Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 19 August 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Six alleged members of an international rhino horn trafficking syndicate were arrested in Sunnyside, Pretoria, this morning after the five men, aged 49 to 84, and a 60-year-old woman handed themselves over to the Hawks. This follows a long investigation into transnational rhino horn trafficking since 2017. Alleged fraudulent permits targeted 964 rhino horns for illegal export to Southeast Asia. The accused are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court facing fraud, theft, racketeering and money laundering charges.

# Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, says there is an urgent need for African-led scientific research and climate adaptation strategies. According to the 2023 World Meteorological Organisation report, African countries are losing two to five-percent of their gross domestic product to climate change, with some nations diverting up to nine-percent of their budgets to climate response efforts. Nzimande says the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss requires prompt, well-thought-out actions.

# And finally: Spain has deployed another 500 soldiers to battle wildfires that have spread across parts of the country in scorching conditions, taking the total to one-thousand-900. A part of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route was closed yesterday as the fire spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountain range. Two water-dumping planes from the Netherlands are deploying and are expected to join aircraft from France and Italy already helping Spanish authorities. Firefighters from other countries are also set to arrive in the coming days.

Stay tuned for more news………….