Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 10 January 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Renewable energy company Scatec believes solar photovoltaic’s installed power capacity is poised to surpass that of coal, becoming the largest power source in the world by 2027. The company’s projects in the Northern Cape’s Kenhardt region alone boast a cumulative capacity of 540 megawatts in solar production and one-thousand-140 megawatt hours in battery storage. Scatec says it has seen exponential growth in solar PV installations in South Africa, with the technology becoming a favoured, swifter, more cost-effective, and cleaner alternative to traditional coal-based sources.

# The Malawian Department of Disaster Management Affairs says around 14 councils have been affected by disasters including stormy rains, strong winds, and lightning since the onset of the 2023/2024 rain season. According to the department, the total number of affected households increased from 961 since last month to four-thousand-751 yesterday, affecting approximately 21-thousand-379 people. Additionally, the department recorded five deaths and 46 injuries. The department has urged the public to plant more trees around their premises to act as buffer zones against strong winds and stormy rains in the future

# And finally: The largest male specimen of the world’s most venomous spider, the deadly Sydney funnel-web spider, has been found north of Sydney in Australia. Hercules, as he is called, now lives at the Australian Reptile Park, where it will contribute to the anti-venom programme. Spider experts from the park retrieved the arachnid and soon realised it was the largest male specimen ever discovered in Australia. He measures 7.9 centimetres from foot to foot. Sydney funnel-web spiders have powerful fangs that can pierce a human fingernail and typically range in length from one to five centimetres.

Stay tuned for more news………….