Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 28 October 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The US National Hurricane Centre has warned that hurricane Melissa, which is expected to make landfall in Jamaica today, is expected to bring catastrophic and life-threatening winds, flooding and storm surge to the country. The Category 5 storm has already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, and four deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The centre’s doctor, Michael Brennan, says they are anticipating complete damage, destruction of shelters, homes and buildings in the path of Melissa’s eye-centre. Warnings are also in place for Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas.

# SA Harvest has launched its greenhouse programme to tackle South Africa’s food waste and hunger crisis. The initiative transforms rescued produce into sustainable agriculture through hydroponics and community training. Operating in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the project promotes food sovereignty, job creation, and climate action while reducing landfill waste and building long-term food resilience nationwide. CEO Ozzy Nel says hunger and food waste are two sides of the same solvable problem.

# And finally: South Africa’s renewable energy pipeline is expanding rapidly, with more than 220 gigawatts of solar, wind, battery, and hybrid projects under development. This is according to findings from the latest South African Renewable Energy Grid Survey conducted by the National Transmission Company of South Africa. Solar photovoltaic is the leading technology under development currently, comprising 121 gigawatts, followed by wind. NTCSA says the survey has become an important tool for identifying where and how the grid needs to grow to accommodate new renewable energy projects.

Stay tuned for more news………….