Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 28 November 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The City of Cape Town has been accepted as a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in the Subnational Government Membership Category. The union currently has more than one-thousand-400 members from government and civil society, supported by major international stakeholders such as the United Nations, the European Commission, and the Green Climate Fund. Deputy mayor, Eddie Andrews, says the union can assist the metro to protect its world-renowned biodiversity, co-create urban environmental solutions, and become one of the leading environmentally-friendly cities.

# The Vaal Dam’s water level has dropped by 15.5-percentage points over eleven weeks and is now at 30.8-percent. According to water expert Carin Bosman, the decline is within expected margins due to low rainfall, evaporation, and consumption. While current levels are not alarming, Bosman warns delays in December rainfall could cause challenges. The Citizen reports that backup water from Sterkfontein Dam will be used if levels hit 18-percent. Residents are urged to adopt water-saving practices.

# And finally: The Centre for International Environmental Law says the world simply cannot afford to continue producing more plastics as a means of sustaining fossil fuel dependency. Over 99-percent of plastic is made from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels, which account for over 75-percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. The centre’s Daniela Duran Gonzalez says there must be a halt to the construction of new plastic production facilities, as plastic markets are already oversupplied.

Stay tuned for more news………….