You are only one person, you cannot do everything, but you’re one person – you can do something! Come and join Greenpop and volunteers from across the globe to plant 5000 trees in one of the most deforested parts of the world and see how your small step leads the way for a Treevolution. Trees for Zambia is an exciting reforestation project running from 1 July to 22 July 2012. Volunteers from all walks of life will have the opportunity to work and play next to the mighty Victoria Falls and help to plant trees, educate children about conservation and learn about environmental issues through various workshops.

Zambia has the second highest per capita deforestation rate in the world. The forestry Department in Livingstone states the rate of deforestation as 5% annually and this has a great influence on the vulnerability of local communities with knock-on effects such as reduced agricultural production, threats to food security, increased incidence of drought and flooding, loss of wildlife, and reduced fresh water availability. The two main reasons for deforestation in this area is tree cutting for timber and charcoal, as well as poor soil management.

Greenpop is heading north with a clear mission to address this and your role as a volunteer will be vital in helping them to: Develop a culture of planting trees within communities; educate children on their natural environment; promote conservation farming methods in the local communities; help to start a micro tree nursery to provide farmers with an additional income; and create an exciting and stimulating program of practical work, lectures and workshops.

Apart from planting over 5000 trees and helping to preserve Zambia’s fragile biodiversity, volunteers can experience highlights ranging from the opening and closing celebrations with local entertainment and a stay on the banks of the Maramba river, to exciting activities in the Livingstone area such as white water rafting, lion walking and elephant back safaris.

Limited space is available and interested volunteers can visit the Greenpop website or email Zambia@greenpop.org. But whether in Livingstone, Cape Town or the Karoo, may you be inspired to take a small step every day to join in this journey, for “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the next best time is now!”

For more information visit www.greenpop.org

Happy new year beautiful! Yes I have vowed to say that to myself each and every day regardless of a bad hair day – or a sudden urge to remain hidden under the duvet and avoid the world. Why wait another 347 days to celebrate a new year when every day is the chance to begin again and be all that we wish to be? My absolute favourite quote for 2011 was, “You must be the change you want to see in the world”. This was quipped by an incredible man called Mahatma Ghandi who showed the world that peaceful protest can change a paradigm and in doing so, he reclaimed India from British rule and set an example very few revolutionaries have been able to follow. 2012 is going to be a very interesting year and I believe it is personal accountability in all aspects of our lives that will help us navigate the changes ahead.

So to kickstart the year’s ‘green’ awareness I have included a magic video clip for you to watch.
 Prepare yourself for four and a half astonishing minutes and watch the beauty of pollination in action.These tireless birds, bees, bats and butterflies all contribute to the world’s food production and without them farming is nigh impossible. Yet the over-use of pesticides is still rampant and these harmful poisons not only kill the little things, they also pollute water systems along the way. What can you do to make a difference? Choose organic food wherever and whenever you can and increase your awareness about where your food comes from. The more informed you are, the better choices you can make as customer and in doing so, leave a positive impact on the environment as opposed to a negative one.

Melissa Baird – Life in Balance

Do you know how much water is in your morning coffee? If I measure the capacity of my coffee mug, it comes to just over 250ml, which, if I add up the number of cups I consume during the day, comes to, well, let’s rather not discuss my caffeine habit. Except, even with full disclosure the simple multiplication of capacity by number of cups is incorrect – because every cup of coffee I consume contains not 250ml of water, but a massive 140 litres!

South Africans consume, per capita, 2,500 litres of water per day, but not by drinking or cooking or gardening alone. What we overlook is just how much is required for production of those goods we take for granted. Called ‘virtual water’, it determines our water footprint (visible and virtual water used) as individuals, businesses and a nation. To produce an apple weighing around 100 grams, 70 litres of water is used. One slice of wheat bread requires 40 litres. The water footprint of a beer, 75 litres, pales in comparison to that of the hamburger that often accompanies it, which comes in at a whopping 2,400 litres. In fact, beef requires a full 15,500 litres of water to produce just 1kg.

And it’s not just what we eat and drink. One A4 sheet of 80gr paper, processed from wood, requires 10 litres of water – something to consider before printing out the joke email that will be discarded later. The global average footprint of one cotton shirt is 2,700 litres; for one kilogram it’s 11,000 litres. One kilogram of leather requires 16,600 litres of water (global average). Does this mean I should immediately give up coffee? Perhaps, but in all honesty I am not going to. However, simply being aware of how much water goes into everything we consume can have a positive impact. Small changes make a big difference. I may not give up coffee entirely, but I can reduce my intake. If I were to cut back by just one cup a day for a year, I’d save 51,100 litres! If you think a meal is incomplete without meat, no-one is going to expect you to embrace vegetarianism, but why not give it up for just one or two days a week? Instead of always choosing a huge, beefy burger, replace at least one with a delicious mushroom burger.

