Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 9 January 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Bird deaths and paralyses at Kamfers Dam near Kimberley has raised concerns over sewage contamination from the Homevale Wastewater Treatment Works. Pathology findings link botulism to untreated sewage, harming species including Lesser Flamingos and Shelducks. Over 100 dead birds have been collected, with experts calling for urgent action to stabilise the ecosystem. BirdLife South Africa conservationists have called for immediate intervention to save this vital habitat and South Africa’s only Lesser Flamingo breeding site.

# Antarctic sea ice rebounded in December after a long period of record lows, giving pause to speculation that Earth’s frozen continent could be undergoing a permanent change. The US National Snow and Ice Data Center says the rate of sea ice loss during the warmer spring months of November and December slowed to well below average. This followed a prolonged period of record to near-record daily lows in 2023 and 2024, the hottest years in the history books for global temperature rises driven by climate change.

# And finally: The death toll from wildfires in the Los Angeles area has risen to five, with more than one-thousand structures destroyed. According to officials, the ongoing fires in Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Woodley and Lidia are zero-percent contained, as high winds and drained resources challenge fire crews. More than 100-thousand people have been forced to evacuate from the Eaton fire alone, and 37-thousand from the Palisades inferno. LA City Fire Chief, Kristin Crowley, says the fires are continuing to spread rapidly:

Stay tuned for more news………….