Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 16th October 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# AfriForum has urged authorities to impose fines on those responsible for illegal mining near the Kruger National Park. The civil rights group says the unauthorised drilling on Tenbosch, Turfbelt, and Tecklenburg Ranch lands has already caused severe environmental harm. AfriForum’s Lambert de Klerk insists the government must act within 30 days to enforce environmental laws or face legal action:

# The George Municipality in the Western Cape says measures are in place to tackle increasing alien vegetation in the Kat River and Upper Kat River catchment areas. The municipality’s spokesperson, Chantel Edwards-Klose, says alien invasive plants pose a serious threat to George’s water security, biodiversity, and fire safety. She says these plants are not native to South Africa, spread uncontrollably because they have no natural predators, and compete with indigenous plants for water and nutrients:

# And the World Meteorological Organisation says carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere soared by a record amount to new highs in 2024, committing the planet to more long-term temperature increase. From 2023 to ’24, the global average concentration of carbon dioxide rose by 3.5 parts per million, the largest increase since modern measurements started in 1957. WMO’s Oksana Tarasova says the burning of fossil fuels and an increase in wildfires drove the rise in CO2 levels over the last year:

Stay tuned for more news………….