The city continues to impress with its forward thinking from a green perspective.

Check out the website : http://www.durbangreencorridor.co.za/

This is an preservation, education and tourism initiative which seems to really be going places

Great video showing how the city is turning its dumps into energy generation facilities.

http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/2017027

The city has a new green roofing policy. It encourages people to green their roofs and in return there are rates rebates available...this may be why alot of the new developments on the beachfront and in Umhlanga have been incorporating roof gardens

Green Roof

Under climate change conditions urban areas will get hotter and Durban is likely to experience increased short, intense rainfall events which could lead to flooding. Green roofs assist in adapting to these impacts, by reducing the temperatures of buildings, reducing the ‘heat island effect’, and attenuating stormwater run-off. Green roofs can also potentially play an important role in mitigating climate change, by lowering the temperature of buildings and therefore reducing the use of air conditioners which utilize electricity. Green roofs are an example of how a single intervention can provide mutual benefits in terms of biodiversity enhancement and climate regulation.

Background

As part of the Municipal Climate Protection Programme, a trial green roof has been developed on an existing municipal building within the City Engineer’s Complex at 166 K.E. Masinga Road. This pilot project aims to:

• develop green roof guidelines for Durban, by determining the correct growing medium and indigenous plant species palette for use in Durban, and

• understand the benefits of green roofs, in terms of temperature regulation stormwater attenuation, inner city food production and biodiversity enhancement.

Current Status of Project

Maintenance of the established pilot green roof is ongoing as is research into appropriate planting media and planting palettes for Durban. Water harvesting systems for use on the green roof are also being developed, enhancing the sustainability of the project. At present, the project utilises the condensate from the air conditioning system of the City Engineers Building and utilises this water to irrigate the plants on the green roof. The benefits of green roofs are being monitored through the measurement of temperature, surface run-off and biodiversity on both the green roof and a corresponding control blank roof. The results to date indicate that the green roof can be up to 20 °C cooler than the blank roof and can significantly reduce surface runoff (e.g.: a 115 litre reduction over a 24hour period). The biodiversity component of this work involves collaboration between EPCPD and the Natural Science Museum. An initial study revealed that over a set period of time 1448 insects (from 66 different morphospecies) were captured on the pilot green roof compared to 55 insects captured on the blank roof. This suggests that a healthy ecosystem was developing on the green roof. Biodiversity monitoring is continuing on the green roof with refinement of techniques ongoing. At present, monitoring of insects that frequent the green roof at night is being investigated. A food crop study is underway on the green roof with indications to date being that green roofs may be able to be utilised for food crop production, enhancing inner-city food security.


Future Activities

• The determination of an appropriate growing medium and planting palette for use in the Durban area.

• Reporting on the viability of food crops.

• Investigate options for edging of green roofs; with fire protection, access and aesthetic benefits.

• Production of a green roof guidelines document.

Green Guidelines: Greening Durban 2010

Background

The Greening Durban 2010 Programme has developed a Green Guidelines Series, which promotes a more resource and cost-efficient way of designing, building and operating buildings and infrastructure throughout Durban. The series was developed to promote greater sustainability in the hospitality, business and domestic sectors for the 2010 FIFA World CupTM, but will also provide an important legacy for developments post-2010.


Current Status of Project

The Guidelines were launched at the Moses Mabhida stadium in February 2010 at an event attended by the Mayor, Councillor Obed Mlaba, who reiterated his support for the Greening Durban 2010 Programme.


The Green Guidelines can be downloaded from this website under the Publications folder.


Future Activities


It is envisaged that the Green Guidelines could form the basis for the development of Municipal bylaws and will be used to provide structure for future guideline documents produced by the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department.


For more information go to the Greening Durban 2010 website: http://fifaworldcup.durban.gov.za/Pages/GreeningDurban2010.aspx

The Blue Lagoon Green Hub is another large scale green project that aims to focus on the benefits of environmental tourism

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1179829

Durban is also a member of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change and actively participates in these world forum meetings with cities at the forefront of Green thinking

http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=10389

does Durban have kurb side recycling or any form of recycling?

does Durban have kurb side recycling or any form of recycling?

Yep, Every rubbish day we also have orange waste bags that are for paper and plastic.

Just to confirm, yes, the city has several domestic / household recycling initiatives, the most famous being the "orange bag" initiative (paper and plastic). This is to set to increase to more materials over time.

Check out the following links for more info on Durban recycling initiatives / info:

http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/cleansing/recycling

Yep, Every rubbish day we also have orange waste bags that are for paper and plastic.

We need to get something for glass now, Im all for collecting them and dropping them off at the bins but sometimes you dont get the time or they should put more of the bins around.

^^ there are companies that offer this service. My building splits everything into glass, paper, plastic and general waste

Thats interesting ive never heard of the orange bag initiative and im studying environmental management :) woops

Is this for the whole of Durban?
They should refuse to take rubbush away that is mixed or not properly seperated as they do in London, most people dont have time or the regard to take their rubbish to bins!

If they were to implement that your refuse bill will skyrocket. Its not that difficult to make one weekly trip to the enviro depots. There is even one at the hypermarket

Launch of the Working for Ecosystems Project at the Roosfontein Nature Reserve
Posted by Imagine Durban Webmaster
Monday, 06 September 2010

The philosophy behind the Working for Ecosystems concept is to build a holistic and positive interaction between local communities and the environment. Training and employment in the management of environmentally important areas allow for better supply of ecosystem goods and services, while creating a substantial number of jobs for local community members.

Date: 9 September 2010
Time: 10:30am
Venue: Syringa Avenue, Roosfontein Nature Reserve.

The Roosfontein Nature Reserve, although in existence for about 30
years has recently been zoned for residential purposes. In 2009-2010,
the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department (EPCPD)
spearheaded a project to improve levels of protection and management
that the Reserve enjoys.

Key stakeholders, of this project include the ward councillor,
Councillor Fawzia Peer, KZN Wildlife and the Parks, Leisure and
Cemeteries Department, that are part of a proposal to provide formal
protection of the nature reserve while at the same time allowing
certain areas of land to be developed for residential purposes. The
reserve is now in the process of being formally proclaimed as a
protected area, and the land will receive an appropriate
conservation-related zone. In the spirit of co-operative governance
and improved ecological resilience the EPCPD has, through its Working
for Ecosystems Programme, employed local community members to
undertake management of the invasive alien plant threat.

http://www.imaginedurban.org/index.php/Events/Launch-of-the-Working-for-Ecosystems-Project-at-the-Roosfontein-Nature-Reserve.html

Durban's green credentials often get overlooked. I therefore thought I would highlight some of the city's strengths in this regard.

Most residents of Durban (and SA) don't really realise what a fantastic city Durban is to live in. Aside from being the most lush city in the country (at any time of the year), Durban also contains a breathtaking amount of biodiversity and natural open spaces.

Here's a brief overview of:

1. Durban's amazing biodiversity (Durban lies in the middle of a biodiversity hotspot zone; SA has 2 such zones, the other being in the Cape).

AND

2. The Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D'MOSS), which was the first of its kind in the country (D'MOSS was established in 1989; it has since inspired similar initiatives in JHB, CT, and PTA). D'MOSS is the most advanced initiative of its kind in SA (and probably Africa too).

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1. BIODIVERSITY OF DURBAN

Durban is a biodiversity hotspot, meaning an area that has both the richest and the most threatened collection of plant and animal life on earth. Conservation International defines a hotspot as an area that contains at least 1500 species of vascular plants as endemics (unique to that particular area) and that has lost at least 70 percent of its original area.

South Africa is the third most biodiverse country after Brazil and Indonesia and is the only country in the world with more than one biodiversity hotspot. Durban is located in the middle of one of these hotspots, called the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Region. This includes terrestrial ecosystems (like grasslands and forests) and aquatic ecosystems (like rivers, oceans and estuaries).

In Durban alone, there are:

- over 2000 plant species (in comparison, the Cape Town Lowlands support more than 1466 plant species. The Cape Peninsula Mountain chain, which includes CT's mountains, contain 2285 plant species).

- 82 terrestrial mammal species (in comparison, 41 mammal species remain in Cape Town, with six recently extinct);

- 380 species of birds (250 bird species live in Cape Town, of which 10 are endangered, and with at least three becoming extinct in recent years).

- 69 species of reptiles (there are 48 reptile species in Cape Town, of which four are endangered, with two locally extinct).

- 25 endemic invertebrates (e.g. butterflies, millipedes and snails; There are approximately 111 endemic invertebrate species on the Cape Peninsula mountain chain, which includes CT).

- 37 frog species (there are 18 amphibian species in Cape Town).

Sources:

- Durban: http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/epcpd/image/Our%20Biodiverse%20City.pdf

- Cape Town: http://www.interenvironment.org/pa/katzschner.htm

Many of the vegetation types where these species occur are under serious threat. The KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt vegetation for example, used to occupy approximately 65% of Durban. By 2007, about 67% had been transformed by formal urban settlements and, to a lesser extent, cane farming. This level of habitat loss places many species in danger. We all need to learn more about indigenous plants and animals. Most of us can name hundreds of consumer brands but we cannot name the species that occur in our immediate environment. We need to begin taking notice of nature and appreciate the diversity of life around us.

The high-rise concrete jungle of the inner city centre of Durban is the home of several pairs of Lanner Falcons, a Red Data species, which feed on the city’s burgeoning pigeon population and nest on ledges on some of the skyscrapers.

The endangered Pink-footed Giant Black Millipede, Doratogonus rubipodus, is only found in the Hillcrest and Kloof areas where it lives in forests. Much of its habitat has been destroyed by development and alien invasive plants.

The use of indigenous plants and animals for medicinal and magical purposes, known as muthi, is a cultural practice that continues to thrive in South Africa today. Growing demand for medicinal plants has, in many cases, become unsustainable. The medicinal plant trade is recognised as an important local economic sector and in 2007 was estimated to be worth R21 million per annum and supporting some 13 000 traders and harvesters in Durban.

In order to protect and enhance the remaining significant ecosystems and biodiversity in Durban , as well as to ensure that people’s basic needs are met and that development of the city can proceed in a sustainable way, the eThekwini Municipality has developed the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (DMOSS) plan.

In order to prevent the possible extinction of plant species through overexploitation, a number of projects have been set up. Silverglen Medicinal Plant Nursery in Chatsworth is one example. It was established to prevent the unsustainable harvesting of medicinal plants from the wild. Techniques were developed to cultivate the medicinal plants needed by traditional healers and muthi-gatherers. Today, over 200 medicinal plant species are grown there.

The Municipality has also introduced a free education programme at the nursery to help combat over-harvesting in the wild. Traditional healers and muthi-gatherers are trained in plant identification, propagation, nursery establishment and management.

http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/epcpd/image/Our%20Biodiverse%20City.pdf


-----------------

2. THE DURBAN METROPOLITAN OPEN SPACE SYSTEM (D'MOSS)

D’MOSS stands for the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System, which was also previously known as the eThekwini Environmental Services Management Plan or EESMP. D’MOSS is a system of open spaces, some 74 000 ha of land and water, that incorporates areas of high biodiversity value linked together in a viable network of open spaces.

Examples of areas included in D’MOSS are nature reserves (e.g. Paradise Valley, Burman Bush and Kenneth Stainbank Reserve), large rural landscapes in the upper catchments and riverine and coastal corridors. Some areas of privately-owned land are also included in D’MOSS. D’MOSS is mapped by the Biodiversity Planning Branch of the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department (EPCPD) in consultation with relevant experts.

From a natural resource perspective, D’MOSS includes approximately 2 000 ha of dams; 2 400 ha of estuarine environment, including sand and mudbanks, mangrove and swamp forests; 11 000 ha of forests including dune, coastal and scarp forests; 7 500 ha of wetlands including floodplains, swamp forest and reedbeds; 6 700 ha of grassland including the threatened Ngongoni and Sandstone Sourveld grasslands; 15 500 ha of dry valley thicket; and 17 700 ha of woodland, including wooded grasslands.

Source: http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/epcpd/dmoss/what-is-d2019moss

In comparison, Cape Town's existing Protected Areas within the City (for example the Table Mountain National Park, the Blaauwberg Conservation Area, other reserves, conservancies etc), make up a total area of 52,654.57 ha (a further 45,362.53 ha of Natural Habitat Remnants (NHRs) is still theoretically available for conserving biodiversity in CT).

Source: http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/EnvironmentalResourceManagement/publications/Documents/BioDNet_Final_Report_02_2007_19122007172753_465.pdf

In Jhb, 30,219.78 ha of ecological open space currently exists within the Jhb metro.

Source: www.joburg-archive.co.za/planning/jmossreport.doc

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In the next few weeks, I'll try to highlight more of what Durban has been / is doing re: green initiatives.

fantastic overview. There was also a great article i read that Durban proposed to the sustainable cities meeting recently, will find it and post.

Durban first to sign up as eco protector
by Tony Carnie , The Mercury

September 09 2008 at 09:29AM

Durban has become one of the first cities in the world to make a firm commitment to protecting the fast-disappearing treasure store of natural and biological riches that sustain humanity.

Durban mayor Obed Mlaba was one of 21 city leaders from around the world who signed the "Durban Commitment" at uShaka Marine World last night during an international workshop on urban biodiversity being held in the city.

The Johannesburg, Cape Town and Ekurhuleni metro councils also pledged their commitment to the pioneering green cities initiative, which also includes Paris, Amsterdam, Bonn, Seoul, Seattle, Sao Paulo and Barcelona.

In signing the document, the 21 cities acknowledged their responsibility to protect biological diversity, which provides "the foundation of our existence".

Each city will be required to publish regular reports on the state of biodiversity in their boundaries and to state what progress they have made to protect their natural riches.

These documents would stand as a matter of public record, and the cities would also be required to include biodiversity issues in all partnerships and projects with the public and private sectors.

It will promote public procurement strategies that favour "eco-certified" goods and services, along with a commitment to rehabilitate degraded natural areas, and to control the spread of alien invasive species of plants and animals.

Each city would also be required to raise awareness about the value of "biodiversity", a term that remains poorly understood in many parts of the world.

Earlier in the day, Bob Burns, of the city of Seattle and neighbouring King County, United States, noted that most people understood the concept of protecting iconic species like the bald eagle or salmon, "but they are generally not familiar with the concept of biodiversity".

Burns said there was a lack of political will in his metropolitan area, while the national government also provided no leadership at all on the question of global climate change.

Opening the international workshop on Local Action for Biodiversity, eThekwini municipal manager Michael Sutcliffe observed that short-term economic profits of the capitalist system invariably dominated most societies.

Ami Koo, representing Seoul (Korea), reported that rapid urbanisation in her city during the 1970s led to the almost complete disappearance of green refuges. Rivers and streams were turned into open sewers and there was so little left of the natural environment, that city officials were now reclaiming garbage dumps or building artificial parks on city rooftops.

Elsabeth van der Merwe, of the Ekurhuleni council, said it was sobering to hear that Seoul had resorted to reclaiming rooftops as green lung areas, at a time when many South African cities were still "selling off their parks left, right and centre to developers".

Gary Hunt, of the city of Joondalup (part of Perth, Australia) said high school pupils were stencilling images of bright green frogs on to the pavements next to stormwater drains, as a reminder that toxic pollutants from the city eventually ended up in a nearby wetland area.

Representatives of Nagoya (Japan) reported that the average temperature in the city had risen by almost 3C over the past century as a result of the urban "heat island" phenomenon.

Nagoya was now planning several projects to counter the problem, including the restoration of degraded forests.


The 21 cities that have signed the Durban Commitment are: Durban, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Bonn, Cape Town, Curitiba, Edmonton, Johannesburg, Joondalup, Nagoya, Tilburg, Zagreb, Ekurhuleni, Ile de France (Paris), Seattle, Leicester, Liverpool (in Australia), Walvis Bay, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Waitakere (New Zealand).



This article was originally published on page 4 of The Mercury on September 09, 2008

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=143&art_id=vn20080909071507729C758076

Some interesting environmental trivia related to Durban...

Agenda 21 is a program run by the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development and was the planet's first summit to discuss global warming related issues. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans directly affect the environment.

Durban was the first city in South Africa to accept the Local Agenda 21 mandate as a corporate responsibility and has since been at the forefront of the Local Agenda 21 experience in the country. The programme is in its fifth Phase and includes the following projects:

State of the Environment and Development Report

Durban South Basin Strategic Environmental Assessment

Education and Outreach Initiative

Community Open Space Development

Durban Metropolitan Environmental Policy Initiative

Open Space Planning (3 phases)

Cities Environmental Reports on the Internet (CEROI) Project

Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level (APELL) Project

Cities for Climate Protection

Review of Environmental Performance in Local Government

Environmental Sustainability Partnership Project

Documentation of Durban’s LA21 Experiences as an International Case Study

Standardisation of EMP and Revegetation Specification


http://sustainablecities.net/plusnetwork/plus-cities/durban-s-africa

This is a project the city has been running for close on two years. fantastic work. click on the link to see the tv interview for Chinese television - it in english

Durban uses landill gas to produce power
09-25-2010 08:38 BJT

A landmark project that converts gas from household waste into energy is providing South Africa's city of Durban with much needed electricity.

Durban is the first city on the African continent to use landfill gas to produce electricity.

Millions of cubic meters of greenhouse gases have been captured and converted to electricity at one of the city's largest landfill sites.

The project extracts landfill gas comprising of 40 to 60 percent methane from dumpsites. This is done through gas wells and inter-linking pipe work.

Marc Wright, Engineer, Durban Solid Waste Project, said, "We generally concentrate on waste minimization or recycling, we are looking into composting and the chipping of our garden refuse and of course the renewable energy requirement to prevent the generation of electricity by coal fire powered stations, we are looking at renewable energy, on of the sources has been identified as landfill gas, and we have to capitalize on the renewable energy source, the free source of energy that we have coming from our landfills."

The project has also created employment opportunities for the communities living nearby.

Doris Buthelezi, Waste Sorter, said, "All I can say is that people should never be lazy. Whenever people see waste on the street, they must take it and bring it in for recycling to earn a living.I have managed to educate my children through recycling."

At the site there are also people hired to sort out other waste like paper and scrap metal which may not help produce gas but can be recycled separately.

The gas extraction has been reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the air quality in the surrounding communities in Durban.

http://english.cntv.cn/program/newsupdate/20100925/100765.shtml

Related news...

------------------

South Africa maps first deep-sea preserve
Features 2010-10-29 15:36
By Marine Veith

DURBAN, Friday 29 October 2010 (AFP) - Underwater canyons, deep-sea coral reefs and sponge banks are part of a unique ecosystem that South Africa wants to save within its first deep-sea marine protected area.

After 10 years of consultations, South Africa has mapped the boundaries for the proposed reserve stretching 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the eastern KwaZulu-Natal coast.

The mapping required synthesising the many divergent interests in the Indian Ocean waters, with 40 industries from fishing to gas lines to jet skis operating in an area home to about 200 animal species and their ecosystems.

"All of this data was then entered into conservation planning software in order to identify areas of high biodiversity while avoiding areas of high (economic) pressure," said Tamsyn Livingstone, the researcher who heads the project.

The conservation area is being born in a spirit of compromise, which will allow people and companies to continue using the protected waters in zones designated as lower-risk threats to biodiversity.

The scheme still needs to be passed into law, but would join South Africa's existing network of marine preserves strung along its 3,000-kilometre (1,800-mile) coast stretching from the warm Indian Ocean to the cold southern Atlantic.

South Africa has embraced this "participatory" method to protecting species living in its water, an approach pioneered in California and Australia.

Global goals for protecting biodiversity have been debated for two weeks at a UN summit in Nagoya, Japan, in an effort to set goals on saving habitats which would help to end the mass extinction of species.

Environmental groups want 20 percent of coastal and marine areas protected, they say China and India are lobbying for six percent or lower. Talks are supposed to wrap up on Friday.

Part of the challenge is in protecting species that are more often than not still unknown. Only one quarter of the estimated million species in the oceans have been discovered.

A global census of the oceans unveiled in early October uncovered prehistoric fish thought dead millions of years ago, capturing researchers' imaginations about what else lurks in the deepest parts of the sea.

"Offshore biodiversity is not well known," said Kerry Sink of the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

Exploring the seas remains an expensive project, prompting South African researchers to reach agreements to share information with fisheries, coastal diamond mines and the oil industry.

"South Africa's plan is unique in covering all industry sectors to ensure that biodiversity planning minimizes the impact on industry," she said.

"Healthy offshore ecosystems underpin healthy fisheries and keep options open for future generations."

With growing worries about climate change, scientists say the deep seas could become an important source of protein for the planet, because water temperature changes less at great depths.

That assumes that the growth of industry can be managed alongside the marine life, especially as oil companies find ways to drill in ever-deeper waters.

The explosion of a BP oil rig in April off the Louisiana coast, rupturing a 1,500-metre deep well, highlighted the risks.

It took five months to shut off the leak which caused the biggest the oil spill in US history, with 205 million gallons of oil flowing into the Gulf.

MySinchew 2010.10.29

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/47335

Greening Durban 2010 Programme
27 October, 2010

Environmental Planning & Climate Protection Department

Background

Durban was the only host city to commit to hosting an entirely carbon neutral 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup™ event. As a result the Greening Durban 2010 Programme included carbon neutrality as one of its key objectives. Hosting a carbon neutral World Cup event is an ambitious goal as the Durban leg of the World Cup event emitted approximately 307 000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2).

The magnitude of this commitment can be understood if one considers that the entire footprint for the World Cup held in Germany was approximately 100 000 tonnes of CO2! In order to meet the carbon neutrality challenge, a series of key interventions have been undertaken. These include: a green review of the stadia; waste, water and energy reduction projects, the Buffelsdraai Community Reforestation Project, biogas to electricity and hydropower offset projects.

Current Status of Project

Some of the major carbon management achievements of the Greening 2010 programme include:

1.The reduction of the installed energy capacity of the new 65 000-seater Moses Mabhida Stadium by 30%. This is equivalent to 1.2 million kWh per annum. This was achieved through the use of energy efficient design, mechanical systems and fittings.
2.Reduction of the future water footprint of the stadium by 74%, through rainwater harvesting, pitch-water recycling systems, intelligent irrigation for all landscapes, and water efficient fittings.
3.The Buffelsdraai Community Reforestation Project achieved its Greening Durban 2010 target of 82 000 trees planted before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
4.Production of the ‘Green Guideline Series’ for Waste Management, Water Efficiency, Landscaping and Energy Efficiency.


Future Activities

Currently the potential to extend the Greening programme beyond the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is being investigated. A review of the effectiveness of greening activities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will also be undertaken.

For more information, contact:
Dr Debra Roberts
robertsd@durban.gov.za
031 311 7875

Or visit the following website:
http://fifaworldcup.durban.gov.za/Pages/GreeningDurban2010.aspx


http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/mst/news/greening-durban-2010-programme/view

Cycling for green Olympics
SOHANA SINGH

A MUNICIPAL team of 17 participated in the MTN Amashova Durban Classic last Sunday in support of the city’s bid to host the world’s biggest climate change conference in Durban next year.

The 17th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Cop 17) will be held in South Africa next November.

The conference is the most important platform for international climate change negotiations. Following the failure to reach consensus at Cop 15 in Copenhagen last year, Cop 17 is viewed by many as the event where a binding greenhouse gas emission reduction agreement will be reached.

Derek Morgan, Manager of the Energy Office at the Municipality, said, “Cop is the Olympics of climate change. It is possibly the most important conference in the world. “If we are able to negotiate and agree to binding greenhouse gas targets at the Cop
17 and it is held in Durban, the ‘Durban Climate Change Agreement’ may guide economic and development policies worldwide for the foreseeable future. Durban will be seen as the city where the world addressed climate change.”

The Municipality’s team of cyclists was drawn from various units. Alison Stanley, of the Special Projects Unit who coordinated the ride, said, “Thirty eight kilometres is pretty far, even if it’s mostly downhill. But it was fun and it’s been great to see how keen staff
have been to support the bid.”

The team also included an electric bike or e-bike to promote e-bike use in the city. E-bikes are bicycle fitted with an electric motor to assist the rider on hills. The eThekwini Energy Office is testing one to see if it can be used for inner CBD transport. Although e-bikes are not strictly allowed to participate in cycle races, the MTN Amashova organisers were happy to allow the bike as part of the Municipality’s team in support the city’s Cop 17 bid.

singhsohana@durban.gov.za

https://www.ethekwini.co.za/durban/government/media/gazette/2010-2/october/october-22-2010/Metro%204%20Eng.pdf

Orange bag a big success

MACK MAKHATHINI

THE Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (DSW) has thanked residents for supporting its domestic orange bag recycling project and has called on more people to do their bit.

DSW’s Deputy Head of Strategic and New Development, Robert Abbu, said more than 800 000 households now received three-month packs of orange bags. The packs contain 15 bags for recycling plastic, paper and cardboard only. The bags are collected on the same day as the domestic waste collection.

Abbu reminded residents that collections take place on the day until 5pm and appealed to them not to use the bags for domestic or garden refuse.

Costs

“Orange bags with these types of waste are collected by our contractors and this leads to additional costs for the Unit as they will have to do a special collection of these bags,” said Abbu.

The orange bag initiative began with a pilot project in the Highway area in August 2007. It proved a success and since then DSW has been extending the service across eThekwini in phases.

About 1 200 tons of orange bag waste are now being collected a month for recycling. Meanwhile, as part of a DSW education and awareness campaign, households are receiving an Edu-Self manual. The manual, in English and isiZulu, is a guide to residents
on simple ways of separating waste for recycling and caring for the environment. Abbu said the project aimed to help protect the environment, re-use resources, reduce waste at landfill sites and promote the separation of waste at source.

He said in May DSW was awarded gold for innovations and sustainable practice by the Impumelelo Innovations and Awards Trust.

For comments or queries on the orange bag project, call the DSW Education and Waste Minimisation Section at 031 303 1665.

makhathinim@durban.gov.za

https://www.ethekwini.co.za/durban/government/media/gazette/2010-2/october/october-22-2010/Metro%204%20Eng.pdf

The city hasn't fully committed to this yet but is keen to implement if it gets funding...

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Urine for sale? Durban's in the market
MARINE VEITH
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
Nov 07 2010 06:56

Get paid to pee. That's the deal on offer in the South African city of Durban, where the city is looking to buy liquid waste to encourage residents to use dry toilets.

Aiming to improve hygiene and save money, the port city has installed 90 000 toilets that don't use a single drop of water in home gardens.

Now Durban wants to install 20-litre containers on 500 of the toilets to capture urine -- rich in nitrates, phosphorus and potassium, which can be turned into fertiliser.

A municipal worker would collect the jerry cans once a week and could pay about R30 to the family -- not a small sum in a country where 43% of the population lives on less than $2 a day.

Currently the tanks are emptied by each household, and the waste often ends up getting dumped into the environment.

Swiss lab Eawag and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are backing a study to draw up the modalities for the scheme, which is already winning fans.

"If we can turn the toilets into a source of revenues, then they will want to use the toilets," said Neil MacLeod, Durban's head of water and sanitation.

Most people are reluctant to use the dry toilets. In the sprawling township of Inanda, residents have ripped doors and roofs off the outhouses, annexed them to the main house, or completely stripped them away.

Discussing bodily fluids is so taboo that people are reluctant to explain their discomfort. One young mother accused thieves of stealing "the door and the toilet" from her outhouse, which she now uses as a garage.

'Faeces brings misfortune'
"When the [city] council brings the toilets to them, they look at it as an inferior system," said Lucky Sibiya, an outreach officer with the water department.

"People don't understand how important it is," he said. "There is a belief saying that touching the faeces brings misfortune."

As soon as they can afford it, people invest in a septic tank and abandon the dry toilets, which require spreading a layer of sand after each use and using separate sections for the urine and the solid waste. The tanks then must be emptied regularly.

Dry toilets were invented in Yemen centuries ago.

"They work well in rural areas because the fertiliser produced from the urine and the faeces is used locally," said Pierre-Yves Oger, a water and sanitation consultant based in South Africa.

"But in urban areas, there's a dissociation between the producer [of the waste] and the user of the recycled products, and it's very hard to overcome the psychological block," he said.

That's why few cities have launched large-scale dry toilet projects. Durban began its programme in 2002 when a cholera outbreak revealed the lack of hygiene in a city where more than a quarter of the four million residents have no sanitation.

To avoid having to install an entire sanitation system, and to save water, Durban opted for dry toilets. The city remains convinced that was the right choice.

"South Africa is a water-stressed country," said Teddy Gounden, who heads the project. "With the increase in demand for drinking water, we cannot afford to flush this valuable resource down the sewer." - AFP

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-11-07-urine-for-sale-durbans-in-the-market

Since this is the Green Durban thread...

...cross post from the Durban events thread on the city getting the UN COP17 Summit!

UN selects Durban for talks on climate
November 12, 2010 Edition 2
MELANIE GOSLING Environment Writer
DURBAN has won the bid for the UN's climate change talks next November, beating Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The negotiations, which were held in Copenhagen last year and in Cancun this year, are one of the biggest UN gatherings. About 35 000 to 40 000 people attended the talks in Denmark last year.

Having the climate talks was hotly contested as the gathering is likely to inject about R1 billion of spending into the host city.
The host city also enjoys a high profile for the duration of the two-week talks.

The purpose of the talks is to thrash out a global, binding agreement to tackle climate change after the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012. The talks failed in Copenhagen, and if the talks in Cancun later this month also fail to deliver, the negotiations in South Africa next year are likely to become "the big one" when the pressure will be on to reach consensus.

Some eyebrows have been raised by the choice of Durban, as the city has only one five-star hotel in a 15km radius of the city's conference venue. Cape Town has 18.

Questions have also been asked as to why the planned site-visit by UN staff was cancelled earlier this month at short notice without explanation. Some suggest this points to the fact that the decision was a political one, rather than one based on the city best able to host the event.

However, Joanne Yawitch, a deputy director-general at the Department of Environment Affairs, said yesterday that the decision had been based purely on the fact that Durban had the best facilities, adding that there was "nothing sinister" in the UN officials cancelling their visit.
"They were very involved with (the negotiations) in Mexico, and they could not come when we wanted them to. They agreed that we could go ahead," Yawitch said.

City of Cape Town officials were not available to comment.
melanie.gosling@inl.co.za

more on green Durban and the urine proposal..

South African city looks to turn urine into fertilizer
11 Nov 2010 09:39:52 GMT
Source: IRIN
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.

