Global warming /climate change
WATER POINT
Jojo Tanks have circulated the following tips on saving water. How many do you practice already? Clean the driveway/steps with a broom, not water; take showers, not baths, and use low-flow shower heads; put a brick in the toilet cistern; use the washing machine only when full of clothes; turn off the water when brushing teeth; use only enough water in your kettle to fill your cup; replace washers regularly; replace lawn with ground-cover plants.
Startling news is that water for the future of Durban will be very expensive to provide, even from purified sewage. We can expect to follow Windhoek in this respect. SA has enough water for food production for 35 M people. The present population is 52 M!
CLIMATE CHANGE TALKS
Experts including Debra Roberts, Brian Ashe, Colleen Downs, and Mark Liptrot have been informing the public with their expertise in particular areas in the run-up to the Climate Change Global Conference taking place in Durban in late November/early December. We will have thousands of interested people visiting Durban at that time and Ethekwini is determined to make the occasion special. Protest groups including environmental activists will be marching on 3rd December to emphasise the need to lessen the effects of global warming on millions of people. This can be done partly through the lowering of carbon dioxide and other emissions by setting limits on burning of fossil fuels and felling of forests, among other causes of climate change. Delegates need to listen to citizens.
Next in the monthly Climate Change seminar series put on by the Natural Science Museum Research Centre at 151 K.W. Masinga Road (was Old Fort) will be Mark Brown’s “Too hot to handle – how climate change is affecting birds”& David Allan’s “Which way is the wind blowing for Southern Africa’s birds?” (The threats posed to our avifauna by wind turbines). Wednesday 5th October 5.45 p.m. RSVP 031 311 2256
CHANGE YOUR WORLD – think globally, act locally
The spring rains have started – now is the time to get into the garden or to do something for the public environment. Contact other Conservancy members, get cuttings and/or advice. (Details Patty 031 266 3325)
Felix Finkbeiner was 9 years old when he came up with the idea of planting a million trees in each country on earth in order to capture dangerous greenhouse gases. His dream has become a global movement, with children all over the world following the Plant-for-the-Planet initiative, planting trees and “fighting for climate justice”. Here he promotes action with the late Wangari Maathai, famous environmentalist who started the Green Belt Movement in Kenya.
SIMPLE WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT (Ethekwini Muni)
How can I as an individual reduce my carbon ‘footprint’? Consider how many of the following practices you have adopted. Haven’t yet? Now’s your chance!
Energy-proof your home
No major upgrades are needed, just simple stuff. Make sure all of your windows close properly so that your home is properly insulated. This will save you money on your energy bills too. Switch to compact florescent light bulbs. They use roughly 75% less energy than normal light bulbs and last much longer.
Unplug and save.If you’re not using an electrical appliance, unplug it. Most electronic appliances siphon energy even when they are on standby or “switched off”. That includes cell phone chargers, laptops, televisions, sound systems, printers and many others.
Buy organic, go local
Whenever you can, even though you often have to pay a premium, buy organic - it means the food was grown in an eco-friendly way. And if it's locally grown, it didn't have to be transported that far. Be aware - those cappuccinos and lattes you love may come from beans that have travelled a great many kilometres to get to you. Find a coffee house that specialises in African beans, and roasts locally. For the same reason, eat at restaurants that serve locally produced or seasonal foods.
Pay attention to packaging
Consider products that have minimal packaging or environmentally friendly packaging. Shop with reusable bags - cloth tote bags or recycled bags are best.
Bye-bye bottled water
Bottled water has a massive carbon footprint — it's bottled at one location in small plastic bottles and shipped all over the country or the world. Buy a reusable water bottle or canteen for your water. Durban has some of the best quality drinking water in the world.
Use cold water
Oh, alright, it’s still a bit chilly - you can use hot water in the shower, but not too much. But do a cold wash in your washing-machine. It takes a lot of energy to heat up water — multiply that by the number of wash loads, and that's a big footprint.
TALK IN DURBAN
Durban Botanic Gardens, Visitors Centre, 6 p.m., 17th October: Illustrated talk by Charles and Julia Botha about their recent visit to China. The Bothas are the authors of the popular Bring Nature Back to your Garden series of books. Entrance: R25 for members, R35 for non‐members (includes tea and cake)
RSVP: Tel 031 2015111 / 031 3091170 or email botsoc‐kzn@mweb.co.za
PUBLICITY
Westville Times, a new newspaper circulated throughout Westville, has featured several items on our members and their activities in the last few months. If you have anything of particular interest please contact Nashreen on roynash@vodamail.co.za or 031 266 4093 about putting an article into her paper.
HIGH WAY ACTIVITIES
On Westville Cares Day, with WESSA, we were able to offer members the choice of litter-clearing at Palmiet, removal of Wedelia and Ageratum plants at Jubilee Park or tree-planting at Jimmy Bellows. The time has come when we are starting to do more planting than removal of invasive alien vegetation. That is great reward for those who had to do a lot of M13 roadkill over the years! Anyone wanting to join a Spray/ Work Party, roughly 2nd Saturday (early) every month, should contact Patty on 079 181 5274.
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Balloon vine choking trees Newly-planted trees opposite BKS
Appeal for subs – Please remember to renew your membership by paying into the Conservancy account below. Subs are actually due from AGM time every year i.e. April/May and ARE STILL R20 per annum for ordinary/family membership; R100 for Silver; and R500 for Gold membership status. Remember to identify yourself in the reference line of the deposit slip, thank you!
| Bank | Nedbank, Westville Mall | |
| Account Name | Westville Conservancy | |
| Account Number | 1380 078 083 | |
| Branch Code | 138026 |
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