The Haven Night Shelter Welfare Organisation plans to further empower Cape Town’s homeless

Michael Valentine- project manager of new exciting gardening and worming project

Wynberg Haven Shelter's dusty yard seemed empty save for a handful of the loitering residents smoking cigarettes, playing with an old exercise bike or just staring blankly into space. The huge trees danced restlessly as we greeted a certain Michael Valentine.

While the South African government decides whether or not to let fracking loose in SA, the state of Ohio in the US is trying to escape the effects of the technology. “Ohio has become the dumping ground for contaminated brine. We didn’t prepare adequately for the potential for earthquakes and other environmental problems”; – this was the view of state Representative Armond Budish, the House Democratic leader in Columbus, at a forum in the state capital, Columbus on January 26.

Ohio, labelled, ‘Pennsylvania’s (PA) Sponge’, absorbed 368.3 million gallons [of toxic frackwater] during last year’s first three quarters, according to Natural Resources Department records. That’s more than in any year since 1987, records show. Nearly 99% of all fracking wastewater from PA Marcellus shale operators sent to disposal wells in the first six months of 2011, went to Ohio.

the highlights

Looking for an alternative to the red roses, chocolates? Adopt a pair of penguins (R500) and help SANCCOB to save them from extinction. It's called 'doing your bit'...

Got to SANCCOB's website, click on 'adopt' and the rest is straight forward (you get to name your penguins too).

You will get a note via e-mail to present to your loved one on the day, and the full adoption pack will follow in the post.

For FAQs visit their website.

Large-scale construction is in full swing at the V&A Waterfront as the R1-billion transformation of the Clock Tower Precinct into a premier 'lifestyle destination' is taking shape.

Given the historical and natural significance of its positioning, the redevelopment of the Clock Tower Precinct – and in particular the construction of No 1 Silo – is guided by the latest global requirements for environmentally sustainable construction, as governed by the Green Building Council of South Africa.

“Sustainable development is regarded as a fundamental aspect of the V&A Waterfront’s overall development strategy,” says David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront. “We have therefore adopted a rigorous approach to green construction and sustainable design principles, and the efficient use of natural and energy resources,” he says.

Department of Water

At the end of last year, Scan Display and Interactive Africa pulled out all the stops to put together the South African Climate Change Response Expo (CCR Expo) on behalf of the Department of Environmental Affairs. In 4 weeks they essentially transformed a parking lot into a worldclass exhibition destination, and implemented some cool green intiativse to boot. Perhaps other green event organisers can pick up some useful ideas?

COP 17

The CCR Expo ran alongside the biggest conference Durban has ever hosted, COP17, which attracted in the region of 15 000 international delegates and visitors including support staff, media and those attending side events. While COP17 was a fairly exclusive event, the CCR Expo was a space

Chaeli Mycroft recently received the 2011 International Children's Peace Prize for her extensive charity work in South Africa.

Chaeli with Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire and her Nkosi award

Wheelchair-bound Chaeli Mycroft travelled to the Netherlands last November to receive this prestigious award from the KidsRights Foundation , a sign of true recognition for the work she does with disabled children through her organisation The Chaeli Campaign.

For three weeks in July 2012, Greenpop is hosting a reforestation project in Livingstone, Zambia; the country with the second highest deforestation rate in the world. We will plant over 5000 indigenous and fruit trees that are growing at the Zambezi Nkuku nursery, and host valuable educational sessions for children and subsistence farmers. This will be the start of an ongoing campaign to make Zambia a greener and more sustainable place.

What is the story behind our food?

Local artisans and food producers

Food With A Story, an online artisanal and ethical food producer’s directory, is the brainchild of couple Deni and Carlin Archer. Believing passionately that people's food choices have a powerful effect on the world, they hope to raise awareness around food consumption through the collection of positive and ethical stories on their website.

The idea behind it is that by knowing how your food is grown - as well as understanding the impacts this may have on the environment - consumers are them empowered to make better choices.

Intaka Island WetlandIn celebration of World Wetlands Day, the City of Cape Town will be hosting various wetland education programmes as part of its Youth Environmental School (YES) programme during February 2012.

World Wetlands Day is held every year on 2 February and marks the signing of the International Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention) on 2 February 1971. World Wetlands Day was celebrated for the first time in 1997 and since then, events and activities are held world-wide in February each year to raise awareness of wetland values and benefits. Ramsar is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

To date, the City of Cape Town has set aside over

mangroves are important marine carbon-storage sinks and areas of rich biodiversity

The first policy framework outlining the activities needed to include coastal marine areas such as mangroves, tidal marshes and ocean ‘grasslands’ into the work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was presented at the end of last year in a report by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and Conservation International (CI) - two of the leading members of the Blue Carbon Initiative.