Eco Minute 13:30
BULLETIN 13 February 1:30 pm
Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:
# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dion George, says his department is prioritising renewable energy projects, including solar, wind, and hydropower. The minister has streamlined environmental authorisation processes to speed up project approvals, including the exclusion of solar and battery facilities from environmental authorisation in sensitive areas. Furthermore, eleven renewable energy zones and five transmission corridors for incentivised green energy projects have been identified. George says the Green Hydrogen Guideline will be launched next week, to support the country’s energy transition.
# Scientists have discovered alarming pollution levels in the Mediterranean’s deepest point, Calypso Deep, located in the western part of the Hellenic Trench. Using an underwater vehicle, they found 167 pieces of waste, including plastic bottles, coffee cups, and bags. The scientists say the findings provide a strong argument in favour of the urgent implementation of policy actions at a global scale to reduce ocean littering, thus easing the conservation of unique marine habitats.
# And finally: Scientists have warned that climate change is fast becoming a threat to chocolate production. Extreme heat has been recorded in West Africa where 70-percent of global cacao is grown. This has worsened harvest losses and pushed cocoa prices to record highs in the past few months. A Climate Central report says rising temperatures have added three weeks of excessive heat in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Other threats include diseases, erratic rainfall, and illegal mining. Experts say cacao farming faces an existential threat.
Stay tuned for more news………….