SUSTAINABILITY - The African Mirror

Apr

13

2024

Fossil beetles found in a Botswana diamond mine help us to reconstruct the distant past

SUSTAINABILITY

WHEN most people think of fossils they probably picture bones. But there’s much more to the global fossil record: plants, shells, minerals and insects. The study of fossil insects is called palaeoentomology. Palaeoentomologists like myself seek out and study fossil insects that were trapped in mud which later became rock sediments, and those found in amber (tree resin). Very few deposits containing either fossil plants or fossil insects, or both, have been found so far on the African continent, or in the southern hemisphere more broadly, particularly those dating back to the Cretaceous period, some 145 million to 66 million…

Apr

12

2024

By MELANIE MURCOTT and CLIVE VINTI

South Africa’s laws aren’t geared to protecting against climate change: judges are trying to fill the gap

SUSTAINABILITY

SOUTH Africa has plenty of environmental laws but none that specifically oblige government officials to consider the risks and impacts of climate change when they approve new developments. In their research, environmental law experts Clive Vinti and Melanie Jean Murcott set out how judges are dealing with this gap in the law. What are the gaps in the law? The main gap is that no law specifically obliges companies establishing mines or building new developments like power stations to do a climate change assessment before they start construction. A climate change assessment would look at how a proposed development would…

Apr

11

2024

By NEIL D’CRUZE, ANGIE ELWIN and JENNAH GREEN

South Africa is to shut down captive lion farms. Experts warn the plan needs a deadline

SUSTAINABILITY

THE South African government has officially confirmed that captive lion farms will be shut down. A new ministerial task team report just released has cemented the government’s intention, first made public in 2021, to put an end to African lions being legally sold and traded live, both internationally and domestically. It also heralds the end of “canned” trophy hunting, where lions are confined to an enclosed space and hunted down, with no chance of escape. We are wildlife researchers who have studied lion farming in South Africa. We believe that this latest development is a significant milestone in ending this…

Apr

09

2024

By YAW AGYEMAN BOAFO

Why is Ghana so hot this year? An expert explains

SUSTAINABILITY

GHANA’s meteorological agency and the state’s health service have issued warnings about a period of very high temperatures expected in the first half of 2024 around the country. Ghana’s experience is part of a global phenomenon: record temperatures were recorded in 2023. Yaw Agyeman Boafo, the programmes coordinator and a senior research fellow at the University of Ghana’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, answers some key questions. What is unusual about the weather in Ghana? Since the 1960s, Ghana has been getting warmer, with temperatures going up by about 1°C – a little over 0.2°C every ten years.…

Apr

05

2024

By YOLANDI ERNST and SALLY ARCHIBALD

Africa now emits as much carbon as it stores: landmark new study

SUSTAINABILITY

A landmark new study has found that, in the last decade, the African continent has started emitting more carbon than it stores. When the total amount of carbon that is sequestered by natural ecosystems (such as the soil and plants in grasslands, savannas and forests) exceeds the amount of total carbon emissions within a system, it’s referred to as a net sink of carbon. But, the study found, as natural ecosystems are converted for agricultural purposes, the carbon storage capacity is decreasing – while the rate of emissions is increasing. Yolandi Ernst of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in…

Apr

03

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Wind energy to help clean South Africa’s dirty carbon “hotspot”

SUSTAINABILITY

PRIVATE wind energy projects for commercial and industrial purposes are ramping up the uptake of wind energy in South Africa while complementing clean energy's solar dominance to provide power for industries. Construction recently commenced on three wind sites to power Sasol’s Secunda industrial complex in Mpumalanga. The project is led by a consortium that includes Italian renewable energy developer Enel Green Power. The Secunda complex, which started commercial operations in 1990, is reportedly the biggest single-site carbon emitter globally, according to a 2020 Bloomberg report. “At 56.5 million tons of greenhouse gases a year, Secunda's emissions exceed the individual totals…

Apr

02

2024

By STEVEN MATHETSA

South Africa’s new energy plan needs a mix of nuclear, gas, renewables and coal – expert

SUSTAINABILITY

SOUTH Africa’s economy has been hard hit by 15 years of load-shedding (rolling blackouts). The country’s coal-fired power plants have a maintenance backlog and frequently experience unexpected technical failures. On the other hand, South Africa has committed, under the Paris Agreement, to transition to low-carbon energy generation technologies by 2050. This puts South Africa at an energy crossroads where it needs well-thought-out policy development and implementation to make the transition possible. South Africa’s reliance on coal-fired power to supply about 72% of its energy needs is catching up with it as coal plants fail. But switching to renewable energy technologies…

Mar

19

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Africa’s renewable energy sector is shattering gender norms

SUSTAINABILITY

AFRICA'S fast-evolving renewable energy landscape is catalysing a shift in gender dynamics, with more women seizing employment opportunities than in the traditional energy sector, according to a new report. According to the report, “more women are assuming positions as business creators, energy producers, distributors, and service providers,” challenging longstanding gender norms prevalent in the energy industry. The report, “Empowering Women in Clean Energy: Advancing and Retaining an Equitable Workforce”, by The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet draws insights from over 150 female professionals employed at different levels in the renewable energy sector. Traditionally, the energy sector has been…

Mar

19

2024

By ROSEMARY IRIOWEN EGONMWAN and BOLA OBOH

Nigeria risks losing all its forest elephants – what we found when we went looking for them

SUSTAINABILITY

NIGERIA is one of 37 African countries where elephants are found in the wild. Savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) can be found in the north and forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in the south. It’s not clear how many elephants there are in Nigeria. Eighteen years ago, the African Elephant Study Report estimated that there were just 94 elephants left in the country. In 2021, it was estimated that there could be about 400 elephants in areas not systematically surveyed. What we do know, however, is that the numbers and ranges of elephants in Nigeria have declined greatly over time. The main…

Mar

12

2024

By PEDI OBANI

Women battle when trying to take climate change cases to court – South Africa and Nigeria study shows why

SUSTAINABILITY

ACROSS domestic courts in Africa, climate cases have been decided in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, with some cases pending in Uganda. However, climate litigation is still fairly new. Climate lawsuits are an important way to access justice. This is particularly true for African women because, as research has shown, climate change affects women more than men in key areas including farming, health, water, access to electricity, migration and conflict. PEDI OBANI, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Bradford I research how the law can be applied to cases of climate change, inclusive development, water governance and sustainability. In…