News Snippets

Coal-dependent South Africa has no explicit coal policy – Prof - Source and more here.

Hyundai launches pilot water recycling drive - "Hyundai Bryanston hopes to cut its municipal water use by 80% following the installation of a water capture and recycling system, says dealer principal Kosta Avgoustinos" Source and more here.

World lacks enough food, fuel as population soars - " The world is running out of time to make sure there is enough food, water and energy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population and to avoid sending up to three-billion people into poverty, a UN report warned on Monday.

As the world's population looks set to grow to nearly nine-billion by 2040 from seven-billion now, and the number of middle-class consumers increases by three-billion over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially.

Even by 2030, the world will need at least 50% more food, 45% more energy and 30% more water, according to UN estimates, at a time when a changing environment is creating new limits to supply." source and more here.

IWMSA welcomes withdrawal of Redisa approval - Source and more here.

Water Affairs confirms movement on long-term Acid Mine Drainage study - Source and more here.

Sexwale to join Antarctica climate change expedition - Source and more here.

Redisa waste tyre plan approval withdrawn - Source and more here.

Vodafone unveils ‘green’ innovation Centre - " A significant opportunity exists for companies to use their own sector technology and expertise in finding solutions to meet critical social, environmental and governance challenges, mobile group Vodacom CEO Pieter Uys highlighted at the unveiling of parent company Vodafone’s new innovation centre in Midrand, on Tuesday.

Rated by the Green Building Council of South Africa as the first six-star Green Star SA building in the country, the facility is also the greenest building in Africa." Source and more here.

SA urged to act before EU carbon project window closes in Dec - "Climate finance practitioners and regulators have urged South African developers of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects to finalise their applications for registration of such projects with the United Nations during the first quarter of 2012, or face being excluded from the key European market." Source and more here.

Heavyweight industry group issues carbon tax warning - " An industry lobby group comprising large mining groups and mineral processing companies is cautioning against the proposed introduction of a carbon tax in South Africa until South Africa has fully charted its abatement potential and the costs implications of implementing its renewable-energy heavy power generation plans." Source and more here.

2012 'make-or-break' year for Joule as it seeks govt commitment - Source and more here.

Nersa postpones power price hearings as it receives notice of policy review - Source and more here.

Cosatu calls for protests over solar sector jobs failure - "Cosatu in the Western Cape is planning protests at Parliament over what it claims is government's failure to implement job commitments regarding the importation of components for solar panels." source and more here.

3E to host renewable energy seminars next week - " Renewable energy technical advisers 3E will host two free breakfast seminars next week to mark the opening of its Cape Town office.

The seminars, which will focus on technical risk management for solar and wind project investments, will take place on January 25 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, and on the January 26 at the Lagoon Beach Hotel, in Cape Town."
source and more here.

Gathering to home in on SA’s solar jobs potential - " The link between job creation and the deployment of solar energy solutions in South Africa will come under the spotlight during a SolarPlaza conference in Johannesburg on January 25.

The gathering comes as the Department of Energy (DoE) prepares to open the second bidding window in March for the procurement of 3 725 MW of renewable capacity to be installed between 2012 and 2016." Source and more here.

Better scientific understanding of link between climate change, food security needed - source and more here.

Deputy Minister to launch energy savings roadshow - Source and more here.