Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 8 October 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has turned the sod at the seven-to-ten megawatts Atlantis solar photovoltaic plant. Cape Town is the first metro in South Africa to start construction on its own solar PV plant, as it moves to diversify energy resources and become future-fit. Hill-Lewis says construction on this 200-million-rand project is expected to take about a year, after which they will be able to connect the plant to a nearby main substation to feed directly to the grid:

# Newly crowned Miss Earth South Africa, Jessica Nel, says she is excited to represent the country on the global stage in the Philippines. The pageant celebrates young women driving impactful environmental and community projects. Nel, a social media manager at a female-led marketing agency, says she is passionate about animals and reducing waste in fashion retail. At the international Miss Earth competition, she will wear a dress made by Long Beach Pearl, adorned with 87 pearls and gemstones, symbolising peace, sustainability, and the cyclical nature of the Earth.    

# And finally: Hurricane Milton, which strengthened from a tropical storm to a hurricane on Sunday, is forecast to make landfall in the US tomorrow. The weather system is predicted to hit around the Tampa Bay area before travelling over Orlando. Florida’s emergency management division warned residents to prepare for the largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017. More than 200 people were killed when Hurricane Helene hit the southeastern US, including parts of Florida, last month. Forecasters say some affected areas will likely be hit again, worsening the damage caused by Helene.

Stay tuned for more news………….