 Decades of conservation efforts to save rhino are coming undone,as surging demand for their horns in Asian traditional medicine has spawned a vast criminal trade powered by poaching.
South Africa is the epicentre of the poaching battle. A conservation success story,the country is home to 70% to 80% of the world’s rhino. In 2007,13 rhino were poached. In 2011,the number hit 448,and more than 200 have already been killed this year. In Kenya,Zimbabwe and other countries,poaching is also on the rise,but at a less dramatic pace. The southern Africa Rhino Management Group warns that if current trends continue,the number of deaths will outstrip births,sending the rhino population on a downward spiral.
Continue reading Over 200 Rhinos killed this year  The Moon will reach its closest approach to the Earth on Sunday 6 May during a full Moon,the South African Astronomical Observatory has said.
On Sunday morning,the Moon will reach its perigee (closest approach to Earth) when it is about 357 000km from the Earth. “The Moon will make its closest approach to the Earth (at perigee) for the year in May. It will happen early morning on Sunday 6th May at about 05:33 and at this time the Moon will be 357 000km from the Earth,”SAAO astronomer Dr Nicola Loaring told News24. To observers on the ground,the apparent diameter of the Moon will appear the largest for 2012 on 6 May and astronomers believe that there may be some tidal effects due to the Moon,but it may not be noticeable to casual observers.
Continue reading Moon 375 000km from Earth  Scanning the horizon on his solar-powered catamaran,Swiss electrical engineer Raphael Domjan counts down the hours to the completion of his record-breaking world tour.
“The idea was not to perform a feat but an eco-adventure with the aim of passing on the message that change is possible,”said Domjan as his boat furrowed through choppy waves from Italy’s Elba Island to Corsica in France. Domjan began his journey from Monaco in September 2010 on the boat he built after seeing the effects of climate change on an Icelandic glacier,and he is due to complete it on May 4 when he returns to the Mediterranean port. “I realised climate change was real and I had to do something,”he said.
Continue reading Solar-powered catamaran  Large wind farms may have a warming effect on the local climate,research in the United States shows,casting a shadow over the long-term sustainability of wind power.
Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming,which could lead to the melting of glaciers,a rise in the sea level,ocean acidification,crop failure and other devastating effects,scientists say. In a move to cut such emissions,many nations are moving towards cleaner energy sources such as wind power. The world’s wind farms last year had the capacity to produce 238 gigawatt of electricity at any one time –a 21% rise on 2010.
Continue reading Wind farms may affect weather  At places in the Gautrain tunnel there is four times the water agreed to with the contractor.
This could shorten the life of the train system and kill off plants in the environment. The problem persists even after the opening of the tunnel between Park Station and Rosebank was postponed for months for additional waterproofing. Jack van der Merwe,chief executive of the Gautrain Management Agency,was upset after the Bombela concession group last week took journalists on a train ride through the part of the tunnel involved and indicated that it could open within days.
Continue reading Gautrain still has water  Antarctica’s massive ice shelves are shrinking because they are being eaten away from below by warm water,a new study finds. That suggests that future sea levels could rise faster than many scientists have been predicting.
The western chunk of Antarctica is losing 7m of its floating ice sheet each year. Until now,scientists were not exactly sure how it was happening and whether or how man-made global warming might be a factor. The answer,according to a study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature,is that climate change plays an indirect role –but one that has larger repercussions than if Antarctic ice merely were melting from warmer air. Hamish Pritchard,a glaciologist at the British Antarctic Survey,said research using an ice-gazing Nasa
Continue reading Antarctica ice shelves are shrinking  From the bone-chilling air conditioning that pumps through Singapore’s malls and offices to lights that burn all night,the city state is one of Asia’s most intensive energy users.
Nearly all electricity used by the industrialised island is produced by burning fossil fuels,which in 2010 contributed to the largest carbon footprint per head in the Asia-Pacific region,according to conservation group the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). South Korea and third-placed Japan follow close behind. For environmentalists,the scenario is all too familiar in the Asia region whose urban population is set to soar from 1.9 billion to 3.3 billion by 2050 according to UN data. Such growth puts sustainability on top of the agenda but critics say Asia’s megacities are not doing enough to curb their voracious appetite for
Continue reading “Green”building for Singapore  The already existing socio-political pressures in South Africa stemming from high unemployment,widespread poverty,service delivery discontent,sharply increased electricity tariffs,runaway fuel prices and ever-rising food prices could soon be exacerbated by sharply increased water supply tariffs.
Minister for Water and Environmental Affairs,Edna Molewa,recently revealed that over R570 billion will be needed for investment across South Africa’s water value chain in the coming 10 years. There is presently a massive R320-billion shortfall that needs to be made up – most likely through sharply increased water tariffs for consumers. Molewa says the money is needed for water-related infrastructure (R162 billion),services (R394 billion),conservation and demand management (R16 billion) across the entire national water supply spectrum. These figures are derived from a long-term investment plan currently being finalised by the department of water affairs. More government funding may be forthcoming as water is classified as a critical resource,but much of it will,no doubt,come out of the consumers’pockets.
Continue reading Increased water supply tariffs  Huge reserves of underground water in some of the driest parts of Africa could provide a buffer against the effects of climate change for years to come,scientists said on Friday.
Researchers from the British Geological Survey and University College London have for the first time mapped the aquifers,or groundwater,across the continent and the amount they hold. “The largest groundwater volumes are found in the large sedimentary aquifers in the North African countries Libya,Algeria,Egypt and Sudan,”the scientists said in their paper. They estimate that reserves of groundwater across the continent are 100 times the amount found on the its surface,or 0.66 million cubic kilometres. Writing in the journal Environmental research letters,they cautioned,though,that not all these reserves can be accessed.
Continue reading Huge volumes of underground water for Africa The Green Building Council of South Africa has given Absa Towers West five-star certification for its environmentally friendly design. ABSA Towers West on the eastern edge of the Johannesburg inner city is the first South African building to receive five-star Green Star certification from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).  The glass panels allow natural light into the buildingThe award recognises Absa Towers West as an As Built building representative of “South African excellence”. The climate sensitive building integrates workplace ergonomics with environmental sustainability and contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions through energy conservation and recycling. It sets the benchmark for environmentally friendly buildings in the inner city.
It is made of glass panels and uses natural light. It has a gas turbine in its energy centre that converts fuel to electricity,reducing the bank’s carbon footprint by an estimated 19 000 tons a year. Absa’s head of corporate real estate services for Africa,Jon Couret,said the bank’s investment in an eco-friendly building was a commitment to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment,and to support urban renewal efforts spearheaded by the City. He said the building followed international standards of best practice. “This award means that our efforts and commitment to sustainability have been recognised.” Absa Towers West has custom-built office space and boardrooms,with state-of-the-art technology for video conferencing,a restaurant and pause areas on all floors,with refreshment counters. It has the largest grey water system in South Africa with a capacity to recycle 43 000 litres of water a day. A dual plumbing design uses recycled water from the fitness centre to flush toilets and rain water is recovered for site irrigation.
Continue reading ABSA get five-star Green Star certification | 
Water Rhapsody a WWF Green Trust award winner can save us up to 90% of our municipal water bills.” |
