One of the biggest criticisms to come to light was the bureaucratic romp-slomp in processing EIAs. In some cases, it can take up to four years to get a record of decision from the government. In our last issue we explored the process required for environmental impact studies, but developers complain about lengthy delays. <i>Earthyear</i> investigates new DEAT regulations aimed at speeding things up.
"Energy is a huge problem all over the world because the world is power-hungry, as <i>Time</i> magazine put it. What is always strange to me is that people who criticise us for investigating other sources of energy such as nuclear do not realise the immense damage that our reliance on fossil fuels is causing this country." Marthinus van Schalkwyk speaks to <i>Earthyear</i> about his future plans.
"What is important is that corporate social responsibility is not just a public relations exercise but truly reflects commitment and good ethics. All one can suggest is that there is always room for improvement and innovation." Saliem Fakir, chairperson of the judges’ panel, salutes the state bodies that made submissions to this year’s Greening the Future awards.
I’ve been talking over this “let’s ban Christmas” thing with my daughter. She has been asking, for the first time, whether Father Christmas actually exists. I don’t know where she gets these notions from. She is barely able to read the Koran or the Bible, let alone the newspapers, and has no conception of politics, as far as I know. But it is something that the African National Congress government have brought to our family hearth.
Vijay Singh captured his third major championship on Sunday, beating Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco in a three-hole play-off at the 86th PGA Championship. The 41-year-old Singh, who has won five tournaments this year, birdied the first hole of the play-off then clinched the win with a two-foot putt on the final hole.
The South African women’s hockey team suffered their second defeat in as many matches at the Olympic Games as Australia gave a lesson in composure to inflict a 3-0 defeat on the African champions. It was a case of near misses for South Africa and desperate scrambling from Australia that proved the difference on the day.
Argentina’s beach volleyball team — Mariano Baracetti and Martin Conde — beat South Africa’s Gershon Rorich and Colin Pocock 21-14 and 21-15 on Monday. In both sets the South Africans matched the sixth-ranked pairing blow by blow in the opening stages before the experience of the Pumas showed.
The Democrats can count on the sell-out movie (Fahrenheit 9/11); the Republicans, a book (Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry) that is already number one on Amazon’s bestseller list a week before publication. You know the United States presidential election is hotting up when the smear campaigns get started.
President Robert Mugabe will soon put before Parliament a Bill that will divert NGOs’ attention and energies from educating voters for the March 2005 election towards navel-gazing and concerns about their own survival. The Mugabe government blames human rights NGOs for its poor report card from the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.
South Africa’s golden boys led Olympic news in Greece and the United States after Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling broke the world 4x100m relay record for gold in the biggest upset of the Athens Olympics so far. Ta Nea (The News) headlined its story: ”4x100m lashed by SA storm”.
SA swimming team win gold