Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 16 May 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Energy trader Discovery Green and petrochemicals giant Sasol have launched a new company called Ampli Energy which aims to make renewable energy more accessible and less costly for small, medium, and micro enterprises. Sasol has set aside an immediate 450 gigawatt-hours of electricity yearly for Ampli Energy customers as part of the first phase. Discovery Green’s CEO, André Nepgen, says they hope this new company can have a substantial impact on the country’s greenhouse gas emissions:

# The DA is calling on Water and Sanitation minister, Pemmy Majodina, to urgently task the Auditor General to investigate critical financial and environmental concerns surrounding the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 2. Construction has again been halted due to a contractor polluting nearby rivers and the Katse Dam, contaminating crucial drinking water supplies with acidic wastewater. The DA’s Stephen Moore says the project costs have ballooned from eight-billion- to 53-billion-rand:

And a new study has found that nearly a third of antibiotics people take, which is about eight-thousand-500 metric tons a year, end up in rivers. This raises serious concerns about harm to aquatic life and growing antibiotic resistance. Researchers tracked 40 commonly used antibiotics and found pollution is widespread, even in places with little data. According to the journal, PNAS Nexus, amoxicillin was the most common, especially in areas with poor wastewater systems. Experts say better monitoring and improved treatment systems are needed to reduce the risks.

Stay tuned for more news………….