Houses to replace sanctuary

Low cost housing development of 15 000 houses to replace the Glen Austin bird sanctuary and the Glen Austin bullfrog pan.
Your urgent action is needed.
There was a public participation meeting on 28th May at 6pm at the Eskom Convention Centre, in the Leadership Development Centre.
A few members of the conservancy attended the meeting to register objections.
PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD ON THE DRAFT SCOPING REPORT FOR THE EIA ENDS ON 3rd AUGUST 2009.
THE INPUT OF AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE IS VITAL IF WE WANT TO SAVE THE BIRD SANCTUARY AND THE BULLFROG PAN

The other side of the story

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Maranda press release
PRESS STATEMENT
MARANDA MINING (PTY) LTD vs LOUISE JOUBERT, ADAM MURRAY
CONSERVATION HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD AND SANWILD WILDLIFE TRUST
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS MADE BY MARANDA MINING COMPANY:
1. On Friday, 29 June 2009 the Supreme Court of Appeals of South Africa
under case number 296/ 2008 dismissed the appeal lodged by Sanwild,
Joubert and Adam Murray Conservation Holdings with the cost of two
counsels.
2. The appeal was lodged in light of an order made in the in the Supreme
Court of South Africa (North Gauteng Division) under case number
7013/2008, giving Maranda Mining Company access to the property
known as portion 7 of the Farm Leydsdorp Dorpsgebied 779LT ("the
property").
3. The order under case number 7013/2008 was made after an application
was brought by Maranda Mining Company in which they seek access to
property in terms of a mining permit granted by the Department of
Minerals and Energy ("the DME") on 21 September 2006.
4. In terms of the Mining permit Maranda Mining Company have the right to
mine on 1,5 hectares of the property.
REASON FOR STATEMENT
5. From the start of the dispute to date Maranda Mining Company endured a
flurry of negative press, which was largely instigated by Louise Joubert of
Sanwild.
6. We would like to state unequivocally that the statements made by Louise
Joubert personally and in other capacities against Maranda Mining
Company are untrue, misleading, false and made purely with the intend to
harm Maranda Mining Company in its reputation.
7. Jouberts actions were also made with the intent to mislead the public as to
the true state of affairs.
8. Maranda Mining Company therefore is making this statement in order to
provide the other side of the story, to set the record straight and most of all
to state the truth. The Public as well as those who funded Joubert in her
frivolous opposition to Maranda Mining Company's Court actions deserves
to hear the true facts of this matter.
BACKGROUND
9. The area in question known, as "Eldorado" was first worked in the early
1890's
10. Before the current Act, Act 28 of 2002, came into operation the mineral
claims were held under license 28317, diagram RMT M46/1985.
11. During April 2005 Maranda Mining Company applied for a mining permit
as well as a prospecting right on the Property.
12. Come Lucky (PTY) Ltd, the then occupier of the property and registered
owner, were notified in terms of the statutory requirements of Maranda
Mining Company's intentions to apply for a Mining Permit and Prospecting
Right.
13. In the same time Maranda Mining Company advertised in a local
newspaper, a Public meeting to all interested and effected parties to
attend the meeting. Nobody attended the meeting.
14. All subsequent consultations by Maranda Mining Company were
conducted with Come Lucky.
SANWILD'S OCCUPATION OF THE PROPERTY
15. Sanwild only took occupation of the property during about September
2006 after the consultation process for the permit and the Prospecting
rights were completed.
16. Come Lucky never indicated to Maranda Mining Company that Sanwild
took occupation of the property.
17. The basis on which Sanwild took occupation of the property from Come
Lucky is not known and Sanwild failed to mention this in their Court
papers. It is indeed trite law that it is the duty of the owner of property to
inform the tenant of any restrictions with regard to their tenancy.
18. On 25 June 2007 Adam Murray bought the property from Come Lucky.
Sanwild, as a shareholder of Adam Murray were also a part of the said
sale and a signatory of the deed of sale.
19. In the said deed of sale it is clearly stated that the Purchasers are aware
of the fact that Maranda Mining Company applied for a mining permit. The
property was only registered into the name of Adam Murray on 28
February 2008.
20. Sanwild was aware of Maranda Mining Company's application for a mining
permit when they first occupied the property. Sanwild in their Court papers
and in the press conveniently omits to mention this fact.
MINING PERMIT
21. The mining permit was signed by the DME on 21 September 2006 and
received by Maranda Mining Company at the end of January 2007. The
Supreme Court of Appeals also found that Maranda Mining Company
complied with all statutory requirements.
22. Maranda Mining Company informed Come Lucky that they were
successful in their application for a Mining Permit. Come Lucky at this
stage still made no mention that Sanwild is in occupation of the property.
23. Maranda Mining Company only became aware of the fact that Sanwild is
in occupation of the property on 31 October 2007 after attempting to
access the property.
24. Maranda Mining Company met with Sanwild and their Attorneys in order to
discuss the intended Mining operations with them. At this meeting
Maranda Mining Company made several suggestions with regard to the