JOHANNESBURG, 11 November 2010 (IRIN) - South Africa's east coast city of Durban is looking at the feasibility of turning the urine it collects from 95,000 dry toilets into fertilizer.
Urine is rich in nutrients such as nitrates, phosphorus and potassium - vital ingredients of fertilizer, a precious commodity which has been rising sharply in price.
Durban is something of a trail-blazer in terms of planning for climate change. Aware of likely water shortages in the years ahead, it began installing dry toilets in 2005. Neil Macleod, head of water and sanitation in Durban Municipality, explained that the urine is currently piped away from the toilets and allowed to soak into the ground, but could be harvested.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided funding to conduct a feasibility study which began this week. Eawag, the Swiss aquatic research institute and the University of KwaZulu-Natal are partners in the study. The aim of the project is to put the urine to good use. "We would, of course, want someone to process the urine for us and we would like to provide the fertilizer to poor communities," said Macleod. jk/cb

Source: IRIN / Reuters and AlertNet

p2bsa, dont forget Durban will hosting World Deaf Federation next year July 2011. I cant wait for that!

^^Yes it's going to be a massive conference/MICE year for Durban/KZN!

Here some great Greenpeace PR for COP17, Durban!

PR-GREENPEACE-2011-UN
SAPA PR -- DURBAN WILL HOST THE 2011 UN CLIMATE TALKS
Nov 16, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Issued by: Greenpeace Reactive

Attention: News Editors

For immediate release:
DURBAN WILL HOST THE 2011 UN CLIMATE TALKS

Johannesburg, November 16 2010--- Durban has been chosen as the host city
for next November's critical climate conference - a year before the historic Kyoto Protocol expires. Today, Greenpeace Africa welcomed the announcement calling it a unique opportunity for South Africa in the fight against global warming.
Michelle Ndiaye Ntab, the Executive Director for Greenpeace Africa said: "As the hosting country, the South African government must seize this unique opportunity to push for a legally binding agreement to save the climate.

"And the country's international climate leadership must be matched with a clear commitment to act on the domestic level to ensure a clean energy
future."

Durban is to host the 17th meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties ("COP 17"), in November 2011.

"A great deal for the climate can be made in Durban next year, provided that South Africa seizes the opportunity to become a climate leader and takes responsibility for being the largest emitter on the African continent," said Ndiaye Ntab .
Currently the world is preparing to meet in Cancun, Mexico, ahead of next year's crucial Durban meeting.
As Ndiaye Ntab noted, "Cancun is a key stepping stone towards a deal in South Africa. It is vital that the Mexican and South African governments continue to show a willingness to lead, while concentrating on building trust after Copenhagen.

"The world's governments need to choose whether they make big steps in Cancun and Durban towards a clean energy future, or stick to business as usual and the fossil fuel industry, risking climate chaos and its economic, social and environmental consequences.
"Climate change threatens to have catastrophic impacts, and as the Kyoto Protocol first commitment period expires in 2012, the time for empty rhetoric has run out.

"Now is the time for action." added Melita Steele, Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace Africa.

For further information:
1. Fiona Musana, Communications Director, Greenpeace Africa 079 512 9381
2. Melita Steele, Climate Campaigner, Greenpeace Africa 0725608703

Source: http://www.link2media.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10387&Itemid=12

here what i found http://www.cop17durban.co.za/

Good find! :) Some nice info on that site.

Just explored that website and found a few things that can be improved, and information that needs to be amended. However, there is no webmaster address....

Another green initiative that Durbs has pioneered...

--------------

Water recycling
Go grey to keep going
Stafford Thomas
Thursday, 18 Nov 2010

SA is running out of water at an alarming pace, warns Engineering Council of SA vice-president Thoko Majozi.

“SA will reach the maximum consumption its water resources can sustain within about five years,” he stresses.

His warning is backed by a study reported in the SA Journal of Science this year which found that 98% of surface water is already allocated for use.

There are simple, inexpensive solutions that have been used worldwide for decades, says Majozi.

For households, one is reuse of water from basins, washing machines, baths and showers. Termed grey water, it constitutes up to 70% of household water usage, which in turn represents about 30% of SA’s water usage.

Uses of grey water include garden irrigation and that big water-waster, the toilet. Recycling grey water presents “a major business opportunity”, says Majozi.

It’s a business opportunity Cape Town- based Water Rhapsody (WR) seized 15 years ago and has developed into a national franchise. While the main use of grey water is for garden irrigation, it is also being adopted for toilets and commercial uses such car washing, says WR manager Andrew Malherbe. He adds that recycling grey water is mandatory in parts of Australia.

On a grander scale, a recycling plant commissioned by eThekwini (Durban) municipality in 2001 shows what can be done. The only one of its kind in SA, the plant supplies 40m litres of water daily to industry, says the city’s head of water and sanitation, Neil Macleod.

Even more ambitious, Namibia’s capital Windhoek has since 1968 recycled sew age water for household use. Macleod says the system blends recycled water and fresh water and is a solution that his department is considering for Durban. It is far cheaper than desalination, he adds.

While the thought of drinking recycled sewage may not be palatable, Macleod points out that many SA rivers are already “flowing sewers” and where water treatment plants are working effectively the water is 100% safe to drink.

Whatever solutions are found, Majozi’s message is clear: “If we don’t act now it will be too late.”


http://www.fm.co.za/Article.aspx?id=127154

Yeah, I've also seen a few things that could be improved and such, but its a nice site none the less...

They could expand the Durban Lingo aspect tho... they've left out all the important ones like "hundreds" etc :P

Thats a rather attractive website to have been created so quickly. It is clearly created by the city for if you click on the disclaimer it talks about all sorts to do with Durban 2010 and ethekwini (me thinks they will need to update this and make relevant..probably a result of the quick job in setting it up)

But good start and fast off the ground. I am sure there will be many builds going forward.

It seems the site is created by Adapt IT, as they had the world cup and other city website contracts...

A lot of the material seems to have been copied and pasted from the Durban 2010 website. Hopefully the content will undergo updates in time.

yup, as i said, was a quick job, but alot of the new green content is good

Some interesting facts and a sample of the city's green achievements for 2010:

- 307,208t Co2 - total Carbon Footprint for Durban

- 1st and only city in South Africa to commit to hosting a climate neutral World Cup event
- R25.6 million spent on Greening Durban 2010 Programme
- 104,000 trees planted on 100 hectares
- 400 community 'tree-preneurs' established
- 15 permanent jobs created
- 220 temporary jobs created
- 20,000 tonnes of CO2 sequestered over a 20 year period
- 1 major social and biodiversity investment area: "uMngeni River Estuary Precint"
- 1 uMngeni Green Hub built in the uMgeni Estuary Precinct
- 74% reduction of water footprint through rainwater harvesting, pitch water recycling systems intelligent irrigation for all landscapes and water efficient fittings
- 30% reduction in energy footprint of Moses Mabhida Stadium through the use of energy efficient design, mechanical systems and fittings
-4 Carbon Emissions Reduction projects registered as CDMs
-2500 bags of waste collected at a local business and community clean-up event held at the uMngeni Estuary
- 4 Green Guidelines produced –Green landscaping, Water Efficiency, Waste management and Energy Efficiency

http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/epcpd/image/The%20Greening%202010%20Programme%20in%20Numbers.pdf

Old, but some good nuggets of info on how the city has been planning.

Moses Mabhida scores 2010 World Cup for greenest stadium; Durban for greenest city. Part 1

June 17th, 2010 11:55 am ET.

Photos by Wanda Hennig


Anyone who has been in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town for FIFA 2010 World Cup matches will tell you: Durban is the warmest place to be for 2010.

What many don’t know is, right now, it’s also the greenest place to be.

Not just in terms of the vegetation, which is green and lush — but green as in sustainable.

For instance, by incorporating a “shades of green” analysis into the design phase of the city’s Moses Mabhida Stadium for the 2010 World Cup, energy and water requirements were reduced by 30 percent and 74 percent respectively.

“Essentially, Durban is the only host city that set a goal of carbon neutrality for 2010,” says Debra Roberts, head of eThekwini Municipality and Durban’s Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department.

Durban’s so-called Greening Durban 2010 Program was set up to address environmental issues associated with hosting the World Cup.

Durban, says Roberts, is the only 2010 host city committed to neutralizing the impact of World Cup 2010 on global climate.

The focus, among other things, has been on paying attention to and minimizing energy and water use, minimized waste and and recycling, and biodiversity protection and enhancement.

With the new Moses Mabhida Stadium, the city is committed to offsetting the carbon footprint now and into the future (the stadium’s life).

2010 Carbon Footprint

“To calculate, we took all the 2010 activities (excluding overseas travel) and came up with a carbon footprint of 307,000 tons of carbon dioxide. This is two- to three-times the footprint of Germany (hosts of World Cup 2006),” in part caused, says Roberts, by distances between South Africa's host cities and the lack of effective public transport options.

Moses Mabhida Stadium was designed using a triple-bottom-line approach, taking into account social, environmental and economic criteria.

Reductions in the energy footprint were made through energy efficient design, mechanical systems and fittings. Reductions in the water footprint came about through building in rainwater harvesting facilities, pitch-water recycling systems, intelligent irrigation for all landscapes, and water efficient fittings.

And — “We have introduced projects to offset the 2010 carbon footprint,” says Roberts.

For example, more than 82,000 trees have been planted, collaboratively with the Wildlands Conservation Trust, to green the area around the city’s newest landfill site. The intention is to restore a 650-hectare (about 1,600 acres) forest, which will not not only provide a haven for wildlife but will also buffer the landfill site and help protect important water resourcers.

Treepreneur Scheme

The project includes a “treepreneur” scheme, rewarding people who collect indigenous seed and germinate it to produce saplings for use in the reforestation project with food, clothes, bursaries and bicycles.

Similar re-forestation projects will be initiated in several other areas, with an emphasis on planting indigenous trees. The first of these roll-out projects is already under way.

The areas being restored and replanted in the eThekwini municipal area will not only offset some of the World Cup 2010 carbon emissions. They’re also training unemployed people and creating jobs.

Offset projects already in place and planned include both carbon sequestration (tree planting, reforestation, and suchlike) and carbon emissions reductions projects (for example, biogas, landfill gas to energy, and others cutting-edge sustainability efforts).

http://www.examiner.com/south-africa-travel-in-national/moses-mabhida-scores-2010-world-cup-for-greenest-stadium-durban-for-greenest-city-part-1

Cross-post from COP 17 thread....

--------------

Good to city the city's greening initiatives getting international attention...

-------------


COP17 in Durban, South Africa 2011
Part of: Climate change

Climate change Durban, South Africa- The next climate summit, COP17, for 2011 will take place in the South African city of Durban, showcasing to the world how they have adapted their city and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Michelle Lanning, 07/01-2011

With the jump into the new year, 2011 will be the year where the next Conference of the Parties (COP) will be held in Durban, South Africa from November 28 to December 9. While COP17 will be an important chance to further along those plans and agreements that were reached by all participating governments this past December at COP16, it will also be a chance to inspire a new wave of green activity with new ideas and success stories. South Africa will have an exciting chance to reveal to the world its creative and strategic solutions within Durban and set the stage for other similar projects to take way in many other locations around the world.
Click here to visit the official COP17 website: http://www.cop17durban.com/Pages/default.aspx

The operational government panel in charge of the development of such projects is the eThekwini Municipality. Under the eThekwini Municipality’s Municipal Climate Protection Programme, Durban currently has a few pilot projects successfully in operation. Here is a full list of these projects: http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/cleansing/gastoelec/landfill

Here are some things we can look forward to in the coming year:

The Projects

The first and possibly the most successful so far is the Green Roof Project, initiated in 2004. The programme aims to restore unused rooftop spaces into places that can simultaneously help combat global warming and on a smaller scale help tackle some issues with the city's infrastructure. “A strong emphasis has been placed on identifying climate change adaption projects that will improve the resilience of the city to future developmental, social and environmental challenges” the website notes. However uncertain those may be, government officials in Durban are preparing for some of those changes now. According to the project's website, the cornerstones of successfully completing this project are understanding the vulnerability of the city and its people to the impacts of a change in climate in the near future.

Heat Island Effect

The project was inspired by the "heat island effect" and high surface run-off issues that vex the city. The heat island effect describes the phenomenon where a city experiences temperatures higher than surrounding areas not within the city. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states, “The annual mean air temperature of a city with 1 million people or more can be 1.8–5.4°F (1–3°C) warmer than its surroundings”. As the climate is pre cursed to change and in many areas warm, there will be a higher demand for energy to regulate building temperatures. Air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions can be expected due to this and the heat island effect will only continue to intensify.

Many parts of Africa already currently face droughts year round. If the climate over Africa shifts, bearing even less rainfall, a resulting food shortage will be eminent. This is one of the aspects the Green Roof Project of Durban plans to address by implementing food growth strategies on city rooftops. City residents would be able to grow their own food locally and sell it locally, creating a sustainable market for the city.

Reforestation

Another project, the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project, was started in 2010, also under the eThekwini Municipality’s Municipal Climate Protection Programme. It is being supported by two local communities; the Buffelsdraai and Osindisweni. The people from these communities are responsible for supplying the project with their own collected seeds and trees. Not only does this project promote restoring the ecosystem back to a healthy medium through carbon offsets from providing reforested habitat with the ability to naturally sequester carbon emissions. Aside from that feat, it also promotes local involvement, improving their livelihood. This project's success can be measured from the 82,000 trees planted and the involvement of 500 community members. The project claims the result will be an offset of several thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 20 year period.

Greenhouse Gases

According to the Kyoto Protocol (Dec 1997), there are six gases listed greenhouse gases (GHG)including: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N20), hydro fluorocarbons (HFC’s), perfluorocarbons (PFC’s) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Methane is produced in landfills as wastes decompose. Methane gas (CH4) is 21 times more capable than Carbon dioxide (CO2) at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Although CO2 is far more abundant in the atmosphere than CH4, it still poses a great threat in terms of the warming planet.

Methane to Electricity

A third project that will be showcased in the COP17 summit meeting is the Marrianhill Landfill Gas to Electricity Project. Based on three landfill sites which are emitting greenhouse gases around the clock , Durban plans to utilize the CH4 gas and turn it into a renewed energy source. Currently, the landfill is producing around 400m3/hr of landfill gas with 0.5 MW of electricity which can be transferred to the city's energy grid. This project complies with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) that was proposed for sustainable development and prevent climate warming by way of limiting greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries by the Kyoto Protocol.

Much like the Marrianhill Landfill Gas to Electricity Project, the Bisasar Landfill Site is also involved in transforming methane gases produced from the decomposition processes into usable energy.

Building Momentum

These projects spotlight some necessary adaptations cities around the world may need to incorporate into their existing structural plans in the face of unforeseen changes that will result due to future climate patterns. There are many other locations around the world which have also implemented similar adaptations to their cities or technologies. However, by showcasing what a city in South Africa has done for its people, the hope will be to inspire more projects of similar force to pop up. Collectively, we as a global community need to build momentum in the coming years if we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly.


http://www.bellona.org/weblog/1294403601.78

It is indeed a big year for Durban and a rightful venue to showcase some of our world leading green initiatives

Gas-to-electricity projects help municipalities at peak times

EThekwini’s landfill methane gas project will sustain itself despite uncertainty from investors, writes Edward West

EDWARD WEST
Published: 2011/02/10 06:25:49 AM

ETHEKWINI’s landfill gas-to-electricity project will pay for itself, even as global environmental talks continue to create investment uncertainty in the renewable energy market.

This is according to eThekwini Plant and Engineering deputy head John Parkin, who is at the operational helm of the first landfill methane gas- to-electricity project on the continent.

It was commissioned in 2006, and involves the generation of 1MWh of electricity from the Mariannhill Landfill Conservancy, while the landfill at Bisasar Road in Durban will generate 6,5MWh .

Although the project is relatively small in terms of Durban’s overall electricity consumption of 1700MWh , it is the only municipality in SA to have developed such a project on a commercial scale.

A methane gas project has been developed in the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality, but it is not yet at the stage where it generates electricity.

There is also a smaller gas- to-electricity project operated by a private company in Richards Bay.

Many municipalities sell their landfill gas project potential for royalties on electricity sales to private operators, who to take on most of the business risk, but also take most of the financial benefits .

Eskom spokeswoman Hi lary Joffe says the utility welcomes non-Eskom power generation initiatives — such as the landfill gas project in Durban — because of the gap between future sources of electricity supply and growing demand .

The utility already buys some electricity from other municipalities, she says.

The eThekwini project feeds power into the municipal grid. However , at this stage it is not feasible to consider supplying Eskom’s national grid, given that the municipality buys electricity at a lower rate than the suggested feed-in renewable energy rates, Mr Parkin says .

The methane project generates electricity for the municipal grid worth about R2,5m per month in winter months, and about R1,2m in summer. The project’s electricity essentially replaces some of the bulk power the municipality buys from Eskom and it reduces its peak power requirements.

Together with anticipated carbon credit sales, the project is expected to generate R49m in sales per year .

This means it will take about three years to repay the R105m capital investment.

Currently, Durban is awaiting verification of its carbon credits by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) , a process that has already stretched to more than 14 months.

Carbon credit payments are paid through the UNFCCC, and there is uncertainty whether this UN body will remain the main operator of the regime beyond 2012. Japan , for instance, has argued that a more market-orientated system, such as regional stock exchange listings, may be more suitable to administer the carbon credit programme.

The issue is likely to be debated at the 17th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change to be held in Durban this year, says Mr Parkin. In the meantime, eThekwini’s gas-to- electricity project is having to get by without the income from carbon credit sales.

Mr Parkin says the landfill gas project has generated about 66000 carbon credits, while a second tranche is expected to come to 320000 carbon credits.

The carbon credit agreement was signed at a rate of more than ¤14 per credit.

Durban has the capacity to install one more landfill methane gas facility, but this expansion is on hold until the cash flow improves.


weste@bdfm.co.za

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=133879

KZN coastal plan announced
Feb 15, 2011 1:53 PM
By Sapa

http://www.timeslive.co.za/multimedia/dynamic/00028/356402_2056482_jpg_28436b.jpg

Sand artist Isaac Ngcobo (21) from Inanda on the Durban beach front.
Photograph by: Rogan Ward

Measures aimed at dealing with coastal erosion and protecting ecologically sensitive areas in KwaZulu-Natal have been announced.

“We are launching this initiative to protect our coast. Unless our coast is properly managed, we will lose this priceless treasure,” said environmental affairs MEC, Lydia Johnson during the launch in Durban.

She said the popularity of the province had resulted in high population density and urbanisation which exerted pressure on the ecologically sensitive coast.

“While all this (development) contributes to the province's growth, we must make sure not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” she said.

The pressure people exerted on the coast would make them vulnerable to the effects of climate change, sea-level rise and coastal erosion, she said.

Johnson launched two documents produced by the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in which her department aimed at managing the coast better.

“The 'Understanding our Coast' guide is the first product of its kind in South Africa aimed at making people understand that out coast is a unique asset,” she said.

The guide would be distributed to every part of the province, she said.

The second document launched was the coastal vulnerability index, a decision support tool for the management of the coastal zone.

“It enables our coastal managers to better assess the risk and vulnerability of our coast to the potential effects of extreme storms and erosion,” Johnson said.

The KwaZulu-Natal coast experienced devastating storms and high tides which damaged many properties on the coast and caused massive erosion in 2007.

The tool would be distributed to district municipalities along the coast.

According to ORI documents distributed during the launch, it was important to manage the coast properly due to the potential for tsunamis, cyclones and sea-level rise.

Johnson said coastal management needed an integrated approach, saying that the coastal environment generated goods and services of R60 billion per year.


http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article915312.ece/KZN-coastal-plan-announced

Umngeni River Green Hub Opens
14 February, 2011
THEMBA KHUMALO

DEPUTY Mayor Logie Naidoo has urged Durban residents to spread the word about the new Green Hub on the banks of the uMngeni River at Blue Lagoon. Speaking at the official opening of the facility, Naidoo said, “We expect this place to be the centre of attraction during this year’s UN climate change conference.” He said the uMngeni estuary was one of the most important bio-diversity assets in the eThekwini Municipal Area, as it was one of the few remaining estuarine habitats on the KwaZulu-Natal coastline.

“The estuary is surrounded by unique riverfront parkland and is the only place in the city where people can experience the combination of the beach, estuary and river, with all their associated activities and offerings, in a setting that protects and preserves the crucial biodiversity of the area,” Naidoo said. Project Manager, Sustainable Development, Gary Cullen said one of the Municipality’s goals was to position the uMngeni Valley for Olympic water sports in support of Durban’s possible bid for the games. The aim was to portray Durban as a beautiful, lifestyles city working to preserve its natural environment, roll back poverty and achieve social harmony and local economic development “We want to transform the uMngeni Valley into an iconic leisure zone for adventure sport, nature-based recreation and cultural and ecotourism.

Adventure

“The core concept is a network of multi-use trails and adventure activity nodes linking the beachfront and sports precinct with the estuary, along the valley up to the eThekwini boundary and, ultimately, through to the Drakensberg,” Cullen said. City Manager Michael Sutcliffe said the Green Hub was one of the City’s many world Cup Legacy projects. “We were the only city ever to hold a carbon neutral event. This place is going to do a lot in promoting eco-tourism,” Sutcliffe said. The R4-million building was designed by the Municipality’s architecture department. It gets its power from solar panels, harnesses rainwater and uses low-energy lights. Breezeblocks under the building allow for cool air to enter the building. It is open every day from 8am to 4pm.

For more information call 031 811 5183 or e-mail info@durbangreencorridor.co.za or khumalotk@durban.gov.za

http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/city-government-news/umngeni-river-green-hub-opens-1/view

Feb 23 2011 10:33AM

Durbanites urged to save water, reduce pollution
|
Durban residents need to become more actively involved in conserving water and preventing the pollution of rivers and surrounding areas.

The city suffers estimated water losses of almost 300 million litres a day and faces increased pollution that is threatening the quality of its water supply.

Visvin Reddy, chairman of the city’s procurement and infrastructure committee, said the municipality was under pressure to conserve water.

“Residents should take responsibility, start conserving water and avoid irresponsible disposal of waste products, as this can block sewers and drains,” Reddy said.

He urged residents to clear their gardens of alien vegetation and weeds to prevent roots and creeping plants from obstructing sewerage pipes.

Reddy pointed out that burying pets’ faeces, or bagging and disposing of them in bins, would also help reduce pollution.

The city has also called on residents to keep storm water out of sewers, to avoid overflows and blockages which add to the damage caused by run-off water.

Another major contributor to blocked sewers and drains is the irresponsible disposal of waste products, including the flushing of fats, used cooking oils, old rags, sand and other foreign objects.

Reddy’s call comes amid increased demand for water in the city that is placing severe pressure on Durban’s water resources. Authorities have warned this could lead to increases in water supply and sewage disposal.

Residents can report water pollution and illegal dumping by calling 080 131 3013 (toll free) 24 hours a day. -TNA Reporter


http://www.thenewage.co.za/11180-1008-53-Durbanites_urged_to_save_water,_reduce_pollution

eThekwini's new head of health has been a disaster since being appointed. I hope she gets canned soon. Making this change will be a huge step backwards for the city and SA...

-----------------

Fears for Durban polluter watchdog

February 28 2011 at 10:55am

TONY CARNIE

Durban’s award-winning air pollution department is being torn apart in a staff restructuring plan which threatens to emasculate the city’s ability to control big industries in south Durban.

Siva Chetty, the air pollution official who set up the department nearly a decade ago after a public outcry about pollution and health problems in south Durban, has also resigned as head of the pollution control and risk management section.

Insiders say the total staff complement of the pollution section is being chopped down by nearly 75 percent, and several experienced staff are looking for jobs in the private sector.

“They are breaking up the whole department and taking this city backwards,” said a former staffer who maintains close contact with former colleagues.

“This is tragic, because Durban is recognised as the leading municipality in the country in monitoring and managing air pollution.”

The unit helps to monitor and license emissions from refineries and 106 other industries in the city.

A senior departmental official, who would not be named for fear of job security, said: “There are a lot of concerns about plans to absorb the permanent pollution staff into other areas of the health department and it looks like there will no longer be a stand-alone air pollution section.”

Chetty refused to comment, though colleagues said he had clashed with city health chief Nomakhosi Gxagxisa about a new staff organogram which weakened the pollution control unit.

Gxagxisa has worked at various state hospitals, including Umlazi’s Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital. Last year, she was embroiled in a nepotism row after her son Nceba landed a job in the department she headed, but Gxagxisa denied she had played a role in his appointment.

Insiders suggest that Gxagxisa wants to restructure the department to focus on primary health care issues, and redeploy staff from pollution control into other health posts.

A former staffer who resigned to join the private sector said: “This is a big worry because it won’t take long for some big industry to sense a weakness in a unit which no longer has much experience or capacity.”

“What is going on here?” asked Desmond D’Sa of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance.

Redundant

“Siva Chetty is the most experienced municipal air pollution official in the city and probably the country, and now they are pushing him out by making his post redundant.

“We are about to host a major world summit on climate change and this raises very serious questions about the city’s commitment to climate change, air quality and human health.

“From what we are hearing, several officials have been given a hard time by Gxagxisa and are too scared to speak out.”

D’Sa said the department was established after long-standing concerns about health and pollution problems came to a head in late 2000.

“Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki also intervened at various stages, and it took a huge effort to get local, provincial and national government together to start tackling the problems in Durban via the Multi-Point Pollution Plan.”

A peer-reviewed medical study in 2002 showed that Merebank primary school children had one of the highest asthma rates in the world, and Chetty’s department has also pushed for a dedicated cancer registry in Durban to probe links between pollution and cancer in the area.

Overall sulphur dioxide pollution levels in Durban have also dropped sharply in the past decade because of tougher emission control measures for big industries.

“Now it looks like we are going back to business as usual for the big polluters,” said D’Sa.

Bobby Peek, of the groundWork environmental justice group, said Chetty’s resignation could not have come at a worse time as Premier Zweli Mkhize had just announced plans to expand the petro-chemical industry in south Durban.

“It is possible that Siva’s resignation is linked to internal politics, but how do we know that heavy industry has not been lobbying to move him aside? Perhaps there was a fear that his department was becoming a bit too powerful?”

“I have had several big fallouts with him over the years,” said Peek, “but I also have a great respect for what he has achieved in difficult circumstances and he needs to be commended for his work.”

The unit won a National Association for Clean Air award in 2009 for “dedication, innovation and consistent efforts in the long-term monitoring and reduction of air pollution”.

A senior city official who works under the direct control of Gxagxisa, and did not wish to be named, said he feared he pollution unit could fall apart without a senior leader to motivate for budgets and political support.

Gxagxisa and municipal manager Michael Sutcliffe have not responded to queries by The Mercury.


http://www.themercury.co.za/fears-for-durban-polluter-watchdog-1.1033445

Why exactly do we hire people who have even been implicated in scandals to high powered positions in the municipality...

Drives me nuts when we have such a pool of talent to derive from in this city, and we piss it away by appointing useless wankers who have a political agenda.

This is a great initiative. I hope Cornubia takes the same approach. Could save the city lots of electricity...

----------------

Mega Solar Scheme To Improve Lives
01 April, 2011
Story By: KHAYA SENGANI and AYANDA DUBE

The Department of Energy plans to roll out a million solar heaters over the next five years, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters announced in Durban last Friday. Peters was speaking at the launch of the Municipalitybacked Shisa Solar Water heating campaign at Imbaliyethu Primary school, in Welbedacht. She was accompanied by her deputy, Barbara Thomson, Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo and officials from all spheres of government. “This is one way of improving people’s lives. Solar heaters do not only save electricity but save money and you do not have to pay for it.

It is important to save electricity so the government can provide electricity where it is needed most. “Solar heaters reduce our over-reliance on electricity. We need to educate the public about saving electricity to mitigate the effect of climate change, said Peters who commended eThekwini for being the first Municipality in the country to use landfill sites for electricity generation.

The Shisa Solar initiative comprises the Shisa Community and the Shisa Neighbourhood programmes. The community programme aims to retrofit 34 000 low-pressure solar water heaters into RDP houses by the end of May. Derek Morgan, Senior Manager of eThekwini’s Energy Office, said 4 000 had already been installed across the Municipality. “Many of these low-cost housing units had no access to hot water. This initiative aims to raise the quality of life of residents, while not placing additional strain on electricity supply,” Morgan said. Ward 72 resident, Jabuliphiwe Bali, whose home was visited by the Minister said, “I am happy to have the solar water heater installed in my house because I do not waste electricity anymore”. The Shisa Neighbourhood Programme targets middle- to high-income households and will encourage homeowners to join forces with their neighbours to go solar.

Affordable

The Municipality’s Energy Office will help in the process of bulk purchasing from reselected, reliable service providers through the official Shisa Solar website, www.shisasolar.org.za. If enough residents register in their neighbourhoods, they will be formed into a buyers’ consortium, with the economies of scale created ensuring solar water heaters they purchase are affordable. Naidoo said the solar energy campaign was an important step towards the Municipality’s vision of making Durban the most liveable, caring and green city. “People must have access to hot water to improve their lives. The Municipality is doing its best to deliver services to the people.

We have provided free houses, water, electricity and now the solar water heaters,” said the Deputy Mayor. The four service providers who are installing the solar water heaters donated R50 000 each to the Imbaliyethu primary school. Call 031 311 1444 for more information on the installation of Shisa solar water heaters.


senganik@durban.gov.za or dubea@durban.gov.za



http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/city-government-news/mega-solar-scheme-to-improve-lives/view

Bright Idea For Clermont Taxi Rank

18 April, 2011

Story By: METRO REPORTER

In an environmental first for eThekwini, the Municipality’s Economic Development Unit launched a solar powered taxi rank in Clermont recently. The R8.5-million rank upgrade is an important part of plans to regenerate the Clermont and KwaDabeka areas, serving as the transport hub connecting various internal routes with main destinations like Pinetown and the Durban city centre. The regeneration programme is funded by the Neighbourhood Development Partnership Grant, aimed at transforming townships into sustainable and neighbourhoods through private sector investment and public funded projects.


Clermont has also benefited from an upgrade of Zazi Street and Christianenburg Roads, the KK Hostel node and the sports precinct, including the soccer stadium and the swimming pool. The rank was designed to use electricity generated by solar energy for its daily operations. Although the solar design cost more, the designers felt that the long term cost savings and the environmental benefits of using clean, renewable and sustainable energy made the extra expense worthwhile. The original plan was to power the entire rank, including the office and toilets, with solar energy, but the need for a stove in the administration area’s kitchen meant the development had to be connected to the Municipal electricity grid, but only to be used if necessary.

The solar plant powers all the lighting and computers. Eighteen 210w solar panels were installed on the rank’s canopy, providing an average daily energy supply of 25 704Kwh. These panels feed into a bank of 44 batteries via a charge regulator. The batteries are rated at 102 Ampere-hours and are housed in a storeroom in the office building. The batteries, when fully charged, have sufficient capacity to run the building for 20 hours without any charge from the panels. Energy efficient LED light fittings were selected for the canopy and area lighting and the general areas in the office building.


http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/discover/news/bright-idea-for-clermont-taxi-rank/view

SOUTH AFRICA: Global lessons from Durban’s climate change challenges

JOHANNESBURG, 24 May 2011 (IRIN) - Five years ago, the South African port of Durban - threatened by storm surges and sea-level rise - pioneered a cross-sectoral climate adaptation policy similar to ones in London and New York, but is now experimenting with new policies more suited to a developing country.

