Triple R's

Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

The word re-use seems useless but in reality it is of use to us. Re-using things is not only benefitting you but our planet as well. Bottles and cans can be used to store things. It is simple really; it’s only a matter of washing the container and using it for something else.

In an attempt to reduce bottles, cans and containers, manufactures and retail outlets now have refill packs for everything. Instead of buying the same bottle of liquid soap, you can buy a pouch to refill. It is easier to dispose of a pouch than bottles because you can easily flatten it. As a smart buyer and lovers of our planet we should consider options like these in our daily lives.

A lot of products can be recycled; people need to participate in these projects. Many things can be done with what you call rubbish. Recycling now is also a booming business. Some companies get tenders from government to collect rubbish. Who knew waste would put food on people’s tables?

By reusing products, you are reducing the amount of rubbish out there and recycling you are helping our planet survive this trauma of pollution for a couple of decades to come.

Green Week

Green Habits

People are told to subscribe to “green” habits. This refers to the activities that people engage to, that in the end benefit the survival of the earth.

We often hear about the end of the world which is mainly caused by the things people do in their daily lives. Those things would be littering, using their car instead of walking, saving energy and much more.

Students can be the less caring generation or group in the world and certain values have to be instilled in them. They want everything to be fun and exciting. Let me remind you that these are future leaders.

It is not that they are not aware of the dire situation of climate change, global warming etc., but mostly choose to ignore things.

 When a student leaves a packet of chips or a food wrapper, they know that it is wrong they just don’t care. Except for the locations and rural areas, each and every corner there is a bin provided. It is all up to the person to destroy or save the planet.

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) is promoting a GREEN WEEK. SIFE in conjunction with GCI will be making a collage of the NMMU Logo. The Logo will be made out of waste.

This is all to commemorate GREEN WEEK and to “create awareness and environmental consciousness” (NMMUGeneral Email).

The Green week initiative starts from the 11 to 15 April. Students are encouraged to participate in this initiative as it is vital for the survival of mother earth.

People need to care more about their environment. They need to acknowledge the fact that practicing green habits ensures a home for future generations to come.

Share the planet

Let us Share

The earth was created on a balanced system. We sharing the planet with animals and plants, the whole planet was created to accommodate all of us. That balance is now in jeopardy.

Every now and then we read stories on animals being poached. People’s main concern is money and living a life full of luxury.

If it’s not poaching then it’s exposing them to things that are dangerous like plastics or food they are not meant to be consuming. Behavior is bound to change, as a person you would act strange if you ate plastic or any other things that animals eat out of curiosity.

Recently on SABC 3 showed a news program where people woke up with big holes in their bodies.  The rats in the area were tired of exploring the dirty water and eating rotten things. They started nibbling at people. Had the people kept the place clean then incidents like these would have never occurred.

Like us people, animals have rights but when a person kills an animal even if it is more than one the punishment is not as severe as it should be. The government can only do so much for the animals,   but as ordinary people we have a big role to play.

Animals have no way of defending themselves yet they are constantly under attack.  We need to realize that those animals have specific roles to play in our lives. 

Yes the Bible gives us power over animals and birds but we need to do so for pure reasons.  While we are busy with our selfish deeds, in the end we are the one’s suffering in the end. As their guardians we need to ensure that we create a safe environment to live in. People need to think twice before carelessly throwing rubbish out.

Save our Trees

It is more than just SHADE!

Everywhere you go you will find that places have changed. They are either developed or destroyed. It does not matter whether the destruction was justified for development it still the same thing.

Only a few yards of forest and trees are protected by the national government. Most of these protected areas are close to town and cities.

Cutting down of trees is not illegal, especially in the local villages. The citizens there depend on those trees for building material, fencing and making fire to cook and warm themselves.  The general public is not well-informed about the serious implications of cutting down trees.

What I have realized from the past ten years is that the human settlements in rural areas in the Former Transkei have grown.  There is no protection or regulation to cut down the forest so the areas are forever expanding.

