Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 6 August 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Civil society organisations and coastal communities have launched a formal appeal against the government’s controversial decision to green-light Shell’s Northern Cape Ultra Deep oil and gas project. The area Shell wants to explore is between the Northern Cape’s Port Nolloth and Lambert’s Bay in the Western Cape. Green Connection’s Neville van Rooy says Shell’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report appears to be riddled with flaws and omissions, which may make the approval not only reckless, but potentially unlawful:

# The City of Cape Town Council has adopted the Cape Town Biodiversity Spatial Plan 2025 as a council policy. The purpose of the policy is to inform and guide spatial planning, environmental assessment and natural resource management by a wide range of sectors whose policies and decisions impact biodiversity. The metro manages over 20-thousand hectares in its 22 nature reserves and 16 Biodiversity Agreement Conservation Areas. Deputy mayor Eddie Andrews says Cape Town is the first municipality in South Africa to develop and implement a spatial biodiversity plan.

# And finally: A large-scale search and rescue operation is underway in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand after a flash flood caused a devastating torrent of mud to crash through the town. Four people died, while about 100 others are missing. Around 150 troops have helped rescue 20 people. Prime minister Narendra Modi says teams were making every attempt to assist. Climate experts say while deadly floods and landslides are common during India’s monsoon season, their frequency and severity are increasing due to climate change.

Stay tuned for more news………….