Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 8 November 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Public Works and Infrastructure deputy minister Sihle Zikalala has called for innovative construction solutions to respond to climate change. He says recent flood-related infrastructure collapses have laid bare the reality that new construction methods and infrastructure maintenance were needed. The 2022 floods led to the death of over 400 people, and damage to infrastructure costing billions in provinces such as the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape. Zikalala warns that if immediate action is not taken to deal with the climate change crisis, many African countries could face economic sinkholes.

# A Kenyan court has dismissed a case challenging the government’s reversal of a ban on genetically modified crops, effectively allowing for their open cultivation. The East African nation lifted a decade-long ban on GM crops in October 2022 but the decision has been the subject of court challenges and protest from consumer and biodiversity groups. Yesterday’s ruling is the second time the High Court has thrown out a case aimed at blocking GM crops.

# And finally: A devastating wildfire raging across the south of the American state of California’s Ventura County has forced over 14-thousand residents to evacuate as fierce winds and dry conditions fuel the flames. About three-thousand-500 homes and businesses are under threat. Red flag warnings, which warn of dangerous fire weather conditions, are in place for more than 18-million people, including the Los Angeles area. Ventura County fire captain, Trevor Johnson, says over 800 firefighters and 58 fire engines are battling the blaze:

Stay tuned for more news………….