Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 21 June 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Conservation groups have warned that African penguins face extinction by 2035 without swift action. They are now taking the state to court in an effort to protect the birds’ feeding grounds. There has been a 97-percent decline in penguins over the past century, with fewer than ten-thousand breeding pairs remaining. The crisis is driven primarily by a lack of access to prey, as the penguins compete with commercial boats which continue to catch sardine and anchovy in the waters surrounding the six largest African penguin breeding colonies that are home to an estimated 90% of South Africa’s African penguins. A trial date has been set for October.

# In commemoration of National Environment Month, The Glass Recycling Company has provided essential Personal Protective Equipment to 172 waste pickers in Meadowlands, Soweto. These include masks, gloves, and face shields to ensure their safety. CEO Shabeer Jhetam, highlighted the importance of supporting these crucial workers as part of the organisation’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. TGRC aims to raise awareness about recycling and support waste pickers’ well-being and safety.

# And finally: Eskom has won an appeal to keep five of its oldest plants operating despite looming emission caps. Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Barbara Creecy announced the plants can operate under current limits until March 2030, exempting them from stricter 2025 restrictions. Eskom must submit decommissioning plans for Hendrina, Grootvlei, Arnot, Camden, and Kriel within a year. Eskom, facing a 300-billion-rand compliance cost, states that it is spending billions on pollution concerns and remains financially constrained.

Stay tuned for more news………….