practical side of the intended mining. Sanwild undertook to revert back to
Maranda Mining Company but failed to do so. Access to the property was
still denied.
25. In December 2008 Maranda Mining Company gave Sanwild a letter
stating that they should take the necessary legal steps to stop Maranda
Mining Company from mining. Again Sanwild elected to do nothing.
26. In a total disregard of the Act, Sanwild merely closed the gate and refused
Maranda Mining Company access. These actions by Sanwild forced
Maranda Mining Company to approach the Supreme Court for an Order
granting them access.
EFFECTS OF MINING
27. Maranda Mining Company in terms of the Mining Permit is only entitled to
mine 1,5 hectares on the property. The mining area, as well as the
prospecting, area amounts to about 11 Hectares.
28. The mining and prospecting area is on the one border of the Property and
can be easily fenced out of the property. Maranda Mining Company
indicated that they are willing to properly fence the area with a game fence
to specifications at their own cost. When fenced the interference with
wildlife as well as Sanwild can be reduced to a minimum.
29. Maranda Mining Company also indicated that they would endeavor to
access the property from the neighbours farm in order to minimize
interference with Sanwild's activities. Sanwild purposely omits these facts
in their press statements.
30. The area in question is also not an environmentally sensitive area, nor
does it fall within a reserve or environmental protected area.
31. The effect of the proposed mining activities on wildlife and on Sanwild is
exaggerated to the point of being ridiculous. If one would look at all the
facts soberly and objectively, it will be clear that the mine and the
sanctuary is not mutually exclusive and that they can co-exist with the
minimum effort.
32. Sanwild is not operating a registered "sanctuary" or a "reserve" and there
is no legal basis for them to refer to themselves as such. These
statements by Sanwild are misleading and made with the intent to create
the misconception that Maranda Mining Company intends to mine in an
existing reserve or sanctuary.
33. As far as Maranda could establish with the Department of Environmental
affairs and tourism only the following two permits were issued to Sanwild:
33.1 A permit to establish and operate a Rehabilitation Centre. This
permit was granted in June 2005 and lapsed in June 2008. Seeing
as Sanwild only occupied the property in question from about
August 2006 this permit in any event could not have been granted
for this property;
33.2 A permit to import a live wild animal. This permit apparently was
used in the moving of the Thukela Elephants. The permit lapsed in
December 2006. Again this permit could not apply to the current
property, as Sanwild was not occupying it.
34. In 2008 and again in February 2009 Maranda gave notice to the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism that any applications for
permits by Sanwild would be opposed, seeing as on their own account the
animals and their activities would affect Maranda's rights to mine. No
response has been received from the Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism in this regard. During Augustus 2008 Maranda consulted with
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism at Polokwane who
indicated that there are no applications by Sanwild to register a Sanctuary
and/or any other application.
35. Maranda Mining Company further provided sufficient security with the
DME for the rehabilitation of the mining area.
36. Maranda Mining Company obtained their rights first and there is no legal
basis why Sanwild can refuse mining on the property.
ECONOMIC EFFECTS
37. The legal cost of Maranda Mining Company amounts to about R800 000
for which Sanwild, Louise Joubert and Adam Murray Conservation
Holdings (PTY) Ltd will be responsible. Together with their own legal cost
this totally unnecessary opposition to Maranda Mining Company's rights
will cost about R1, 6 million, which will most likely be paid out of
donations.
38. Maranda Mining Company is also in the process of calculating its
damages suffered by the actions of Sanwild and the other parties
39. The mine will provide work opportunities for several employees and the
economical benefit for the area, as well as the province, will be
substantial.
CONSLUSION
40. Maranda Mining Company complied with all legislation to obtain a valid
mining permit.
41. Sanwild, notwithstanding the fact that they had knowledge of Maranda
Mining Company’s application when purchasing the property, elected to
take no legal and lawful steps to prohibit Maranda Mining Company from
exercising its rights. Instead Sanwild endeavored to unreasonably and
unlawfully deny Maranda Mining Company access to the property.
42. Taking in consideration all facts, Maranda Mining Company, was more
than willing to accommodate the then owner and the current occupier of
the property.
43. Sanwild only obtained their rights after Maranda Mining Company
obtained their mining permit. The correct way for Sanwild would have
been to properly apply for the necessary permits and to consult with all
affected and interested parties, before they engaged in their activities.
44. It is not correct for Sanwild in proceeding with activities, which on their
own account would sterilize the minerals rights, without properly
consulting with all the effected parties, including the Department of
Minerals and Energy, as the custodian of all minerals rights.
45. Take note that all supporting documents will be made available on
request.
*********
Posted by wildtalk at 5:59 PM

