South Africa South African communities vs Shell: high court victories show that cultural beliefs and practices count in climate cases Oyster gatherers on a Wild Coast beach at low tide. The sea is integral to these communities’ lives and culture. PaulGregg By Louise Du Toit, University of Southampton; Brewsters Caiphas Soyapi, North-West University, and Louis Kotzé, North-West University When the Shell petroleum company announced in 2021 that it wanted to explore for fossil fuels off South Africa’s pristine Wild Coast, Indigenous communities in the area immediately fought […] todayMay 20, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Under the shadow of war in the DRC, a mining company’s actions face impunity Land grabbing, lack of consultation, communities wiped off maps, and impunity. These are the serious accusations made against the mining company Alphamin Bisie Mining SA by the Indigenous communities of Banamwesi and Motondo, which oversee community forest concessions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Years of complaints by these communities and civil society organizations have been met with no reaction from provincial government officials or […] todayMarch 28, 2024 7
insert_link Africa Foreign mining companies under fire for permit issues in the DRC An indigenous community in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has accused two foreign-owned mining firms of obtaining licenses without consulting all the communities affected by their activities. The community says the Canadian and South African mining companies have violated the law that stipulates the process of obtaining exploration permits. todayMarch 26, 2024 32
insert_link Environment Toilet paper: Environmentally impactful, but alternatives are rolling out By Petro Kotzé Toilet paper is so common in some countries it’s only noticed when it’s not there, as exemplified by the panic buying that prompted shortages when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Thought to be in use in China since the sixth century, inventor Joseph C. Gayetty patented the first U.S. commercial “medicated paper” in the 1850s. Since then, demand has soared in many places, bolstered by rising population, […] todayMarch 18, 2024 70
insert_link Environment In Brazil’s soy belt, community seed banks offer hope for the Amazon By Ana Ionova Not too long ago, the plot of land that Maria Ivonete de Souza inherited was barren, the soil hardened by years of cattle ranching. When the family had arrived to the Amazon from southern Brazil four decades earlier, her father had swiftly cleared the dense rainforest to make way for pasture. “He razed it all by hand, with a saw and an ax,” Souza […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 6
insert_link Environment ‘Healthy humans without a healthy planet is a logical fallacy’ A nomadic community preparing a meal in Ladakh, India. Image by Prabhu B Doss via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). By Sonam Lama Hyolmo via Mongabay Dr. Sakib Burza says his fondest memories are climbing the majestic pine trees in the Kashmir Valley where he spent most of his childhood with his family. On a normal day, he would go trekking up the hills into the mountains above the tree line, watching over […] todayFebruary 7, 2024 12
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
