ENVIRONMENT - The African Mirror

May

18

2021

Activists and South African gov’t lock horns over coal pollution

ENVIRONMENT

TIM COCKS SOUTH Africa's failure to tackle toxic levels of air pollution produced by burning coal is a violation of its post-Apartheid constitution, activists and a U.N. rights expert said in court on Monday. Campaigners are suing the South African government in the High Court, hoping to force tougher action against heavy polluters such as state power company Eskom and liquid fuel producer Sasol. The campaigners say tougher action is required to enforce a constitutional guarantee of the right to an environment not harmful to health. Environment Minister Barbara Creecy acknowledges that air pollution is a problem, but her submission…

May

17

2021

By The African Mirror

U.S. envoy wants pope to attend climate conference, sway debate

ENVIRONMENT

POPE Francis has the moral authority to sway public opinion over global warming and might attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Scotland, U.S. President Joe Biden's climate envoy John Kerry said on Saturday. COP26 is being held in Glasgow in November and could accelerate measures by the world's biggest polluters to tackle climate change, a challenge that activists, scientists and world leaders say could ultimately endanger the planet. "I think that his voice will be a very important voice leading up to and through the Glasgow conference, which I believe he intends to attend," Kerry told the…

May

14

2021

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe re-introduces rhinos in Gonarezhou park after three decades

ENVIRONMENT

ZIMBABWE is re-introducing rhinos to its second biggest wildlife park Gonarezhou in the south of the country, the first time that the sanctuary will be home to the species in 30 years, the parks authority have announced. Gonarezhou, which means 'home of the elephant' in the Shona language, is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park with South Africa's Kruger National Park and Mozambique's Limpopo National Park. Tinashe Farawo, the spokesman for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said black and white rhino would be introduced in Gonarezhou soon. Zimbabwe now has about 1,000 rhinos after poaching decimated its…

Apr

29

2021

By The African Mirror

Protecting nature can lower risk of armed conflict

ENVIRONMENT

JACK GRAHAM PROTECTING and restoring nature can reduce the risk of armed conflict around the world, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said on Wednesday. Over the last 30 years, countries have been more prone to conflict when natural resources like agricultural land and water become scarce or degraded, such as in areas where droughts are frequent, said a report released by the organisation, which brings together governments, green groups and scientists. It comes as a coalition of countries pushes to conserve global biodiversity by protecting at least 30% of land and oceans by 2030, ahead of a…

Apr

28

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Climate dividends’ can help cut emissions and poverty, researchers say

ENVIRONMENT

SONIA ELKS HANDING 5% of the money rich nations raise from carbon emissions charges to sub-Saharan Africa would counter the impact of rising prices on the world's poorest people, researchers said on Tuesday. More and more wealthy countries are seeking to impose emissions charges on companies, but doing so risks pushing up the price of essential goods, which hits the poor hardest, said a study published in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers said that risk could be mitigated by handing the proceeds to households in the form of "climate dividends" and donating 5% to the poorest countries. "You can create…