SAVE THE SANWILD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

SanWild has published a Facebook Group SAVE THE SANWILD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. Kindly pls join this group asap to learn how you can help us bring pressure on the South African Government and the Department of Minerals and Energy to withdraw a open-cast mining permit that was issued to Maranda Mine Company. Should mining proceed in the sanctuary it will mean the demise of more than 4500 wild animals and will lead to the closure of a unique registered wildlife sanctuary that indeed belong to the animals themselves. We as the human custodians of SanWild need your help to speak out for the animals whose home is being threatened. They cannot fight the miners and they cannot even speak for themselves - it is up to us to fight this battle with your support. Please join asap and we will update you on a daily basis what you can do to help save the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary. Let's together show the world that indeed we can make a difference and that we are willing to fight against injustice and the continued destruction of our natural resource, wilderness areas, bio-diversity, fauna and flora. You can help us make all the difference that is needed to ensure the safety of all the rescued SanWild animals. They need you now!

Kind regards
Louise

SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary
Main website: www.sanwild.org
Interactive website: www.sanwild.com
Office: +27(15)3187900/1
Fax: +27 (0) 86 5422228
Mobile: +27 (0) 833103882
Non-Profit Organisation Number: NPO 011-266
Public Benefit Organisation Number: PBO 930 013 787
Trust Number IT 8147/00

"Be the RightKind for WildKind"

Bullfrogs versus Bureaucracy

Proposed development on Portions 15, 41 & 49 of the Farm Olifantsfontein 410JR, referred to as Clayville Extension 50

A meeting was held on Thursday May 28 2009 at the Eskom Conference Centre with Golder Associates Africa, who are preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Approximately 80 residents were present. Janet Schofield represented RCE and the Midrand SPCA. Robyn Heathfield also attended.

The proposed development by Calgro M3 is for social charter housing, to include 15 000 units. One-third would be Housing Department subsidy houses valued up to R100 000, with the remainder being valued between R200 000 and R600 000.

Minutes of the meeting, including comments and slide are to be sent as soon as possible, when available.

Some of the comments include:

· The Glen Austin Pan is a protected area and no development should take place within a one kilometre radius.

· There are insufficient bulk services and electricity available to support the development.

· The entrances to the development depend on the construction of the proposed K109.

· Ekurhuleni’s own biodiversity plan names the Glen Austin Pan as one of 8 wetlands to be protected within the municipality.

Rob Heathfield submitted an objection to the proposed development to the EIA consultants on June 1 (acknowledged on June 3).

