Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 27 November 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The City of Cape Town’s annual inland water quality report reveals that several rivers, wetlands, and other water bodies, are contaminated with E. coli, solid waste, and, in some cases, excessive nutrients. The report covered the period from the first of October 2021 to the 30th of September 2023. The metro says sewage contamination remains a serious concern, particularly in catchments that experience a relatively high frequency of sewage spills. It adds that two-billion-rand has been allocated for the 2024/’25 financial year alone, for upgrades at wastewater treatment works.

# Any decision to allocate more land for climate mitigation must also address competing needs for long-term food security and ecosystem health. This is according to a study in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of competing land-use and technology options to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The study’s lead author, Angelo Gurgel, says there is enough land to support a 1.5 degrees Celsius future as long as effective policies at national and global levels are in place.

# And finally: Seventy countries are not on track for a 1.5 degrees Celsius future based on 2030 national pledges for cutting emissions. This is according to a report by the Assessing Sovereign Climate-related Opportunities and Risks Project. Only 16% of the 70 countries reviewed have a transparent and credible commitment to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. The report also states that 81-percent of wealthy countries are failing to contribute to their proportional share of the international climate finance goal. The countries assessed represent 85-percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Stay tuned for more news………….