Eco Minute 13:30
BULLETIN 8 August 1:30 pm
Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:
# Horticulturist Richard Arm has urged camellia lovers to visit Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West, Cape Town, to celebrate its internationally acclaimed camellia garden. This follows a successful event that showcased over one-thousand shrubs. Arm says the estate holds Africa’s only International Camellia Garden of Excellence. He emphasised the garden remains a floral attraction from April to September, showcasing both delicate and flamboyant camellia varieties:
# The 155-megawatt Mpumalanga wind energy project has now reached financial close. This follows a 15-year power purchase agreement signed between Seriti Green and Energy Exchange of Southern Africa. The five-billion-rand project will incorporate 25 wind turbines and will produce some 525 gigawatt hours yearly once in full production. Seriti Green CEO Peter Venn says this agreement marks a new chapter for South Africa’s energy market, whereby independent power producers and traders are able to deliver reliable, clean power with long-term impact.
# And finally: Goat herds are playing their part in the prevention of wildfires in Spain. Each summer, scorching heat sparks wildfires across southern Europe, ravaging vast swathes of land. In Catalonia last year, despite being in the third year of the worst drought in a century, the number of outbreaks decreased. The regional government attributes this to improved fire prevention measures and goats. The animals are known for their voracious appetites and feeding on thorny plants like cacti or thistles, making them ideal for clearing bush to create natural firebreaks.
Stay tuned for more news………….