Climate change was seen as a distant threat and not a priority by sectors such as housing which urgently needs to deliver to a majority of the population denied proper homes during apartheid.

The city is torn between environment and development agendas - and problems such as 34 percent unemployment, a housing backlog of 200,000 units, and a third of pregnant women attending ante-natal clinics being HIV-positive, have not made matters easier. It also faces enormous service delivery backlogs, weak capacity and limited sectoral buy-in.

During what the local authorities called the Headline Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, it became evident that there were departments such as public works and strategic planning that were not even aware of the need to build a climate change adaptation strategy, while others like water - more obviously vulnerable to climate risks - were more receptive.

Disaster management and its capacity to support disaster risk reduction is central to any adaptation policy. In a perfect world a city’s disaster management unit would work with all sectors to develop early warning systems, identify vulnerable areas and communities, and draw up strategies to reduce risk and climate-proof infrastructure.

But one of the biggest stumbling blocks was the perception of Durban’s disaster management unit as merely organizing relief during a crisis. The unit lacked capacity, said Durban’s deputy environmental head, Debra Roberts.

Roberts and Durban were brave enough to admit to the failure of the integrated adaptation strategy and move on. "When I admitted that the cross-sectoral approach did not work for us at an international conference, I had officials from Asian cities come and thank me for saying that," she said.

"It is one thing to talk about emerging trends in adaptation policy but another when you actually get to implementation," she added.

Starting small

The idea now was to start small and focus on specific sectors - "ones that were aligned with existing business plans, development objectives and available funding and skills," said Roberts. The city adopted two pilot sectors - water and health - because of their vulnerability to climate risks.

But it became clear that despite the best intentions of the two sectors they would not be able to respond to all the impacts such as displacement of communities, an increase in human injuries, multiple emergencies over a wide geographical area, disease outbreaks and food shortages. The need for developing an adaptation plan for the disaster management unit became all the more relevant.

Pilot plans are being put in place, said Roberts. While the water sector has done well, the health sector and the disaster management unit - affected by skills shortages - have made little progress.

But as she puts it: "There is the sobering realization that, despite the serious risks posed by climate change, it is very basic institutional and resource challenges that are currently delaying appropriate disaster management planning, and not factors such as lack of access to new technologies and more sophisticated data sets."

Durban’s innovative policies have led to important lessons for urban settlements across the world, said David Satterthwaite, a senior fellow at the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), and lead author of the chapter on urban adaptation in the Fifth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to be published in 2014.

Climate change projections

Rainfall in Durban is expected to become intense but last for shorter periods and the number of days with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius is likely to increase in another 60 years, according to climate change projections for the city prepared by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa.

The combined impact of the change in the rainfall patterns, and high temperatures, will affect water availability, agriculture production and food security.

Durban has already begun recycling sewage water to potable standards to reduce pressure on fresh water, but it needs to implement plans to increase the absorption capacity of the urban landscape in view of possible storm surges and flooding, improve drainage and storm sewer designs, Roberts said.

The health sector is pushing for improved systems able to cope with an increased caseload of emergencies. Higher temperatures may also cause malaria to spread to previously unaffected areas in Durban, the projections indicate. There is also a possibility of heat-related deaths and the spread of water-borne diseases.

"You need complete buy-in from the highest levels… Besides, each sector - be it housing or health - has different agendas and capacities," IIED’s Satterthwaite pointed out, adding: "Roberts and Durban will ultimately end up with a multisectoral approach - what she [Roberts] is doing is going about it in a sensible and pragmatic way."

Durban will host the main round of UN climate change talks in December 2011.


[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]


http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=92798

Motorised bikes could be on the cards for city officials and residents soon. This initiative will really boost Durban's green credentials...

-------------

Monday Jun 27, 2011

Durban bicycle plan kicks into gear


Think bike - for this is the future of eThekwini as the city begins massive construction of cycle lanes set to change the face of transport in the region.

In the coming weeks, eThekwini residents will have to put up with major construction and lane closures on the M4 northern freeway as the city begins to extend cycle routes in the Blue Lagoon and Umgeni Bird Park areas.

And soon cycle lanes will extend to other key city attractions such as the ICC and Wilson's Wharf, and then from Umhlanga to KwaMashu and Umlazi.

Carlos Esteves, deputy head of road system management, said this was part of the city's transport plan and a move towards non-motorised transport.

Electric bikes are another form of transport that the city is investing in to reduce vehicle traffic in the central business district.

"The contract for the widening of the M4 bridge for pedestrians/cycling has just been awarded.

"This will be linked to the Green Hub at Blue Lagoon and to the proposed extension of the beachfront walk/cycle promenade between Blue Lagoon and the Country Club beach," said Esteves. The work would cause disruption to the M4 bridge as lane closures would be required to accommodate construction, he said.

A ramp along the edge of the M4 offramp to Riverside Road and then all the way to the Bird Park will also be created.

The city will then begin the first phase of cycle routes between the ICC and the beachfront, Wilson's Wharf and the Botanic Gardens.

While Esteves acknowledged that there would be some challenges along the way, these lanes were part of the full network of cycling for the city. "This includes other systems in Umlazi, KwaMashu, Umhlanga, as well as linkages to rail stations etcetera which are in the planning stage." It would be early next year before that was "bedded down", he said

The city aims to have Metro officers patrolling the beachfront on electric bikes and other city staff will help "lead the way" in commuting, deliveries, and inter-CBD transport.

"We are trying to find ways of removing as much unnecessary vehicular traffic from the beachfront promenade as possible, as well as raising the profile of e-bikes (electric bikes) as an alternative mode of transport," said Esteves.

He said there were also significant environmental and health benefits to promoting cycling in the city.

"One of the barriers to the use of bicycles is the summer heat, as well as the fact that the climb to the Berea, for example, is discouraging. To look to counter these we believe ebikes provide a viable alternative for the 1-to 10-km journey," said Esteves.

While the cost-savings of this form of transport would "take time" to be realised, commuters might find themselves also using e-bikes in and around the city.

They would also be talking to businesses to see if there were ways to jointly encourage the use of nonmotorised transport in the CBDs, and make it popular, he said.

The Independant on Saturday


Posted at 06:34AM Jun 27, 2011 by Editor in Cities and Towns



http://www.iolproperty.co.za/roller/news/entry/durban_bicycle_plan_kicks_into

South Africa: Harvesting Nutrients That Are Flushed Away
Julie Frederikse
28 June 2011

Durban — It might seem unusual for a waste utility to be concerned with the goal of ending world hunger, but that's part of the mission of the Water and Sanitation department in South Africa's second largest city of Durban. AllAfrica's Julie Frederikse spoke with Neil MacLeod, who heads this department for the municipality known by its Zulu name, eThekwini.

"Intensive agriculture requires fertilizers, whose main component is phosphorus, yet where does our phosphorus go after it goes into crops and is digested?" said eThekwini Municipality Water and Sanitation director Neil MacLeod. "Into a toilet. And then it goes into a treatment works, then into a river, and it gets washed into the sea."

With an estimated 30 percent of household water used to flush Durban's toilets - water which the city has paid to pump and purify - MacLeod sees flushing toilets as unsustainable technology. Like much of Africa, South Africa is water-scarce, with water restrictions expected soon for this city of 3.7 million, whose population is swelling by some 150,000 people per year.


http://allafrica.com/img/csi/00171351_926b477da7ef10a0793d24e4df286ce7/w260x.jpg
The Urine Diverting (UD) toilet


MacLeod sees salvation in an alternative toilet that uses no water at all. Called the Urine Diverting (UD) toilet, it separates urine from faeces so that nutrients can be recovered and returned to the earth. Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus - aka NPK 5:3:1 - is an excellent fertilizer for growing vegetables.

Africa's busiest port city started installing UD toilets in 2003. Some 70,000 are now in use in all its outlying areas. One of the largest dry toilet schemes in the world, eThekwini municipality's effort is seen as offering a potentially replicable and sustainable sanitation model for municipalities elsewhere in Africa.

Backed by a four-year U.S.$3-million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the city of Durban has started to harvest the urine from its UD toilets. Nutrients are being extracted with technical assistance from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag).

"Now we're doing the research to see how we can turn the collection of urine into a business," MacLeod explained. The city has found entrepreneurs who are prepared to remove the urine for processing. Efforts are underway to take small businesses to scale, as job creation is desperately needed in this city where about 40 percent of the population earns less than $2 a day.

Other areas that Durban's sanitation project aims to research include finding ways to recycle sewage water, to grow algae in treated water and to use the biodegradable contents of waste to generate energy. "Then we solve our three problems," concludes MacLeod. "We have sustainable water, agriculture and energy. You see how waste is the key to a sustainable future for developing countries? So treat it as a valuable thing, and not something nasty."

Overcoming the nasty part remains a challenge. AllAfrica spoke to some residents of the informal settlements that are home to an estimated 900,000 people in eThekwini municipality to find out their views on dry toilets.

Agnes Mthethwa, 37, a domestic worker, had not heard about plans to build dry toilets from the ward councilor who represents her area. She uses a pit latrine outside the shack where she lives in Bester Camp, near the mainly Indian and African township of Phoenix, and says the municipality doesn't care enough about people in the informal settlements.

Zwelibabanzi Ntombela, 42, was also unaware of the new sanitation plans.

"I haven't heard about dry toilets, but it doesn't sound like they would be suitable for people like us," she said. "Maybe it's something for people in rural areas." Now that he found a training position with the city's transport department, he has installed a flushing toilet in his house in Inanda Newtown township, on the outskirts of Durban.

Community leader Thembinkosi Qumbela, 45, uses communal ablutions and toilets in the Mayville shack settlement where he lives, just a few kilometers from the city centre. For him: "Toilets are not about saving water - they're about the dignity of people living in informal settlements."

Water and Sanitation head McLeod knows that these are the kinds of attitudes that eThekwini municipality will have to overcome. That's why his department's outreach goal is "how to make dry toilets sexy".

"The flushing toilet was invented in 1860, for Queen Victoria, and we use practically the same toilets today," says MacLeod. "If I gave you a cellphone that was made in 1980, you'd say, 'I don't want that thing, I want a Blackberry, or a Nokia or a smartphone,' because the technology has advanced. So I want you to see a flushing toilet like the cellphone of 1980: clumsy, wasteful, not very clever."

"I actually said to Bill Gates: 'Bill, when you have a dry toilet in your $100-million dollar house, then I will have succeeded.' I can say, 'Even Bill Gates has a dry toilet in his house - it's the toilet of the future'."


http://allafrica.com/stories/201106281257.html

some fantastic schemes! Personally loving the bike routes. would never use for work, but gives great connectivity to the river and beachfront!

Turning Human Waste into Fertilizer Pellet by Pellet

Julie Frederikse
12 July 2011

Durban — Recycling is increasingly popular in today's ecologically aware world, but in the field of sanitation the "yuk factor" tends to get in the way. Most people recoil from the notion of re-using human waste products, yet this is an approach supported by leaders in the field of water and sanitation, such as those in Durban, South Africa, who are pioneering the re-use of human waste product.

"We have similar problems to other developing countries throughout the world and handling sludge from pit toilets is one of our biggest issues," said Teddy Gounden, manager for education and capacity development of the municipality's water and sanitation department.

Gounden and another major role-player in the sanitation field, Chris Buckley, are looking forward to attending the 3rd African Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene to be held later this month in Kigali, Rwanda, and sharing their experiences with other African sanitation experts about what is likely to be a hot topic.

http://allafrica.com/img/csi/00171464_9b3296d8ce9a1ee85b7370854844d8e9/w260x.jpg
University of KwaZulu Natal Pollution Research Group

Growth trials of plants fed with fertilizer from faecal sanitising machine.

The conventional way of dealing with the contents of a full pit latrine has been to put the sludge through treatment works, old school technology which can cause overloading. Durban's eThekwini Municipality (named for the Zulu word for harbor) is using an innovative new process that aims to maximize the re-use potential of solid waste. In partnership with the Pollution Research Group at the chemical engineering department of the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN), the municipality has developed a Faecal Sludge Sanitation Machine.

"It is unique, there's no other device like it in the world," said Buckley, head of the Pollution Research Group. The machine separates out the organic manner from the pit sludge. (Don't ask about the so-called tramp components that end up down there; alien objects are said to range from bricks and glass to plastic and cans, even pigs' heads.)

Gounden says that the city's recent work in emptying some 30,000 pit latrines has resulted in the development of "some pretty nifty new tools" to improve the process. With pits as deep as two metres, there are considerable health and safety challenges.

Once the sludge is removed, it is pushed through a sanitisation machine that heats it to temperatures as high as 500 degrees Celsuis, killing all pathogens. The sanitized outcome of this pasteurization process is packed into 20-kilogram bags, which can be safely used as fertiliser for crops. There is no concern for the impact on ground water, according to tests carried out by the UKZN researchers.

Another crucial achievement of this machine is the removal of the yuk factor. "The end products are not dissimilar to the dry pellets you'd feed your dog or cat," Buckley says matter-of-factly. "They don't smell, can be safely handled and don't bear any resemblance to where they came from."

In this port city, Africa's largest, shipping containers for sea transport of goods get re-used in all kinds of ways, housing everything from offices to phone shops. So it's no surprise that the pelletising unit is housed in two ISO shipping containers, which can easily be moved from one location to another. Thus the pellets can be made on site, with sludge from the pit latrines brought to the machines for processing. Once the process is completed, the municipality only has to return in three to four years time.

What excites Gounden, who coordinates community outreach for the city's sanitation efforts, is the potential to kick-start much needed job creation.

"Once people start seeing the beneficial use of this pelletising machine, the incentive is there," Gounden enthused. "We can pay community residents for removing the product, in effect buying the sludge from them."

Gounden is optimistic that this arrangement can change people's behavior so they stop putting inorganic matter into toilets, which could obviate or at least shorten the process of separating the waste.

"From a municipal perspective, we need to fine tune a business model so we can get sanitation entrepreneurs involved in the emptying of the pits and the processing, and then deriving income from the fertiliser produced, as there's a ready market for it," said Gounden. "This is what we're brainstorming now."

The machine is still in the pilot phase, with more modifications anticipated from ongoing trials to improve its energy efficiency. A new model could be smaller so as to make for easier transportation. Then the city and a South African manufacturer aim to take the project to scale, with the aim of patenting the technology and making it available to other municipalities and countries throughout Africa.


http://allafrica.com/stories/201107130001.html

FANtastic news. The city is really at the forefront of the SA Green movement, only fitting with the COP event in Durban later this year

jeez, I'm all for a green lifestyle and all that but what's with all the recycling of pooh and pee in KZN??

It's obvious: KZN p*e and sh*t is good enough to be recycled. ;)

On a more serious note, other SA cities will eventually follow suit.

^ I'm sure they will, I was just taking the piss (pun intended)

yeah, i see that Joburg is looking into following the "waste to energy" scheme Durban started many years ago at its waste dumps

The city has put out a notice that it wants to re-establish a recycling centre on North Coast Rd....

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NORTH COAST ROAD BUY BACK CENTRE

In terms of its commitment to Waste Reduction and Recycling, the Association of Clean Communities Trust proposes to re-establish a Community Buy Back Centre at North Coast Rd, Redhill. It is envisaged that the Buy Back Centre will be re-established to complement the existing network of recycling initiatives.

The entrepreneur contracted to the Trust will operate the centre. The purpose of this advertisement is to invite individuals/groups/organizations/businesses who are interested
in the project, which covers the following aspect:

• Sourcing, Sorting, Storage and Sale of recyclables
• Maintain cleanliness of the Buy Back Centre premises
• Setting up, managing and monitoring operations of the Buy Back Centre
• Waste Reduction and Recycling
• Ensuring orderly arrangement and streamlining of recyclable items
• Firm compliance with Municipal By-Laws regarding acceptable Waste Management
Practices
• Implement operational systems for running the Buy Back Centre
• Employ applicable human resource management systems.
• Network with individuals/groups/organizations/businesses involved in
recycling.

The objectives of the project include employment creation, small business development and the empowerment of previously disadvantaged individuals.

Interested individuals / groups / organizations / businesses should submit written expressions of interest outlining their involvement in Recycling and a detailed CV/Business Proposal. They must also complete a questionnaire obtainable from the
Trust. All documents must be submitted to DSW Education and Waste Minimisation (The
Association of Clean Communities Trust), 188 Sandile Thusi (Argyle) Road, Morningside, Durban 4001, or PO Box 1535, Durban, 4000 or fax: 031 303 3969.

Closing date: 3 August 2011

For more information, please contact Ndyebo Mgingqizana on 031 303 1665.


http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/pn/public-notices-2011/july/july-15-2011/PG%2011%2015-07-11%20ENG.pdf

21 Jul 2011 The Mercury BENDING THE LAW A PERVERSE REWARD FOR POLLUTION IT IS distressing that Transnet appears to be “hoping to get off lightly” after its unlawful actions while upgrading the container terminal adjacent to the Bayhead Mangroves natural heritage site “Transnet faces massive fines” (The Mercury, July 18).

While the Durban Bay might be a shadow of its former self, this hard-working estuary still delivers critical services through the patches of habitat that remain, including providing nursery grounds for our much-loved and devoured line fish and commercially harvested wild fish stocks.

To dismiss the value of the bay as an estuary because of the port developments and ongoing pollution would be to discard out of hand a resource of inestimable value.

This resource cannot be replaced, and its loss would mean enormous costs to society and the economy.

The environmental principles that govern specifically the decisions and actions of all organs of state are unambiguously set down in law. Transnet, as a stateowned enterprise, is as closely bound by these principles as the Department of Environmental Affairs.
To suggest that the department should grant special dispensation to parastatals who fail to comply with the law, by waiving financial penalties on no other grounds than that they are a parastal, would amount to an unequal application of the law.

Fines are there to penalise non-compliance and discourage future repetitions.

By waiving these fines one runs the serious risk, perversely, of rewarding environmental noncompliance and encouraging future repetitions.

This approach to environmental compliance by Transnet does not bode well for the processes already under way to develop the Estuary Management Plan for the Durban Bay. BIANCA MCKELVEY Conservation Manager:

WESSA KZN

I hope Transnet gets walloped with a massive fine for flouting the law. That money should then be utilised for marine and estuary rehabilitation in the harbour.

New Approaches Needed on Sanitation
Julie Frederikse
19 July 2011

No innovation in the past 200 years has done more to save lives and improve health than the sanitation revolution triggered by the invention of the toilet.

The little-known fact was stated by Sylvia Mathews Burwell, president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Development Program, in her keynote address to the third annual AfricaSan conference in Kigali, Rwanda, on Tuesday.

But, she said, the innovation did not go far enough. "It only reached one-third of the world. What we need are new approaches. New ideas. In short, we need to reinvent the toilet," Burwell said.

She exhorted donors, governments, the private sector and NGOs at the gathering organized by the African Ministers' Council on Water to support the foundation's new strategy. She argued that flush toilets are unavailable to most of the world's poor, with more than a billion people forced to defecate in the open.

Burwell emphasized the link between unhygienic water and sanitation practices and the estimated 1.5 million children who die annually from preventable diarrheal diseases. She cited a statistic noted by the chair of the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands: "Disease caused by unsafe sanitation accounts for roughly half of all hospitalizations in the developing world."

The Gates Foundation used the opportunity of its participation in AfricaSan to announce U.S.$41.5 million in new grants aimed at encouraging innovative approaches to the storage and re-use of human waste, as well as water use. The initiative was applauded by many key role-players in sanitation on the continent that may stand to gain most from this radical new approach.

"Across Africa, improved sanitation is an essential human need that we must take action to address," said Mamadou Dia, president of the African Water Association. "We welcome efforts to focus new attention, ideas and resources on this important issue."

AfricaSan delegate Teddy Gounden travelled to Rwanda from the country where the first two conferences were held, South Africa. He works as manager for Education and Capacity Development for the city of Durban's eThewkini Water and Sanitation department.

"We are very positive about the sustainable aspect of the Gates Foundation's work in water and sanitation," said Gounden. "They really think out of the box and that's what makes them different: they're prepared to put money into new ideas, no matter how radical or even impossible they might seem. That's what's so exciting for us in Durban."

A key partner of the foundation is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In a collaboration with each providing $8.5 million, WaSH for Life has been launched, a four-year program to "help scale up evidence-based approaches to delivering water, sanitation and hygiene services to the poor".

The foundation's new strategic approach includes various programs specifically aimed at Africa's urban poor. A $12 million grant will back "municipal-supported unsewered sanitation" pilot projects in sub-Saharan Africa through the African Development Bank's African Water Facility, with a potential focus on faecal sludge management services. A joint initiative co-funded by the foundation and the Kenyan and German governments will be implemented by the Kenya Water Services Trust Fund and Germany's Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to provide $10 million to scale up sanitation in Kenya's low-income urban areas.

"Reinventing the Toilet" is a key part of the Gates Foundation's effort to innovate in the area of sanitation. This $3 million grant goes to eight universities to develop an easily installable toilet that doesn't rely on water, a sewer connection or power, at a usage cost of no more than 5 (US) cents per day.

The sole African grantee is the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, which is developing both a Urinary Diversion toilet and a recycling system for solid waste which both produce fertilizer for use in sustainable agriculture.

"We aim to stimulate research on sanitation in Africa with this grant," said Frank Rijsberman, director of the Gates Foundation's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene initiative. "It provides money to a network of these eight universities and we believe that they can make a contribution through their research in onsite sanitation."

The foundation's support for university-based study and research into sustainable sanitation continues with an $8 million grant to the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, aim to transform postgraduate water and sanitation education in part through "a robust online curriculum to reduce costs and increase accessibility to higher education".

The foundation's four African partners are the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering, 2IE, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana; Makerere University in Kampal, Uganda; and the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

"The foundation's strategy involves gathering evidence to determine what people want and measuring what really works," Burwell told the AfricaSan conference. "It includes stimulating demand for improved sanitation in both rural and urban communities through education and raising awareness.

It also involves advocacy efforts to engage governments and other public and private partners to prioritize sanitation policies that address this urgent issue."

The Gates Foundation's increased focus on sanitation, through these new grants, bring its overall commitment in this field to $265 million.


http://allafrica.com/stories/201107191408.html

This is how dump sites across the country should be managed...

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Service Delivery: Mariannhill – a dump with a massive difference

Rhoda Kadalie

Off the N3, 31 kms outside Durban, is the e’Thekwini Municipality’s smallest landfill, which receives 450 tons of municipal waste from the Pinetown, Westville, Queensborough and Kloof areas.

When the large vehicles do their rounds they pass an entrance sign that encourages visitors to enjoy the birds and animals in the grasslands, forests and wetlands. Bucking every waste management trend in South Africa, this is a dump with a difference.

Let’s face it: no-one wants to live close to a landfill. But the Mariannhill Landfill Conservancy refutes the “not-in-my-backyard” sentiments of citizens and politicians. There are no unpleasant odours and not a speck of litter anywhere to be found.

The residents of the surrounding middle-income and low-cost housing areas, buffered from the site by only 200 metres of indigenous plants and trees, can attest to this.

Mariannhill’s ingenious Closed Loop System makes this all possible. Combining landfill naturalistic engineering with their daily operations, this system rehabilitates the site as it fills to capacity.

Mariannhill consists of several cells, which are filled one at a time. Before waste is deposited, the cell is prepared with a four-tier barrier system that protects the soil and water table from pollutants.

The Leachate Treatment Plant treats up to thirty cubic metres of leachate daily, to a re-usable standard, lessening the load on the municipal sewer. Leachate is the by-product of decomposing waste dampened by rainfall and the cause of the awful odours associated with land-filling.

The plant also supplies water for dust control on site and irrigates vegetated areas, decreasing the load on the municipal drinking water supply. Gone are the archaic methods that produce the smelly eyesores characterising most of South Africa’s 1200 dumps.

Mariannhill demonstrates that waste can be lucrative. All landfills leak the potent greenhouse gas, methane, among other gases, into the atmosphere. After meeting with the World Bank in 2002, e’Thekwini implemented a Clean Development Mechanism.

Mariannhill’s landfill gas to electricity project was the first of its kind on the continent. It produces up to 950kWh of electricity, enough to power approximately 500 households, and as a result of this, e’Thekwini will earn R5m over the next decade.

This initiative was replicated at a much larger landfill, Bisasar Road, which receives 4000 tons of waste daily, and the rewards will be even more substantial there.

The Plant Rescue Unit, which aids the effective rehabilitation of Mariannhill, is a nursery that salvages indigenous vegetation along with the soil removed when cells are constructed.

When cells are filled, the plants and top soil incubated here are used to rehabilitate other areas in the metro, which saves the municipality up to R3m.

The Marianhill idea germinated in the mid-1990s, before the Kyoto Protocol was even signed. Gunning for a conservancy status for the landfill from the start, the creators instituted a meaningful consultative process with residents and civil society.

Political will weathered the storm of requesting a seemingly inflated amount for the start up costs. They convinced the city council that the total cost for Mariannhill is not higher than traditional sites (keeping in mind that the conventional method is NOT the way landfills should be run).

Instead of putting out a large tender to rehabilitate a site that had negative impacts on the surrounding environment, Mariannhill changed the approach by spending money constructively throughout its lifespan.

Municipalities now have no excuse to continue to design landfills in an antiquated way, although the managers at Mariannhill admit that the biggest challenge to run such a sophisticated venture effectively is the dearth of qualified engineers in South Africa. It hinders replication, regardless of political support. Our education system simply has to produce more engineers and retain them.

In addition, the private sector must play a bigger role to assist rural municipalities with implementing the lessons learned from Mariannhill. People around the world and some municipalities in our country have enlisted e’Thekwini’s expertise to do just that.

Mariannhill functions as a green lung and we need to create more of these sites. They are assets rather than obstacles, and Durban has shown us the way.

Between 60 and 120 students flock to Mariannhill every week to learn about waste management, how to reduce waste, promote biodiversity and conservation.

As an added bonus, wildlife flourishes in its 50ha of protected land. Now a registered national birding site, 187 different bird species have been spotted by environmentalists and hikers. Families travel to the site, picnicking on Sundays at this recreational area – an operational landfill.

Can you imagine that?


http://www.thenewage.co.za/blogdetail.aspx?mid=186&blog_id=%20961

Durban tests water - 90 rivers okay

Sapa | 28 July, 2011 12:19

Ninety out of 175 rivers in the Durban area have very good or fair water quality, eThekwini's water and sanitation department says.

The water classification at 90 river sites in the eThekwini municipal area were either "near natural" or "good" or "fair" following an aquatic bio-monitoring programme to determine the state of the health and integrity of rivers.

Those involved in the programme studied the state of living organisms in the water.

"We are looking at life in the water... which is an indication of water quality," said project executive Selva Mudaly.

The water quality in Umdloti river, north of Durban, was "good to near natural", while Umgeni and Umlazi rivers both had good water quality.

Out of the 175 sites tested, 85 rivers had either "fair", "poor" or "very poor" classifications.

Mudaly said the worst affected rivers were Isipingo, Umkhumbane and Umhlangane rivers.

The water quality was bad, mainly because of the rivers being near industrial areas or informal settlements with a lack of proper sanitation, and waste water taps running into rivers.

Mudaly said the best way to fix the problem would be re-housing the areas and ensuring people had access to proper sanitation.

But he said eThekwini was also in the process of moving people away from the rivers because often pit latrines would be built on the riverbanks, causing sewage to leak into the water.


DMMA
© 2011 AVUSA, Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/07/28/durban-tests-water---90-rivers-okay

Service Delivery: Recycling is big in Durban

Rhoda Kadalie

The eThekwini municipality enables 956 000 households around Durban to recycle a total of 71000 tons of paper and plastic every month.

Not just households are targeted but businesses too. Increasing the lifespan of Durban’s landfills and saving 8500 trees, while creating additional jobs, are some of the benefits enjoyed by this smart, city-wide, domestic waste recycling project.

The Orange Bag Domestic Recycling Project started in 2007. This initiative is underpinned by an education and media campaign to ensure community buy-in and soon it paid off. They recovered 45 tons of paper and plastic in the first month.

Trained eThekwini representatives visited homes, a helpline was created, informational material distributed, and the orange bags (15 delivered each week) are printed with the necessary instructions.

Bags are provided to families free of charge for paper and plastic only. But when households fail to use them for their intended purpose, their noncompliance will result in warning letters sent to advise them that they will no longer receive orange bags.

Keeping orange bags separate from black bags filled with general waste is essential. To avoid any contamination of recyclables normal compacting trucks are inappropriate for collection.

Instead of buying new vehicles, eThekwini gave this opportunity to small entrepreneurs like Ravesh Ramgobin.

An already emerging local businessman when the project started, Ramgobin established an enterprise to collect the orange bags from Pinetown to Cato Ridge, employing 12 people.

Today, he owns six four-ton trucks, employs 24 people and services more than 130000 households from Amanzimtoti to Umkomaas, including Chatsworth. Ramgobin and the six other contractors who work on the project are supplied with clothing and trained by eThekwini to adhere to certain regulations and effectively monitor proper use of the orange bags.

Contractors like Ramgobin are not paid by the municipality. An agreement signed with Mondi, one of the largest paper manufacturing companies in South Africa, ensures they pay contractors’ salaries and receive both paper and plastic at their facility. This landmark partnership influenced the city council to allocate the R4m needed to start the project.

In addition to taking responsibility for the waste after it is sorted and collected, Mondi contributes 50% of the manufacturing and packaging costs of the recyclable orange bags. Other companies like Izaka Plastics also are involved as they produce the orange bags from recyclable material.

A remarkable aspect of this project is its partnership with Durban Mental Coastal Health, a stalwart organisation in KwaZulu-Natal. Their project, Challenge Unlimited, ran workshops to equip the intellectually disabled to earn an income and they proved the ideal choice to do the packaging of the bags.

Co-ordinator Carmel Murugen explains that 230 people with psychiatric illness and intellectual disabilities, aged between 18 and 60 years, packaged 620000 bags between May and July.

Murugen reminds us that not only are such repetitive tasks ideal for those with mental illness but it teaches teamwork while providing a safe and constructive routine.

This project allows businesses to save money by using contractors to collect their waste and sort it into recyclable and non-recyclable perishables.

Small traders in township areas collect recyclables from the Mondi facility at a reliable price – and this is growing.

The project is set to target these communities and enable poorer areas to sort their waste. Based on the success of this recycling project, eThekwini is initiating a similar venture for glass and tins.

Clearly, this is a public-private partnership that works. It harnesses the desire to recycle by making it convenient for citizens, profitable for businesses, beneficial for civil society and local government, and by sustaining an eco-system that will hopefully become part of the ethos and culture of South African society.

The cherry on the cake is the creation of jobs for the most marginalised group in SA – those with intellectual disabilities.

South Africa, wake up and smell the methane gas!

