Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 5 July 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The SPAR Group says it is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, but emphasises that industry-wide collaboration is crucial for impactful change. A McKinsey study reveals that approximately 93-percent of emissions lie outside grocers’ direct control. The food system contributes over 30-percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. SPAR’s Kevin O’Brien says they seek to address this by working with farmers, supporting supplier decarbonisation, and promoting sustainability.

# University of Pretoria’s Alseno Kagiso Mosai warns that young children in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, are breathing in uranium, arsenic and mercury fumes wafting over from abandoned legacy mines. He and fellow experts have authored a journal article in which they recommends a combined approach that is both affordable and effective for urgent action in Krugersdorp. Mosai says while the mining companies responsible for the pollution are often nowhere to be seen, it is ultimately up to the government to fund acid mine drainage clean-ups to protect citizens.

# And finally: A South African startup promoting the use of implanted radioactive pellets to deter poaching, the Rhisotope Project, seeks nearly 18-million-rand in venture capital to commercialise its technology. Last month, pellets were inserted into 20 rhino horns as a final research stage. Initiated at Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand, the project aims to deter poachers and detect illegal horn trafficking. Future expansion plans include protecting elephants, pangolins, and other wildlife.

Stay tuned for more news………….