We will not die quietlyWomen's Demonstration on International Women's Day Against Nuclear Power

The Women's Energy and Climate Change Forum is a forum of women from grassroots organisations around Gauteng. The women of this Forum chose to mark International Women's Day with a demonstration at the Department of Energy to highlight their concerns over the announcement by the Minister of Energy on the new nuclear build programme.

Demonstration Date: 8th of March 2012
Time: 12:00 to 14:30
Address: Department of Energy, 75 Meintjies Street, cnr Schoeman Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria

Anthea Torr, eco-entrepreneur and part of the local Freeman Movement - 'The Republic of Good Hope', has recently faced trial and a warrant for her arrest in an attempt for her critisms of the system to be heard.

Anthea Torr, owner of Enchantrix

It all began with a building.

Having lately become very interested in the Freeman Society movement , Anthea decided not to follow the compliant route of obtaining legal papers for her structure, explaining her reasons clearly in 6 letters hand delivered to the council over the duration of a year.

South Africa and Sweden’s design and sustainability experts to present at an event open to the public

In March 2012, the Eco Design Initiative’s second annual Sustainable Design Showcase will take place at the Cape Town City Hall. The interactive exhibition will be open to the public at no charge between 09:00 - 18:00 from 7 - 10 March, and again from 12 - 16 March.

Interactive sessions on the role of design in achieving environmental, social and economic sustainability will be hosted by local and international guest speakers during the first week between 09:00 and 11:30. A selection of sustainable designs that have a positive impact on social and environmental challenges in our societies will also be on display.

Not exactly a 'green' trend, but definitely a revolution. Yarn bombing is knit and crochet graffiti – colourful pieces of knit wrapped around telephone posts, around branches of trees and over abandoned cars.

It's creating graffiti, with yarn (the not SA word meaning 'wool'). And those who do it, consider it artistic vandalism. It's also a girl thing (mostly), as opposed to street art and graffiti, both of which are dominated by guys.

It's turning what is considered a distinctly 'matronly' craft and making it part of the urban streetscape. And it's a global phenomenon (google it, and you'll see). Who needs an aerosol can, if you've got knitting needles and ball of wool?

It's a way of reclaiming public space, without defacing it – knit and crochet work are hardly permanent now are they? A yarn bomb is a piece of crochet or knit that is made a little smaller than the object you intend it to go around or on, so that it can stretch and hug the given object.

And to sew it in place? Well, some use cable ties, some sew, some do both.

Anyone seen any around SA?

“My message to the people of Cape Town is get involved. This is your mountain. We are custodians of this mountain for future generations. I feel we have to stand up".

So says Fiona Hinds who was arrested after occupying the Chapman's Peak toll plaza construction site for five days. Fiona appeared in court yesterday on a charge of "malicious injury to property" for reportedly spraypainting "Murray & Robbers" on netting around the site. Entilini, developers of the R 54-million plaza and administrative centre, are owned partly by construction firm Murray and Roberts.

Hinds' legal representative asked the court to remove the bail condition imposed on her after her arrest on Monday which prevented her from returning to the construction site. Removal of the bail condition was granted and the court hearing postponed until 23 March.

Graham Taylor (Hinds' attorney) said: "It is a long shot to prosecute people for

The Department of Energy has promulgated two draft bills that it intends to send to Parliament. These Bills are the National Energy Regulator Amendment Bill and the Electricity Regulation Second Amendment Bill. Due to these Bills highly undemocratic nature, the Department of Energy should withdraw these Bills without delay.

One Struggle – a conference on social justice, animal rights and radical environmentalism - took place in Muizenberg last Saturday (18 Feb) thanks to the South African Vegan Society.

The conference focused on the rights of animals, the environment and human beings.

Hearing about the One Struggle conference, I was immediately excited; the South African Vegan Society represent a genuine passion for true authentic societal change, and I knew this would be reflected in any event they organised.

When we arrived in the afternoon, was busy giving her talk on veganism and food security in Cape Town: explaining how being vegan is better not only for animals, but for people and the earth too. The young lady really sounded like she knew her stuff, and displayed all the facts to back up her statements.

‘We may be making attempts to save water in our home due to turning off taps and showering instead of bathing, but when 85% of our water waste is on our plate it is important that we re-evaluate our diet. And this is not mere theory – the U.N. have been urging people to eat local and plant-based for years,' she explained, adding: 'But it is not just our diet that must change, but the production system of our diet.’

Opening up discussion to the audience, there were

Love lingers in the air this week and red hearts adorn our desks but there’s an even more coveted symbol of affection to watch out for from today; the Green Heart.

The organisers of South Africa’s Green Office Week initiative have launched a brand new award to recognise and reward those workplace eco-champions who have given their hearts to the whole planet: The Green Heart Award.

The award aims to bring "going green" into the mainstream by creating rolemodels in South African workplaces and recognising those who have made a significant contribution to going green by finding creative and interesting ways to improve their department, office, dorm, or building’s environmental footprint.

principles of sustainability

Green Heart spokesperson Ana-Maria Valente says: “We are witnessing a dramatic reorientation of the global economy around the principles of sustainability.

Cyanobacteria: Anabaena solitaria ~ the organism associated with geosmin in TheewaterskloofAre you smelling it too? For a couple of weeks now I've been aware that our water tastes a bit funny and there's an odour too. It's a sandy, earthy kind of smell, but not earthy as in the wonderful smell of worm castings or compost - that fertile, rich smell. No, this is a dusty, decaying or stale earthiness. It's subtley unpleasant. I thought that it was perhaps time to change the water filter we use on our incoming supply.

Then all was made clear by an email received from the City of Cape Town, explaining that what we're smelling / tasting is Geosmin or MIB (2-Methyl-iso-Borneol), two "naturally occuring compounds found in surface waters (rivers and dams) as organic molecules produced by blue-green algae."

"Absolutely safe"
The city assures us that the water is "absolutely safe to drink".

“The water, however, is perfectly

We're seriously impressed with the Vineyard Hotel's latest recycling venture.

They're recycling wine corks and converting them into floors for schools for underpriveleged children.

'The aim', say the Vineyard, 'is to take something totally recyclable that is usually thrown away and create from it something that will benefit the children of our community.'

This they are doing together with their wine partners – Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Boschendal and Anthonij Rupert, and a combined effort by Villiera and Groot Constantia.

In just three months the project, run by David Wibberley, collected 25 000 corks...

Eerste Rivier Empowerment Centre, a safe house for children from abusive homes, is the first to receive a 24 sq metre floor in the playroom.