'Onaktiewe' Alexkor-trust striem hupstoot vir Namakwaland se

COP17 or FLOP17?
COP 17 is over! Yes it was a circus, but it was also the most amazing learning
experience. Coming into COP 17 I had little appreciation for the significance and
complexity of the negotiations and issues debated. I thought it was about the Kyoto
Protocol, and that the success or failure of COP 17 rested on securing the extension of
this protocol. I now realise that it is about fundamentally changing the way we live and
behave, the evolution of a new global economy and reinforcing our custodianship of
the blue planet and its green services which sustain us – humanity. The UNFCCC
negotiation process is as significant as the establishment of the United Nations was 66
years ago.
194 Nations have spent the last 2 weeks working on a number of global compacts
ranging from efforts aimed at improving our collective understanding of global warming
and Climate Change, limiting global warming to 2 degrees and supporting country
efforts to adapt to the inevitable impacts which will accompany warming. COP 17 is
simply a step along the tortuous journey towards shaping and implementing new
global compacts. The Kyoto Protocol was one of the first of these compacts. However,
it only addresses for 25% of CO2 emissions and does not enjoy global support. It was
also concluded in 1997, during a period when the euro ruled and ―developing nations‖
were at the mercy of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and bilateral aid.
Today, China is the new superpower, Europe is bankrupt and a number of the old
order ―developing‖ nations are emerging as real global powers. A new generation of
compacts are being shaped, which will come into place over the next 5 – 10 years.
Clearly, this delay is frustrating but I personally believe that the growing impact of
global warming on weather patterns places real pressure on the negotiators, and that
the new compacts will be far more effective and binding than the Kyoto Protocol is.
What was particularly intriguing and encouraging was the incredible diversity of
pioneers and activists that COP 17 drew to Durban. Very few of these individuals
actually participated in the formal negotiation process. Rather they came to Durban to
share their ideas, to learn from others and to inspire a grass root movement. This is a
broad based movement of individuals championing a mix of social, economic and
environmental issues. This movement is well represented by the UNFCCC‘s
‗Momentum for Change‘ initiative which profiled 10 projects identified on the grounds
that are Mitigation and /or Adaptation projects which measurably improve the quality of
Life for the people they benefit, and are replicable and scalable (www.unfccc.int).
Christiana Figuerez, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, describes these
―Lighthouse Projects‖ as ―beacons of opportunity‖, that demonstrate our ingenuity and
the way forward.
One of these projects is Durban‘s very own Buffelsdraai Community based
Reforestation project. Driven by the eThekweni Metro, this project is restoring 520 ha‘s
of forest on the outskirts of Verulam. eThekweni could easily have established a
nursery to grow the 500 000+ trees that are being planted through this project. Rather
they backed a partnership with the Wildlands Conservation Trust around our Trees for
Life model, with a view to using this climate change mitigation and adaptation project
to stimulate development in the KwaMashu, Buffelsdraai and Osindisweni
communities. Catalysed through seed funding from DANIDA, UNILEVER and the
Bonitas Medical Fund, this project has already created 23 full-time jobs, 649 temporary
jobs and supported the establishment of over 580 tree-preneurs. 215 000 trees have
already been propagated and planted, and another 300 000 will be planted over the
next 3 years. Adopted as the official offset project for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the
Buffelsdraai forest will capture over 45 000 tons of CO2 over 20 years. Not only is this
a great ―Lighthouse Project‖, but it has already catalysed 2 more restoration related
initiatives in the Metro, namely, the Inanda Mountain Restoration project and the
uMbilo ‗Community Ecosystem Based Adaptation‘ project (CEBA), which was the
official offset project for COP 17 (www.durbanceba.org).
However, whilst the ‗Momentum of Change‘ initiatives are encouraging they are still a
very small part of the response required to deal with the coming challenges of Climate
Change. The scale and intensity of COP 17 clearly demonstrates this. There is no
other annual conference and negotiating process that draws together such a
distinguished gathering of political, scientific, business and civil society leadership. I
believe that this is the most important ―take home‖ message for South Africa. World
leadership is very worried about Climate Change! If they‘re worried then we should be
worried. Let me know what you think....(andrewventer@wordpress.com).
Hierdie berig deur Andrew Venter het oorspronklik verskyn in die Sunday Tribune.
"The best thing about future is that it
comes only one day at a time." Abraham Lincoln
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Nuwe molekule kan aarde
help afkoel
Londen – 'n Nuwe molekule wat in die aarde se
atmosfeer ontdek is, kan dalk help om die planeet af te
koel, het wetenskaplikes gesê.
Wetenskaplikes moet egter wag en kyk of dié molekule 'n
rol kan speel in die aanslag teen aardverwarming.
Die molekule kan stowwe soos stikstofdioksied en
swaeldioksied omkeer in verbindings wat tot wolkvorming
kan lei en sodoende die aarde teen die son beskerm, het
navorsers gesê.
SA kan 3 maande 'vreemde
weer' kry
Suid-Afrikaners in die grootste deel van die land moet
hulle voorberei op swaar reën en ―vreemde weer‖ in
Februarie, Maart en April. Boonop gaan die winter sy
kloue vroeër as gewoonlik inslaan.
Die enigste gebiede wat in dié drie maande moontlik
heelwat minder reën gaan kry, is die sentrale en
noordwestelike dele van Limpopo, die noordwestelike
deel van Mpumalanga en die Suid-Kaap, het mnr.
Cobus Olivier, wetenskaplike en
langtermynweervoorspeller van die Suid-Afrikaanse
Weerdiens (SAWD), gister gesê.
Dit is volgens hom moontlik dat al die reën wat vir die
drie maande van Februarie tot April voorspel word, in
Februarie kan val.
Die ander twee maande sal dan droër as gewoonlik
wees en groot vloede sal in Februarie voorkom.
Olivier se weermodelle wys ook daarop dat die winter
sy greep al in April op die land kan kry.
―Ons gaan dus al vroeg in die winter baie koud kry.‖
Dr. Linda Makuleni, uitvoerende hoof van die SAWD,
het in Desember by COP17 gesê die vloede in Suid-
Afrika aan die begin van 2011 kan beslis aan
klimaatsverandering toegeskryf word.
Cure for rhino poacing
Did you know that the testicles of a
Rhino poacher can cure " Aids/HIV? 11
Now, go on... spread the word!
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