Early last month Cape Town hosted the Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011 Conference (LOCS2011) at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC). The Mother City not only was a great host but was also hailed as a visionary city because of its dedication to reducing greenhouse gases.

According to Martin Pollack, Cape Town is considered to be a futurist city because it’s willing to publicly register its greenhouse gas reduction commitments. This includes reporting on its performance in this regard and showcasing its climate actions.

The secretary general of Local Governments for Sustainable Development (ICLEI), Konrad Ottoman, spoke at the conference. He commented on the new reporting tool, the carbonn Cities’ Climate Registry. Ottoman told the attendees that Cape Town was one of the five cities to have a leading status with the registry.

Pollack continues to explain that the registry encourages local governments to publicly state their greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction commitments and to report on their respective performance in that regard. This will help the organisation to measure, report and verify local climate action around the world.

The Mother City is quite active when it comes to encouraging its residents to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. The green map offers locals and visitors a comprehensive listing of all known eco products, farmers’ markets, green space, nature reserves, organic eateries, recycling drop-offs, sustainable living projects and other environmentally-friendly options around the city.

Cape Town also recently became the first African city to endorse Meatless Mondays, a campaign which encourages residents to eat at least one meat-free meal a week in an attempt to encourage locals to live a healthier lifestyle. The city pledged to report its GHG reduction commitments, GHG emission inventories and climate adaptation actions.

The mayor of Cape Town has also recently urged the city’s residents to reduce their footprint after a recent study showed that the Mother City emits more GHG per capita than big cities such as New York and London. Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato said that everyone must work together to reduce Cape Town’s carbon emissions and that a few small lifestyle changes will make a big difference. In association with the city, Martin Pollack published some tips for residents to bring down their carbon emissions, such as using less hot water, reducing energy use, investing in solar heating and other eco-friendly activities.

It seems like Cape Town is a step ahead in the fight against climate change and greenhouse gases. If only the city’s residents would take up the green plight on an individual level then the Mother City’s efforts will have been all worth it.

(Image by Htonl, originally based on map by Waynedam,  Creative Commons, via Wikimedia Commons)

Years ago, when we weren’t aware of the effect our actions might have on the environment, there was no real way (or reason) to keep tabs on how certain projects, such as mining, might damage the natural surroundings. Thankfully there are now organisations dedicated to making sure that the biodiversity and heritage of critical areas is protected.

The World Wide Fund for South Africa (WWF) is one such movement. Working in conjunction with a number of South African NGOs and the Centre for Environmental Rights, the WWF compiled a list of areas which should be declared as no-go mining zones. According to WWF, the list was given to the Mineral Resources minister, Susan Shabangu, on 1 February.

The list is intended to help Shabangu make informed decisions when she has to make important calls about areas sought after for mining purposes. Section 49 of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources development Act of 2008 states that the minister has the right to deny mining permits, prospecting rights and reconnaissance permission if she feels that her decision is in the national interest of both the people and the mineral in question.

The head of Biodiversity at WWF, Mark Botha, told the public that the proposal will give the minister the information she needs to prevent mining activity in areas of critical biodiversity and hydrological significance. It’s good to know that the governmental officials are willing to work alongside NGOs for the good of the nation.

The list includes areas such as National Parks or nature reserves that are declared such in the terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, marine areas protected under the Marine Living Resources Act, mountain catchment areas declared such in terms of the Mountain Catchment Areas Act and Ramsar sites (wetlands protected by the Ramsar Convention).

The International Association for Impact Assessment South Africa (IAIA) states that the exploitation of mineral resources is an important aspect of the country’s economy. The association also points out that the impact of both underground and surface mining has been significant, including effects on soil, water resources, biodiversity, air quality and geological stability. The human race relies on the stability of these facets of the environment to survive so it’s critical that activities which might be detrimental to them be controlled.

The WWF is concerned about the Department of Mineral Resources granting mining rights in areas that are environmentally important, which is why the organisation compiled the list. It hopes that the minister will use her discretion in deciding which rights to grant and in what areas. Hopefully she will take the advice of a movement which is dedicated to the preservation of South Africa’s biodiversity.