DEVELOPMENT OF 17,000 RDP HOUSES IN WORLD REKNOWNED BULLFROG BREEDING SITE

In an astonishing turn of events, an area written about in publications as widely respected as the New York Times, and explored by David Attenborough and the BBC, is about to be bulldozed to make way for 17,000 low cost houses. This, despite the fact that there is an international effort underway to save the African Bullfrog. The species is not only listed on the IUCN listed of endangered, threatened and protected species, but also on a list published by the Minister of Environment in 2007. The Glen Austin bullfrog reserve and the Glen Austin Bird Sanctuary will make way for a 400ha RDP housing development, and a nail in the coffin of the Pyxicephalus adspersus will have been struck.

So what were City Parks saying back in 2004, when they said: "We are currently negotiating with land owners in the area so that we can make the whole pan into a conservation area." Clearly this was forgotten some time later, and the largest landowner in question had their farm expropriated to make way for 17000 houses. In fact in 2004, 3000 housing beneficiaries were listed, long before the farm was expropriated.

Officially recognized as a bird sanctuary, the pan (and its resident population of bullfrogs) was recent recognized, according to GDACE (the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment), as one of several “Irreplaceable” Biodiversity sites in Gauteng Province. The DEAT website says: “The protection of Giant Bullfrog populations at Bullfrog Pan and Glen Austin is considered crucial to the long-term conservation of this species in the Province. GDACE is in the process of identifying additional areas that are important for sustaining the breeding, foraging and migration requirements of this species and all pans are considered potential habitat.”

The City of Joburgs’ report on sustainable environmental management lists the Glen Austin Pan as an ecologically sensitive area, while the Ekurhuleni Biodiversity and Conservation Report of 2003 claims:

“There are 8 protected areas within the EMM, comprising 0.97% of the land area. Ekurhuleni contains a small portion of the northern section of Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. The following nature reserves are included in the EMM: Marievale Bird Sanctuary Provincial Nature Reserve, Korsman Bird Sanctuary, Glen Austin Bird Sanctuary, D Meyer Bird Sanctuary, D Meyer Municipal Nature Reserve, Rondebult Bird Sanctuary, Bill Stewart Municipal Nature Reserve. Many of these bird sanctuaries are popular places for tourists and birders to visit.” With less than 1% of the total Ekuruhleni protected, one might imagine they would be less cavalier about the loss of one of the 8 areas. The problem with the Glen Austin pan and the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary, is that they are located just outside the border between Joburg and Ekuruhleni, so technically they fall under the jurisdiction of Joburg City Parks and the Jo’burg Municipality.

Published on the Joburg City website:

A bid to save
the African bullfrog

September 22, 2004

By Anish Abraham

THE African bullfrog - an inhabitant of the Glen Austin pan in Midrand - has been listed as a "near threatened" species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and Johannesburg City Parks has decided to do something about it.

City Parks, along with a residents' group in Midrand, the University of Pretoria and Gauteng's Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs, are investigating the possibility of setting up a conservation area to preserve the bullfrogs' natural habitat.

The Glen Austin pan is home to one of Gauteng's largest populations of African bullfrogs.

About two thirds of the pan is owned by City Parks, while the rest is in private hands.

"We are currently negotiating with land owners in the area so that we can make the whole pan into a conservation area," says John Kruger of City Parks.

"One of the main problems is the uncontrolled development in these areas leading to loss of habitat," says Caroline Yetman of the Centre for Environmental Studies at the University of Pretoria, explaining that "near threatened" classification is given to species that are likely to face the future risk of extinction in the wild.

As part of her PhD on the Glen Austin frogs, Yetman is currently working on DNA sequencing and fitting some of the frogs with radio transmitters for tracking purposes. Earlier in 2004 Yetman counted some 100 adult bullfrogs in the pan and says this number shows a general decline - a statement supported by many residents in the area.

Research conducted by Clayton Cook of the University of the North on the African bullfrogs in the Glen Austin pan between 1991 and 1996 reported that there were between 250 and 300 adults and over half a million juveniles at that time.

"These frogs are very difficult to track, so getting an exact figure is difficult," says Yetman, adding that in an effort to track the frogs, "we are requesting that members of the public that spot these frogs should photograph them and send it to us with details of where they were found."

The African bullfrogs' breeding grounds are in the poorly drained rocky highveld grasslands of Midrand and Fourways, as well as on the East Rand.

