Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 18 February 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Zero Carbon Charge urges Finance minister Enoch Godongwana to prioritise carbon reduction targets in his budget speech tomorrow. The solar-powered charging station provider is calling for financial incentives to boost electric vehicle adoption and develop off-grid charging infrastructure. The organisation’s Joubert Roux calls for a carbon credit trading system to encourage clean energy investments and help South Africa reach its net-zero transport goals:

# Water and Sanitation deputy minister, Sello Seitlholo, is urging the Madibeng Municipality in North West to enforce by-laws to curb pollution at the Hartbeespoort dam, caused by littering and chemical spillage from industrial companies. Magalies Water was appointed to develop a remedial programme, to profile problematic contaminants and remove the floating plants, hyacinth and algae, negatively impacting the water quality. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Seitlholo called for intergovernmental collaboration to hold polluters accountable:

# And finally: Extreme weather and life-threatening low temperatures in the US are set to hit western states near the Rocky Mountains. The National Weather Service says a winter storm is expected to strike later this week with temperatures well below minus-40 degrees Celsius. It marks the tenth and coldest polar vortex so far this season, with pressure systems pushing cold air from the Arctic southwards into North America and Europe. The vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both poles and regularly occurring during winter.

Stay tuned for more news………….