Image via Stock.xchng.

All over the world people, communities and governments are working towards creating an eco-friendly lifestyle for everyone. Care2 recently reported on the Dubai’s attempt to curtail environmental pollution and create a  working system for parking bikes in the city, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has created and installed a large number of locations for parking bikes in busy area across the Emirate.

Many locals choose to ride bikes becasue it is conveniet and for health reasons, and to eliminate chaotic parking spots the government decided to provide a better parking option than tying them to lamp-poles, traffic signs and trees. The badly-parked bicycles would cause dangerous blockages on sidewalks and roads.

Countries across the globe including China and Japan have begun to recognise the need for bike-friendly infrastructure. Investments and developments in this sector encourage people to try out alternative transportation options.

Askmen.com has a list of bicycle-friendly cities, and the only US city included on the list is Portland at number 6. Other major cities are following suit however. Washington, DC, San Francisco and Denver all have bike-sharing programmes, and Europe recently stated that its bike-sharing programme extends to over 100 cities.

The RTS Director of Strategic Planning, Nasir Abu Shehab, said that the RTA intended to provide the parking spaces for bicycles near all the main metro stations in a bid to enhance the integration of the Dubai Metro with other, alternative transit modes in the Emirate. “In an advanced phase of the Project, all the metro stations will be integrated with the dedicated cycling tracks” he said.

The RTA finalised studies surrounding the building of the riding tracks with an overall length of around 900km. the 5 phases of the project are expected to be completed by 2020.

Will Dubai enter the list of the world’s top most bicycle-friendly cities after the project’s completion? Only time will tell.

Askmen.com’s top most bicycle-friendly cities:

1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2. Copenhagen, Denamrk

3. Bogota, Colombia

4. Curitiba, Brazil

5. Montreal, Canada

6. Portland, Oregon, United States

7. Basel, Switzerland

8. Barcelona, Spain

9. Beijing, China

10. Trondheim, Norway

Have you ever considered using public or alternative transport to work? You may want to consider car-pooling, taking the bus or catching a train as it could potentially save you thousands in travel costs, and you’ll reduce your fuel consumption.

Hey! Hope you’ve all been trying some scrumptious veggie recipes!

Most people think that making risotto is too time-consuming and difficult. Getting the perfect risotto dish does require some elbow grease and patience, but there are other (easier) ways of making this delicious arborio rice.

So, here’s how:

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice

4 ½ Cups Vegetable Broth (Vegetable Stock)

1 Cup Finely Grated Parmesan

3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cut into Small Pieces

Sea Salt (or Kosher Salt) and Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

1 Cup Frozen Peas

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the rice and stock in a 10-cup baking dish (or Dutch oven) and stir to combine. Cover with foil (or lid of the Dutch oven) and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the stock is absorbed and the rice is al dente.

Take a wooden spoon and beat in your Parmesan, butter, salt and pepper. Stir in the peas. When the peas are warm, serve immediately.

That’s it. How easy? I’m sure you’re going to love this meal (who knows, it may even become a firm favourite).

I found this simple recipe on Ezra Poundcake’s blog here.

It’s that time of the week again, Monday! I’ve got two lovely dishes for you to try out for your veggie meal this week. I found these recipe on a great recipe website, Ezra Pound Cake.  For every Monday there is a meat-free dish, making it easy for viewers to eat less meat during the week.

Curried Pumpkin Soup: (Serves 7)

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Butter

230grams Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced

1/2 Cup Chopped Onions

2 Tablespoons Flour

1 Teaspoon Curry Powder

3 Cups Vegetable Broth

1 Can Solid-Pack Pumpkin

1 Can Evaporated Milk

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Garnish: Fresh Chives (Optional)

Method:

Take a large saucepan and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the onions and saute them until tender (about 5 minutes).

Stir in the curry powder and the flour until blended. Gradually add the broth, stirring it to combine.

Bring the mixture to just a boil and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin, honey, salt, pepper, milk and nutmeg and heat through. Serve immediately, garnish with chives if desired.