Read about the creative ways South Africans solve public problems every week from the Impumelelo Social Innovations Centre, the country’s repository for solutions that improve quality of life for the poor.

This is the third article in a five-part series on the Impumelelo multiple award-winning eThekwini Municipality.

If you have instituted an innovative project that alleviates poverty, apply now for the 2012 Impumelelo Awards or visit impumelelo.org.za. The awards are organised by the Impumelelo Social Innovations Centre in Cape Town.

Rhoda Kadalie is the executive director of Impumelelo Social Innovations Centre


http://www.thenewage.co.za/blogdetail.aspx?mid=186&blog_id=%201004

Radical change for KZN if we fail to act on global warming
August 12 2011 at 11:45am

LAEA MEDLEY

By the end of this century, central Durban will be flooded, the sea levels across KZN will have risen by 24cm and high spring tides will break the barriers of the Umgeni River.

This is what Bryan Ashe, of GeaSphere KZN, an NGO working with indigenous tree plantations, has predicted will happen if we do nothing about climate change.

Ashe was joined by Jo Boulle, the eThekwini municipality policy implementation branch manager, at a seminar on climate change on Wednesday.

The seminar was part of a series of lectures leading up to COP17 in November, and its theme was “What’s up with the weather?”

Ashe’s presentation focused on water supply.

“The climate change issue has moved from a level of seriousness to a level of danger,” said Ashe. “We are going to see radical changes.”

He presented a picture of his seven-year-old son playing with fossils in St Lucia. “We shouldn’t even be seeing this,” he said. “When I played there as a child, you couldn’t even put your toe in the water for fear of crocodiles.”

Ashe explained that Africa was the continent most vulnerable to climate change.

“Africa has already experienced the consequences of climate change, such as severe thunderstorms, droughts and flash floods,” he said.

The biggest user of water was commercial agriculture, and this would affect food production in the future.

“Maize plantations use a lot of water, and we need to start thinking of alternatives, such as sorghum and madumbes,” Ashe said.

“The public can help by reducing the amount of water used in the home, such as buying water-saving showerheads and taps, reusing bath water, and turning off the taps when we brush our teeth,” he explained. “We can’t think of water as an infinite resource that you can just buy in plastic bottles. We must start looking at our own lifestyles and start acting. Water is life.”

Focusing on the COP17 conference to be held in Durban in November, Boulle discussed the environmental implications for the city.

“COP17 will host up to 30 000 people, and this has huge implications for Durban,” she said.

“All these people will be using energy, consuming water and food, producing waste and emitting greenhouse gases through transport.”

Boulle said the municipality would aim for carbon neutrality for COP17 by calculating the event’s carbon footprint and coming up with a strategy to reduce this, such as reforestation.

“We will also be implementing a responsible tourism campaign for the accommodation sector,” said Boulle. “That way people will use as little energy as possible while staying in Durban.”

The municipality also plans to implement efficient transport and waste management by placing more bins around the city.

“Durban as a city is environmentally aware,” said Boulle.

laea.medley@inl.co.za


http://www.dailynews.co.za/radical-change-for-kzn-if-we-fail-to-act-on-global-warming-1.1116161

Durban unveils low-carbon road map ahead of climate gathering

By: Christy van der Merwe

23rd August 2011

The Academy of Science of South Africa has produced a report highlighting climate change mitigation and adaptation opportunities for the City of Durban entitled ‘Towards a Low Carbon City: Focus on Durban’.

The report was commissioned by the eThekwini municipality and provides 12 strategic recommendations, as well as sector-specific recommendations for Durban to transition to a low-carbon city.

The eThekwini municipality recognises that urgent attention should be given to the industrial and transport sectors, as these are the major greenhouse-gas emitters in the city.

It was recommended that eThekwini municipality extend its focus on energy efficiency in municipal buildings to the broader built environment in the city. Energy efficiency in buildings is often hailed as the ‘low-hanging fruit’ in the low-carbon transition process, as actions can be implemented more easily than in other sectors such as transport.

Transitioning to a low-carbon city in the face of high levels of unemployment and the need for economic development was addressed in the report by emphasising the need to shift to a green economy.

There was a need to integrate mitigation and adaptation activities across the municipality, because traditionally, mitigation and adaptation activities have developed separately in cities, frequently residing in different municipal departments.

A strong drive to ensure multilevel governance and the recognition of the role of visionary leaders, or local champions, was viewed as necessary for low-carbon development in the city. This would ensure that climate change policies and actions were developed and implemented effectively and efficiently, with the full support of the political leadership of the city and local citizens.

Land-use planning also plays a key role in low-carbon development. Key principles include combating urban sprawl, compacting city form, decentralising urban opportunities, promoting sustainable neighbourhood planning, and a shared vision of spatial development in the city amongst all stakeholders.

Other recommendations urged the City of Durban to promote low-carbon lifestyles and play a leadership role in reducing upstream carbon emissions. An understanding of the carbon footprint of the city from a consumption perspective was important.

“This marks another important step in Durban’s journey to becoming a climate smart city. A city in which a low-carbon, green economy provides opportunities for both climate change mitigation and adaptation and fosters a new form of urban development that ensures ecological integrity and human well being,” said eThekwini Environmental Planning and Climate Protection deputy head Debra Roberts.

The release of the report coincides with the city’s hosting of the seventeenth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, later in 2011.


Edited by: Terence Creamer


http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/durban-unveils-low-carbon-road-map-ahead-of-climate-gathering-2011-08-23

City must aim to be low-carbon

August 24 2011 at 01:05pm
Tony Carnie
tony.carnie@inl.co.za

THE eThekwini municipality has been given a tough 12-point plan to transform Durban into a low-carbon city, including proposals to raise new climate pollution rates and taxes from some of the city’s biggest industries.

The recommendations are part of a scientific expert’s report by the Academy of Science of South Africa titled “Towards a low carbon city”.

Presented to city representatives yesterday by academy executive officer Roseanne Diab, the report sets out a road map to reduce climate gas pollution in one of the country’s biggest manufacturing centres. It points to an urgent need to reduce the number of freight trucks using the harbour and to encourage more commuters to use public transport.

It also suggests that President Jacob Zuma’s promise at the Copenhagen climate summit to reduce South Africa’s greenhouse gas volumes by 34 percent before 2020 is unlikely to happen unless big cities like Durban take the lead to reduce climate gas emissions.

Noting that Durban, Joburg and Cape Town collectively generate about 21 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas pollution, the report recommends that Durban consider new “local rating and taxation structures” based on energy use, carbon intensity and a polluter-pays principle.

Money raised from these green taxes could be ring-fenced for specific projects to develop a low-carbon Durban economy.

The report also advocates using financial incentives such as industrial carbon-trading schemes or generating new electricity supplies from burning sugar cane and other biomass fuels. The city should also look into generating renewable energy from wind turbines.

Highlighting the need to reduce carbon emissions from transport exhaust gases, the report says: “There is a sense of paralysis in the city on the issue of improved public transport.

“Strong leadership is needed, and the barriers need to be articulated and unlocked through interventions at the highest political level.”

Study leader Roseanne Diab recommended that, instead of promoting cheap and unfettered mobility, the city should be focusing on preventing urban sprawl and a decentralised city design so that jobs were close to residential areas and commuters were able to rely on public transport.

Debra Roberts, the head of eThekwini’s environment planning and climate protection department, which commissioned the report, said: “Cities need to start provocative debates (on climate change) and we may have to reinterpret the issue of quality of life. But who is prepared to champion these debates?”

The report also recommended that the issue of climate change needed to be mainstreamed into the planning of several city departments rather than a single department.

The profile of climate change should also be raised on the city council’s agendas. One way of doing so was to nurture and encourage the emergence of energetic “climate champions” such as London mayor Boris Johnson.

The report has not been presented formally to the full council yet, but eThekwini Speaker Logie Naidoo was present at the handover ceremony yesterday along with a handful of councillors, mainly from the DA.

l The members of the academy’s low-carbon city study panel are Diab, Bob Scholes and Mongameli Mehlwana of the CSIR; Dave Dewar of the University of Cape Town; Coleen Vogel of the University of the Witwatersrand; Peter Lukey, the chief director of climate change in the national Department of Environmental Affairs; Jim Longhurst of the University of the West of England; and Shobhakar Dhakal of the Global Carbon Project in Japan.


http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/city-must-aim-to-be-low-carbon-1.1124266

As COP17 approaches: Dirty Durban’s manual for climate greenwashing

http://www.no-burn.org/img/original/0000110543_resized_boschprojectswastetoenergyiniatives.jpg

Durban’s infamous Bisasar Road dump: Africa’s largest “Clean Development Mechanism” is one of the world’s primary cases of carbon-trading environmental racism.


By Patrick Bond

August 29, 2011 – Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Will the host city for the November-December world climate summit, COP17, clean up its act? The August 23 launch of a major Academy of Science of South Africa (Assaf) report, Towards a Low Carbon City: Focus on Durban – offers an early chance to test whether new municipal leaders are climate greenwashers, attempting to disguise high-carbon economic policies with pleasing rhetoric, as did their predecessors.

Will Durban Mayor James Nxumalo and a new city manager, still to be named, instead get serious about the threat we face – and that major industries pose – as a result of runaway greenhouse gas emissions? We needn’t rehearse concerns about future rising sea levels, extreme storms, flooding that will overwhelm dirty Durban’s decrepit storm-water drainage system, landslides on our hilly terrain, droughts that draw new “climate refugees” from the region into a xenophobic populace, the disruption of food chains and other coming disasters.

However, what might be termed South Africa’s “mitigation denialism” remains a notable problem. Not only did planning minister Trevor Manuel announce last week that he expects the global North to pay South Africa up to $2 billion a year through the Green Climate Fund he co-chairs – when in reality it is South Africa that owes a vast climate debt to Africa given our world-leading rate of CO2/GDP/person – but Assaf seeks to persuade politicians that Durban can “entrench its reputation as SA’s leading city in terms of climate change actions” [sic].

Missing in analysis: Durban’s worsening carbon habit
This is pure hot air, because Assaf’s 262-page study shies away from critical mention of high-carbon Durban’s unprecedented public subsidies on long-distance air transport, shipping, fossil-fuel infrastructure, highway extension and international tourism.
For example, the study tells us nothing about the $35 billion that “back of port” planners have in mind for South Durban: displacing residents of the 140-year-old Clairwood neighbourhood to allow more expansion of the vast harbour (and its ships’ dirty bunker fuel), a new highway leading to more container terminals and supertoxic petrochemical facilities (including doubling oil flows through a new pipeline to Johannesburg via black neighbourhoods), expanding the automotive industry, and digging a huge new harbor on the old airport site. Not a mention.

Assaf says nothing about the damage done by building the $1.2 billion King Shaka International Airport way too early and way too far north of the city, nor – aside from a throwaway reference in the governance chapter – about the mostly empty $430 million Moses Mabhida Stadium built for the 2010 World Cup, next door to an existing world-class rugby stadium that should have been used. Durban was nearly rewarded with a climate-destabilising 2020 Olympics bid before the South African cabinet had a rare commonsense moment in June and withdrew from the competition.

All these mega-investments certainly make Durban “SA’s leading city in terms of climate change actions” – but opposite the way Assaf claims.

In a failure of analytical nerve, the Assaf scientists appear too intimidated to discuss these expensive mistakes in polite company, much less argue for a detox-rehab of Durban’s carbon-addicted corporates. Yet it makes no sense to avoid the harsh reality of fast-rising emissions in sectors that make our city exceptionally vulnerable when carbon taxes do finally kick in, given how far Durban is located from the world’s main markets and given adverse implications for tourism.

At one point, buried in a dry table, are the names of Durban’s biggest emitters measured by consumption of municipal electricity: the Mondi paper mill, Sapref and Engen oil refineries, Toyota, Frame Textiles and the Gateway and Pavillion shopping malls. But the city’s biggest contributor to climate change via the national grid’s coal-fired power plants is a deadly manganese smelter, completely forgotten in Assaf’s study even though Assore’s most recent annual report concedes, “Electricity consumption is the major contributor to Assmang’s corporate carbon footprint and reflects energy sourced from Eskom grid supply, particularly by the Cato Ridge Works.”

Nor in Assaf’s chapter on “The national context” do we learn that South Africa is building the world’s third- and fourth-largest coal-fired power plants, Eskom’s Kusile and Medupi, with a $3.75 billion loan from the World Bank in spite of fierce opposition from civil society.

Not mentioned either are apartheid-era special pricing agreements that give BHP Billiton and Anglo American Corporation the world’s cheapest electricity ($0.02/kiloWatt hour), about 1/8th what ordinary households pay. Nor is there a word about the millions of poor South Africans disconnected from electricity, unable to absorb the 130 per cent price hike Eskom has imposed since 2008 so as to pay for the coal-fired generators.

These gaping holes are too wide for even Durban’s most skilled greenwashers – like municipal climate adaptation manager Debra Roberts – to hide, and to her credit, joking that “You want to get me fired for publicly agreeing with you”, she did just that when at the International Convention Centre launch I drew attention to these white-elephants-in-the-room.

Assaf chief executive Roseanne Diab replied that the city’s main mitigation focus should be Durban’s anarchic truck-freight transport mess, which she claimed can be tackled by air-quality regulation. That might be the case if South Africa had the USA’s Clean Air Act, which considers greenhouse gases to be pollutants – something the South African Air Quality Act doesn’t. And it might also help if the municipality had an effective air pollution monitoring unit, but in March it was stripped of most of its staff by the city manager and is now considered a joke.

And here in South Africa’s petrochemical armpit, from where I write, we South Durban residents continue to be the main victims, including Settlers Primary School with its 52 per cent asthma rate, the world’s highest. I spent an hour last Friday night (August 26) out on Clairwood’s Houghton Road, where local residents’ association secretary Mervyn Reddy led 100 people blockading Consolidated Transport for letting truck drivers race like Michael Schumacher through the neighbourhood. After 10 deaths caused by maniac truckers, who can blame this community for rising up.
Durban chases the carbon trade

What Reddy knows, but Assaf doesn’t say, is that the sources of climate-threatening CO2 emissions are also responsible for much more immediate socio-ecological destruction. For example, Assaf enthusiastically promotes landfill methane gas-to-electricity conversion at Durban’s infamous Bisasar Road dump without observing (as do most academic articles) that Africa’s largest “Clean Development Mechanism” is actually one of the world’s primary cases of carbon-trading environmental racism, worthy of a front-page article in the Washington Post in 2005 on the day the Kyoto Protocol took effect.
Placed in a black neighbourhood during apartheid, Bisasar Road – Africa’s largest landfill – should have been closed when Nelson Mandela came to power, as African National Congress pamphlets in the 1994 election promised the community it would be. But thanks in part to World Bank encouragement, Bisasar became the leading pilot for carbon trading and still pollutes the area to this day, with no prospect for closure before it fills up around 2020. A sister landfill in northern Durban, La Mercy, also had a methane-electricity project funded by the World Bank, but Assaf concedes that it failed to properly extract the gas.

In its enthusiasm for such financing, the Assaf study also forgets that the COP17 will witness the demise of Kyoto, the treaty that mandates these kinds of carbon-trade investments in places like Durban. The end of the only binding multilateral climate treaty is mainly due to Washington’s intransigence, and it is heartening to those of us in Durban that hundreds of people have been arrested at the White House over the last two weeks, demanding US rejection of filthy Canadian tar sands oil. In solidarity, Durban climate justice activists will demonstrate at the US Consulate just west of City Hall on Wednesday during afternoon rush hour.

Blithely, Assaf scientists recommend “innovative market-based financing mechanisms” such as “the voluntary carbon market” – while downplaying the emissions-trading fraud, corruption, speculation and collapse now rife across the world. As even a February 2011 report by the US Government Accounting Office revealed, for such voluntary market offsets to be considered genuine requires proof of “additionality”, but this “is difficult because it involves determining what emissions would have been without the incentives provided by the offset program. Studies suggest that existing programs have awarded offsets that were not additional.”

As for measuring CO2 in the voluntary emissions markets, “it is challenging to estimate the amount of carbon stored and to manage the risk that carbon may later be released by, for example, fires or changes in land management”. And verification of offsets is a challenge because “project developers and offset buyers may have few incentives to report information accurately or to investigate offset quality”.

Climate-smart Durban?
Regrettably, Assaf believes in a few other “false solutions” to the climate crisis, such as biofuels (Durban is a sugarcane centre) and co-incineration of tyres in cement kilns. Interestingly, the GAO has just released a report confirming analysis by progressive scientists in the ETC Group that the “climate engineering” technologies of choice – geo-engineering, nanotechnology, biofuels and synthetic biology – are “currently immature, many with potentially negative consequences… Climate engineering technologies do not now offer a viable response to global climate change.”

In another disturbing development, Assaf’s emphasis on residents’ behavioural change risks a blame-the-victim mentality: for example, discouraging flush toilets for poor people so as to avoid increased electricity use at the sewage works. Adds Diab, “We must encourage people to stop using their cars and start using public transport” – yet she is silent about how city officials let a crony-capitalist firm, Remant Alton, privatise and wreck our municipal bus system.

Not a total write-off, Assaf’s report at least encourages Durban to “produce local, buy local” at a time of inane currency-induced trading patterns that have little to do with rational comparative advantages between competing economies. The report condemns suburban sprawl and much post-apartheid planning, while endorsing the “polluter pays” principle, which, if ever implemented, would radically improve the city’s environment. All obvious enough, but what hope for implementation given our rulers’ pro-pollution bias?
“Climate smart”, according to Roberts, means a city’s “low-carbon, green economy provides opportunities for both climate change mitigation and adaptation and fosters a new form of urban development that ensures ecological integrity and human well being”.
Precisely. But if Diab is correct that “poor public awareness” is a major barrier to addressing the most serious crisis humanity has ever faced, Assaf scientists now contribute to that very problem with their bland, blind greenwashing of climate-dumb Durban.

[Patrick Bond directs the UKZN Centre for Civil Society and is author of the forthcoming book Politics of Climate Justice (UKZN Press).]

http://links.org.au/node/2469

Sustainable Living Exhibition is happening this weekend. Going with the company on Friday morning. Will report back.

Thank you so much Durban for being environmentally friendly. A friend recently went to Durban for a business convention and she was raving about the eco-friendly initiatives that Durban hotels are undertaking. From the paper used for printing to the furniture made from eco-friendly materials. Really proud of the Durban community for the initiative that they are taking. Please share of any eco-friendly hotel developments in your area.

I thought this was a nationwide thing... but more good news here.

Go green by opting for orange!

Spring has sprung, so we thought it was a perfect time to talk matters green - and we’re focusing specifically on the Orange Bag project - a joint initiative of DSW and Mondi.

Did you know that by separating their domestic waste, better known as rubbish - and then putting paper, plastics and a few other recyclable things into the FREE orange bags which are distributed to homes in the so-called formal areas of greater Durban, Durban metro residents are ensuring that 1000 tons a MONTH of orange bag contents don’t land up adding to the mountain of rubbish on the landfill sites, but get recycled instead.

And the project is about to expand to include even more recyclables…

We began looking at this orange bag issue because we received a tip-off that the project was not what it claimed to be. A listener said he’d seen many of the branded orange bags being thrown into the back of DSW trucks along with the black rubbish bags and the blue garden refuse bags – to be dumped on the landfill.

The orange bags are meant to be collected by sub-contractors and taken to recycling depots.

As an avid recycler I was appalled at the thought that my meticulous waste sorting was a waste – of time.

Happily, that’s not the case, as we discovered when we chatted to DSW’s Robert Abbu. He told us that the Orange Bag Project contractors left orange bags on the verge or pavement if they had mixed waste in them - in other words they contained things such as food and garden refuse, which would contaminate waste intended for recycling.

Then a DSW truck picked up those orange bags and dumped them with black and blue bags on the landfill.

Abbu concedes that while this orange bag diversion is necessary to safeguard the project, it creates confusion and could provoke mistrust in the project so DSW has come up with a practical solution, albeit at an extra cost. They are now putting black bags over those so-called contaminated orange bags, before dumping them on the landfill.

And then there are those who take the free orange bags and put them to all sorts of personal use – all unrelated to recycling.

Just last week I saw a parked car with its roof covered entirely in a patchwork of DSW orange bags as a crude form of waterproofing.

A shameful abuse of a nobel initiative.

The project has come a long way since its launch four years ago - today it's been rolled out to about 800 000 households throughout the entire metro area.

Packs of 15 orange bags are distributed to metro households every three months.

We asked Abbu why the former township areas such as Kwamashu and Ntuzuma aren’t part of the Orange Bag project. The simple answer is that the recycling demand from the 250 000 households in those areas was low, which currently doesn’t justify the high cost.
So if you are in one of these areas and you want to be part of the programme, start letting the city know.

As it is, the metro has exceeded its 2012 target of reducing landfill waste by 50% - currently landfill waste is being reduced by 62%, thanks to the Orange Bag project.




The aim is to make recycling free and as hassle-free as possible, Abbu says, which is why people can put a mix of recyclable waste - paper, plastic, polystyrene etcetera, in those orange bags.

Yes, can put polystyrene and Tetrapak – that’s what fruit juice and milk cartons are made of - into those orange bags as well, in the orange bags, which is something I didn’t know until we began researching this show.

All the various waste is delivered to one of two depots, in Maydon Wharf and Clairwood where it is sorted.
Mondi – which bears half the cost of the orange bags and DSWi the other – takes the paper, and the rest is distributed to various recycling plants.

Polystyrene, for example, is recycled into lightweight moulded picture frames and cornices.

But there is a form of packaging and wrapping which you must NOT put into those orange bags.. FOIL – that’s the bases of pies, chip packets, foil wrap, etcetera.
For now foil is not being recycled.




If you read a recent newspaper report about the Dos and Don’ts of what to put in the orange bags, you may now be confused, but we have it on good authority that our information is correct.

Abbu said that article, which mistakenly stated that polystyrene or paper cups, paper towel, plastic wrapping and yoghurt cartons couldn’t be recycled, had set the project back.

But here’s the good news – DSW aims to expand the project to include cans and bottles – within two months.

And what if someone in the area hasn’t been receiving their orange bags – which is a complaint we got last week?

Abbu advised householders to call or email DSW to request orange bags: call the DSW Helpline on 031 3118804 or 031 303 1665 or e-mail: DSWCSL@dmws.durban.gov.za.

All in all, thanks to the Orange Bag Project, Durban Metro residents have absolutely no excuse for not recycling.

What you can put in the orange bags:

All plastic containers (rinsed) and wrappings
Flattened cardboard
Tetrapak
Polystyrene

What you can't put in the orange bags:

Food
Glass
Bottles
Foil
Garden Refuse
Pet pooh
Chemicals
Stompies

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/media_stream/kagiso/1/1349831/images/recycling_dsw2.jpg

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/media_stream/kagiso/1/1349831/images/recycling_dsw1.jpg

Wow! That's spectacular success! Landfill waste being reduced by 62% because of the city's recycling initiatives is amazing by any measure!

That is a spectacular amount... I'm beyond impressed.

Will ramp up my own recycling efforts... need to get 2 bins and seperate my rubbish properly.

Brilliant stuff

Yes it is a GREAT success and another feather in the hat of the most green municipality. I know that in 2012 they are moving into offering a 3rd bag for all glass recycling.

Another very necessary and visionary initiative by the city, especially in relation to pollution from harbour and refinery activities that affect Durban South communities...

--------------

Cleaner air for Durban

01 September 2011 - 11:44
By Judith Subban

With the United Nations climate change talks set to be held in Durban later this year, experts are looking at ways to ensure the host city plays its part in making the environment greener.

Tirusha Thambiran - who's with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - has been speaking to Newswatch after scientists met in Durban yesterday to discuss climate change and its effect on Durban's air quality management.

She says they've put together a report that specifically examines the impact Durban's industrial and road sector has on the environment.

Thambiran says the findings have shown there aren't many interventions in place that simultaneously reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

As a result, they've made recommendations to eThekwini municipality.

"We need to start reducing the vehicle kilometres travelled by private motor vehicles, and we need to improve the efficiency of road freight transport. For the industrial sector, recommendations were mostly around improving the energy efficiency of industries," she said.

Thambiran says it's vital that we protect our air quality as pollution threatens human health and ecosystems. She says this will also help in the fight against climate change.

"Because air quality and climate change are driven by the same action - which is burning of fossil fuels - by dealing with our air pollution problems we can also we can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions."


http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-news?oid=1350249&sn=Detail&pid=490476&Cleaner-air-for-Durban

The city's massive re-piping project is beginning to pay dividends...

---------------

Water-leak savings and increased billing net city R78m
September 21 2011 at 09:26am
By Nondumiso Mbuyazi

NONDUMISO MBUYAZI

The eThekwini Municipality saved a whopping R58.5 million in the past financial year as a result of a reduction in water leaks and burst pipes.

The city also added R19.2m in increased billing as illegal connections were regularised.

The city’s head of water and sanitation, Neil Macleod, said Durban was Kwa-Zulu-Natal’s top performer when it came to managing water resources.

He said the 2010/11 financial year was particularly successful as the department had surpassed its target of reducing water for which it received no revenue to below 35 percent. It had reached a number of important milestones as it continued to implement a proactive plan to minimise water losses and optimise service delivery.

In the past, as much as 39.8 percent of water was lost.

“This year, we achieved a figure of 33.2 percent.

“Our long-term goal is to reduce water loss to 25 percent within the next eight years.

“Ultimately, our savings are passed on to consumers as they will help minimise future water tariff increases,” he said.

Macleod said real losses of water had decreased by 1.9 percent, or 46.4 million litres a day.

Unbilled and illegal connection consumption decreased by 27.6 million litres a day.

nondumiso.mbuyazi@inl.co.za



http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/water-leak-savings-and-increased-billing-net-city-r78m-1.1141766

KZN climate change council announced
September 28 2011 at 11:02am
BHEKI MBANJWA

KZN Premier Zweli Mkhize has announced his government’s plan to establish a provincial Climate Change Council, a body that would – among other things – help shape provincial government policy on climate change.

Speaking at the close of the two-day provincial summit, a precursor to the UN climate talks (Pre-COP17 summit) in Durban yesterday, Mkhize said the new council would be modelled along the lines of the provincial Aids Council.

Chaired by the premier, this the council would have MECs, heads of departments, mayors, academics, NGOs, traditional leaders, church leaders and business sector representatives as its members.

“The council will serve as a provincial platform, ensuring regular dialogue and consultations on climate-change related policies, plans, programmes, projects and activities,” Mkhize said. He said that the provincial government wanted to ensure that KZN becomes a model province that is “greener, cleaner, sustainable and prosperous”, but he added, the government could not do this alone.

The UN summit takes place in Durban in November.

“Going into the future we will be judged on what contribution we have made, not only by ensuring the most successful conference in terms of logistics, but in terms of the contribution we would have made towards ensuring that the global community seals the deal to protect our planet,” Mkhize said.

Sue Bannister, the deputy head of the Strategic Projects Unit at eThekwini, said the city was prepared to welcome thousands of delegates to the summit.

Already there were 5 000 delegates who had booked at different hotels across the city.

“But remember some of the people do not go through us when making bookings so there are more people coming.”

She said that the economic spin-offs from the summit were expected to be huge, with the spend by visitors expected to be over R1 billion. But more importantly, she said, the city wanted the summit to leave behind a legacy. Part of the legacy included cycle tracks which would be built across Durban.

The city was also planning to make available about 600 bicycles that would be used by some of the delegates to the conference venue – the ICC.

It is envisaged that after the conference, the bicycles would

be given to underprivilege schools or communities.

A UN climate change adviser, Amelia Supetran, said there could be two positive outcomes of COP17. These included making the Green Climate Fund operational and ensuring the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol.

bheki.mbanjwa@inl.co.za


http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kzn-climate-change-council-announced-1.1146294

Wind power is key to KwaZulu-Natal’s green economy

By: Brindaveni Naidoo

17th October 2011

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the province where the seventeenth Conference of the Parties (COP 17) climate conference will get under way late next month, has identified wind energy as one of the key opportunities to grow its green economy, MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Nomsa Dube said on Monday.

Environmental impact assessments were under way for wind projects, including an assessment for a 130 MW project in northern KZN valued at R1.7-billion.

“This is probably the most advanced wind initiative in the province for which foreign and local funding has been secured,” Dube said at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conference on the green economy and climate change, in Johannesburg.

The other projects revolve around two vertical axis wind turbine developers from Durban, one designed for rural homesteads and the other for a 10 kW-capacity wind project modified for domestic use.

“These projects have proved immensely popular and have already attracted interest from abroad. All projects have been developed in close partnership with the local municipalities, communities, land owners and Trade and Investment KZN,” Dube said.

Further, a biogas project, in which construction would start in December 2012, would employ about five people for each megawatt produced. The project will produce biogas through biological fermentation in large anaerobic digester tanks, which will in turn feed into the national grid.

Durban’s waste stream also had the potential to create more than 10 000 jobs.

“Waste beneficiation provided potential employment opportunities through its expansion of USE-IT, which has already created more than 300 jobs in the recycling centre,” Dube said.

USE-IT is a not-for-profit company established in collaboration with the eThekwini municipality and mandated to investigate, facilitate and implement waste beneficiation projects in partnership with the private sector.

Dube warned against the risks of misusing the concept of the green economy as either purely environmental or as a “one-size-fits-all” approach, in which all countries are treated in the same manner.

“We should guard against the concept of the green economy being used to impose new conditionality on developing countries for aids, loans or debt relief," she said.

She added that there were also risks related to the trade regime of using the environment for trade protections, of gaining market access through the guise of the environment, as well as developing countries facing production that is subsidised in the industrial world without being able to impose corrective measures.

The transition to the green economy, Dube believed, involved a “technology revolution” and will impact on production structures and consumption patterns.

The province has also developed a green unit dedicated to advancing energy projects and the green economy, and the unit would take that mandate to municipal level.

Meanwhile, UNDP resident representative in South Africa Dr Agostinho Zacarias said business in South Africa has a major role to play in international efforts to manage climate change.

“In a continually strained global economy, the private sector in Africa may find itself called upon to contribute financing for adaptation to climate change,” he said.

While National Business Initiative director for climate change and energy Valerie Green made a strong call for adaptation, she said it was not considered a “priority” by many.

“The costs of adaptation, especially with regard to infrastructure are very high and can ill be afforded by most emerging economies amidst competing priorities,” she explained.

Green added that business needed to get more involved in understanding what the climate change negotiations were about.


http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/wind-power-is-key-to-kwazulu-natals-green-economy-2011-10-17

Solar energy project to launches in Durban

19 Oct 2011 - eProp - GPL

Intro
The groundbreaking project was conceived by a common interest and desire for clean energy, in addition to saving energy and reducing demand on the national energy grid

Leading the drive for clean energy in South Africa, three pioneers have combined forces in a groundbreaking energy-saving pilot project. And they have chosen South Africa’s sunny city Durban to harness the power of solar energy.