South Africa is facing a critical water shortage, and here’s the thing: those of us with who live comfortably will not be the first affected despite being the country’s biggest consumers. The poor, whose water footprints are in many cases negligible, will suffer first, giving rise to more problems than just higher prices and water cuts; these problems will affect everyone. We waste a lot of water. My experiment earlier this year proves this. But if each of us developed just one water-saving habit, we’d be able to make a big difference. And as I’ve discovered, one habit invariably leads to more.

For more information about water footprints, visit www.waterfootprint.org

By Melissa Baird. Visit Life in Balance.

Our beautiful blue planet is mostly covered with water and once upon a time the sea was filled with abundant fish stocks that coastal communities subsided on while happily co-existing with the other ‘fishermen’ of the sea like penguins, seals and dolphins. Now we are facing the ‘end of the line’ as fish stocks are collapsing as a result of unsustainable fishing methods. I was told that the cost of one mature Bluefin tuna was over $350 000 US – almost the same amount that one rhino horn costs. What do they have in common? Both species are endangered and both species are still being hunted.

So what does that have to do with sushi? The fish that is served in sushi restaurants and all others for that matter- need to be sourced from sustainable fishing stocks. It is an interesting economic choice to eat fish as the fishing industry still supports a host of people – but the reality is, unless we insist on sustainable fishing methods and pay attention to the species under severe threat (like the Bluefin tuna), the foundation of this food industry will crumble. The South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative  (Sassi– supported by the WWF, is championing the education of fish eaters so that the fish on the red and oranges lists (most under threat) don’t find their way onto a restaurant menu. And if they do you have to ask the question: why?

To download the pocket guide go to www.wwfsassi.co.za

And to learn more about the state of our fisheries worldwide you should watch www.endoftheline.com

Possibly the single most powerful thing you can do right now to prevent polluting the already over-stressed water systems in South Africa is to stop using chemicals in your household and personal cleaning products. Shelves and shelves of products line the supermarket shelves promising sparkling results but very few of them are actually good for the water systems. I despair when I see buckets full water – doused with bleach – being used to clean public spaces and know that at home we often just want the quickest and most effective way to cut through grease and grime so we reach for the household favourite that promises to do just that.

Water is precious and water is what gives us life and that is not a ‘like hey shoo wow’ concept. The water we have on this planet today is the same water that was here during the time of the dinosaurs. I know it may difficult to believe but it is scientific fact and this is why how we interact with our water is extremely important. As there is no such place as ‘away’ when you throw things; what you put into the water systems stays there. So the more chemicals we chuck down the drain, the more chemicals end up in the waterways and the more harm is done down the line.

Here are some great tips using vinegar instead of a chemical laden cleaning option:

Vinegar is actually an acid and because of this it acts as a powerful disinfectant. It is a natural product of nature and this means it is biodegradeable and has no harmful chemical residue or toxics fumes to contend with.

Kitchen:

• To clean cutting surfaces, utensils and hands that have been used to prepare meat/ chicken or fish (to prevent the spread of salmonella) wipe down the surface with vinegar and rinse hands and utensils in a vinegar solution.
• Kitchen counters can be disinfected by using a solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle – squirt onto the surface and wipe dry with a clean cloth.
• To sterilise baby bottle teats, add a teaspoon of vinegar to a glass jar filled with boiling water and microwave for 1 minute.
• To get dishes sparkling clean and disinfected add a cup of vinegar to the rinsing water, or to the bottom of the dishwasher before the cycle.
• To clean the inside of a microwave, use vinegar. Vinegar can also be used to absorb odours in a microwave. Add a cup to a shallow dish and microwave on high for 2 minutes.
• Clean drains by pouring half a cup of baking soda and then 1 cup of vinegar. Do this once a month to help dissolve any grease build up in the pipes.

Melissa Baird – Life In Balance

I have been up and down to Jozi like a yo-yo attending various meetings and the incredibly impressive Generation Earth Youth Summit. This summit was a gathering of school learners who were given a comprehensive introduction to  climate change and what this means for our future and our economy. Heavy stuff for school kids to digest but their incredible enthusiasm and interest was most heartening.  You will see in the latest issue of Marie Claire my short update about the upcoming climate change talks to be held in Durban from the 28th November – 9th December. These talks and the impacts of the outcomes will certainly lead to living in very interesting times. But what (you may ask) does this have to do with skincare? Well with all this travelling and a need to offset my carbon footprint I have also needed to take better care of my skin.

As promised I have been keeping an eye out for skincare products that are created in a conscious and environmentally sensitive way and I am pleased to announce I have found another gem. Sweetly named Balm Balm – this gorgeous range – made entirely from organic ingredients – is absolutely great for a dry and sensitive skin like mine. I have been using the rose geranium face balm and not only does it soothe and nourish my skin it also smells heavenly. The lip, face, baby, foot and hand balm are all endorsed by the FSC, Soil Association and the UK company that produces this skincare has won numerous awards for their efforts.