The bullfrog pan in Benoni, where around 100 adults used to breed, is believed to be the only other major breeding area in the province, with a large numbers of tadpoles dying because of water contamination.

Unlike a stream or river, a pan has no in- or outflow of water. A depression in the ground that is covered by rainwater, it dries up during extended periods without rainfall and in extremely hot summer conditions.

Besides affecting the environment, construction developments in Glen Austin are leading to increased water usage and the draining of marsh areas for building.

Cook maintains that there has been an 80 percent decline in African bullfrog numbers in the last 10 to 15 years and the possibility of the species becoming extinct in Gauteng area in another 10 years is very real.

A primary factor leading to the decline in bullfrog numbers is the destruction of the frogs' habitat. Cook points out that developments in the area in the early 1980s, "including the Fourways Mall, were done on former wetland areas".

He adds: "Putting up high security walls has also hampered the breeding of these frogs as they are highly migratory."

Another threat to the frogs is the human palate. In some cultures, especially in northern and eastern Namibia, the African bullfrog is regarded as a delicacy. This trend has also surfaced in Limpopo, where the frogs are being unlawfully sold from the back of bakkies for their meat.

Cook also claims that these frogs are being illegally caught and sold overseas to collectors. In countries like US and Germany, where demand is high, collectors pay as much as $100 for a large adult male.

The African bullfrog, however, is a protected species and trading in them is prohibited, according to Craig Whittington-Jones, a scientist at the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs in Gauteng.

Several hundred frogs are killed on the roads when they leave the pans at the end of the breeding season.

"People are also known to catch tadpoles and young frogs from pans and other breeding areas to feed their pet snakes," Yetman adds.

"It's really difficult for the police to enforce environmental regulations, you find pet shops in Johannesburg with lizards and other amphibians even though it is illegal to trade in those species," adds Cook.

"The only way to help these frogs is by getting as much public awareness and support as possible."

To secure the future of the Glen Austin pan and preserve the African bullfrog population in the province, City Parks is working towards forming a Bullfrog Working Group made up of interest groups like local landowners, Ekhuruleni Metro, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs, the Centre for Environment Studies at the University of Pretoria, the Working for Wetlands and Working for Water groups and the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

For more information, contact Johan Kruger or Willie Nell of Johannesburg City Parks on 011 712 6600, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature on 012 342 8304/5/6, or Caroline Yetman at the Centre for Environment Studies at University of Pretoria on 012 420 4283.

Conservancy Newsletter No. 4 - December 2008

ACID MINE DRAINAGE

The threat to fresh water supplies from mining is in addition to growing alarm at the leakage of sewage into rivers and underground water systems. Concern about the water situation was echoed by Dr Morne du Plessis, the chief executive of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa. He said more than 98 percent of our freshwater supply was already accounted for, and that at current rates of supply and consumption, we'd run out of fresh water by 2025.

Latest news is that Dr Anthony Turton of the CSIR has been suspended for bringing the reputation of the CSIR into disrepute. This was after he highlighted the state of our national water quality on the TV programme 50/50 and in a written report.

What price the humble tree?

‘The true meaning of selflessness is planting a tree under whose shade you do not expect to sit’

Research indicates that suburbs that are well treed, achieve house sale prices that are some 30% greater than those equivalent suburbs without trees. So the practice of developers to denud their sites of trees, and then spend hundreds of thousands on spindly palm trees raises a question that only developers can answer.

The air that you breathe

The production rate of oxygen by trees is about 10kg per annum per tree.

Before you relax, secure in the knowledge that you can breathe again, the emissions caused by just one 100w light bulb will amount to about 864kg of C02 per annum. You need 86 trees

to absorb the C02.

More alarming perhaps is the C02 emission rate per litre of fuel - at 2.68kg per litre of diesel and 2.31kg per litre of petrol. Before we get too pedantic about indigenous and endemic trees versus alien species – we should consider the more critical issue of cooling the planet.

THE TOXIC CARROT

Carrots should be full of vitamin A, but the following is information from a farmer who grows and

packages carrots for some major supermarkets.