The Lincoln on Lake Rooftop Solar Project combines the knowledge and resources of South Africa’s largest JSE listed property company Growthpoint Properties Limited, cutting-edge solar power solutions company Hudu together with one of the world’s largest solar panel (Photovoltaic) manufacturers Suntech Power, and electricity generator and distributor Eskom.

Growthpoint Properties has provided the building on top of which the project is being undertaken at the prime office property Lincoln on Lake located on Umhlanga Ridge in KwaZulu-Natal. Suntech and Hudu provided the solar panels and installation and Eskom shared in the costs as part of its first joint venture for a commercial building photovoltaic installation.

The expected results are remarkable. The project is the largest photovoltaic installation to an office building in the province and represents a potential saving of 44kWs, which equates to some 87,000kWhs per annum.

It is anticipated to achieve a minimum carbon saving of 89,610kg CO2 per annum and a Certified Emissions Reductions of 89.61 tCO2 per annum. This equates to saving nearly 240 trees per year, or removing some 40 cars from our roads each year.

So impressive is the project that it will be featured at COP17/CMP7 United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Durban later this year.

“Energy efficient initiatives and alternative energy sources for commercial properties are without doubt the way of the future, and we’re beginning to figure out how to implement them in the most sustainable and effective manner in South Africa,” says Essop Basha, who heads up the specialised Utilities Management division of Growthpoint Properties.

“Having a local project to showcase at the Conference will show delegates from all over the world the forward thinking approach SA business takes to energy-saving through the use of clean energy sources,” notes Basha.

Hudu’s participation in the project was driven by its objective to provide products that are both sustainable and in harmony with the environment. The ideal partner for this project, Hudu prizes innovation above all and specialises in the supply, design, installation and maintenance of custom-built, hybrid on- and off-grid solar power plants for domestic, commercial and industrial applications.

“The latest innovations in the solar energy sector provide increased applications and effectiveness, as well as financial viability,” explains Martin Viljoen, Managing Director of Hudu. “We are excited to be part of this resourceful project and to be a participant in the solar energy revolution that that is taking hold in SA.”

“Renewable energy is the way of the future. Eskom is committed to developing large scale renewable energy projects as well as support our customers in the development of smaller scale projects as with Lincoln on the Lake. The investment is part of the 49m Campaign which encourages the responsible use of electricity by all South Africans” says Dr. Steve Lennon, Eskom Divisional Executive overseeing Eskom’s preparations for COP-17.

The Lincoln on Lake Rooftop Solar Project launched on 15 October 2011 and monitoring of the building’s energy savings will be ongoing.

“The ultimate objective of the pilot project is to evaluate the technology and the potential opportunity it represents for application in buildings in South Africa. The project will benefit not only the pilot study partners, but the whole country,” says Basha.

http://www.eprop.co.za/news/article.aspx?idArticle=14281

Looks like we could have a new prominent landmark atop the Bluff soon...

--------------

Wind power for province
October 31 2011 at 12:46pm
By Tony Carnie

REUTERS
http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/iol-pics-oct31-wind-turbine-1.1168189!/image/1264245227.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/1264245227.jpg
The eThekwini municipality is planning to install two wind power turbines, similar to these one's in China. REUTERS/Sheng Li

Keen to show off its environmental credentials, the eThekwini electricity department is rushing to install wind turbines at the Bluff military base ahead of the UN COP 17 climate change meeting, placing a crucial bat roosting area in jeopardy.

The department has come under fire over its plans to showcase the “green energy” turbines close to one of South Africa’s largest colonies of slit-faced bats.

It is racing to install the second-hand turbines in a prominent spot above the Durban harbour entrance so the project would be visible to the thousands of delegates attending the climate change meeting, which starts on November 28.

However, the project site at the military base is close to a colony of about 400 Egyptian slit-faced bats (Nycteris thebaica), raising fears that the nocturnal insect eaters would be decimated by the spinning blades.

Initially, eThekwini hoped to install four 150kW turbines along the Bluff headland, but the project has been scaled down to two turbines, each with 23m rotor blades.

The bases of the 30m-high turbines would have to be laid within the next few days if the concrete foundations are to set in time for the conference.


http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/iol-pics-oct31-bat-1.1168190!/image/4104031462.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/4104031462.jpg
INLSA

Electricity department spokesman Raj Dhrochand said the small scale of the project did not require a full environmental impact assessment in terms of EIA regulations, but bat conservation groups and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife say it is essential to examine the potential impacts more thoroughly.

“COP 17 should not be about window-dressing; we should be demonstrating our commitment to generating renewable energy which is responsible and sustainable,” said Andy Blackmore, acting land-use manager at Ezemvelo.

Wendy White, of the KZN Bat Interest Group, said eThekwini officials had been told of the existence of the colony of slit-faced bats in August, but an environmental impact consultant was only due to arrive in Durban this week to start the consultation process.

“This project appears to be short-sighted and politically motivated. “Putting turbines so close to such a critical bat roost will wipe out these bats and is totally unacceptable.”

Although the slit-faced bat is not listed as a threatened species, White said the Bluff military base colony was one of the largest maternity roosts in the country for the species, and the turbines posed a major threat.

Durban was also an important foraging area for the large-eared free-tailed bat (Otomops martienssen), a more vulnerable bat species restricted to the coast between Ballito and Port Shepstone.


Dhrochand said his department had contacted the national Environmental Affairs Department and was advised that a full EIA was not needed.

“However, as responsible government, we decided to engage all relevant stakeholders and we will have an environmental management plan to deal with and mitigate potential impacts.”

He acknowledged that the department faced a tight schedule if it hoped to get the turbines running before the conference.

The concrete bases, which have yet to be laid, require about 27 days to cure.

“Obviously we would like to have them up before COP 17, but if there are serious issues, we will have to re-examine this… at the end of the day it might be a case of having just one.”

He said Bremen had donated four turbines to Durban as part of a scheme to share experience in renewable energy technologies.

Apart from showcasing the turbines for COP 17, the electricity department hoped to gain experience in assembling, erecting and maintaining wind turbines.

One of the turbines had been found to be unusable, while one of the remaining three would be kept as a spare. Five tower sites at the Bluff military base had been investigated. Three of these sites had been ruled out because they were too close to military communications infrastructure, too close to houses or too close to the bat colony. - The Mercury


http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/wind-power-for-province-1.1168191

I'm kind of encouraged by this...

Yes there is the colony of bats to worry about, but if they can solve that problem then it would be great to see a few wind turbines up on the Bluff.

might look a bit weird seeing them up there and will distract from the Millenium Tower...but there is definately alot of win up there

Green project puts Cato Manor streets ahead

November 2 2011 at 03:06pm

Suren Naidoo

DURBAN’S historic township of Cato Manor is set to get what’s being touted as the first “green street” in South Africa with all houses retrofitted with green building technologies such as solar water geysers and rainwater collection containers.

The plan was announced by Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) CEO Brian Wilkinson at the GBCSA Conference and Exhibition in Cape Town last week.

He said the landmark project was being undertaken by the council together with the World Green Building Council as part of their participation in the UN COP17 climate change summit in Durban from November 28.

“Both councils are working together to have a presence at COP17 through exhibitions at the business pavilion and our government’s green technology pavilion. However, we’ve embarked on the green street retrofit in Cato Manor as part of creating higher visibility and a legacy project beyond COP17.

“This will be the first green street retrofit in South Africa... The British High Commission in South Africa is backing the project financially, but we are looking for further support from the property industry and business in general.”

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/nm-green-lincoln-new-1.1170132!/image/1213705182.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/1213705182.jpg

The Lincoln on Lake building in Umhlanga Ridge, which is home to Growthpoint Properties' Durban headquarters, is expected to secure its Green Star SA rating soon.


Wilkinson said GBCSA had secured support for the project from the eThekwini Municipality and the councillor in Cato Manor.

“We are not just putting solar water geysers in the houses. It’s a much broader project that includes rainwater collection containers connected to the roofs of the houses, as well insulating roofs to regulate temperatures in the homes to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter,” he said.

Sarah Rushmere, a sustainable development consultant working on the project for the GBCSA, said the municipality would put in energy-saving LED lighting for the street as part of the project.

“We are looking at as many sustainable innovations as possible ... even having indigenous plants, planting fruit trees and establishing food gardens,” she said.

“The eThekwini Municipality is forward-thinking and progressive and we hope to extend this project depending on the kind of support we get. We are looking at 30 houses that will be part of this initiative, but depending on support this initial phase could be increased in size. We appeal to local business to come on board and support the GBCSA in the great project,” Rushmere said.

Wilkinson also told the GBCSA Conference the council had now awarded 12 Green Star SA ratings to new green building developments in South Africa. The buildings embrace energy- and water-saving technologies and design.

“The green building movement in South Africa is gaining momentum and the GBCSA is leading the effort. The council is only four years old, but it’s really exciting to have moved into double digits in terms of the number of buildings that we have awarded Green Star SA ratings. We have another 30 or so that have applied to be rated.”

Durban has the second-highest number of Green Star SA rated buildings in South Africa after Gauteng. All three buildings that have secured the rating are in the burgeoning Umhlanga Ridge area near Gateway.

The Nedbank Ridgeside Office Development was the first in KZN to get the rating and the second in South Africa. It secured a 4 Star Green Star SA – Office Design v1 rating and is awaiting its “as-built” rating.

The 24 Richefond Circle Building, home to Shepstone & Wylie Attorneys, is the first building in Durban to get both the 4 Star Green Star SA – Office Design v1 and 4 Star Green Star SA – Office As-Built v1 rating from the GBCSA.

The latest building to get a 4 Star Green Star SA – Office Design v1 rating in Durban is the Mayfair development that adjoins the Lincoln on Lake building in Umhlanga Ridge. Lincoln on Lake expects its Green Star SA rating soon.

http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/green-project-puts-cato-manor-streets-ahead-1.1170133

Battery bikes to power city police

November 3 2011 at 09:00am
By Zama Nene

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/nm-bicycle9-1.1170274!/image/1092512230.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/1092512230.jpg
INLSA
Mayor James Nxumalo tries out one of the battery-powered E-Bikes that are being piloted by the Durban metro police.
eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo has challenged other mayors to make a commitment to riding a bicycle to work at least once a week.

Nxumalo threw down the gauntlet at the launch of an E-Bike battery-powered pilot project yesterday.

Ten electrical bicycles were handed over to the metro police for use in patrolling the Durban beachfront.

“I will be cycling regularly from my home in Pinetown to work at the city hall. I will do my best to do this regularly. I am challenging other mayors in South Africa and internationally to commit themselves as I have,” said Nxumalo.

He said the aim of the programme was to test alternative modes of transport for the city, as petrol and diesel contributed to global warming, and bicycles could offer an alternative to the traffic in the city centre, which was a “nightmare”.

The bicycles make use of a lithium ion battery which is rechargeable and provides power for up to 45km.

Carlos Esteves, the deputy head of eThekwini’s Energy Office, said the city would establish more designated cycling routes.

“This programme should encourage people to get out of their cars and enjoy the city and exercise,” said metro policewoman Nompilo Mthethwa.

“It will help us work faster should there be any criminal activities. It’s also environmentally friendly and it motivates me to to keep fit,” she said.


http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/battery-bikes-to-power-city-police-1.1170275

Great to see the bikes becoming a reality! How the inner city cycle lanes coming on?

Not sure as Im not in SA currently. However, when I was last there, the pavements along some roads (especially between the ICC and beachfront; Old Fort Rd being one of them) were being cleared, presumably for bike lanes. Also, the M4 was closed on Saturday for the provision of new bike lanes. Anyone drove on it since?

Battery bikes to power city police

“I will be cycling regularly from my home in Pinetown to work at the city hall. I will do my best to do this regularly. I am challenging other mayors in South Africa and internationally to commit themselves as I have,” said Nxumalo.

That's great, but I'd really like to know if he'll cycle BACK to Pinetown. :lol:

I was thinking the same thing! He'll die by the time he reaches Pavillion! :lol:

I want to ride my bicycle…
November 16 2011 at 12:53pm

Tony Carnie

When Fifa executives returned to Switzerland with their bulging swag bag of soccer loot last year, ordinary South Africans could at least take some comfort from the fact that the World Cup turned out to be a memorable month of celebration and distraction.

Several cities also ended up with some very expensive (if now mostly underutilised) soccer stadiums, along with upgrades to several roads, beachfront areas and other amenities.

There were also other less tangible benefits from international media exposure and the earlier-than-planned construction of the new King Shaka International Airport.

But the UN COP17 climate change summit, which kicks off in Durban on November 28, will be a much more sombre affair.

And apart from copious volumes of political hot air, much finger-pointing and procrastination, the host city is unlikely to benefit from major physical legacy projects once the delegates have flown home.

However, there is one modest city project which could start shifting Durban towards healthier and more climate-friendly transport solutions.

This involves the gradual expansion of the city’s cycling routes and pedestrian paths to encourage people to get out of their private cars and to start pedalling or walking at least part of the way to work.

As part of the Greening COP17 programme, the eThekwini municipality was hoping to complete a new cycling and pedestrian pathway from Blue Lagoon to the Umgeni River Bird Park, but it now seems unlikely that this will be completed before the end of the conference.

Ironically, perhaps, the project has been held up partly by the public consultation requirements of the country’s environmental impact assessment laws.

Carlos Esteves, deputy head of road system management in the eThekwini Transport Authority, says he is not sure whether the new cycle link along the north bank of the Umgeni River can be completed before the end of COP17 and the project might only finish in January or February.

Nevertheless, his department is pressing ahead with several pilot projects as part of a more ambitious Green Circle of cycling and walking routes.

Once the cycling and pedestrian promenade from uShaka to the Umgeni River Bird Park is completed, the idea is to gradually extend the route to link up to Burman Bush, Botanic Gardens and Bulwer Park, and possibly southwards to Umbilo.

Esteves said the authority set up a working group shortly after the World Cup to develop a broad strategy on cycling and walking, and the climate conference was seen as the ideal opportunity to initiate some of these paths.

With financial assistance from the German government, the UN Industrial Development Organisation and the national Department of Environmental Affairs, the city is hoping to procure up to 600 bikes for accredited delegates to explore the city or pedal to the conference from their hotels at no cost.

The city has also mapped out a number of “spines” to link the ICC and Durban beachfront to the Botanic Gardens and Wilson’s Wharf.

All the bikes will be retained by the city at the end of the conference so that they will be available for future events.

Esteves acknowledged that it could be “a challenge” to ensure that all bicycles were returned, especially if the city were to set up a public Bikeshare system similar to those used by several European cities.

To ensure that the bikes come back, some Spanish cities require visitors to pay a suitable deposit or hand in their passports, while local residents have to pre-register by providing their ratepayer/utility bill details.

“I’m not sure that Durban is ready for that kind of system yet because we still have quite a way to go to bring cycling into people’s minds.

“At the moment we are going for some quick wins, mostly where there is space to accommodate these routes next to the existing motorised traffic routes.”

In some areas it might be necessary for cyclists to share a route with motorised traffic if there was no space to accommodate a separate lane for cyclists.

“I’m reluctant to introduce shared lanes until motorists become more aware of the safety of cyclists, but we think we may have found a route from the city to Umhlanga using the existing road networks through residential areas.”

The eThekwini Transport Authority was also examining options for a cycle/pedestrian lane to Durban North via Swapo Avenue (Broadway).

Other possible cycling routes under discussion include a 2km pathway to allow youngsters to cycle from Albert Park to a school in the Addington area. In the longer term, the city hopes to offer commuters more options to walk or pedal to work in the central business district by providing “park and pedal” areas, or via new rail and bus transit points.

However, planners would have to be creative to get around the fact that the city’s inner city road network was built to handle a two-hour motorised traffic peak in the early morning and evening.

And while it is still early days, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo has provided political momentum by pledging to cycle to the city hall once a week from his home in Pinetown.


http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/i-want-to-ride-my-bicycle-1.1179701

The first Durban Green Festival is about to be held. Hope this becomes a regular event. Will bring lots of attention to green areas and Durban's green initiatives.

The city has also launched a dedicated Green Corridor website and Facebook face:

Green Corridor webpage: http://www.durbangreencorridor.co.za

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TheGreenHubDurban


---------------


18 Nov

Olivia 'OJ' Symcox

Fun Aplenty at Green Hub During Durban Green Festival

The Jeep Apparel South Coast Surf Carnival is only one week away and takes place at Scottburgh beach with the country’s top men, women and juniors taking part in the SUP, longboarding, waveski and kiteboarding events at the watersports festival. Try to make a plan ASAP to book accommodation down the coast to be a part of the action – you can email mw.nerve@mweb.co.za for more information.

Something else to look forward to will be the Durban Green Festival on the Durban beachfront from 1 – 9 December during COP 17. The Green Hub near Blue Lagoon will be alive with action, entertainment, a raft race, paddling, mountain biking and other fun family events. Stay tuned next week for updates or visit www.facebook.com/TheGreenHubDurban

Today sees a light easterly wind going SE later with some more wet weather; there is some swell of about 4-5ft around but it is bumpy. If you are heading down to the beach today or over the weekend watch out for dirty water following all of the rain we have had, rather mission around a bit until you find some clean water. Unless of course you are an angler because the ginger beer coloured water may be just the thing that you are looking for. Garrick are still been caught at Tongaat long beach as well as the Umgeni River and the Durban beachfront is still producing pompano and stumpies. Further north at Cape Vidal some nice couta are being caught. With December around the corner Ski anglers can look forward to another exciting season according to the guys from the Kingfisher.

Have a fantastic weekend!


http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-blogs-east-coast-blog?oid=1456184&sn=Detail&pid=6028&-Fun-Aplenty-at-Green-Hub-During-Durban-Green-Festival-

^^Props to DBN for really pushing the green agenda...

Sky’s the limit for rooftop farming
November 21 2011 at 01:13pm
By BARBARA COLE


http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/iol-pics-farm1-1.1182915!/image/2965474698.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/2965474698.jpg
INLSA
Wendy Taylor has transformed an empty urban space into a farm that is now attracting bees, birds and butterflies  and will soon be. Picture:Zanele Zulu

Delegates to the massive Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) in Durban are going to learn all about rooftop farming – and they will not have too far too travel either.

Just across the road from the International Convention Centre, where the global conference is being held, there are cabbages, onions and spinach growing next to the taxi rank in Monty Naicker (Pine) Street.

Delegates, who are due to descend on Durban in their thousands at the weekend, will get to see how to grow food even though there might not be enough space. Even a wall can lend itself to growing tomatoes and granadillas.

An urban farm, which has taken only a few months to develop, is on the roof of the “Priority Zone” building – a former warehouse – at 77 Monty Naicker Street, where a pilot project has been running for three years.

The project has turned a “scary slum into a clean, safe place”, said Wendy Taylor, the facility manager.

The project is a private-public partnership between the city and Drake & Scull, facility managers, which has focused on 17 streets in the heart of Durban.

And with 1 300m2 of roof going to waste, Taylor, who is passionate about gardening, decided to turn her attention to how best to use the space, adding another dimension to the vision of what could be done in an inner city.

The COP17 delegates will be able to see for themselves what she has done, just as local taxi operators, traders and cardboard recyclers have also been shown how they can grow food for their families.

Rural schoolchildren, particularly those studying geography, are also going to be shown around the rooftop farm.

COP17 delegates can pop across the road to the Priority Zone, where one of the conference side events – an architectural exhibition – will be held.

And while they are there, they can visit the roof and see how Taylor has fashioned the farm, using old pallets found in the area.

Old tyres and cut-up drums have been recycled to house an assortment of vegetables, and water is being harnessed from the roof and redirected to the vegetable tunnels housing onions and spinach.

“Old tyres are great as they collect water and there is always moisture for the vegetables. The heat generated from the tyres creates a hothouse effect and the vegetables are bigger and grow quicker,” said Taylor.

“Potatoes need depth and all people have to do is to stack several tyres on top of each other. You can get a crop of potatoes in six weeks.”

The rooftop farm is now attracting bees, butterflies and birds.

“We had our first crops in four weeks and are now in our second rotation of planting,” said Taylor.

The vegetables go to a local shelter and the Durban Children’s Home and six women also get some to sell to earn an income.

“We are also going to do fish farming,” she said.

Taylor hopes the garden will inspire local companies to do the same on their buildings.

“It will minimise their carbon footprint, they will use less electricity to run their air-conditioning system,” she said.

Solar panels on her rooftop farm also generate electricity for the Priority Zone’s computer system.

The media visited the farm on Friday, where a mural has gone up on the wall.

The farm idea has also been extended to the street where cabbages, spring onions and spinach line the road next to the nearby taxi rank.

Marigolds not only add a splash of colour, but keep the pests at bay.

Derek White, who heads the Priority Zone project, praised Taylor for taking her passion and skills to another level.

“And the butter lettuce is the best you will ever taste,” he raved. - Daily News


http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/sky-s-the-limit-for-rooftop-farming-1.1182917

21 Nov 2011

Olivia 'OJ' Symcox

Green Hub to host epic Durban Green Festival

The Green Hub, which is situated at Blue Lagoon on the south bank of the uMngeni Estuary, will be the epicentre of the upcoming Durban Green Festival set to take place later this month (30 November – 9 December).

Green Hub to host epic Durban Green Festival

The Green Hub, which is situated at Blue Lagoon on the south bank of the uMngeni Estuary, will be the epicentre of the upcoming Durban Green Festival set to take place later this month (30 November – 9 December). The festival, also taking place at a number of other locations between the Green Hub and uShaka Marine World, will be offering Durban locals as well as the 20,000 COP 17/CMP7 (COP17) climate change conference visitors to Durban the chance to enjoy many climate-related installations as well as a top quality entertainment and activity programme each day.

The Green Hub is a focal point of the recently revamped southern bank of the uMngeni Estuary, and as part of the Durban Green Festival it will be featuring a family orientated programme with an environmental and climate change focus, targeted at Durban residents and COP 17 conference attendees. The ‘My Green Home’ exhibition will be one of the key events at the Green Hub, itself an award-winning eco home building which incorporates alternative construction materials, renewable energy power and water heating, energy efficient lighting, water harvesting and management systems, an array of energy efficient appliances, wormeries, composters, recycled furniture and art. Designed in the format of a house and garden, this exhibit will contain a comprehensive range of technologies and solutions that can be applied to greening the home or workplace.

The Durban Green Festival will kick off on 30 November with the Jabulisa Street Event created by David Gouldie on behalf of the National Department of Arts and Culture, Jabulisa will be a celebration of artistic expression including dance, art installations and other entertainment.

During the Durban Green Festival, the Green Hub will also be offering a market and entertainment area on the lawns overlooking the uMngeni River. The market will feature a green tent with interactive workshops and artistic activities, vendors of green technologies and services, a dedicated children’s area, healthy and organic foods, quality and handmade crafts, and a food and beverage court. A stage with live music, green movies and performing arts will see performances from some popular local acts, an international act from Nigeria, as well as a few up and coming artists.

Operating year-round as a multifunction environmental and tourism education and information centre, and as the anchor for the rest of the Durban Green Corridor, the Green Hub will also be hosting a number of sporting and nature-based activities and events that will look to take advantage of the natural beauty, rugged terrain and multi-cultural character of the uMngeni Valley. These will include a raft race, a geocaching amazing race, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, canoeing, guided walks and birding tours.

The Green Hub and the Durban Green Corridor, which were officially launched in December last year, were possible thanks to a partnership between the eThekwini Municipality and the Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust with support from private companies, special interest groups, as well as sporting clubs and associations. Gary Cullen of the eThekwini Municipality’s Economic Development Unit said that “the Green Hub was envisaged as being Durban’s iconic ‘green heart’, connecting people with nature and inspiring people, through a combination of nature and technology, to live in a more sustainable way. The COP 17 conference that is set to take place in less than a month offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to illustrate the importance of sustainable living to a very captive audience, and we hope to do justice to the cause with our contribution to the Durban Green Festival”.

The Green Hub building will be open between 08H00 - 21H00 for the entirety of the Durban Green Festival. The activity programme (see www.durbangreencorridor.co.za) is designed to enable Durban residents to visit after work and over the evening supper period, as well as to accommodate the conference visitors. For more information and updated event schedules visit https://www.facebook.com/TheGreenHubDurban


Press release issued on behalf of: The Green Hub

Compiled by: Rob Evans


For media queries please contact:

Olivia Jones Communications

Work: 031 303 9341

Cell: 082 677 8330

Email: media@oliviajones.co.za

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-blogs-east-coast-blog?oid=1458509&sn=Detail&pid=835580&Green-Hub-to-host-epic-Durban-Green-Festival-

Seems Clairwood Racecourse has been sold. I hope the whole plot is not lost to industry...

-------------

21 November 2011 01:41:19 PM

Race to protect rare Durban bloom
November 21 2011 at 11:06am
By Tony Carnie

A Durban plant expert is worried that plans to sell Clairwood Racecourse and dig out a new harbour nearby could spell doom for one of the city’s rarest wild flowers.

Known as the “racecourse lily”, the yellow-bloomed variety of the red-hot poker species was once spread widely around the city in wet, marshy areas.

According to local botanist Professor Himansu “Snowy” Baijnath, the lily was first collected in Durban 170 years ago by renowned Swedish naturalist Johan Wahlberg.

Wahlberg, travelling at the time in an ox-wagon, came across the lily near the uMlazi River during a plant-collecting expedition in October 1841. Other specimens were found more than 100 years later in Mariannhill. As a young honours student, Baijnath also collected one of these lilies in the moist grassland at Clairwood Racecourse in 1968.

But by the mid-1990s, the plant, known to botanists as Kniphofia pauciflora, was thought to be extinct in the wild.

Fortunately Baijnath had collected one of the plants several years earlier and had kept it in the glasshouse nursery of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus.

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/nm-flowerragout-21000137-1.1182674!/image/3376657532.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/3376657532.jpg
Back in 1995, Professor Snowy Baijnath prepares to reintroduce one of several nursery-grown specimens back into the wild at the racecourse.
INLSA

From this single plant he propagated several specimens and in 1995 decided to send them back to their old home at Clairwood.

However, when a new training track was established at the racecourse a short time later, Baijnath salvaged the remaining lilies and took them back to the Westville campus.

Remarkably, however, Baijnath rediscovered some of the plants still growing at Clairwood in 2003 and is determined to ensure their survival.

Two weeks ago, the Sunday Tribune reported that negotiations to sell the course were on the verge of being concluded.

However, the identity of the prospective buyer and the future use of the land remain unclear.

Nevertheless, the racecourse site is close to the old Durban International Airport, which Transnet hopes to develop as a new dig-out port.

Baijnath hopes that, if the sale goes ahead, the new owners will make a commitment to protect the rare lily. - The Mercury


http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/nm-race-lily-1-21000138-1.1182673!/image/3805882713.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/3805882713.jpg

Durban voted top ‘green’ city

Nov 23 2011 1:19PM

Kim Helfrich

The Choice of Durban as host city for the UN climate change conference has been boosted considerably by the local metro, eThekwini, being named the country’s greenest municipality.

The award was bestowed on the east coast city by Deputy Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi during this month’s Green Municipality Competition awards.

Now in its 10th year, the awards were previously known as the Cleanest Town Competition. A national government intervention, the awards are aimed at addressing waste management challenges at a local level.

But with the change in name came a change in concept whereby municipalities are now required to get involved in advancing green economy objectives.

These include mitigating climate change, introducing solar energy and greening programmes as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“The overall guideline is to encourage sustainable development and provide work opportunities,” Mabudafhasi said during the awards function in Centurion recently.

Its efforts in going green have earned the KZN metro R3.5m while second placed Cape Town has had its municipal coffers boosted by R3m.

Eastern Cape’s Nelson Mandela Bay metro earned R2.5m for coming third.

In the local municipality category Western Cape’s Overstrand took top honours with Steve Tshwete second and Tswelelopele third.

Overstrand comprises Hermanus, Kleinmond, Gansbaai and Stanford.

Steve Tshwete municipality is in Mpumalanga and comprises Middelburg, Mhluzi, Hendrina, Kwazamokuhle, Rietkuil, Pullenshope, Komati, Presidentsrus, Naledi, Lesedi, Kranspoort, Blinkpan, Koornfontein, Kwamakalane and Doornkop.

Tswelelopele is in central Free State, about 100km north-west of Bloemfontein, and comprises Bultfontein, Phahameng, Hoopstad, Tikwana and surrounding rural areas.

http://www.thenewage.co.za/35897-1008-53-Durban_voted_top_%E2%80%98green%E2%80%99_city

Was just about to post that! To be honest, I would have been surprised if Durban didn't get this accolade. It's *easily* the most proactive city on green initiatives in the country, and likely the whole of Africa too. And that was even before being awarded COP 17 spurred things on.

There was a 5 minute insert on Sky News this morning about Durban's rooftop gardens. Very cool.

yeah they filmed as part of the Priority zone work in build up of COP17. Also saw some on cnn

Unilever builds green food plant in Durban
The R670m savoury dry food plant has been built at Riverhorse Valley in Durban

EDWARD WEST

Published:2011/12/12 08:49:42 AM


UNILEVER, the global fast-moving goods supply group, has built a R670m savoury dry food plant at Riverhorse Valley in Durban, according to chairman of Unilever SA, Marijn van Tiggelen.

The plant, which makes brands such as Knorr, Robertsons, Knorrox, Aromat and Rajah, produces 65000 tons of product a year and has an expansion capability of 100000 tons. It also has the potential to become the biggest Unilever plant of its type worldwide.

"It is the first green manufacturing plant for SA, reducing its carbon footprint and the first major private greenfields investment since the Soccer World Cup," Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said at the opening of the plant on Friday.

Globally, Unilever operates 250 plants, selling about 170-billion products in 180 countries annually.

The new Durban plant, Idonsa, is the second-largest in the Unilever stable, and the fifth that the group operates in SA.

The 500 employed in the new plant will bring the group’s total staff in SA to about 3000.

Unilever supply chain officer Pier-Luigi Sigismondi said the plant would use 75% less water than similar plants elsewhere and would be water-neutral, with even the condensation from the air conditioners being reused to clean toilets.

The plant, about the size of three soccer fields, would use 50% less energy than similar plants by using better lighting and insulation methods, and more efficient motors and air compressors. Solid waste would be recycled.

Mr Davies said competitive advantage today meant adjusting to a low-carbon economy.

Agriprocessing was a key industrial sector being promoted by the government due to the large agricultural sector in SA, he said.

The investment in the plant indicated the confidence in SA as an investment destination and in the country’s manufacturing capability, said Mr Davies.

"It is imperative for Unilever to respond positively to growing global demand for sustainably sourced products. We will continuously reduce our impact across the life cycle of our products and intensify the advancement of new technologies," Mr Sigismondi said.

Globally the group was targeting to cut the environmental effect of all its products by 50% and to source all of its agricultural raw materials sustainably. About 50% of the raw materials for the new plant would be sourced locally, although the intention was to increase this over time.

