Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 11 January 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# An American national, Derek Lewitton, who was arrested last month for the unlawful possession of rhino horns, has been released on 100-thousand-rand bail. He appeared in the Namakgale Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo yesterday for a formal bail application. He has been charged with the unlawful possession of 17 rhino horns and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. The case has been postponed to the seventh of March.

# The City of Cape Town has issued the latest in a series of power-related tenders. This is aimed at mitigating the impact of load-shedding, diversifying the city’s supply of energy, and reducing reliance on Eskom. The maximum procured capacities envisaged are 300 megawatts of dispatchable power capacity and 200 megawatts of self-dispatchable power capacity. Mayoral committee member for Energy, Beverley van Reenen, says this is in line with the plan of adding independent power to the city’ grid:

# And finally: The Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that 2023 emerged as the hottest year on record, with Earth’s surface temperature reaching an alarming 1.48 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The global warming intensified heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires, pushing nearly half the year beyond the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius limit. Scientists warn of self-reinforcing climate impacts if this threshold is consistently breached. Predictions are 1.5 degrees will be exceeded in 2024, and experts stress the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels to curb escalating consequences.

Stay tuned for more news………….