The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots.  Most people probably know this already. What you may not know and should know is the following:  once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine. You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have aesthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic?

Please let us make this information available to as many people as possible. If you care about your family and friends, pass it on.

SPASTIC PLASTIC

So when did we start shrinkwrapping our vegetables, and why do you want your cucumbers and tomatoes in polystyrene and plastic. If it is to protect us from germs, the chances are it’s not having the desired effect. Several people have died in America from ecoli contamination of

vegetables that are packaged in plastic. Earthbound Farm and Dole may have to pay as much

as $110 million to settle cases arising from recent E. coli contamination in bagged spinach, a Seattle attorney representing 97 of the victims said. However, attorney Bill Marler said it will likely be at least a year before any settlement is reached. Marler said it will take at least that

much time to see the full effects of the illnesses.

How safe is bottled mineral water?

Samples were tested of bottled water from California, whose residents are by far the greatest consumers of bottled water in America. California generally has the most stringent standards and warning levels applicable to bottled water, but, testing of 103 types of water found:-

Fluoride at excessive levels, which can cause mottling or dental fluorosis (pitting of teeth), skeletal fluorosis (adverse effects on bones), and cardiovascular and certain other health effects.

Arsenic: Testing found that one or more samples of eight waters (8 percent) purchased in California exceeded the 5 ppb warning level for arsenic set under California's Proposition 65.

Trihalomethanes: Studies of people and animals exposed to THMs in their water have found elevated risks of cancer and potentially a higher risk of spontaneous abortions and birth defects.

The most frequently found SOCs were industrial chemicals (e.g., toluene, xylene, and isopropyltoluene), and chemicals used in manufacturing plastic (e.g., phthalate, adipate, and styrene). Some of the chemicals found (such as phthalate) may pose health risks

such as potential cancer-causing effects, even at relatively low levels .

Who’s monitoring our bottled water? Well may you ask.

Coenzyme Q10 – could it save your life?

Coenzyme Q10 can be regarded as the spark plug that ignites the fuel mixture and sets the creation of energy going. Energy is life and as coenzyme Q10 is a crucial component of the energy cycle it may be regarded as a life-giving constituent of every human body cell. The consequences of a deficiency of the coenzyme in body cells will be a reduction in energy and a slowing down

of life-giving metabolic processes.

Dr Karl Folkers a pioneer researcher in coenzyme Q10  has stated "coenzyme Q10 is necessary for human life. Morbidity is associated with a deficiency of coenzyme Q10 of about 75% and death may occur somewhere between a deficiency of 75 and 100% At somewhere between 25 and 75% deficiency, overt disease states may appear”.

These can range from high blood pressure and heart attacks to an impaired immune system leading to cancer, as well as less life-threatening complaints such as periodontal disease. An adult body contains only about 2000mg of coenzyme Q10 so it is up to us maintain this by means of a sensible diet and supplementation with the pure material.

The highest dietary sources of CoQ10 come from (in descending order according to content): fresh sardines and mackerel; the heart and liver of beef, pork and lamb; and the meats of beef and pork along withpork, eggs. There are plenty of vegetable sources of CoQ10, the richest currently known being spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wheat germ and whole grains -in that order

although the amount in size is significantly smaller than that found in meats. Also, it is important to note that these foods must be fresh and unprocessed (no milling, canning, freezing, preserving, etc.), plus grown/produced in an unpolluted environment to be to considered viable sources.

CHEAP SOAP

Unilever, the makers of Dove soap are the worlds largest consumers of palm oil, and responsible for 60% of the destruction of the rainforests in Borneo.

A quarter of the forest lost in the last 10,000 years has been destroyed in the last 30 years.

Greenpeace estimate 98% of Indonesia’s rainforest will be gone in 20 years. Most of it razed for palm oil plantations. Watch the amazing video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odI7pQFyjso

"Whether it's used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into a biofuel, palm oil

is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultracarbon- rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which a whopping 74 million hectares have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations. That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife.“ "So how can we keep dead orangutans out of our hair, out of our food and out of our gas tanks? Consumers should scan ingredient labels for palm oil and palm kernel oil (and derivatives such as palmitic acid) and choose brands that don't contain them.