In October, Unilever was one of 175 companies that committed to working to keep the effect of greenhouse gas emissions below a 2°C rise in average temperatures. That, scientists say, is the least that should be maintained to avoid damaging the climate. The companies signed up to the 2°C Challenge of the newly established Corporate Leaders Network for Climate Action .

weste@bdfm.co.za

http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=160958

Six of the best day walks and hikes in Durban
By: Fiona Mcintosh
3 February 2012

http://blog.getaway.co.za/files/2012/01/hiking.jpg

With the Drakensberg within spitting distance, Durban’s never cracked it as a hiking destination. But the city has a surprising number of lush, tropical reserves abounding with birds and game where you can enjoy beautiful walks.

Beachfront promenade

Durbs is all about the beaches and walking the recently revamped Beachfront Promenade is the way to appreciate this splendour to the full. The six-kilometre paved walkway links Blue Lagoon in the north, to uShaka in the south, taking you past Suncoast, Battery, North, Dairy, New, South and Addington beaches. There is parking all the way, so you can shorten your walk or toss your shoes and hop down onto the sand at any point.

Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve

There are a number of short marked walks in this pretty reserve, southwest of Durban, including the 5,5-kilometre Mkumbi Trail. It passes a dam and wetland area alive with waterbirds, grasslands on which you see zebra and various antelope, and a section of coastal forest leading down to the Umhlatuzana River. The reserve also has mountainbiking trails, so keep your eyes peeled for enthusiastic cyclists at intersections. There is a small fee for the trail.

Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve

Although right on the edge of the holiday town of Umhlanga, this little piece of wilderness is a refuge for many wetland and coastal forest species and is a popular destination for families. From the entrance on Lagoon Drive, the trail goes past a picnic area and crosses a wooden boardwalk before cutting into coastal forest, home to vervet monkeys, small buck and butterflies. Many of the trees on the trail have identification labels, so it’s a fun, educational ramble.

Krantzkloof Nature Reserve

This reserve to the west of Durban protects the forested gorges carved by the Molweni and Nkutu rivers and has an abundance of wildlife, including zebra, bushbuck, blue, red and grey duiker as well as more than 200 bird species. The strenuous, six-kilometre Molweni Trail starts at the main picnic area and drops through thick indigenous forest to the bottom of Kloof Falls in the valley, where there are numerous rock pools in which to swim. The reserve is also home to some rare trees such as the Natal quince (Dahlgrenodendron natalensi).

Vernon Crookes

This extensive reserve is an hour south of Durban, but it’s worth the drive. The grasslands and coastal forests are home to 56 mammal and 350 confirmed bird species, including a number of raptors such as crowned and Martial eagles. One of the best walks is the Hlathikulu Trail, a 4,2-kilometre circular trail that offers spectacular views from the open ridges, interspersed with dense forested sections with their resident fauna.

Durban Green Corridor

A new network of guided trails allows hikers to enjoy the uMngeni basin, stretching inland from the beachfront all the way to the outer west boundary in the vicinity of Cato Ridge. There are three sections, each with separate hubs. The first is the Green Hub, from where various loops of two to 25 kilometres lead along the river and into the Beachwood Mangrove Reserve. Once you’re on the riverbank it’s hard to believe you’re in the city and passing through an industrial area. You can spot a number of birds, small mammals and even crocodiles.

Then there’s a network of trails around the Inanda Dam and the Matabethule plateau, radiating out from the eNanda Adventures Trail Centre. The Isithumba Adventures Centre, at the Isithumba Village, is the hub for the upper section of trails, between Mfula Store and Marianne- Foley Causeway. Entrance is R20 for adults, R10 for kids and a guide is R50 an hour for a group of six. Tel 031-311-4235, culleng@durban.gov.za, www.durbangreencorridor.co.za.

Photo by Shaen Adey

very cool options there...

This is an interesting development worth keeping track of. First for the country, I think...

--------------

Feb. 7, 2012, 12:42 p.m. EST
Hydro Alternative Energy, Inc. Announces Planned Development of Hydrokinetic Energy Project With the Municipality Of eThekwini in Durban, South Africa

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb 7, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Hydro Alternative Energy, Inc. ("HAE" or the "Company"), an emerging independent power provider ("IPP"), announced today its planned development and local government backed support of a hydrokinetic energy project in eThekwini Municipality in Durban, South Africa, to harvest ocean energy and transform it into electricity.

Meetings and discussions between HAE, eThekwini Municipality and the Durban Investment Promotion Agency led to the issuance to HAE of an Investment Facilitation Letter by the Deputy City Manager of eThekwini Municipality dated January 27th, 2012. Such letter expressly confirms the Municipality's in- principle support for HAE's planned power generation system project, to be undertaken in stages, with the first stage involving HAE's identification of suitable sites in the Agulhas current to install and moor offshore power generation systems. After such sites are identified, HAE plans to request environmental permits from the National Department of Environmental Affairs, and a power generation license to be issued by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.

Plans call for HAE to develop, install and test a power plant unit of up to 5MW and once details of connecting to the Municipality's electricity distribution network have been finalized and a power purchase agreement executed with the Municipality, to commence electricity generation.

The Municipality in its Investment Facilitation Letter has confirmed its ability to purchase electricity directly from independent power producers such as HAE provided that it complies with applicable legislative and municipal procurement procedures, and stated that it does not anticipate any obstacles in doing so.

The Municipality in such letter also states that it will ensure that its staff provides HAE necessary assistance and support, and give priority attention to any land use applications or other decisions which may be required to enable the project to be swiftly implemented.

In a presentation announcing this important Company development, Mark Antonucci, Co-CEO of HAE was quoted saying: "We are very proud to announce that the Municipality of eThekwini through Mr. Derek Naidoo, Deputy City Manager, has issued on our behalf, an Investment Facilitation Letter that will facilitate our planned development of a project that we have been excitedly looking forward to undertake. Our company, based in West Palm Beach, Florida, has chosen the city of Durban in South Africa to be our strategic partner in taking ocean energy generation to the next level. We note the commitment of Durban and the eThekwini Municipality to substantially reducing their carbon footprint and becoming "greener", with the eThekwini Municipality having recently hosted the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change."

Mr. Antonucci was further quoted as saying: "We also very much would have liked to include Palm Beach County, Florida in our plans to develop and work together with federal and local authorities on a similar project utilizing our State's offshore Gulfstream current. Unfortunately, the laws and regulations of the United States, coupled with stifling governmental bureaucracy, do not allow us to do so at this time. Hopefully, in the near future, our officials in Washington will understand and promote the entrepreneurial spirit of the private sector that can serve to truly foster and generate commercial applications for new green technology and job growth in this country."

Certain statements made by Hydro Alternative Energy, Inc. and members of its management team on its behalf in this release and other periodic oral and written statements, regarding the Company's operating performance, events or developments that the Company believes or expects to occur in the future, including those that discuss anticipated financial results, strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters, or which relate to future sales, earnings expectations, cost savings, growth of the Company or of the market for its products and services, or general belief in the Company's expectations of future operating results are forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the need by the Company for substantial additional working capital to materially advance its business plan and projects it may undertake; no assurances that the Company will be able to secure such capital; technology challenges involved in the development of the Company's planned products and services; the performance of the Company's technology; the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property; the breadth and severity of the global economic downturn; the strength of housing and related markets; retail and industrial demand; foreign currency effects; the ability to integrate acquisitions successfully and the risk that expected synergies may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; and competitors' product introductions, pricing and other competitive pressures, as well as other risk factors. Forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from anticipated results.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Hydro Alternative Energy, Inc.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hydro-alternative-energy-inc-announces-planned-development-of-hydrokinetic-energy-project-with-the-municipality-of-ethekwini-in-durban-south-africa-2012-02-07

Orange is the new black

February 8 2012 at 09:46am
By Colleen Dardagan

Fed up with residents who abuse facilities built for recycling in the outer west, local volunteers say they are now set to start punitive measures against lawless litterbugs.

Bev Fowles, who runs the Kloof Recycling Centre and is a member of the Keep Kloof Beautiful Association, said the centre, at the old Civic Centre in Emolweni Road, was being abused by locals who dumped “crappy nappies, vrot meat and vrot fish” instead of recyclables such as glass, cans, paper and plastic.

“This place was pristine when we opened it. Former mayor Obed Mlaba was here for that. But since then, people have just abused it. Since the surveillance camera we installed was smashed and stolen, we are now taking people’s car registration numbers, and if they bring building rubble or orange bags which don’t have just paper and plastic in them, we will fine them – the by-laws allow for that,” she said.

Jill Noyce, ward councillor in the outer west, said she was appalled by the behaviour of residents who lived in areas where they should know better.

“The council is trying to introduce the two-bag system: black bags for wet waste and orange bags for dry waste. Residents must know that Durban Solid Waste (DSW) will not collect orange bags that have garden refuse, or any waste, other than plastic and paper, in them.”

Fowles also expressed concern over the number of residents who included “highly toxic” low-energy light bulbs in the orange bags.

“There are special depots at Pick n Pay for those,” she said.

The eThekwini municipality’s collection system has been in the spotlight of late as some Durban residents say that the orange bags, which should contain only polystyrene, tetrapak (milk cartons), milk sachets, polypropylene – yoghurt and ice cream containers – and paper are not being collected.

Residents have also questioned why garden waste – disposed of in blue bags – is dumped with general pavement collections.

Glenwood resident Mary de Haas, who said she complied with the rules, wrote to The Mercury complaining that collections during the festive season did not happen and the quality of the orange bags handed to residents was poor.

“I run out of orange bags before new ones are delivered. The last pack of orange bags was of such poor quality, they split.”

De Haas also questioned why collections of orange bags were not carried out over the festive season.

“If private contractors can work over the Christmas/new year period why can Mondi, which is being paid by ratepayers, not do so?”

Neeri Moodley, spokesman for DSW, confirmed that orange bag collections were stopped over the Christmas period, but gave the late notification of the closure of the Teakwood depot as the reason.

“We have notified Mondi, now known as Mpact, about the problems to avoid it ever happening again,” she said. - The Mercury

*E-mail Colleen: colleen.dardagan@inl.co.za

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/orange-is-the-new-black-1.1229545

South Africa: KwaZulu Natal Shines Spotlight on Green Economy

By Kemantha Govender, 23 February 2012


Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal government has intensified its drive to become a leading force in the creation of a greener economy.

The provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism hosted its first Green Economy Research Conference at the Durban ICC, with the aim of exploring opportunities to upscale economic activities that promote sustainability while protecting the environment.

Sustainable Energy Africa's Megan Euston-Brown said governments were paying more attention to greener economies now following the recent recession. Economies need to be recharged but without the depletion of further resources.

Euston-Brown added that the South African government was very conscious about climate change and the country's resources, therefore taking the necessary measures.

Frikkie Brooks from the KZN Planning Commission said the province had put plans in place for a growth and development strategy for 2030 that would push to achieve seven goals around a green economy. Job creation, environment sustainability and human and community development were some of the goals.

Brooks said now that the developed world was exploring technology and other areas for a green economy, South Africa could not be left behind. He said the country had the potential to come up with solutions that could also assist other African countries.

Brooks said there were independent power producers (IPPs) that could help alleviate power outages but were hindered from doing so because of existing governance and policy framework.

However, government's plans to source energy from IPPs are now underway. Last year during the COP17 conference, the Department of Energy received 53 bids to provide renewable energy. The successful bidders will be announced around June.

Acting HOD at the Department of Economic Development and Tourism Sibusiso Myeza said government alone could not create a green economy. He said input from the private sector was needed, but government had to set a framework in which they could operate effectively.

Brooks said the cash injection into the province from the provincial budget, which would be utilised for major projects, must also include elements that help to create a green economy.

He was referring to the Durban port project and rail and road initiatives - the latter mentioned by Premier Zweli Mkhize on Tuesday during his State of the Province Address.

The two-day conference will focus on supporting green development in sectors of health, job creation and sustainability.

Thus far, Unilever and the South African Sugar Association have explained how their visions could contribute to a green economy.

Unilever, which operates in 180 countries, wants to half its carbon foot print in the next 10 years.

The company has built its first green manufacturing plant for South Africa. Unilever representative Ross Plumbley said the company recycled 60 percent of its waste and was looking at ways to address the 40 percent that goes to landfill sites.

The South African Sugar Association has been liaising with several government departments to contribute to the production of renewable energy.

Last year, KZN Economic Development and Tourism MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu said at the South African Sugar Association Development Indaba that bio-fuels were becoming an increasingly important source of energy globally.

"Finding ways of utilising sugar cane bi-products towards the production of bio-fuels is, therefore, germane to the advancement of economic development in the province".

http://allafrica.com/stories/201202240158.html

I can't see the northern suburbs taking this lying down if/when it eventually gets implemented...

---------------

Loo to tap water plan for Durban

March 15 2012 at 11:17am

Durban plans to become the first SA city to purify and recycle sewage water into drinking-quality tap water and officials are urging residents to comment on the proposal as soon as possible.

The plan involves producing about 12 percent of the city’s tap water supply from recycled sewage effluent – mainly in the northern suburbs and townships of the city.

The water would be disinfected and purified at the KwaMashu and Northern sewerage works, which would be upgraded to incorporate new ultra-filtration and disinfection methods.

The city is also carrying out a parallel feasibility study on purifying sea water as an alternative, but the desalination process requires large volumes of electricity that would push up treatment costs.

As part of a compulsory social and environmental impact assessment, eThekwini municipality and consultant Golder Associates placed newspaper advertisements on February 8, inviting the public to comment before March 23.

But Golder Associates consultant Rob Hounsome told The Mercury yesterday that with just nine days to go before the deadline for comment expired, there had been limited feedback from the public. However, this deadline would be extended if residents needed more time to study and comment on the plan.

According to a background information document, a Department of Water Affairs study in 2008 found the eThekwini metro area was running short of reliable water supplies and the risk of water restrictions was considered “unacceptable”.

Yet a staggering 37 percent of water bought from Umgeni Water is going astray in Durban because of leaks, theft and other “unaccounted losses”. The city recently spent millions of rand replacing large sections of old, leaky pipes and reduced pressure levels in several areas to curb leaking, but eThekwini says further water conservation strategies are unlikely to relieve the supply risks immediately.

The eThekwini senior water engineer, Bill Pfaff, said although a large new dam, Spring Grove, was being built near Mooi River, this would not relieve the water supply risk to an acceptable level in the short term. The city hoped to get approval to build and commission the new sewage purification works before 2016.

Although the toilet-to-tap water proposal was likely to draw criticism because of the “yuck” factor, Hounsome noted that Windhoek had been partially reliant on recycled sewage-to-tap water since 1968.

“General distaste for drinking treated effluent has given way to pride in the municipality’s unique, effective and efficient use of scarce water resources,” said Hounsome.

“Crucial to this public acceptance is Windhoek’s 42-year record of no waterborne disease outbreaks and no negative health effects attributable to drinking reclaimed water.”

Golder Associates’ background document says the only other SA municipality now using treated effluent for tap water is Beaufort West in the Western Cape. This R42-million scheme began producing water in January.

According to eThekwini’s water department, there would be at least three safety barriers to ensure the quality of treated effluent.

It would be treated first using conventional wastewater technology. The semi-treated clear water would then be pumped at high pressure through ultra-filtration membranes that removed suspended and dissolved solids, and bacteria.

Only pure water molecules passed through the membranes.

This ultra-filtered water would then be treated with reverse osmosis technology, which filtered the water through tiny pores, about 0.001 micrometres in diameter.

The final stage involved ultra-violet light disinfection.

Commenting on concerns that the treatment relied on high levels of technical skills and efficiency, the Golder report said Durban was among the top scorers (above 96 percent) in the 2011 national Blue Drop water quality scheme.

Nevertheless, Golder said numerous studies showed that conventional wastewater treatment plants could not remove endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) completely.

EDCs are derived from pharmaceutical and personal care products and can cause growth deformities, gender-bending effects and other ecological impacts, even at very low levels.

However, more advanced processes like reverse osmosis “appear to be viable for the removal of many trace contaminants, including EDCs”.

As a further safeguard, all purified effluents from the two new Durban plants would be stored for at least 12 hours after treatment so that final grab samples could be taken before the water was released into tap supplies.

For more information and to comment on the plan, the public may contact Rob Hounsome or Mfundo Ndlovu at 031 717 2790, or e-mail mndlovu@golder.co.za


http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/loo-to-tap-water-plan-for-durban-1.1257103

Toilet water can be purified
April 10 2012 at 12:04pm
By Kamcilla Pillay

Yuck! This is the response in most instances to the proposal to recycle water from sewage effluent.

But experts warn that there are already substances in our water supply that might draw similar reaction – and we drink it anyway.

Durban plans to become the first South African city to purify and recycle sewage into quality tap water. The plan involves producing about 12 percent of the city’s tap water supply from recycled sewage effluent – mainly in the northern suburbs and townships.

Dr Jo Barnes, a senior lecturer in epidemiology and community health in the faculty of health sciences at the University of Stellenbosch, said it was worth remembering that all water on Earth had been used before.

“The treatment cycle is just much longer for water harvested from nature, while the water directly harvested from households is still very polluted. The major difference is that household wastewater needs aggressive purification.”

The concern in many minds, she said, was that all engineering systems had the potential to fail at some point.

“Water from nature can also be unclean, but less so than household wastewater. It is the close proximity between use, dirtying and re-use in the household wastewater scenario that concerns many people.”

The acting head of the city’s health unit, Dr Ayo Olowolagba, said South Africa’s water was internationally highly ranked for its quality – but even this water contained chemicals, in their permissible amounts. “Nothing is pure, from the air we breathe, to the food we eat – but our water still meets national and international standards.”

People’s perceptions had little to do with reality. Even the bottled water people often consumed was no better in terms of chemical content, compared with tap water, he said.

“We have strict monitoring systems in place. If there is a problem, we let the public know. There’s no hidden agenda.”

South Africa, he said, was a water-scarce country, so the municipality had to prepare for any eventuality. “This is part of that plan.”

Barnes said there were stringent limits for many harmful substances in drinking water purified by municipalities.

“The purification works in most cities are still in reasonable shape, but the purification works in many smaller municipalities, especially in rural areas, are not functioning properly at all.

So, the harmful substances already in drinking water and distributed to consumers depends on the sophistication and functioning of the relevant works.”

She said there were some substances that were difficult or very expensive to remove.

“Two harmful organisms that can make people ill are Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Both can cause serious diarrhoea and vomiting. But they are resistant to chlorine – the disinfectant most often used to purify water.”

Barnes said there were also some compounds such as those containing nano particles (extremely small particles) that were difficult to remove, even for sophisticated purification works. She said there had been well-documented instances of such outbreaks of waterborne disease.

“But, it depends, among other things, on how clean a municipal system can get the water. Another factor to remember is that the quality of the purified water is usually tested as it leaves the purification works.”

But this water still has to reach the consumers. In towns where the distribution systems (pipes, etc.) are in poor repair or leaking, even initially clean water can get re-contaminated, making people ill.

Barnes said with waterborne disease from contaminated drinking water, the contaminated batch of water had long passed through the system.

Risks

She said no large-scale processes were 100 percent safe, but alternatives could sometimes carry worse risks.

“Not purifying water carries an even bigger risk. As far as health aspects are concerned, these decisions are about balancing the risk of distributing contaminated water against the health effects if people do not have enough water to clean themselves and their living quarters. That also carries risk.”

Money was also a factor in the water purification process, she said. “‘Black’ water, or water containing toilet waste is the dirtiest and most dangerous of all the various water waste streams, and needs the most sophisticated and costly systems to clean.

Since water containing human waste always carries health risks, this purification system should be very safe and well maintained.”

“‘Grey’ water – water originating from baths and showers, for instance – was much less contaminated and therefore easier to purify. “I would certainly consider re-using such ‘grey’ water long before trying to clean ‘black’ water.”

A spokesman for the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), Verna Schutte, said the SABS was the administrative tool on supplying the standard and had no jurisdiction on the quality of drinking water to the consumer.

“SABS is not responsible for water quality. An SABS standard is available through the input of water authorities on allowed limits for drinking water,” she said.

Environmental research campaigner Dr Rico Euripidou of NGO groundWork said the process of purifying and converting sewage water into drinking water was neither uncommon nor publicly rejected where it was a necessity, “in water-scarce countries such as Singapore, the western US, UK, Australia and even closer to home, in Namibia”.

The principle, he said, was that once purified, drinking water was generally free of pathogens common to sewage.

“In fact, the general quality of water in the Inanda Dam prior to purification would contain many ‘sewage pathogens’ as does the uMngeni River, etc. This is one of the main reasons we fail to get Blue Flag status for our beaches. Canals and failures at sewage treatment works means raw sewage makes its way to the sea.”

He said many chemical substances that might be harmful to health such as endocrine disruptors and some pthalates (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility) were not routinely tested in drinking water.

Lushendrie Naidu, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance projects officer, applauded the move, saying that if the country were to face a water shortage in the next couple of years, this might be the only solution.


http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/toilet-water-can-be-purified-1.1272636

Mar 29 2012 9:23AM

SA Earth Hour to start in Durban

Kim Helfrich

The focal point – if there is one when the lights are off – for South Africa’s official Earth Hour event on Saturday will be the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

This is the first time the east coast province has hosted the main event. The major reason for deciding on Durban was that the city last year saw thousands of delegates in town for the UN COP17 meeting, an integral part of the international organisation’s Framework on Climate Change programme.

“The university’s memorial tower building is a Durban landmark and we hope it going dark at 8.30pm will be the signal for the majority of residents in the city and surrounding areas to also switch off their lights for an hour,” said WWF-SA (Worldwide Fund for Nature) communication manager Zubair Sayed.

The memorial tower building will join some of the world’s most recognisable man-made marvels and natural wonders in switching off between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

These include Paris’s Eiffel tower, Sydney’s Opera House, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and the London Eye.

Indications are Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain, voted onto the list of the world’s seven new natural wonders last year, will also go dark.

Earth Hour started in Sydney four years ago, when 2 million people heeded the call to switch off power in a bid to draw attention to the need to save the planet.

It has now become the single largest voluntary environmental awareness action in the world, with 129 million people across every continent joining in last year.

“Earth Hour creates awareness about a host of environmental issues and can also inspire positive action for the environment on a permanent basis,” Sayed said.

kimh@thenewage.co.za


http://www.thenewage.co.za/47484-1008-53-SA_Earth_Hour_to_start_in_Durban

This exciting project is a major milestone for Africa and SA, in particular. Could theoretically make the city free of Eskom's grip in a few years, if it's scaled up...

-------------------

Power milestone for Durban

May 2 2012 at 09:21am
By Colleen Dardagan

Mark Antonucci.

Durban plans to be the first city in Africa to generate electricity from the sea.

The project, which is being driven by the city and business, involves harnessing the power of the fast-flowing Agulhas ocean current and transforming this into energy using floating generators.

If the project gets the go-ahead it could “transform” Durban’s green investment potential, with the initial R155-million development unit set for installation by this time next year, without any cost to ratepayers.

Durban Investment Promotion Agency (Dipa) acting head Russell Curtis said while environmental impacts were yet to be scrutinised, he believed the project would speed up investment into sustainable energy projects in the region.

“If everyone is happy from the environmental point of view, Durban will be the first customer to get electricity from the project. It’s a milestone.”

Derek Morgan of the eThekwini Energy Unit said: “The Agulhas is one of the most consistent currents in the world. So, if the ocean current generation was to happen, Durban would be an ideal location to start harnessing it. If we can get it right, it has the potential to completely transform the city into a green energy location for investment.”

At a workshop to be hosted tomorrow by the KZN Sustainable Energy Forum, two companies – the US-based Hydro Alternative Energy (HAE) and the SA-based Occtur Ocean Energy – will present their hydrokinetic power generating proposals.

“We want to encourage companies to sign up to the KZN Sustainable Energy Fourm – it’s free – so they can be kept abreast of developments and the opportunities for tender for work on the project,” Curtis said.

Mark Antonucci, co-chairman and chief executive officer of HAE, said the prototype system, called Oceanus, was the equivalent of a five-storey building in height and would be anchored to the ocean floor up to 100m below the surface.

“We have identified four sites offshore where the development unit could be placed, but we are here now to establish whether or not those sites are viable and what the protocols are, such as environmental impact law.

“We will put up the money for the units and the installation – about R155m for the first one – and will then sell the electricity to the city and to Eskom. That is how we make our money,” he said.

Local scientists and marine ecology experts could not be reached on Tuesday for comment on the possible impacts of the proposal, which could include death, injury or disruption for mammals such as whales and dolphins and other sea creatures.

Antonucci, however, asserted that the generators would not harm the ocean ecology.

“The vanes (driving the turbine) move very, very slowly and the spaces between them are up to 2m, which allows for fish which live in deeper waters to swim through.

“The units are placed too deep to affect shipping lanes and are at least 30km to 40km offshore. The development unit will also be placed at the edge of the Agulhas current rather than in the middle, which is tremendously powerful,” he said.

The unit, Antonucci claimed, made no noise and would not create sound disturbance for animals such as whales and dolphins.

The development of the system is expected to create a diverse demand for jobs from the engineering, maritime and manufacturing industries.

Morgan said the pilot unit would possibly produce less than one megawatt of electricity.

“To put this in perspective, the city uses about 3 000MW at peak power. However, the energy potential in ocean current is essentially limitless.”

Curtis said that when units were installed to produce 30MW of electricity the project would be considered a commercial success. - The Mercury

* A workshop on the project will be held at the Priority Zone, 77 Monty Naicker (Pine) Street, Durban, opposite the International Convention Centre, from 11am on Thursday.


http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/power-milestone-for-durban-1.1286979

Alternative power grid connections for Durban

01 May 2012
eProp - Esacn

Intro
The eThekwini municipality is authorised to purchase electricity from independent power generators and is now accepting applications

As such, it's Electricity Unit has accepted grid connection applications from a number of external power generators.

The contracts vary per embedded generator; some feed excess into the grid, while others operate as net importers of electricity - mainly generating electricity within the consumer’s own electricity network.

Deputy Head of eThekwini Electricity Roy Wienand, who recently addressed stakeholders at the KZN Sustainable Energy Forum, said that six successful applicants have successfully completed the required application process with the City and are now in operation.

While the eThekwini Electricity Unit's primary responsibility is to “keep the lights” on in Durban, embedded generation and “greener” power generation is something the City supports and it welcomes applications from legitimate developers.

Applicants are required to provide the technical specifications of the mode and energy/fuel source for embedded generation, as well as type of energy conversion, total generation capacity, total export generation capacity, electrical parameters, generator transformer parameters, network connection point, protection details, proposed output levels, etc.

“Quality and safety are non-negotiable”, explained Wienand.

EThekwini’s experience with the monitoring and management of embedded generation is still limited, but will provide valuable input into the national strategy and policy for embedded generation currently being developed. National standards and mechanisms are in the process of being established to facilitate these efforts to reduce electricity supply burden.

Ensuring that the standard of power generated and distributed to fellow consumers is of the required quality and safety is of utmost importance.

In addition to the application form, developers must also sign a Purchase Power Agreement (PPA) with eThekwini.

EThekwini is authorised to purchase electricity from embedded generators at the Mega Flex rate - the rate at which municipalities are charged to purchase electricity in bulk from Eskom. This council decision was made in September 2011.

http://www.eprop.co.za/news/article.aspx?idArticle=14932

fantastic strides by the city. the ocean based one is most notable and definately helps to land the cities green credentials further...the impact needs to be checked...but i wont be surprised if some are completely against it no matter what. but forward thinking and innovative!

Agulhas power plan ‘tricky but possible’

Proposed power plant in the Agulhas current, off the KwaZulu-Natal coast, would face some difficult undersea conditions

EDWARD WEST

Published: 2012/05/04 07:02:03 AM

US-based Hydro Alternative Energy’s (HAE’s) proposed power plant in the Agulhas current, off the KwaZulu-Natal coast, would face some difficult undersea conditions but the current was fast enough to generate power, scientists said on Thursday.

There is a global search for cost-efficient, clean, renewable energy to replace more expensive and polluting sources of power such as coal. Using undersea currents to generate power is a technique still in its infancy, so there are no commercial plants available on the market yet.

HAE is in talks with eThekwini municipality on establishing a R155m demonstration unit that would produce less than 1MW of electricity. Durban consumes up to 3000MW in peak hours.

HAE CEO Mark Antonucci said the aim was to get the pilot unit operational in two years, depending on factors such as the time required for an environmental impact assessment and other legal issues.

Once the pilot was complete, and the full-size undersea generation units were installed, he expected HAE could supply base-load capacity to the grid in a short period.

HAE, which has developed its own undersea generating unit, is in talks to set up projects elsewhere, including Benin, Puerto Rico, Nigeria and Colombia.

Prof Wikus van Niekerk, director of the University of Stellenbosch Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, said at a presentation in Durban on Thursday that challenges in harnessing the Agulhas current included that it was on average 10km offshore, the ocean floor was deep, and ships used the current. He said the current varied in speed, but the average was relatively slow at 1,5m per second.

The fact that the current also reversed direction at unpredictable times of the year would have to be taken into account in the design of the undersea unit if continuous power generation was envisaged.

Prof van Niekerk said commercial systems of ocean current power generation "are still a few years off". There were also unanswered legal questions, worldwide and in South Africa, about ocean current power stations, he said.

Mike Roberts of the Department of Environmental Affairs’ oceans and coasts unit, said the Agulhas was one of the five biggest currents in the world and held "extremely good conditions" for power generation, but much depended on where the actual site was along the coastline.

For instance, northern KwaZulu-Natal would be a good site due to the current’s speed and proximity to the coast, but the sea was part of the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site.

Mr Antonucci said HAE would fund the demonstration unit, and it only needed assistance from eThekwini on consultative and legal processes.

If the pilot project succeeded, it would be relatively easy to source finance from markets, he said.

weste@bdfm.co.za

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=170995

Agulhas power plan ‘tricky but possible’

Proposed power plant in the Agulhas current, off the KwaZulu-Natal coast, would face some difficult undersea conditions

EDWARD WEST

Published: 2012/05/04 07:02:03 AM

US-based Hydro Alternative Energy’s (HAE’s) proposed power plant in the Agulhas current, off the KwaZulu-Natal coast, would face some difficult undersea conditions but the current was fast enough to generate power, scientists said on Thursday.

There is a global search for cost-efficient, clean, renewable energy to replace more expensive and polluting sources of power such as coal. Using undersea currents to generate power is a technique still in its infancy, so there are no commercial plants available on the market yet.

HAE is in talks with eThekwini municipality on establishing a R155m demonstration unit that would produce less than 1MW of electricity. Durban consumes up to 3000MW in peak hours.

HAE CEO Mark Antonucci said the aim was to get the pilot unit operational in two years, depending on factors such as the time required for an environmental impact assessment and other legal issues.

Once the pilot was complete, and the full-size undersea generation units were installed, he expected HAE could supply base-load capacity to the grid in a short period.

