Date: 03/12/2005
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Mosunkutu: Bontle ke Botho Clean and Green Awards presentation ceremony
Keynote address of Khabisi Mosunkutu, Gauteng MEC for Agriculture, Conservation and Environment at the 2005 Bontle ke Botho Clean and Green Awards presentation ceremony, HM Pitje Stadium, Tshwane
It certainly is a pleasure and an honour for me to be amongst you in this important celebration - a celebration of our collective environmental consciousness.
Thinking of the essence of the Bontle Ke Botho (BKB) campaign in relation to the numerous immediate and urgent challenges that confront our communities, I could not help recalling the wise words of James Lovelock, a scientist who once observed that 'Living matter on the earth collectively defines and regulates the material conditions necessary for the continuance of life'. The observation by Lovelock remains valid to this day especially when contemplating that large areas within our own country are frequently declared disaster areas due to difficult-to-control veld fires, deleterious rainstorms and or severe droughts. Available information informs us that the prevalence rate of malaria in provinces like Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and KwaZulu-Natal will increase and that Gauteng will become a malaria zone by 2050, if adequate control measures are not implemented. We now also know that, without these control measures, the number of South Africans at high malaria risk may quadruple by 2020. Scientific extrapolation also tells us that under a hotter and drier climate, maize production will decrease by up to 20%, mostly in the drier western regions of our country.
At global level, we already are confronted with the phenomenon of melting of the arctic glaciers, the retreat of the ice cap, and the global rise in sea levels. In fact a report, released during the second week of November 2005 in the journal Science, shows that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing and sea levels are also rising more rapidly than they have in the past thousand years.
Scientists link the rise in sea surface temperatures to global warming. It is quite important to note that mankind, through mismanagement of the environment, is responsible for the swiftness of this global warming.
Kenneth Miller, a geology professor, writing in the journal Science, makes the interesting observation that 'Half the current rise was going on anyway. But that means half of what's going on is not background. It is human induced'. Indeed, scientists assert that storms and hurricanes are natural. We also know, as confirmed by Professor Miller, that climatic changes are natural processes that occur over time.
However, what we need to note is that the intensity of the recent climatic changes and their destructive ferocity is as a consequence of global warming and that we, as mankind, are the chief culprits in this unfortunate development. Through the rapid climatic changes and its attended rage, the environment is merely counteracting - avenging her abuse.
Friends and colleagues, you may be wondering as to why such a focus on climatic changes. The fact of the matter is that Bontle ke Botho has as much to do with environmental management as it has to do with negating the dramatic climatic changes that we currently are experiencing. Yes, climate change is one of the most important and daunting challenges facing the international community. Internationally, environmental degradation has triggered large-scale population movement. It has disrupted economic development prospects, aggravated regional conflicts and instability, and is threatening the lives and livelihoods of people living under its shadow. Our own country is not immune from these challenges. An additional phenomenon of climatic changes in our country is that some areas in our country are starting to receive less rainfall. This obviously will further push people away from poverty ridden barren areas into over-crowded urban areas. This certainly will exacerbate the tenuous situation and complicate our Government's developmental programmes.
Our BKB campaign is one of our provincial tactical approaches aimed at combating environment degradation, its attendant climatic changes and the dire consequences that this will bring to bear on our future.
Yes, BKB is one of our environmental covenants to an environment that is not harmful to our health and our well being.
The Clean and Green campaign must make clear the connection, in the minds of all our citizens, between our actions, environmental degradation and our quest for a better life. The campaign must continuously take forward our Government's commitment, made at the recent National Climate Change Conference, which ended on the 20th October 2005. These commitments include, among others;
* Ensuring the alignment, cohesion and coherence of government responses to climate change by coordinating and driving its climate change responses and interventions;
* Facilitate the development of clean technologies for climate change mitigation;
* Ensure that climate change considerations are included in the evaluation of new agricultural research and development projects; and
* Review and revise agricultural policy to ensure climate change resilience.
I wish to, in conclusion, congratulate all participants in our Bontle Ke Botho campaign - those who have won prizes, as well as those who did not come out of the 2005 awards with cash in hand. Your collective participation is worth more than the prize money that our Government can give - the value of your participation is much more than that - our children and the generation yet to be born will be eternally grateful for your efforts to manage the environment in a manner that seeks to protect and promote their own future.