Every 5 minutes, enough KitKats are manufactured to outstack the Eiffel Tower, while a year’s

production would stretch around the London Underground more than 350 times.’Making such a

huge quantity of KitKats takes a lot of raw materials. The Nestle factory receives about 100

tonnes of refined palm kernel oil (PKO) from Cargill every week, which is used in the

manufacture of KitKat in the UK only.

Dead orangutans in your margarine?

A Greenpeace report says 1,600 orangutans were killed on palm

oil plantations in 2006.

And Nestle says:

The Greenpeace report exaggerates Nestlé’s role, as the Company uses a negligible proportion of world production in a variety of products, including KitKat,” the company said in a statement.

“Nestlé does not use crude palm oil but rather buys products derived from palm oil from reputable manufacturers.

LETTER FROM A RESIDENT

Hi there. guarding the frogs in the area - one evening, after dark, I had just driven into Randjiesfontein, and saw a young bullfrog on the centre line on Elevation, just after the boom. There was more traffic after me, and I just had to hope the frog would be ok. Alas, the next

morning, that frog had been squashed. I can't understand how, because it was right on the white line still, so someone would have gone out of their way to drive over it, as it was "frozen" in the

headlights, and did not move away.

I would like to suggest putting up some traffic signs to "Beware, Bullfrogs crossing" or something of that nature.

Bullfrogs do a wonderful job of helping rid the area of pest such as insects, mice and (unfortunately) ground nesting bird eggs and young. They deserve the best chance at survival in this busy world.

Kind regards, Gina Hall

One dead frog is one less frog.

DRIVE CAREFULLY

Newsletter No 3 - November 2008

Cry me a river

The threat to fresh water supplies from mining is in addition to growing alarm at the leakage of sewage into rivers and underground water systems. Concern about the water situation was echoed by Dr Morne du Plessis, the chief executive of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa.

He said more than 98 percent of our freshwater supply was already accounted for, and that at current rates of supply and consumption, we'd run out of fresh water by 2025.

Add to that the pollution of our existing and dwindling water supply, and you have a national crisis that is a greater threat to our economy than anything else. Aside from the serious health issues, predictions are that at the current rate Johannesburg will be uninhabitable in 15 years

time.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The granite kitchen that cost the earth could eventually kill you...

As the popularity of granite countertops has grown in the last decade — demand for them has increased tenfold, according to the Marble Institute of America, a trade group representing granite fabricators — so have the types of granite available. And with increased sales volume and variety, there have been more reports of “hot” or potentially hazardous countertops, particularly among the more exotic and striated varieties from Brazil and Namibia.

Indeed, health physicists and radiation experts agree that most granite countertops emit radiation and radon at extremely low levels.

With increasing regularity in recent months, the Environmental Protection Agency has been receiving calls from radon inspectors as well as from concerned homeowners about granite countertops with radiation measurements several times above background levels.

Environmental destruction and radiation “We’ve been hearing from people all over the country concerned about high readings,” said Lou Witt, a program analyst with the agency’s Indoor Environments Division.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and is considered especially dangerous to smokers, whose lungs are already compromised. Children and developing fetuses are vulnerable to radiation, which can cause other forms of cancer. Mr. Witt said the E.P.A. is not

studying health risks associated with granite countertops because of a “lack of resources.”

Research scientists in Houston and at the New York State Department of Health are currently conducting studies of granite widely used in kitchen counters. William J. Llope, a professor of physics at Rice, said his preliminary results show that of the 55 samples he has collected from nearby fabricators and wholesalers, all of which emit radiation at higher-than-background levels, a handful have tested at levels 100 times or more above background.

TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

A typical 500 megawatt coal power plant produces 3.5 billion kWh per year. That is enough  energy for 4 million of our light bulbs to operate year round. To produce this amount of electrical energy, the plant burns 1.43 million tons of coal.

One light bulb burning over 12 months consumes 876kwh of electricity , which will cost you about R245.00. But the real cost in emissions:

842kg of C02, 2.3kg of nitrogen oxide, and 2.5kg of sulphur di-oxide – which causes acid rain.