HAE, which has developed its own undersea generating unit, is in talks to set up projects elsewhere, including Benin, Puerto Rico, Nigeria and Colombia.

Prof Wikus van Niekerk, director of the University of Stellenbosch Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, said at a presentation in Durban on Thursday that challenges in harnessing the Agulhas current included that it was on average 10km offshore, the ocean floor was deep, and ships used the current. He said the current varied in speed, but the average was relatively slow at 1,5m per second.

The fact that the current also reversed direction at unpredictable times of the year would have to be taken into account in the design of the undersea unit if continuous power generation was envisaged.

Prof van Niekerk said commercial systems of ocean current power generation "are still a few years off". There were also unanswered legal questions, worldwide and in South Africa, about ocean current power stations, he said.

Mike Roberts of the Department of Environmental Affairs’ oceans and coasts unit, said the Agulhas was one of the five biggest currents in the world and held "extremely good conditions" for power generation, but much depended on where the actual site was along the coastline.

For instance, northern KwaZulu-Natal would be a good site due to the current’s speed and proximity to the coast, but the sea was part of the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site.

Mr Antonucci said HAE would fund the demonstration unit, and it only needed assistance from eThekwini on consultative and legal processes.

If the pilot project succeeded, it would be relatively easy to source finance from markets, he said.

weste@bdfm.co.za

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=170995

Wildlands event see 30 000 trees planted

1 Jun 2012 09:10

On 30 May 2012 the first of 30 000 trees were planted during an inspirational event at Paradise Valley Nature Reserve in Pinetown. The event was held by the Wildlands Conservation Trust and forms part of the Bonitas ReLeaf Campaign linked to the Comrades Marathon.

http://cdn.biz-file.com/c/1206/104187.jpg
More than 150 people raising their hands to be counted as agents for change at the mass tree-planting held at Paradise Valley this week.

Wildlands has been one of the official Comrades charities for more than 11 years. Funds raised by sponsors, Bonitas Medical Fund, and Comrades runners ('Green Champs') every year, go towards supporting a range of conservation projects around South Africa.

The Trust works with communities to restore and conserve our natural ecosystems. The mass tree planting, held over the four days leading up to the Comrades Marathon, is in support of the Durban CEBA (Community Ecosystem Based Adaptation) Initiative, and is also supported by the Province of KwaZulu-Natal through the KZN Integrated Greening Programme.

The Durban CEBA Initiative was conceptualised in partnership with eThekwini Municipality ahead of COP 17/CMP 7 in November/December last year, and forms part of the municipality's commitment to offsetting the local carbon footprint associated with the event. The project will also help to enhance the city's climate change adaptation efforts by restoring an important part of the uMbilo River catchment, and by creating jobs for those employed in the project.

Be the change you want to be
The event this year aimed to highlight the community members that ultimately make an event such as this possible. "Be the change you want to be in the world" - a well-known quote by Mahatma Gandhi - was the theme of the day. "The 70 planters here today and the thousands of facilitators, planting teams and tree-preneurs we work with around the province are really living this mantra and we want Wildlands friends and partners to be inspired to do the same", said Wildlands CEO, Dr Andrew Venter.


http://cdn.biz-file.com/c/1206/104188.jpg
(L-R) Jo Boulle from eThekwini Municipality, Andrew Venter Wildlands CEO and Dudu Ndlovu a Facilitator from Wildlands Conservation Trust.

Wildlands have recruited and trained community members around the country to become tree-preneurs and grow trees, for their personal benefit and that of the environment. Tree-preneurs grow trees and can barter them at Wildlands' Green Future Stores for items they need such as food, building supplies, JoJo tanks and bicycles. Tree-preneurs from Nazareth Island contributed trees to the eThekwini Paradise Valley Initiative and are true examples of people "being the change".

Peter Mhlongo, a 42-year-old tree-preneur from Nazareth loves his new job. "It is a wonderful experience working with trees! This project has also changed my community because it gives them a reason to get up in the morning and they don't have to do horrible things in order to survive."

48-year-old tree-preneur Margaret Zuma, also based in Nazareth has learnt that you are never too old make a difference, "Doing small things really does count!"

Educational element

http://cdn.biz-file.com/c/1206/104189.jpg
(R-L) Bonitas’ Peta Smuts, Comrades Chairman Peter Proctor, Wildlands CEO Andrew Venter and Wildlands facilitator Dudu Ndlovu planting a tree and contributing to a cleaner, greener planet.

There is also an educational element to the Wildlands' initiative that excites 22-year-old Nomthandazo Yilo. "I want to have a career in Environmental Conservation. I have learnt so much about protecting the environment and looking after it and I want to share my knowledge with others," says Nomthandazo.

56-year-old tree-preneur, Nosibusiso Mhlana, summarised the purpose of the Bonitas ReLeaf Campaign and the event perfectly, "If we take a stand and share our knowledge, it will only be a matter of time before every person look after the environment."

"These are the individuals who inspire us to do what we do," said Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of the Wildlands Conservation Trust. "The 30 000 little saplings we're planting here today might not look like much but in 20 years' time we'll be standing in an indigenous forest rich with biodiversity. Paradise Valley forms part of an important life supporting ecosystem for the Durban community and we hope that all sectors of society will one day be contributing to restoring and protecting it."


http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/505/76161.html

fantastic...

Ingenious green machine made in SA

Two million Ventilated Improved Pit Latrines (VIPLs) have been created in South Africa since the early 1990s. But VIPLs pose serious health and environmental threats to communities when they become full and unusable.

06 July 2012 | RHODA KADALE

The e’Thekwini Municipality is leading the race to solve this impending crisis. Durban is the first city in Africa to test the effective disposal of pit latrine faecal sludge through a locally-patented technology that sanitises and reforms the matter as pellet soil fertiliser.


Thirty-five thousand pit latrines, mainly in informal settlements around Durban, have been emptied since the project’s inception in 2010.

Two hundred and forty people have been employed to provide this service and they have also started emptying school pit latrines.

After workers collect the sludge, reception tanks are emptied into the Latrine Dehydration and Pasteurisation (LaPeDa) Machine housed inside a mobile shipping container.

The sludge is pumped into a large, turning rotor screw that forces the contents through a small, metal filter that removes all moisture from the contents. Any material not able to pass through the filter is ejected as detritus, processed to remove any health hazards and disposed of.

The drier waste material, which emerges as thin spaghetti-like noodles from the filter, is transported onto a porous conveyer belt that drains off any remaining liquid. The “noodles” are fed into a drying machine which transforms them into pellets devoid of any water content.

The pellets go into a second machine where they are sterilised with medium-wave, infrared radiation rays to destroy all health-threatening elements and then packaged.

The pellets have very high fertiliser value. e’Thekwini distributes them to community food gardens like that of Luganda Primary School in Durban.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal is conducting scientific tests on these gardens and have seen a beneficial impact on plant growth.

When these pellets are used in gardens, spinach appears to grow up to a third higher than with conventional fertiliser.

Where normally an aubergine plant produces three or four aubergines, up to a dozen can grow on one plant.

This is an innovation of global importance. The chief e’Thekwini engineer behind the project won an international award for it in 2011. Both Brazil and Kenya are now having discussions with the e’Thekwini Municipality to apply this project in their context.

Bill Gates is studying the patented designs and his Foundation is engaging the best engineers around the world to design the machinery to implement similar projects in other countries on a far larger scale.

This project is a 2012 Impumelelo Award finalist. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in September. Visit impumelelo.org.za for more on ingenious ways South Africans solve public problems.

And follow #TheGoodNewsJack by @ImpumeleloInnov

July 16 2012 8:16AM

Green is for go for solar Durban robots

Sibusisiwe Tongo

The eThekwini municipality, which prides itself on its innovation, has embarked on a project that will reduce its dependence on electricity.

The city is going “green” with its Solar Powered Robots Pilot Project.

The municipality decided to approach a new way to power traffic lights and recently unveiled its first set of solar traffic lights at the intersections of Bram Fischer (Ordinance) and Samora Machel Roads (Aliwal), Samora Machel, and Masabalala Yengwa Avenue (NMR).

The project is a collaboration of several partners which include Eskom and the traffic department.

It is hoped that, in addition to saving electricity, the project will also put an end to the spate of faulty traffic lights that have become the bane of Durban motorists.

Municipal spokesperson Thabo Mofokeng, said: “We believe we are on track in terms of reducing the carbon footprint.

“We support energy saving activities and support the green revolution all the way. Defective robots will be a thing of the past, solar robots will work forever.”

The newly installed solar-powered traffic lights are run by 12 batteries, contain a specially designed gel that is energy efficient and have a lifespan of more than 10 years.

The batteries can store stand-by electricity to power the lights for three days in severe weather, with no sunlight. The system has a fail-safe feature which allows it to switch to electricity, if needed.

Mofokeng said traffic lights had long been an irritation for Durban motorists and if the pilot programme was a success in the city, it would be rolled out in other areas of Durban.

sibusisiwet@thenewage.co.za

http://www.thenewage.co.za/56211-1007-53-Green_is_for_go_for_solar_Durban_robots

RECYCLING MADE EASIER
by Wendy Knowler

Keen to recycle your glass and tins? Here's how...

The Orange Bag project - a collaboration between the Durban Solid Waste department and private company Mpact Recycling, makes it easy for the city's metro residents to recycle paper, cardboard, polystyrene, plastic and tetrapak (fruit juice cartons) but for now, not glass or tin cans.

Woolworths, Engen and Nampak have teamed up to provide recycling bins at the forecourts of some Engen garages which have Woolworths Foodstops.

After successfully rolling out the project in Gauteng and the Cape, the bins are now set up at seven Engen franchises - see list below.

You can drop off paper, plastic and cardboard as well as glass and tins.

So now there’s even less excuse to stuff all that recyclable material into those black rubbish bags, where they’ll end up clogging the landfills.

Engen franchises with recycling bins

· Sherwood - 1134 Jan Smuts Highway
· Marburg – Cnr Harding & Brauteseth Street
· Durban North - 84 Old Mill Way
· Glenashley - 36 Newport Avenue
· Hillcrest – 50 Main Road
· Malvern – 125 Main Road
· Glenhills – 170 Rinaldo Road
· Montclair - 30 Roland Chapman Drive
· Westville - 1 Spine Rd

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-blogs-consumerwatch?oid=1691998&sn=Detail&pid=490476&Recycling-made-easier

Green low-cost housing offers jobs, savings
August 6 2012 at 05:00am
By Roy Cokayne

South Africa’s first “Green Street” upgrade project in a low-income area in Cato Manor in Durban has highlighted the significant cost savings and job creation benefits that could be achieved if the 3 million low-cost houses built since 1994 were retrofitted.

The findings of a case study of the project, led by the Green Building Council of SA (GBCSA), show significant potential policy implications for the government, which plans to build a further 3 million low-cost houses by 2025.

Sarah Rushmere, the head of advocacy and special projects for the GBCSA, said three key interventions stood out from the study and it would be cheaper to retrofit the existing low-cost housing with insulated ceilings, low-energy compact fluorescent lighting bulbs and heat-insulation cookers than building the next power station in the country.

Each of the 30 households received an energy-efficient retrofit in the form of solar-water heaters, insulated ceilings, efficient lighting and heat-insulation cookers.

Unsafe electrical wiring was replaced in the process, rainwater harvesting tanks were added and food gardens established for the production of home-grown food and a polluted nearby stream was cleaned up and indigenous trees and smaller plants and fruit trees planted.

The Cato Manor Green Street retrofit, which involved 30 low-cost houses, has been nothing short of life-changing for its residents.

Rushmere said some of the positive outcomes from the project included residents having hot water on tap for the first time through solar-water heating; a saving of up to 25 percent on electricity; improved water and food security through rainwater harvesting and food gardens; greater comfort through better insulation that reduced peak summer temperatures; and less need for fuels such as paraffin, coal and wood, which meant reduced health problems from respiratory illnesses and reduced fire safety risks for these homes.

Rushmere said energy and water savings estimated at about R3 billion a year would be possible if retrofits similar to those done to these 30 houses were done for the country’s existing 3-million low-cost housing units.

This money would stay in the pockets of residents and be retained in the local economy, she said. Rushmere added the electricity saving would amount to more than 3 400 gigawatt hours a year, equivalent to about a third of the electricity usage of cities the size of Cape Town and Durban.

“For the purposes of generating revenue on international carbon credit markets, 9.72 million tons worth of carbon credits are possible,” she said.

Rushmere said it was estimated that about 36.5 million days of work could be created by a retrofit programme for the country’s existing 3-million low-cost houses, which was equivalent to employing more than 165 000 people for a year of work.

The cost benefits of the interventions indicated a maximum potential average monthly saving to residents of R78.42 for electricity and R9.55 for water.

Bruce Kerswill, the GBCSA’s executive chairman, said the project turned an idea into reality on the ground through simple interventions that made an impact on greenhouse gas emissions and the quality of people’s lives.

The project, mostly funded by the British High Commission, was completed shortly before the COP17 international climate change talks last year.

A second phase of the project, involving the retrofitting of 26 houses, is expected to commence soon and be completed by the end of this year, will cost about R1 million and is being funded by the Australian High Commission to South Africa.

Dame Nicola Brewer, the British high commissioner to South Africa, said the aim of the project was to demonstrate a range of socioeconomic, health and environmental benefits that could be obtained from sustainable design and resource-efficiency interventions in low-income housing.



The case study report said energy-efficiency measures had been introduced into the National Building Regulations and would be enforced for all new buildings.

However, the degree of enforcement in respect of low-cost housing was uncertain because it was not integrated into the National Housing Code, the building standard for low-cost housing construction.


http://www.iol.co.za/business/green-low-cost-housing-offers-jobs-savings-1.1356583

AllI can say is wow and wow! It seems Durban is doing so much but sometimes it feels like something is holding it back somehow! Durban should be further than it is as a city, especially a green city.

Construction on new Durban waste transfer system under way

http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/images/resized/0000193609_resized_3dmainbuildingsouth.jpg
CONSTRUCTION TIME Construction started in March and will continue for 78 weeks, although the contractor is targeting an earlier completion date

http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/images/resized/0000193610_resized_dscn7474.jpg
WASTE MANAGEMENT STATION The R140-million 1 200 t/d station will serve the Durban area

24th August 2012

The eThekwini municipality’s cleansing and solid waste unit, Durban Solid Waste (DSW), is building a R140-million 1 200 t/d waste transfer station to serve the Durban area.

This new waste management facility will provide a modern and mechanised means of transferring municipal general solid wastes to landfill sites efficiently and cost-effectively.

Engineering and environmental consultant Jeffares & Green, the company responsible for designing the Electron Road waste management facility, in Durban, was appointed to design a modern and mechanised waste transfer station (WTS) at Electron Road, in Springfield Park – an industrial and commercial area north of Durban, near the banks of the Umgeni river.

The main structure, a refuse transfer station and compaction hall, where waste will be offloaded, compacted and containerised for bulk transportation, will be built on a 4 ha site.
The facility will reduce the unavoidable expense of having to transport solid waste to landfills, which are sited further and further from the point of generation, says Jeffares & Green.

At present, most of the waste from City of Durban is disposed of at the Bisasar Road landfill site, in Springfield Park, which is reaching full capacity. When this happens, waste collection vehicles will have to travel to the Buffelsdraai landfill site about 33 km away from the city – more than double the 15 km distance that is considered an economic travelling cost for collection vehicles.

These prohibitive transport costs have made the provision of a WTS financially prudent, particularly since the Electron Road site is less than 1 km from the Bisasar Road site.

The shorter transportation distance will also reduce fuel consumption and wear and tear on road systems, while creating an overall carbon emission reduction by implementing this efficient transport system.

Structure Design
The Electron Road WTS will comprise a four-storey building and some 4 290 m2 in floor space, in which waste will be offloaded into compaction units, compacted into purpose-made containers for bulk transportation and transported to the new Buffelsdraai landfill site.

Associated infrastructure will include a three-storey office block adjacent to the main compaction house, which will provide facilities for DSW employees, as well as an auditorium for education and training purposes.

Further, upgrading of Electron road to provide dedicated access to the site will be undertaken, while access roads to the various handling areas within the site, a security building, weighbridge kiosks for the monitoring and recording of waste mass, wash bays for the waste fleet, a carpark and a covered waiting area at the entrance to the facility, will also be built.

The contract involves the construction of infrastructure, the structures and civil works, including the mechanical plant for the operation of the facility, as well as building-related mechanical, electrical and electronic works.

The civil works include the refuse transfer station, a compaction hall, container-handling operations, offices, weighbridge infrastructure, mechanical equipment and plant. It also entails the construction of a workshop, wash bay, diesel storage facility, security facilities, entrance building and weighbridges, says Jeffares & Green.

Additionally, the design includes the use of natural lighting and ventilation, stormwater treatment, pollution control by means of litter traps, silt traps and oil traps.

Specific stormwater treatment processes were designed to control pollution and allow discharge of an acceptable effluent from the site.

A unique feature of this project is the compaction process that will be used for the first time in South Africa.

This system was accepted as an alternative design proposed by the successful bidder, construction company Aveng Construction. The Husmann Compaction System, which is imported from Germany, does not use conveyors but provides a quick and clean answer to waste compaction.

Construction
Construction started in March and will continue for 78 weeks, although Jeffares & Green says the contractor is targeting an earlier completion date.

Aveng Construction has started with piling and layer works.

Aveng Construction senior contract manager Brad Wyatt says the company will be using a unique approach to the required 156 concrete columns.

“Instead of doing 7.5 m columns in the conventional way, we will be precasting them on the ground and then lifting them into place. This will result in outstanding quality, as well as a safer and quicker method compared with the conventional way,” he says.

Another innovative construction approach will be the tilt-up wall system, which will be erected on site. Instead of conventional brickwork that needs to be laid layer by layer, these walls are cast in moulds that have the same face-brick finish as a conventional wall and are then erected as complete units.

Geotechnical Engineering
Piling is currently under way in less-than-ideal foundation conditions, as the site is underlain by deep alluvial deposits, which are typical of the low-lying areas in and around Durban, reports Jeffares & Green.

These harbour beds comprise unconsolidated sediments of sand, silts and clays in variable layer thicknesses, which extend to considerable depths. The soft clay horizons have a high organic content and are highly compressible, which results in long-term settlement of the clays once an imposed load is applied.

The main transfer-station structure imposes heavy loads of up to 2 000 kN for each column onto the subsoils. Owing to this, the use of shallow raft foundations was discounted as a result of the unacceptably high predicted settlements of up to 150 mm. The solution was to install deep pile foundations, says the company.

Specialist piezocone testing was undertaken across the footprint of the structure. The piezocone equipment is a modification from the original cone penetration test, otherwise known as the Dutch Cone.

The results of the piezocone testing indicated that a competent founding medium of dense coarse sand was encountered only at a depth of about 25 m below ground level.

Several piling options were investigated and the precast driven pile was the one most suited to the site, as it is capable of extending to significant depths and is relatively quick to install, says Jeffares & Green.

The final design included more than 400 350 mm x 350 mm precast driven piles to depths of between 25 m and 29 m. Some recently driven piles have even reached a depth of 39 m, the company adds.


Landscaping
DSW will apply to the Electron Road facility the same award-winning environmental approach it used at the Mariannhill Landfill Conservancy site, just outside Durban, which is today considered a best-practice ecosystem restoration project.


The successful process is driven by Plant Rescue and Relocation Unit (Prunit), which is headed up by horticulturalist and rehabilitation specialist Richard Winn. Prunit applied the philosophy of moving plant species once only and uses a rehabilitation nursery as a backup, if direct relocation is not possible.

The basic principles of the unit are to try and relocate species to their original aspect;
to import no foreign soils; to relocate grasslands with original top soil; to
relocate original watercourse species to wetland nurseries for future use; to create a similar habitat to that which originally occurred; and to only relocate species within 50 km, as per international biodiversity protocol.


This ecosystem restoration project has created a large holding nursery for the storage of indigenous vegetation, which has been hardened-off to withstand rigorous conditions with little or no maintenance.


For example, a nursery of wetland plants has been grown for the future establishment of “leachate through wetland” processes of returning water to the environment, adding that these plants have been specifically hardened-off for contaminants found in the waste industry.


Little plant material could be salvaged from the Electron Road site and DSW, Prunit and Jeffares & Green worked closely together to develop an automatic computer-aided design of what could potentially be provided by the holding nursery.


This, says Jeffares & Green, is an attempt to create a sustainable ecosystem where every plant is selected and planted to fulfil a specific purpose.
The engineered stormwater swales, rainwater harvesting and stormwater ponds have been designed to interlink and are to be planted with indigenous vegetation that are selected to help provide functional solutions to issues identified on site.


Street furniture, lighting, signage, benches, tables and water points have been incorporated into the landscape design, together with habitat-creation opportunities including bird totem poles, structures for fly traps and bat and owl houses.


This is linked to the rodents, insects and reptiles that the company says are likely to appear with the operational activities of the site.


A deck area has also been included on the western stormwater attenuation pond, which is linked to the office building on site. These measures are an attempt to ameliorate environmental impacts with natural, green solutions.


Green Engineering Initiatives
Various elements, over and above those already mentioned, have been considered during construction, says Jeffares & Green. One item that has been carefully designed is the Bio-Swale, a carefully landscaped and shaped, open stormwater system that is built to enhance the removal of solids, metals and other waste from the stormwater.

Another element is the stormwater inlets, which are designed to effectively remove litter and sediment before they reach other systems.

Rainwater will be captured for the washing of containers, floors and vehicles on site.

Visual aids to monitor energy consumption on site are being considered to create awareness around this issue, says Jeffares & Green, adding that the team is constantly looking into opportunities to hand over a facility that supports sustainability and economics.


http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/construction-on-new-durban-waste-transfer-system-under-way-2012-08-24

great project, maybe should have created a thread

Money saving expo hits Durban

27 August | 13:56

By Daily News Reporter

Durban - The third annual Sustainable Living Exhibition, at the Durban Exhibition Centre from August 30 to September 1, offers the public a chance to find new ways of saving money while living a more caring and sustainable life.

More than 180 exhibitors will display their initiatives at the show, hosted by the eThekwini municipality.

Among the highlights will be the launch of the Durban Green Map – an interactive, online display of sustainable features in the city and points of cultural or social significance. There will be 11 computers with which to view the map or to add sites to.

Other innovations at the exhibition include water and energy saving devices, solar-powered gadgets and ozone friendly appliances, worm farms and organic gardening.

Municipal spokesman Thabo Mofokeng said there would be educational events aimed at children and schools.

“Educational activities will take place every day, such as puppet making and an object manipulation workshop.

“Children will be enthralled by a planetarium show, mobile exhibits and science shows,” he said.

Adding a touch of green glam to the event will be a fashion show featuring designs by Durban University of Technology students using recyclable and recycled material.

An open forum discussion on responsible shopping will also be held to raise consumer awareness of how the choices we make impact on our planet.

Mofokeng urged the public to bring their unwanted shoes, toys, clothes and books to the exhibition for distribution to charities and schools.

Entrance is free to the exhibition, which will run from 9am to 5pm. Visit www.imaginedurban.org. – Daily News

http://m.iol.co.za/article/view/e/1.1370405

Good news for Durban's parks...

---------------

Council’s R6.5m anti-crime investment

September 13 2012 at 09:28am
By Gugu Mbonambi

Durban - The eThekwini municipality has set aside at least R6.5 million over the next year to revamp several parks in Durban to make them safer and more attractive for residents.

After years of complaints about muggings and hijackings, the city’s parks, recreation and culture department has heeded calls and started a drive to make public spaces more appealing.

The council has approved R700 000 for the upgrade of Bulwer Park in Glenwood. The construction of cycle lanes and an outdoor gym is already under way at the park.

Department head Thembinkosi Ngcobo said the Bulwer Park project was a three-year plan. In the last financial year the city spent R2m on upgrading it and a further R2m would be spent on the park in the next financial year.

“There is going to be a pedestrian walk, we will be fixing and improving ablution facilities and lighting… and an area will be demarcated for a coffee shop,” he said.

Ngcobo said other parks in the city would be upgraded along similar lines.

“We are not upgrading parks for the sake of it. We are reclaiming these spaces from anti-social elements, so that they become active public spaces. We want to have various activities including walks and aerobics to encourage people to come to the parks. We want to promote a healthy lifestyle in the city,” he said.

Another R1m was budgeted for the refurbishment of the Japanese Gardens in Durban North. The park would be completely transformed to have a South African identity.

At uMlazi Park, R1.5m would be spent on upgrading ablution facilities, building play lots and other renovations.

Samantha Willan, a member of the Child Friendly City Campaign, said a group of Durban residents started the campaign to make public spaces attractive. The aim was to also encourage more interaction across race groups and classes.

Willan said the middle class stayed home and let their children play in their gardens. The idea was to change their perceptions of public spaces. - The Mercury


http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/council-s-r6-5m-anti-crime-investment-1.1382140#.UFGVu43iagk

CT, Durban may drink recycled water
2012-10-10 10:46

Cape Town - Cape Town and Durban residents will soon have to face the possibility of drinking recycled water from sewerage works as it becomes more scarce, the Cape Times reported on Wednesday.

Water affairs department director Johan van Rooyen said the two cities were both flushing large volumes of domestic waste water into the ocean when it could be recycled.

He told a meeting in Umhlanga that while it was technically possible to desalinate sea water, the cost would be too high.

Desalinated water would cost about R12 per kilolitre, whereas recycling domestic effluent to tap water quality would cost around R7 per kilolitre.

According to the report, Gauteng was not immune to the crisis and would have to start diluting large volumes of acidic mine water within the next three years to avoid unacceptable pollution of the Vaal River system.

Water Institute of SA vice-president Jo Burgess said the first reaction to drinking water from sewerage works was "yuck". However, the reality was that citizens had indirectly been drinking it for several decades from contaminated rivers.

http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/CT-Durban-may-drink-recycled-water-20121010

What is the future of toilet technology?

Innovation in toilet technology could provide billions of people with access to sanitation, while also creating economic opportunities and conserving water

Leon Kaye
Guardian Professional,
Tuesday, 9 October 2012 17.54 BST

Last year the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation raised eyebrows with its announcement that they would fund an initiative to take toilet technology to the next level. With 2.5 billion people lacking access to sanitation in a world that cannot afford to use potable water for carrying away human waste in the long run, the economic opportunities that the reinvented toilet offer businesses could be highly lucrative.

Ground zero for the quest to find the perfect toilet for the 21st century's needs may as well be Durban, South Africa. The coastal city with a population of 3.8 million is a prime test bed to find a new solution for the water hogging commode that has changed very little, either technically or functionally, since its invention in the 1850s.

Despite having an average annual rainfall of 1200mm, Durban, as is the case with much of South Africa, now faces increasing water scarcity. The city's infrastructure suffers further strain as more of South Africa's rural poor move there to find work. Currently 800,000 residents live in shacks situated in districts that have marginal sanitation. Durban has made impressive strides on water issues in the past decade. Tap water, for example, is now safe to drink. Nevertheless, 230,000 families still lack access to safe and hygienic toilets. Communal toilet blocks are a stopgap measure for residents who lack indoor plumbing or space for a private toilet. But with the urban poor viewing the porcelain flushing toilet as the gold standard, municipalities such as Durban face the dual challenge of diminishing water supplies and meeting citizens' increased expectations. For the world's poor, a clean toilet is not just about health, but offers dignity, privacy and a break from the daily chaos in the streets.

Durban's pressing challenge is balancing the needs of its citizens, tight water supplies and the mandate of the South African constitution, which states that access to water and a clean environment are inherent rights. For now the city's strategy is to follow a "sanitation edge concept," under which waterborne sanitation is provided where the housing density justifies such infrastructure. In more remote sections of the city, dry urinary diversion (UD) toilets are the standard. And hence the dilemma: the Victorian-era flush toilets are wasteful, but dry pit toilets are not clean or safe to use in the long term. In the end, poorer citizens want what they view as a simple tool with a handle that flushes. So what about one that does not discharge litres and litres of water?

To that end, the city of Durban has entered a partnership with the Gates Foundation and the Swiss aquatic research institute EAWAG to find a solution that captures the functionality of the flush toilet without waste. According to Neil Macleod, head of Durban's water and sanitation department, the holy grail for the future toilet is one that not only eliminates waste, but also generates wealth.

Speaking to an audience at World Water Week in Stockholm, Macleod said the technology to recover waste and energy from human waste exists, but the process requires much refinement. In a world where resources such as phosphorous are becoming limited and expensive, last night's dinner, multiplied by millions and even billions, could offer a wealth of materials that could provide energy, fertiliser and even recycled water. And the technologies involved could include solar, microwaves and nanotechnology.

The toilet's future, said Macleod, is analogous to what has happened with telephones over the past two decades. In the same way that mobile phones skipped a generation in the developing world, a similar story could unfold with toilets. Instead of wasteful flush toilets replacing filthy pit latrines, a future commode that uses modern technology could generate economic opportunity across the globe. Rather than a massive revamp of centuries-old infrastructure in cities, Macleod envisions decentralised water technology systems where waste would be separated very close to its source. Could such a contraption resemble a washing machine at the back of a house, where recycled water and fertiliser flow out to separate pipes? Could water, which is now generally a monopoly controlled by one central authority, follow the path of computing and telephony and become managed at a more decentralised level?

The shift in viewing sewage as a valuable resource rather than waste will require a massive rethink by government, business and consumers. But a nascent clean technology sector focused on the reinvention of the 150 year old toilet is already taking hold. Entrepreneurs have started to cash in: the Gates Foundation has announced the first round winners of its "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge" and Durban will host the World Toilet summit this December. The future commode, waterless and, for now, a wizardly concept, will bring wealth to a new class of inventors – and also enrich the lives of millions who lack the simplest tool that citizens of wealthier nations access on a daily basis with little thought.

Join our live discussion on scaling up healthy living behaviour, Wednesday 10 October 9.30 - 11am (BST)

Leon Kaye is founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com


http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/future-toilet-technology-sanitation-water?newsfeed=true

wow, that a really interesting set of ideas on which to ponder when next I sit upon my porcelain throne! Would be great if the next great SA invention was somthing like what they outline. - Resource wars, especially for water - will be plentiful in this century - we should try and stay ahead of the curve any way possible!

Stop alien plants from taking over

October 12 2012 at 11:34am
By Kay Montgomery
Comment on this story

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/copy-of-nm-balloon-vine-cardiospermum-grandiflorumn-1.1401889!/image/233939521.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/233939521.jpg
Balloon vine (Cardiospermum grandiflorum) produces pods.

Durban - Invasive alien plants, introduced to South Africa, are a threat to our rich biodiversity. They have established natural populations and are spreading out of control – to the detriment of indigenous vegetation and water resources.

They are highly adaptable, vigorous plants that easily invade a wide range of ecological niches.

They are also detrimental to agriculture and threaten food security, and are known to exacerbate the intensity of fires, flooding, erosion and siltation.

There are 198 invasive plants listed under three categories under the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act.

