Eco Minute 13:30

NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 15 Novmber 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# A BirdLife South Africa report indicates the deaths of 60 European bee-eaters and eight barn swallows across the country can be attributed to climate change. The birds were discovered in an area spanning Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Eswatini, Sodwana Bay and the KwaZulu Natal South Coast. The South African National Biodiversity Institute Research’s chairperson in Conservation Physiology, Andrew McKechnie, says birds traveling from Europe to South Africa face diverse weather conditions, including heatwaves and drought. This is caused by anthropogenic climate change and poses a threat to bird populations.

# Economist Dawie Roodt has criticised South Africa’s new tax incentive for environmental conservation, particularly rhino and lion protection. He argues the incentive, which allows taxpayers to direct funds to conservation efforts, is flimsy, and suggests a more effective approach would be to protect private property rights. He recommends allowing rhino owners to sell their animals, including their horns, to create tangible monetary value. The tax incentive aims to unlock about 1.5-million-rand annually for conservation but faces scepticism about its impact on biodiversity and financial effectiveness.

# And finally: The City of Cape Town says tours of the Kraaifontein Integrated Waste Management facility inspire people to be more conscious of the waste they produce, and how to manage it. At the facility, waste is segregated, transferred, sorted, treated, recovered and disposed of in an integrated manner, with an emphasis on minimising waste that goes to landfill. Mayoral committee member for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg, says the facility is the perfect location to inspire the youth to get involved in recycling and waste minimisation:

Play sound: ENG GrantonTour

Stay tuned for more news………….