Hello darkness my old friend

We've lit up the night as if it were an unoccupied country, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Among mammals alone, the number of nocturnal species is astonishing. Light is a powerful biological force, and on many species it acts as a magnet, a process being studied by researchers. The effect is so powerful that scientists speak of songbirds and seabirds being "captured" by searchlights on land or by the light from gas flares on marine oil platforms, circling and circling in the thousands until they drop. Migrating at night, birds are apt to collide with brightly lit tall buildings; immature birds on their first journey suffer disproportionately.

Insects, of course, cluster around streetlights, and feeding at those insect clusters is now ingrained in the lives of many bat species. In some Swiss valleys the European lesser horseshoe bat began to vanish after streetlights were installed, perhaps because those valleys were suddenly filled with lightfeeding pipistrelle bats. Other nocturnal mammals—including desert rodents, fruit bats, opossums, and badgers—forage more cautiously under the permanent full moon of light pollution because they've become easier targets for predators.

Some birds sing at unnatural hours in the presence of artificial light. Scientists have determined that long artificial days—and artificially short nights—induce early breeding in a wide range of birds. And because a longer day allows for longer feeding, it can also affect migration schedules.

Nesting sea turtles, which show a natural predisposition for dark beaches, find fewer and fewer of them to nest on. Their hatchlings, which gravitate toward the brighter, more reflective sea horizon, find themselves confused by artificial lighting behind the beach. Frogs and toads living near brightly lit highways suffer nocturnal light levels that are as much as a million times brighter than normal, throwing nearly every aspect of their behavior out of joint, including

their nighttime breeding choruses. Of all the pollutions we face, light pollution is perhaps the most easily remedied. Simple changes in lighting design and installation yield immediate changes in the amount of light spilled into the atmosphere and, often, immediate energy savings.

SOME SOBERING STATISTICS:

Of the 17 000 petrochemicals available for home use, only 30% have been tested for their effects on human health and the environment. Of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities 

Only 1% of toxins are required to be listed on labels, because companies classify their formulas as "trade secrets".

In the past 50 years more than 75 000 chemicals have been introduced into the environment. Today 300 synthetic chemicals are found in the bodies of humans 

Bleach, paint stripper and carpet cleaners used in the home can cause wheezing and asthma in children.

CLEAN GREEN

Cost effective cleaning

GENERAL CLEANER – white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and water ‐ it even foams, and cleans just about anything.

ODOUR REMOVER – bi‐carb ‐ sprinkle it on carpets to soak up smells and then vacuum; place it in a cup in your fridge or cupboards

LOO FRESHENER –water mixed with essential oils, or just add plants to a room – they act as air filters

BASIC BLEACH ‐ hydrogen peroxide 􁈺believe it or not, this is a totally biodegradable product – we were also surprised􁈻 available from chemists , it can, however, irritate the eyes, skin and mucous membranes, so use with care

OVEN CLEANER – dampen oven surfaces, sprinkle bi‐carb over surfaces and leave overnight; for stubborn dirt, use steel wool

MILDEW ZAPPER – 2 tsp tea tree oil with 2 cups water – just spray on surface and leave

FURNITURE POLISH – ½ tsp olive oil & ¼ cup vinegar/lemon juice – wipe on furniture with a rag – olive oil also preserves wood

TOILET CLEANER – ¼ cup of bi‐carb into toilet bowl, let it stand for about 30 mins and then scrub. You can use borax for tough stains 􁈺just keep this out of reach of little fingers􁈻

WINDOW CLEANER – 2 tsp vinegar and 500 ml water, spray on windows and wipe dry with newspaper

CLOTHS AND TOWELS – paper towels and other disposable cleaning things like paper serviettes can be replaced with reusable cloths and micro‐fibre cloths. These are easily cleaned

and don’t clog landfill. Try not to use sponges as these are not biodegradable, or use natural sponges instead.

FOOTNOTE

The ongoing efforts to rid the estate of traps has seen an increase in the amount of guinea-fowl and francolin. New dikkop chicks and civets have been spotted by residents.

Open the door

This blog has been created for the Randjesfontein Country Estates Conservancy, to enable members to post information for each other and to inform the broader community of the value of conserving our natural heritage.