic, vegetarian and FairTrade approved energy drink! Racing driver Toby Scheckter delivers a product that is great-tasting, gives energy galore plus is good for you and the earth too.

Unlike most commercial energy drinks, Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy possesses no added preservatives, artificial additives or colours. The super-food ingredients sourced from all round the world make up the energetic properties of this beverage and the fruity taste is uniquely refreshing.

GASLAND screening tonight

Cafe Ganesh and Exploding Cinema will be kicking off a new season of documentary films this Wednesday with a special don't frack with our Karoo screening of the award-winning documovie, Gasland. The Screening is on Wednesday, 16 November at 8:30pm and entrance is free!

With the entire Karoo being faced with fracking leases (yes, the proposed area is almost 15% of South Africa's entire land-mass!), this documovie is now particularaly relevant to all South Africans!

Read some more...

"GASLAND - (2010) Directed by Josh Fox.
Winner of Special Jury Prize - Best US Documentary Feature - Sundance 2010.
Screening at Cannes 2010.

Ecocar

With petrol prices on the rise (again), here are 10 easy ways to save big on petrol bills (and help save the environment of course!)

The best way to save fuel is not to use it at all

It might be old news and becoming a bit repetitive, but yes, really think about when you use your car and why. Could you walk or cycle to where you need to be? Why not take a train or bus? (The Gautrain is fantastic and Cape Town’s MyCiti bus system is reliable and affordable).

Slow down Schumacher!

Speeding is probably the most common way the majority of us use excessive amounts of fuel. In many

Greenpeace protesters outside KusileNine Greenpeace activists were arrested yesterday for trespassing and "malicious damage" at the construction site of Eskom's Kusile coal-fired power plant.

Activists chained themselves to the front gate, acting as a decoy, whilst a smaller group made their way through a back entrance and climbed a crane to unfurl a big banner reading "Kusile: climate killer"

, one of the activists protesting South Africa's "addiction to coal" said that for most South African's the idea of where their electricity comes from doesn't even occur to them. "They switch on a light and don't realise that coal is burning at that moment"

Eskom said that they engage with Greenpeace and other NGO's on climate change, but that they cannot allow illegal entry onto their sites.

On its completion in 2016, Kusile is expected to burn through 17M tons of coal every year, emitting another 37M tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

pic:: Kian EriksenProtest at 18th AFRICA OIL WEEK, Waterfront, Cape Town.
At access roads to the Waterfront:
corner of Portswood & Beach
Time: 7:30-10:00am on Thursday 3 November

A group of concerned Capetonians, in partnership with the NPO Climate Justice Campaign, have called for a protest at the 18th Africa Oil Week taking place at the Waterfront from 31 October to 4 November.

At the Africa Oil Week, various heads of state, multinational oil and gas companies and other interested parties will discuss such topics as 'The Scramble for Africa' and 'Africa's Oil and Gas Future', including shale gas developments.

Sun and wind are good for more than catching a tan or blowing away dandelions. Greenpeace would like them to be used to power South Africa

You can help by signing the petition at www.usememore.co.za to ask government to increase it's ambitions! Renewable energy can do so much more!

Did you know that the amount of solar energy that reaches the planet in one year is double the energy contained in all the Earth's coal, oil, and gas resources combined?

Did you know that wind power already supplies 2.5% of the world's total energy demand?

Now, it makes you wonder