Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 8 April 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Scientists from South Africa and the United Kingdom have developed a synthesis framework to rapidly assess changes in insect biodiversity. The model integrates time series, spatial comparisons, experiments, and expert opinion to guide urgent conservation policies. Published in the Science, the study highlights the global insect decline and the need for immediate action. Insects are an important part of ecosystems, pollinating around 80-percent of flowering plant species and are vital for 35-percent of global food production.

# The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has established the Eerste/Kuils River Catchment Management Forum. The purpose of the forum is to promote community-driven initiatives aimed at improving the condition of polluted rivers and their surrounding environment. Mayoral committee member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, says the catchment falls within 37 wards and eight sub-councils and comprises five rivers and watercourses:

# And finally: Trees in the Amazon are absorbing mercury pollution from small-scale gold mining, offering a new way to monitor illegal operations. Researchers say the toxic metal, released when miners burn mercury-gold mixtures, leaves a chemical fingerprint in tree rings. According to New Scientist, this method could reveal changes in mining activity over time. These operations are the world’s largest source of mercury emissions, posing serious health and environmental risks. Many of them remain unregulated and hidden deep in the rainforest.

Stay tuned for more news………….