Plants listed under category one may no longer be grown anywhere in SA and if they grow in your garden, they should be removed and destroyed immediately. Trade in these plants is prohibited.

The subtropical climate of Durban ensures prolific plant growth, but unfortunately the indigenous vegetation is being strangled by a proliferation of invasive alien plants. Some of the most problematic invasive plants from Durban gardens include lantana (Lantana camara), balloon vine (Cardiospermum grandiflorum), bugweed (Solanum mauritianum), castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis), triffid weed (Chromolaena odorata), Indian laurel (Litsea glutinosa), inkberry (Cestrum laevigatum), Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia), seringa (Melia azedarach) and yellow bells (Tecoma stans).


http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/copy-of-nm-mexican-sunflower-tithonia-diversifolia-1.1401890!/image/1819072551.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/1819072551.jpg
The Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) is invading natural land and roadsides.

SA is a world leader in the field of biological control and it is the official theme of this year’s Weed Buster Week. Bio-control involves the use of a plant’s natural enemy and include insects, mites and fungi. The first bio-control agent released in SA was against the drooping prickly pear (Opuntia monocantha), which was a problem along the SA coast.

Bio-control agents are now used with great success to control Port Jackson willow, rooikrans, bugweed, water hyacinth and a range of other invasive plants. Bio-control methods are mostly used where large areas have been invaded and where physical or chemical removal is not feasible.

What you can do in your own garden is remove seedlings when they appear. This is easiest when the soil is moist. Shrubs and small trees can be cut off and the crown and roots then removed from the soil. Large trees need to be ring-barked, which involves removing a ring of bark from the stem of the tree near ground level.

There are also a number of effective herbicides on the market. Avoid dumping cuttings and removed plants in open landfill sites, as these may take root and spread into neighbouring land.

National WeedBuster Week is an initiative by the Department of Environmental Affairs. Visit www.invasives.org.za - The Mercury


http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/stop-alien-plants-from-taking-over-1.1401891#.UHf9L8XMgXs

eThekwini denies health risk in basin

by Edward West,
16 October 2012, 07:44

THOUSANDS of residents in South of Durban Industrial Basin and their children were exposed to industrial gases and chemicals that were increasing the risk of cancer and asthma, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance co-coordinator Desmond D’sa said on Monday.

The organisation is at the forefront of opposition by many of the 285,000 people living in the area against plans by the eThekwini Municipality to build new freight and logistics facilities, as an adjunct to Transnet’s multibillion-rand port expansion plans over the next few decades.

Durban’s South Basin is one of the country’s biggest industrial zones and it includes two fuel refiners, Engen and BP-owned Sapref.

The alliance fears increased industrial and transport activity in the area caused by the port expansion will only worsen an already poor health situation. The municipality seems unwilling to address the health problems.

The municipality said in response to Business Day’s questions that it is "not possible" to make a very broad but scientifically robust statement regarding a whole community, and whether there is a consistent risk to the health of the community at all times.

Mr D’sa says a study in 2001 showed that pupils at a primary school in the South Durban Basin had the highest incidence of asthma recorded scientifically. Symptoms reported by parents showed that 52% of school learners in grades 3-6 had asthma and 26% had persistent asthma.

The cancer risk in the area is 500 times the normal level of risk, says Mr D’sa.

He says normally people with HIV /AIDS can live productively with medication, but industrial emissions break down the immune system, in spite of the medication and "if you get AIDS here, you don’t last". He says a key risk chemical is benzene, a known carcinogen which the municipality no longer monitors.

There are explosions and chemical spills in the area every year, and the municipality had failed to implement an undertaking it made following a large explosion at the Engen refinery last October for an emergency evacuation scheme for residents to be set up, he says.

The municipality cautions against "selective quotations" of scientific studies, and says the study referred to earlier had certain limitations.

These include that the study did not address causes of the asthma, it did not investigate other populations living in South Durban, it did not include an unexposed comparison group and a fuller evaluation of other potential risk factors including allergy status, and exposure inside of homes was not evaluated. During the study the surrounding air pollution levels were lower than average levels in the past, which raised the possibility of historical health effects being underestimated, the municipality says.

Another study was done in 2004-2005.

This compared residents in southern Durban with people north of Durban and found that the highest incidence of people with exposures to nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and other particulate pollution was in the south.


http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/health/2012/10/16/ethekwini-denies-health-risk-in-basin

A big no to toilet-to-tap water plan

October 29 2012 at 10:01am
By Tony Carnie

The plan involves recycling and purifying about 116 million litres of wastewater a day from the KwaMashu and Northern treatment works.


Durban - More than 5 000 Durban residents have given the thumbs-down to the city’s controversial toilet-to-tap water recycling proposal.

Most of the objections, which include a large number of signatures from Muslim residents, are contained in a petition sent to the city as part of the mandatory environmental impact assessment process which runs for the next six weeks, with an official deadline of December 10 for the last public comments.

The plan involves recycling and purifying about 116 million litres of wastewater a day from the KwaMashu and Northern treatment works and then blending it with conventionally treated water at a ratio of about 30 percent recycled water and 70 percent normal water.

If the project is approved, the new water would supply about 10 percent of the city’s current water demand and be piped to suburbs in the northern parts of the city, including Umhlanga, KwaMashu, Durban North, Glenashley, Phoenix, Newlands West, Umgeni Park and Avoca Hills.

Golder Associates, the public participation consultants, say the water will pass through at least three new and advanced safety treatment steps – ultra-filtration membranes, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation.

The company says these treatments were designed to remove all germs, dirt, bodily fluids, chemicals and other contamination in a process similar to that used in Windhoek, Namibia, where residents have been drinking a blend of recycled water for 44 years without any reports of waterborne diseases or negative health effects.

Nevertheless, thousands of residents who signed a petition or sent in e-mail protests are strongly opposed to the proposal.

“As a Muslim, my religion does not permit me to use such water. Neither do I find it humanly possible to drink sewage water, purified or not,” Durban resident Zax Fyzoo complained in an e-mail sent to Golder Associates.


Zandile Mkhize complained: “This is disgusting.”

Pauline Smith suggested that instead of purifying wastewater, eThekwini should invest more money in fixing cracked pipes and reducing water theft and other non-revenue wastage which led to the loss of 36 percent of water currently supplied to Durban by Umgeni Water.

Maurice Grapendal, Kara Chanisse and Tharuna Devchand were among several residents who suggested that the city should rather set up a desalination plant to purify sea water.

“Instead of spending millions on treatment plants, spend it on educating the public on saving water,” suggested Faeez Ebrahim.

Maggie Hill said one of her main concerns was the risk of technical or operational error during the sophisticated water purification process.

“All it needs is human error and the whole of Durban could be wiped out by diseases like cholera,” she said.


Responding to some of the concerns, Golder Associates said that apart from Windhoek, which began a similar scheme in 1968, the Karoo town of Beaufort West had introduced a R42-million drinking water reclamation scheme that became operational in January last year.

Residents of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, had been drinking a blend of 50 percent treated effluent and 50 percent naturally sourced water for several years.

A senior official of the Singapore Public Utility Board told a recent conference in Durban that Singapore’s 5.2 million residents had also been drinking a blend of purified effluent for the past 12 years.

Senior Windhoek Water executive Jurgen Menge told the conference that it was essential to ensure public trust in such projects by ensuring that the treatment plants were not run by politically connected fly-by-night contractors.

In a background information document published earlier this month, Golder Associates noted that eThekwini had demonstrated its ability to meet the most rigorous water safety standards for several decades and scored 98.77 percent in the latest 2012 Blue Drop water management programme run by the Department of Water Affairs. - The Mercury

l For more information and detailed proposals, contact Mfundo Ndlovu at 031 717 2790, or mndlovu @golder.co.za


http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/a-big-no-to-toilet-to-tap-water-plan-1.1412892

Just came across the city's State of Local Innovation Report (2011). It's a year old but contains some interesting facts and figures re: the city's green credentials.

http://www.mile.org.za/Come_Learn/Capacity%20Enhancement/Learning%20Exchanges/Multimedia%20Library/Climate%20Change%20Learning%20Exchange30%20November01%20Dece/eThekwini%20Municipality-State%20of%20Innovation%20report.pdf

Some really interesting stuff in that pdf...

Thanks for sharing :)

I've actually sighted these birds in Kloof, and smaller kite eagles taking them on in dramatic aerial 'dog-fights'! So good to see their numbers rising. What a great natural asset for the city and country!

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Green corridor havens for Crowned Eagles

November 12 2012 at 09:39am
By Colleen Dardagan

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/nm-eagle1-jpg-29917182-1.1421357!/image/1368346253.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/1368346253.jpg
Crowned Eagle researcher Shane McPherson and Mia Jessen, a bird of prey veterinary nurse, collect data from the oldest of the Crowned Eagle nestlings of the 2012 breeding season. Picture: Steve Camp

Durban - At least 10 pairs of rare Crowned Eagles have set up residence in Durban’s western suburbs – nesting in “green” corridors that were created as part of urban planning in the 1970s.

Raptor expert and University of KwaZulu-Natal MSc student Shane McPherson, who is researching why the birds are thriving in the urban open spaces around the city, said the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’Moss) had created a habitat for birds, insects and small mammals. This had enabled breeding raptors to thrive in the area.

According to eThekwini Municipality’s website D’Moss is a system of open spaces, about 74 000 hectares of land and water, that incorporates areas of high biodiversity value linked together in a network.

Richard Boon, eThekwini Municipality’s manager of diversity planning, said he could not comment on the research but “on face value McPherson’s findings seemed correct”.

McPherson, who arrived in Durban from New Zealand in April to start his research, said there were at least 20 nests in the eThekwini metropolitan area mainly between Pinetown and Hillcrest.

“Only half appear to be active in any one year. A nest near Mariannhill was one of the earliest for the 2012 season and has successfully fledged an eaglet.”

In the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, another eaglet was expected to take its maiden flight “sometime in December”. Five nests are being monitored this year using surveillance cameras which take images every minute over four to eight months. Next year another five nests will have cameras installed.

Persecution by people, electrocution, fences, poisoning and starvation are just some of the hazards the youngsters may face on their journey, but McPherson said he was impressed by how residents knew where the nests were and were passionate protectors of the sites.

Crowned Eagles are listed as threatened on the Red Data List and populations across Africa are in decline as their natural forest habitat diminishes.

McPherson hoped his research would encourage other African cities to make city planning decisions to improve biodiversity in urban areas.

Professor Colleen Downs, McPherson’s research supervisor at UKZN, said the study was intended to investigate how Durban’s “human-dominated landscapes were sustaining one of the most powerful raptors in Africa at a relatively high density”. - The Mercury.

*Anyone who would like to assist and has sighted the birds can e-mail shane.mcpherson@gmail.com


http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/green-corridor-havens-for-crowned-eagles-1.1421358

nice to hear. the D'moss spaces are truely an asset to the city and was great foresight by past city leaders

Nov 22 2012 9:26AM

Durban drips R100m a year from water theft

Sihle Mavuso

Faced with a backlog and losses on several fronts, the eThekwini municipality is also facing a new problem of illegal connections to water and electricity grids.

The municipality for greater Durban has revealed that it is losing approximately R100m a year due to illegal water connections.

Briefing the media in Durban yesterday about the progress made after the city council adopted a water amnesty policy that would give families a chance to regularise their connections to the grid, mayor James Nxumalo said the figure was too high.

“We are, however, still urging people to come out and pay a small fine of R250 and be connected to the grid legally,” Nxumalo said.

The municipality said the good news was that more than 2000 families had used the amnesty and as a result they had recovered R500000 in meter connections.

Furthermore, based on money recovered after prosecutions, the municipality had recovered almost R2m from offenders.

“On top of this, the municipality has also entered into credit agreements with some households and it will net over R1.5m when payments are made by these households,” said Nxumalo.

“Against those who are defiant, we have secured 18 convictions, attained 19 warrants of arrest and we are locked in one civil matter against an offender.”

He added that the municipality was processing about 88 charges against illegal connectors.

Nxumalo said even though the amnesty had ended the doors were still open for those who wanted to regularise their connections at a cost of R250.

He said by doing so, offenders would avoid the costly and lengthy route of legal action that could result in a criminal record.

Payments can be made at several regional Sizakala centres across the municipality.

sihlem@thenewage.co.za


http://www.thenewage.co.za/71166-1008-53-Durban_drips_R100m_a_year_from_water_theft

Concerns over Durban beach water dismissed
2012-11-27 09:10

As the summer holiday looms, concerns over the safety of Durban's beach water are casting a bit of a shadow over the building excitement.

According to Times Live experts have warned that the water off Durban beaches contains toxic chemicals.

South Durban Community Environmental Alliance activist Priya Pillay described the beaches as unsafe and unfit for holiday-makers, as tests carried out by the eThekwini municipality's water and sanitation department revealed high levels of E.coli and Enterococcus bacteria. These bacteria are known to cause cholera and gastro-intestinal illnesses.

Earlier this year a local doctor contracted the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, which might cause blistering and inflammation. The bacterium ate through the tissue on Dr Peter Breedt's foot, leaving an open wound.

Tests have been carried out at various of the city's beaches over the past year and the results revealed that the quality of the beach water did not meet South African water standards.

Pillay cited heavy pollution from industries in the city, as well as pollution from informal settlements as the cause.

Tourism Update reports that the eThekwini Municipality has dismissed these claims. Neil Macleod, head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation, says the report was misleading and caused unnecessary concern.

He explained that negative results for water quality are usually a result of rainfall immediately before a sampling event. "Some 86% of beaches show excellent water quality based on E.coli levels and 95% when based on Enterococcus values."

Macleod assured holidaymakers that the beaches are completely safe.


http://www.news24.com/Travel/South-Africa/Concerns-over-Durban-beach-water-dismissed-20121127

Nov 27 2012 9:48AM

Beaches follow WHO guides

TNA Reporter

Newspaper reports the past few weeks have questioned the quality of water at Durban’s beaches.

Neil Macleod, head of water and sanitation at the eThekwini municipality says a map is produced every month of water compliance based on the requirements of the South African Water Quality Guidelines for Coastal Marine Waters: Guidelines for Recreational Use (March 2012). The guidelines are based on the World Health Organisation values, he says.

Macleod says the guidelines use results over the previous 12 months to determine compliance.

“We sample beach water according to a schedule if at all possible, rain or shine. Between November 2011 and June 2012, samples were taken twice a week and thereafter twice a month in accordance with the requirements of the guidelines.

About 70 samples were therefore taken during this period. Only three samples needed to be above the prescribed limit for the beach not to obtain 95 percentile compliance.

This is usually as a result of rainfall immediately before the sampling event.

“Failure is therefore often as a result of a few poor results in the midst of excellent ones. When the median, or most likely values of E. coli and Enterococcus are used, a very different picture emerges. Eighty-six

per cent of beaches show excellent water quality based on E. coli levels and 95% when based on Enterococcus values.

“According to prevalent practice, we would be within our rights to exclude poor results that are obviously caused by an event such as rain, but we chose not to do so as we gain valuable information from such outliers.”

Macleod says when the beach results over the past five years were analysed, statistically, there was no significant difference – if there were no outbreaks then, it was highly unlikely there would be now.

Obviously, sensible precautions such as not swimming for 24 hours after a heavy rainfall event or when the water is markedly muddy should be observed here as they would anywhere in the world.”


http://www.thenewage.co.za/71805-1010-53-Beaches_follow_WHO_guides

Once again Durban at the forefront in SA on the Green Front

Mapping sustainability– Imagine Durban launches the eThekwini Municipality Green Map

11/27/2012 2:41 PM

In order to foster a sustainable future for eThekwini, all those who are part of the complex system that makes up our cities and society have a role to play. By involving individuals, civil society, businesses, and all levels of government in the implementation of an envisioned sustainable eThekwini, and by sharing knowledge about sustainable practices, we will have before us a set of infinite possibilities that can chart the path towards a sustainable future for eThekwini—a future that includes all elements of sustainability. eThekwini Municipality has become known for its innovations in local sustainability: the Ekhaya Multi Arts Centre in KwaMashu-an integrated arts centre empowering youth of the community, Crushed Lemon - a sustainable business making upcycled items from industry-used material, the Corner Cafe – an eco-restaurant with a zero-waste policy, and eThekwini Municipality’s Green Roof Pilot Project – the first green roof on a Municipal building in South Africa, just to name a few. Additionally, the recent 2012 Sustainable Living Exhibition provided a platform for public engagement in sustainability, while acting as a learning hub for the exhibitors and attendees to network and learn about initiatives in various sectors. Sustainable living is achievable, and there is a new, exciting initiative that promotes and celebrates sustainability in eThekwini -the eThekwini Municipality Green Map.


http://www.imaginedurban.org/sites/Blog/Lists/Photos/eThekwini%20Green%20Map%201.png

http://www.imaginedurban.org/sites/Blog/Lists/Photos/eThekwini%20Green%20Map%20side%202.jpg

1st edition of eThekwini Green Map



The eThekwini Green Map is an interactive tool which displays sustainable features of our community, while promoting inclusive participation in sustainable community development. The eThekwini Green Map “will involve all citizens in building and enjoying a more sustainable city” says Bongumusa Zondo, Senior Manager of Imagine Durban.


eThekwini joins over 60 countries and more than 800 communities in mapping green living, as well as natural, cultural and social resources. Launched at the 2012 Sustainable Living Exhibition, the Green Map enables locals and tourists alike to explore eThekwini's historic sites, green spaces, bike routes, libraries, eco-friendly cafes and restaurants, local music scene, craft markets, lively spots and other places related to environmental sustainability, or points of cultural or social significance. As the Green Map is an online tool that is part of a global Green Map system, people around the world will be able to see the wealth of interesting features eThekwini has to offer. The Green Map provides an opportunity to look at eThekwini through a sustainability lens, and offers a new perspective of the municipal area. Citizens of eThekwini can use both the online and print version of the Green Map to gain a better understanding of the nature, sustainable living resources, and cultural highlights that are available in the community.



Championing inclusive participation in development, the Imagine Durban team led two community asset mapping pilot projects with youth in the communities of KwaNdengezi in Ward 12, and another in KwaMukhuta, Ward 93. Youth explored sustainability features of their community, and participated in a series of mapping workshops. Sites of significance were collected and put on the Green Map. The project aimed to empower the youth to tell the story of their community, share its initiatives, and inspire others.

“This project helped a lot because not all people or youth here know that we have such important things and to give us, the public, to participate and appreciate the local things we have is very meaningful” acclaims a project participant from KwaNdengezi.

“I learned that if we can help each other in doing things we can change our place/country” says another participant, “by working together we can achieve success and be sustainable.”

Anyone can participate in the eThekwini Green Map by suggesting a site on the eThekwini Green Map website. If you know where there are sustainable practices in your neighborhood, run a business or school that practices sustainability, or your organisation ascribes to a sustainable ethos, you have the agency to put your site on the Green Map and share it for eThekwini, and the world, to see. The Green Map is not only a tool that promotes sustainable development through community participation, inspires responsible tourism, fosters dialogue on all aspects of sustainability, and celebrates local sustainability initiatives; the Green Map also leads the way for a sustainable eThekwini, today and tomorrow. eThekwini Green Map—know it, map it, share it.

Great project / initiative. Thanks for finding and posting.

Not too surprisingly, Durban has deservedly been named SA's top green city...

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eThekwini scoops greenest city award

22 Nov 2012

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube calls on KwaZulu-Natal municipalities to take a lesson from Durban’s latest achievement in demonstrating its commitment to protecting the environment through promoting green living and the ethos of green economy.

Dube says this as she heaps praises on the eThekwini Municipality, including its residents, for winning South Africa’s prestigious “greenest city” award, saying the environmentally-friendly municipality was setting a benchmark for high standards and sound administration among the 61 municipalities in the province.

The MEC, notably, also commends the residents, saying that “without you, the city authorities would find it difficult to reach its targets of creating an environmentally friendly environment, which has now led it to scooping this prestigious award”. Meanwhile, the MEC commends Newcastle municipality for finishing second in the category for local municipalities.

Durban has outflanked the City of Cape Town and City of Joburg, which finished second and third, respectively. “On behalf of the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal, we are proud that by winning R3, 5 million and named as ‘the greenest city in South Africa’, the eThekwini Municipality continues to set the trend as an award-winning local government authority, and has demonstrated to our province and country that eThekwini and its citizens are leading the race in our collective campaigns, ranging from recycling to climate change planning, energy conservation, air and water quality management, biodiversity conservation and coastal planning.

We are confident - but we also call on the city authorities to ensure - that the millions that have come along with the prize will be ploughed back into service delivery,” says MEC Dube. In addition, the MEC notes that the latest prize is yet another addition to a pile of awards in the city’s cabinet – the one before this one being the remarkable Govan Mbeki Human Settlements award, which was won by eThekwini in June this year (2012), and which demonstrated that eThekwini was also a front runner in the delivery of houses to needy communities.

“Ever since Durban launched its ‘Imagine Durban’ environmental campaign a few years ago and then went on to host the COP 17 Conference, the Metropolitan city has become a role-model and leader in the green revolution,” she says. “Clearly, the eThekwini mayor, His Worship James Nxumalo, is delivering on his election mandate by ensuring that Durban continues to be a shining example when it comes to good governance, of which the green management is a critical aspect in the service delivery challenges of all municipalities as the contrary has a detrimental effect on infrastructure and the delivery of water and other services.”

MEC Dube, who will lead her department’s delegation to the COP 18 Conference in Qatar in the Middle East in December, is proud that Durban is taking a leadership position in showcasing South Africa’s efforts in addressing the global issue of climate change. “Durban has shown the way that there is a compelling need for everyone to harness the knowledge pertaining to climate change and share it with our communities. It is no longer an issue that should be discussed in air-conditioned conference rooms, but it is a growing societal responsibility.

We continue to implore other municipalities to take a lesson from eThekwini’s commitment,” Dube adds. Presenting the award to the Durban delegation, Deputy Environment Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi, congratulated the eThekwini officials for their efforts in transforming Durban into a greener city. The Greenest Municipality award has been modified from the old Cleanest City award to broaden the focus beyond just waste management and to encourage cities and towns to participate in green issues.

Contact:
Vernon Mchunu
Cell: 082 474 1882

Lennox Mabaso
Cell: 082 884 2403

Issued by: KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
22 Nov 2012


http://www.info.gov.za/speech/DynamicAction?pageid=461&sid=32825&tid=92698

Great new addition to the Bot Gardens...

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New life for Botanic Gardens

December 14 2012 at 01:00pm
By LINDSAY ORD

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

http://1.1.1.3/bmi/www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/copy-of-nd-succulent-botanic-2-1.1441248!/image/2096920672.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/2096920672.jpg
James Hallé, left, and Martin Clement, admire the metal circles that were used in a Chelsea Flower Show display some years back. Picture: Brad Thompson


Durban - It's hard to believe, on a sweltering Durban day, that glacial deposits are being used to beautify a corner of Durban Botanic Gardens. But 10 dwyka tillite core rocks, weighing between one and two tons each, stand among a range of succulents.

Durban landscape gardener James Hallé is excited about the new additions to the succulent garden he is revamping – the rocks date back 300-million years and were formed when KwaZulu-Natal was still part of the Gondwana supercontinent.

Dwyka tillite rocks are found mainly in our province and before being transported in three large trucks to the gardens, the designated rocks were used as a barrier between the street and the grassy bank under the Sherwood interchange.

Hallé spotted them and thought they were just what he needed for the new African-Madagascan succulent garden at the St Thomas Road entrance of the gardens – and was even more excited when he learnt of their origins.

“They are awesome and I was so fortunate to be able to use the trucks to get them here,” he said.

Before the revamp, the garden was a 50m sweep of aloes that visitors would pass with hardly a glance. Hallé plans to plant a variety of succulents, in keeping with the gardens’ focus on African flora. South Africa has the highest number of succulent flora species on the planet and this will be an opportunity to showcase some of them, as well as Madagascan succulents and aloes. A corner of interest is the spiny forest of Madagascan shrubs.

http://1.1.1.5/bmi/www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/copy-of-nd-succulent-botanic-5-1.1441249!/image/3470566512.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/3470566512.jpg

A dwyka tillite core rock, dating back 300-million years, is one of 10 to be added to the succulent garden. Picture: Brad Thompson

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

There is even an alien there – the first Jacaranda to be planted in South Africa, in 1882 stands among the succulents. Although it has been declared a weed, it is not invasive in Durban, so it will stay as a piece of history.

Hallé is creating a cobbled staircase of stones, and a bench and gazebo will entice visitors to make use of the garden. Two metal circles that were part of an eThekwini display at the Chelsea Flower show some years back have been incorporated as a feature, too.

“We want to give new life to existing materials,” says Martin Clement, curator of the gardens. “We could have brought in generic materials, but decided it was better to recycle what we have. We want to create a bold garden that celebrates horticulture.”

http://1.1.1.4/bmi/www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/copy-of-nd-succulent-botanic-4-1.1441250!/image/4089220544.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/4089220544.jpg

James Hallé constructs a cobbled path, watched by Martin Clement. Picture: Brad Thompson

The revamp is a collaboration between Hallé, Durban Botanic Gardens Trust and eThekwini Municipality’s Parks and Recreation Department and Electricity Departments. It is the beginning of several areas in the gardens that will be upgraded.

Sibusiso Mkhwanazi, senior manager, natural resources and special services, at the Parks and Recreation Department, says the new succulent garden will provide a welcome at the St Thomas Road entrance.

“This is not just change for the sake of change,” he says. “We have a master plan and will be making the gardens more user-friendly. We are using existing materials as much as possible and recycling. We plan to improve the signage so that it is consistent in its appearance.” - Daily News

http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/home-garden/garden/new-life-for-botanic-gardens-1.1441251#.UNGAZKOqnu5

Feb 7 2013 12:35AM

Durban environment row to go on appeal
TNA Reporter

The dispute between a group of Durban land owners and eThekwini municipality over whether it has the power to legislate on environmental grounds is heading for appeal.

Last Monday the Durban High Court ruled that the power of municipalities to regulate the environment at a local level had long been recognised.

The court said it would be inconceivable that the drafters of the Constitution intended by the manner in which the Constitution was framed, to exclude municipalities altogether from legislating in respect of environmental matters at a local level.

The dispute came after the eThekwini municipality in 2010, passed a resolution to adopt the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’MOSS) as a formal part of the current town planning schemes, which form part of the law.

D’MOSS is a system of open spaces that incorporates areas of high biodiversity value linked together in a viable network of open spaces. It includes

2000 hectares of dams; 2400 hectares of estuarine environment, including sand and mudbanks, mangrove and swamp forests. There are also wetlands, grassland, including the threatened Ngongoni and Sandstone Sourveld and wooded grasslands.

According to Patrick Forbes, a professional assistant in the litigation department of Garlicke & Bousfield Inc, the impact on private land owners was that land within the D’MOSS overlay is subject to development restrictions to maintain its environmental integrity.

“These restrictions prompted certain land owners to challenge the municipality’s competence to legislate on matters that were of an environmental nature. The property owners applied to the Durban High Court to have the municipality’s resolution in respect of D’MOSS set aside on both procedural and constitutional grounds, arguing that municipalities were not given powers under the Constitution to legislate on environmental grounds as this is a national and provincial competence,” he said.

He said the municipality contended however that to divorce environmental issues from that of municipal planning would not enable municipalities to provide a safe and healthy environment, as they are mandated to do under the Municipal Systems Act, or to comply with their duties under the National Environmental Management Act and other environmental legislation.

The court ruled in favour of the municipality but the residents have since lodged an appeal notice.


http://www.thenewage.co.za/81893-1010-53-Durban_environment_row_to_go_on_appeal

Always wondered about the breakdown of the city's consumption of electricity. I wonder how street lights along some of the city's major M roads (M1, M4, M13, M19, etc) would affect consumption?

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Thursday Apr 04, 2013

Moses Mabhida is 'energy efficient', but uses 3% of Durban's power

The Moses Mabhida Stadium uses about 3 percent of all the electricity burned by the eThekwini Municipality, or roughly 10 percent of the electricity needed to light up all the street lights and traffic lights in greater Durban.

These calculations are based on information released yesterday in the municipality's second annual greenhouse gas report. The latest emissions inventory report shows that the stadium uses about 11GWh of electricity every year, whereas street lights and traffic signals use about 117 GWh a year.

Overall, the municipality uses about 368 GWh a year to light streets, stadiums, parks, municipal buildings, council-run hostels, municipal housing schemes or to purify and pump tap water.

The 3 percent calculation for Moses Mabhida is based only on electricity used directly for municipal purposes, but is believed to cover the entire stadium precinct, which includes underground parking, restaurants, outdoor lighting, air conditioning and the cable car.

However, if the stadium's electricity usage is measured against the total volume of electricity bought from Eskom to light up all the private homes, private office blocks, big industry and commerce, the stadium consumption figure drops to about 0.1 percent of the total volume of electricity used in the city (11 724 GWh a year).

Responding to questions on whether the stadium lighting should be switched on less frequently to save electricity and reduce greenhouse gases, eThekwini's energy office manager, Derek Morgan, said the precinct was "energyefficient".

"It was designed with new technologies to save energy - but nevertheless, turning off (the stadium) more often is definitely something we should look into."

Morgan was aware the City of Cape Town had decided to reduce the electricity used to illuminate Table Mountain by cutting the length of time it was lit up.

Overall, the single biggest guzzler of electricity, coal, gas and other of forms of energy in Durban was commerce and industry, which generated 43 percent of the total volume of greenhouse gases.

The transportation sector (buses, cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships) was the next biggest climate gas polluter, generating 37 percent of total greenhouse gases.

Residents generate about 13 percent, with the remaining 7 percent being generated by the municipality and "other" sectors.

The volume of greenhouse gases generated in Durban during the 2011 emission reporting period was calculated at 27.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent units.

Morgan said this was equivalent to piling heaps of coal at Moses Mabhida. "Every eight days for a year the pile of coal would reach as high as the stadium arch - that's quite a large hole," he commented.

Durban residents generated about seven tons of greenhouse gases each a year. This was lower than Washington DC (20 tons), Toronto or Shanghai (each 8 tons), but similar to Beijing's figure.

Morgan said greenhouse gas emissions had risen in 2011 from 2010, mainly from the inclusion of carbon credit calculations from the Bisasar Road and Mariannhill landfill sites, where methane was burned to produce electricity. Ideally, the city should set targets to reduce emissions aggressively.

Durban should aim to install solar photovoltaic heating systems, cut private vehicle use by 15 percent before 2025, and aim to generate 100 percent of its energy needs by 2050, Morgan suggested.

See the full report at: http://www.durban.gov.za (Energy Office/GHG Inventory button)

The Mercury

Posted at 08:33AM Apr 04, 2013 by Editor in Durban

http://www.iolproperty.co.za/roller/news/entry/moses_mabhida_is_energy_efficient

Very good and transparent approach by the city, an example for many others to follow

I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own. -- Andy Warhol