Unisa online - Kick the habit! Reduce your carbon footprin

Melanie Nicolau, Head of Geography at UNISA with the competition winners, Adriaan, Alexzander and Reiner

World Environment Day was celebrated in great eco-style at UNISA on 5 June 2008 in the Senate Hall. Hosted by the Department of Geography, this year's theme was Kick the habit! Towards a low carbon economy and it highlighted resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption. Three speakers from the industry drew attention to the day's agenda, which aimed at giving a human face to environmental issues. Dr Maggie Linington, the Executive Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) grabbed the attention of attendees by showing them the Earth Clock, a real-time simulation based on the changing nature of a range of environmental factors. Using statistics from a number of global sources, it provides information on the world’s population, CO2 emissions, waste production and much more.

Answering the question Should Africa contribute to climate change mitigation?, Ms Rina Taviv, CSIR, considered the various ways in which this could be done. One of the controversial issues is that of a carbon tax and Ms Taviv looked at the forms that this could take in South Africa. Mr Jason Schäffler, Managing Director of Nano Energy, spoke on Renewable energy in South Africa: potential and progression. He emphasised that, given the inevitable growth in demand, all energy will eventually have to come from renewable sources. Once believed to be too expensive, the recent price increases in traditional forms of energy mean that renewable sources such as solar, geothermal, hydro, biomass, wind, ocean current and wave are now increasingly cost-effective. However, he cautioned, there is still a great deal to be done before these alternative sources become mainstream.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the Clean Development Mechanism: Kyoto and beyond was the focus of Ms Ciska Terblanche, Anglo American Group. She gave an overview of the events leading up to the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 by 187 countries; a Protocol that, in essence, states that developed countries will reduce their GHG emissions to an average of 5,2% below 1990 levels by 2012, with specific targets varying from country to country. As a developing country, South Africa does not yet have to meet emission reduction targets. However, by 2012, both developing and developed countries will have to adhere to international greenhouse gas-reduction criteria.

The clean development mechanism (CDM) was introduced by Kyoto to offer economic possibilities for developing countries that are responsive to climate change. It enables public or private entities from industrialised countries to receive credits when they invest in emissions-reduction or carbon-sequestration projects in developing countries. Such credits can be generated by emission-free energy generation, reduced demand, including energy efficiency, or sequestration in the form of underground and forestry storage. These reductions are then available to the investor for trading on the open market as a commodity. Unfortunately, as Ms Terblanche pointed out, South Africa is a slow starter when it comes to implementing CDM projects, and is not benefiting greatly from the massive potential of the carbon trading market.

The Environment Day celebrations concluded with the announcement of the winners of the Children's Map Competition with its theme Many nations, One world. The Department received 423 maps from seven schools in Pretoria, Centurion and Rustenburg, and the entries were judged by Dr Maggie Linington (Executive Dean: CAES), Mr Charl Fouché (AfriGIS), Dr Wendy Ross (Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology), and Mr Kshetra Govindasamy (Master’s student in Geography).

The winner of the Under 9 category drew a special round of applause, as young Adriaan was only four years old. Special mention was given to Alexzander (7), Breinlyn Centurion Tuis Skool. Keneilwe Twala (12), Hamilton Primary School, and Reinier van Rooyen (10), Breinlyn Centurion Tuis Skool, were the joint winners of the 9–12 category, while Roschan Dekenah (15), Midstream College, scooped the 13–15 category.

Alexzander (7), Breinlyn Centurion Tuis Skool

Keneilwe Twala (12), Hamilton Primary School