I also wish to take this opportunity to encourage more widespread participation and partnership with all our community organizations and with the business sector.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Gauteng Provincial Government
3 December 2005
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Mosunkutu: Bontle ke Botho Clean and Green Awards presentation ceremony
Keynote address of Khabisi Mosunkutu, Gauteng MEC for Agriculture, Conservation and Environment at the 2005 Bontle ke Botho Clean and Green Awards presentation ceremony, HM Pitje Stadium, Tshwane
It certainly is a pleasure and an honour for me to be amongst you in this important celebration - a celebration of our collective environmental consciousness.
Thinking of the essence of the Bontle Ke Botho (BKB) campaign in relation to the numerous immediate and urgent challenges that confront our communities, I could not help recalling the wise words of James Lovelock, a scientist who once observed that 'Living matter on the earth collectively defines and regulates the material conditions necessary for the continuance of life'. The observation by Lovelock remains valid to this day especially when contemplating that large areas within our own country are frequently declared disaster areas due to difficult-to-control veld fires, deleterious rainstorms and or severe droughts. Available information informs us that the prevalence rate of malaria in provinces like Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and KwaZulu-Natal will increase and that Gauteng will become a malaria zone by 2050, if adequate control measures are not implemented. We now also know that, without these control measures, the number of South Africans at high malaria risk may quadruple by 2020. Scientific extrapolation also tells us that under a hotter and drier climate, maize production will decrease by up to 20%, mostly in the drier western regions of our country.
At global level, we already are confronted with the phenomenon of melting of the arctic glaciers, the retreat of the ice cap, and the global rise in sea levels. In fact a report, released during the second week of November 2005 in the journal Science, shows that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing and sea levels are also rising more rapidly than they have in the past thousand years.
Scientists link the rise in sea surface temperatures to global warming. It is quite important to note that mankind, through mismanagement of the environment, is responsible for the swiftness of this global warming.
Kenneth Miller, a geology professor, writing in the journal Science, makes the interesting observation that 'Half the current rise was going on anyway. But that means half of what's going on is not background. It is human induced'. Indeed, scientists assert that storms and hurricanes are natural. We also know, as confirmed by Professor Miller, that climatic changes are natural processes that occur over time.
However, what we need to note is that the intensity of the recent climatic changes and their destructive ferocity is as a consequence of global warming and that we, as mankind, are the chief culprits in this unfortunate development. Through the rapid climatic changes and its attended rage, the environment is merely counteracting - avenging her abuse.
Friends and colleagues, you may be wondering as to why such a focus on climatic changes. The fact of the matter is that Bontle ke Botho has as much to do with environmental management as it has to do with negating the dramatic climatic changes that we currently are experiencing. Yes, climate change is one of the most important and daunting challenges facing the international community. Internationally, environmental degradation has triggered large-scale population movement. It has disrupted economic development prospects, aggravated regional conflicts and instability, and is threatening the lives and livelihoods of people living under its shadow. Our own country is not immune from these challenges. An additional phenomenon of climatic changes in our country is that some areas in our country are starting to receive less rainfall. This obviously will further push people away from poverty ridden barren areas into over-crowded urban areas. This certainly will exacerbate the tenuous situation and complicate our Government's developmental programmes.
Our BKB campaign is one of our provincial tactical approaches aimed at combating environment degradation, its attendant climatic changes and the dire consequences that this will bring to bear on our future.
Yes, BKB is one of our environmental covenants to an environment that is not harmful to our health and our well being.
The Clean and Green campaign must make clear the connection, in the minds of all our citizens, between our actions, environmental degradation and our quest for a better life. The campaign must continuously take forward our Government's commitment, made at the recent National Climate Change Conference, which ended on the 20th October 2005. These commitments include, among others;
* Ensuring the alignment, cohesion and coherence of government responses to climate change by coordinating and driving its climate change responses and interventions;
* Facilitate the development of clean technologies for climate change mitigation;
* Ensure that climate change considerations are included in the evaluation of new agricultural research and development projects; and
* Review and revise agricultural policy to ensure climate change resilience.
I wish to, in conclusion, congratulate all participants in our Bontle Ke Botho campaign - those who have won prizes, as well as those who did not come out of the 2005 awards with cash in hand. Your collective participation is worth more than the prize money that our Government can give - the value of your participation is much more than that - our children and the generation yet to be born will be eternally grateful for your efforts to manage the environment in a manner that seeks to protect and promote their own future.
I also wish to take this opportunity to encourage more widespread participation and partnership with all our community organizations and with the business sector.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Gauteng Provincial Government
3 December 2005
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