Filling Ingredients:

240ml Cream Cheese

1 Cup Confectioners’ Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Streusel Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Flour

1/3 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Pecans

3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Pumpkin Batter Ingredients:

2 Cups Flour

2 Cups Sugar

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 & 1/4 Cups Solid Pack Pumpkin

3 Eggs, Lightly Beaten

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Method:

Heat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 12-cup muffin trays and set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling: In a bowl beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla and mix in. Shape the mixture into a log-shape, wrap in a piece of plastic wrap and freeze for about an hour.

Pecan Streusel: In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, pecans, cinnamon and butter. Mix it all in and then set aside.

Pumpkin Batter: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and spices in a bowl.

In another bowl lightly beat the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and oil.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the pumpkin mixture. Mix with a fork until just moistened.

Remove the cream cheese from the freezer and cut in into 24 slices. Then evenly divide half of the batter among the muffin trays. Place one slice of the cream cheese log in the centre of each cup, pressing the cream cheese gently into the batter without submerging it. Fill the cups with the remaining batter.

Sprinkle a bit of the pecan streusel on top of each muffin and bake until golden (about 20-25 minutes). Cool them on wires racks.

Let me know how it goes!

Enjoy

Jade

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So I wrote about the care2.com site here, and was telling you all what a great platform it is for fellow humanitarians to be able to meet each other online and chat about issues close to their hearts as well as giving them all an opportunity to do some good from behind their PCs.

I received a newsletter from the website the other day telling me what positive changes my actions on the site helped to bring about.

Below is the letter they sent me, I thought I should share it with you all:

“Hi The Greenery,

Care2 members continue to amaze us with their dedication. Your actions help make this world a better place. Here are a few recent examples of what you have helped accomplish.

Gray Wolves Return To Endangered Species List
We are happy to announce gray wolves in the Northern Rockies will once again be protected. After being denied protection under the Endangered Species Act several months ago, animal activists sprang into action. Over 30,000 members signed the Care2 and Defenders of Wildlife petitions to restore protection.

Prop 8 Ruled Unconstitutional
On August 4, Federal Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled that Proposition 8 — the ban on gay marriage in California — is unconstitutional. Walker ruled to overturn the gay marriage ban because it violated both the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Thank the Plaintiffs of the Prop 8 Trial.

Catalonia, Spain Bans Bullfighting
Last month, Parliament passed a ban on bullfighting, making Catalonia the first major region of Spain to outlaw the old Spanish tradition. The ban will take effect January 01, 2012. More than 35,000 of you added your name to the petition on Care2, sponsored by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Read more.

Senate Passes Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
The U.S. Senate recently passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. More than 6,000 members signed the Feeding America petition on Care2 to help provide millions of low-income children with nutritious food they need. The bill provides an additional $4.5 billion over 10 years to federal child nutrition programs including school lunches.

Wall Street Reform
Wednesday, July 21, President Obama signed the Wall Street Reform bill into law, just days after it passed Senate. The President praised the historic bill — intended to protect tax-payers — with a promise to eliminate taxpayer-funded bailouts of failed banks. Thank you to all 8,000 Care2 members who signed to petition. Read more.

One Care2 Member’s Program Saved Thousands of Dogs
KACPAW is a program in Sri Lanka dedicated to helping dogs. Throughout the program’s existence, KACPAW has helped more than 4,500 dogs — promoting spay, neutering and rabies awareness while finding homes for over 3,500 strays. We are so happy Care2 member Champa was kind enough to share this story with all of us. Read more.

CLEAR Act To Protect Gulf Wildlife
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act — designed to protect the habitat of sea turtles and other wildlife threatened by the Gulf oil spill. Better safety standards will be enforced to help avoid future disasters. Continue helping Gulf wildlife at risk.

Thank you again for all you do. Share your own success stories with us by emailing successstories@earth.care2.com.

How awesome is that? It’s good to know that the little actions I have put forward on the site have had a positive effect somewhere in the world.

It’s something to feel proud of. You can also help by visiting www.care2.com

Jade

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