insert_link Environment Hydropower damages river systems in Africa: how more solar and wind power can solve this problem By Angelo Carlino, Carnegie Science; Andrea Castelletti, Polytechnic University of Milan, and Rafael Schmitt, Stanford University Across the African continent, more than 300 new hydropower projects are planned to meet the growing demand for electricity. Some of these will require big dams, which can have major negative environmental impacts. Another looming problem with hydropower is that the water cycle is affected by climate change. Water […] todayJune 7, 2024 12
insert_link South Africa South Africa’s electricity crisis: a series of failures over 30 years have left a dim legacy By Mark Swilling, Stellenbosch University In 1994, apartheid ended and the African National Congress (ANC) won South Africa’s first ever democratic elections, promising “Electricity for All” as part of its Reconstruction and Development Programme. Back then only 36% of all South Africans had electricity in their homes. The development programme promised to double that number by electrifying an additional 2.5 million homes by 2000. This seemed […] todayApril 19, 2024 11
insert_link Opinion Pieces South Africa’s new plan to end power cuts is seriously flawed. Here’s why By Hartmut Winkler, University of Johannesburg South Africa experienced unprecedented electricity shortages in 2023 as ageing coal plants became increasingly prone to breakdowns. The country urgently needs to develop new electricity generation facilities and reduce reliance on coal power. In the first week of 2024, the South African energy minister, Gwede Mantashe, released a proposed roadmap for the future of electricity in South Africa. Unfortunately, the draft Integrated Resource […] todayJanuary 11, 2024 3
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.