The only people who have the privilege to be informed about planting trees are those living in the suburbs.  The older generation living in rural areas only grows trees for the shade. They do not realize that their lives depend on it.

The average number of houses per yard is five and their gardens are massive. These gardens have less use to them because of the climatic changes. The reason why the gardens are useless is the lack of knowledge of what is going on around the world.

If a person decides to reside right close to the river bank, it’s their choice and no one questions their motives and one is concerned about the forest and plantation they will be destroying while building their houses.

The department of water affairs and forestry need to start at the bottom where there is still hope to revive our indigenous forest. They owe it to the people to shed light to them about the dire situation they could be living in. They need to be taught that trees are more than just shade they are life

Xenophobia

Excuses for Xenophobia

South Africa is one of the most caring countries in the world. The country has its own special word for being generous, caring and most of the time accommodating. The word is Ubuntu.

Since the beginning of our young democracy, the government opened doors for our neighbours and fellow Africans to make themselves at home if they ran into trouble in their own homes.

For the past 2 years of my stay in Port Elizabeth, I have witnessed a very long que to the Department of Home Affairs. This que consists of fellow Africans  who want to live in our country.

Besides corruption and nepotism the national government tries to create employment for its people. It is not enough and the people need some one to blame for it. Who else but the poor visitor who has already overstayed their welcome.

To an ordinary South African a person from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ghana and all of the other countries in our poverty-stricken continent is a threat to their jobs. These people take the blame for the lazy people who choose to stay in the location and bask in the sun.

South Africans need to take into consideration of who was there for them when they were oppressed. Blessed are those with helping hands.

 Ask any South African citizen about human rights and they will tell you, yet the same people turn around and violate innocent people on the notion that they don’t deserve to be here.

The older generation does not realise what is instilling in the minds of the young generation.

South Africa you need to stop blaming people, stop cultivating excuses to chase your fellow Africans back to their homes. The sooner we work together the sooner we eradicate poverty and crime.

Bay Energy Saving

Bay Energy Saving

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is busy with a project of installing solar geysers in the townships.

Vuku Street in KwaZakhele is one of the beneficiaries of this project. The RDP houses in that area were built long ago and initiative like this could jeopardise the safety of these people.

These geysers are stuck on top of the roofs; those roofs are not strong enough to hold them. Furthermore the municipality will only take responsibility for the damages on the geyser and not the roofs. This raises concern because if anything should happen to those roofs the people will suffer.

Also the downside of this project is that these geysers use solar energy (the sun). During winter people use hot water for bathing showers not to mention tea, coffee and those hot chocolate cups.

The sun is very rare in winter therefore the people will still be using electricity to warm their water and the solar geysers useless. The really is no point in installing these geysers.

Climate Change

Every day we told to save water, save trees and to look after our precious planet.

Who is responsible for climate?

The people responsible for climate change are the ones who create cars, the people who drive those cars any person who releases

This is what we were left with to do our laundry

emissions and gases into the air.

Who suffers most from this climate change?

The people in rural areas are the ones who take the pinch because of this. They are the ones who have to suffer from lack of rain.

The Eastern Cape still has areas where the locals are completely dependent on the river. The government has limited programmes in place to deal with this.

If residents run out of water nothing is done by the municipality. The further you are from the municipality or town the less they care about you.

Many South African are deprived of the most basic needs.

I remember September last year we had to walk for an hour to get to the “cleanest” spring, when we got there we had to out cloths to filter the water.

In less than a week the whole village was up in arms because the bottom half of the village was accused of waking up very early, using too much water and others were doing their laundry.

The river was completely dry. To avoid killing each other, some people decided to walk for three hours  to the Kei River.

A lot of things like this event happen in these areas and no one in authority ever notices.

it is amazing what change in climate can do in one place. Drought can lead to poverty which leads to crime and violence