Available from the Greenlands Health Shop in Parkhurst, Wellness Warehouse in Cape Town, Organic Living in Constantia and Nature Life in Brooklyn Mall.

www.balmbalm.com
www.lovegreen.co.za
For more info on Generation Earth 

Melissa Baird – Life in Balance

Spring has sprung and summer is ready to take roost but there is still time to spring clean your home and wardrobe before the big holiday at the end of the year. As we are thinking about sexy summer nights and pretty summer clothes, business folk are wondering how to reduce their energy consumption and whether to calculate their carbon footprints in order to find out how they can offset their carbon emissions. Offsetting carbon output is vital in trying to address the imbalances caused by South Africa’s dependence on coal to fuel the country’s energy needs.

But it is not just up to big business, have you considered your individual footprint? This is especially true if you commute long distances either via car or plane. Food and Trees for Africa have a handy personal footprint calculator on their site to help you work out your footprint and offers ways to help offset the carbon emitted. Since Food and Trees For Africa began their work in 1990 they have planted over 4 million trees. How amazing is that?! Once you have worked it all out then consider planting an indigenous tree as part of your spring ritual and do your bit to balance your footprint.

Melissa Baird – Life in Balance

If Lente Roode was a novelist her book would rival that of Karen Blixen’s ‘Out of Africa’. Lente’s story is steeped in contradictions of farmers and their respect for their livestock and lack of regard – often most cruelly – for the predators that too have a right to the land. She was given an orphaned cheetah cub as a child; its mother had been shot by a farmer and there began her lifelong captivation by this magnificent animal. They were hardly apart.

Fast forward to her wedding day and a union with a man who transformed his cattle farm into a game farm and a new chapter began. Her passion and a series of remarkable serendipitous events, like being ‘given’ custody of 35 cheetahs, led to the infrastructure of what would become the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. The arrival of these cheetahs led to The Hoedspruit Cheetah Project, which was conceptualised with the help and guidance of Professor David Meltzer of the Onderstepoort Faculty of Veterinary Science (at the University of Pretoria) and Des Varaday, the man who gave her the cheetahs. Very quickly other endangered species were added to the list and African wild cats, ground hornbills and bald ibises were transferred to the centre in 1991 and 1995. African wild dogs (considered “problem animals” by conservation authorities) are also included in the breeding programme.

Sixteen years ago the centre started a black-footed cat breeding programme and then the blue cranes arrived as farmers brought in abandoned chicks. The centre has an impressive list of accreditations from environmental watch dogs and, having had the privilege of visiting there and seeing a King Cheetah in all its wild glory and a pack of Wild Dogs, I had to temper my questions about what would happen to them if the centre ceased to exist, or if there were fewer people in the world who actually did something for the animals they revere.
Fred, the intrepid ranger from neighbouring Camp Jabulani where I stayed was a dedicated guide through the many cheetah enclosures and watched quietly as I gagged when we arrived at the vulture’s ‘restaurant’ at feeding time. I had never seen a vulture except for circling high up in the thermals of a bright African sky, and here they were gathering to feast on the left over carcasses from the carnivores, right in front of me. They are regular visitors to the centre and it is good that they do because they too are under threat – from the muti trade and poisoning from farmers. This place does amazing work in educating and helping to preserve the creatures that make SA so environmentally blessed.

There are a host of environmental initiatives you can be a part of. Visit www.hesc.co.za  For an elephant tale of gargantuan proportions you have to meet the elephants of Camp Jabulani and stay in the incredible lodge. Visit: www.campjabulani.com

Melissa Baird – Life in Balance

At a visit to the HOMEMAKERS Expo, which took place at the CTICC this past weekend, I was pleased to observe the notable trend towards ‘green’ home improvement technology and lifestyle products. It seems that South Africans are finally catching on to the eco-friendly movement that has been making its mark across the international arena for a number of years already. I was fascinated by the many ways that we can all jump on this growing green bandwagon.

For example: Just yesterday I came across a fantastic drive running in Cape Town this month: the ‘Day of 1000 Trees’ arranged by the organisation ‘Greenpop’. The goal of this initiative? To raise 1000 indigenous trees that will be planted in the community of Manenberg on Heritage Day, 24 September. According to Lauren O’ Donnell, Director of Greenpop, you can get your green fingers going today in one of two ways: either by ‘gifting’ a tree to the value of R75 online or by signing up as a volunteer to help plant on the day (all this can be done on their website anytime from now leading up to 24 September).

Why you ask? The plan is to green up this ‘under-greened’ community by planting trees in schools, community centres and public spaces. In this way, the drive doesn’t only aim to contribute positively to the environment, but also to uplift the mood of community members in these often dire places. What better way to pay tribute to our beautiful country on Heritage Day.

And if the delights of doing good are not enough, gifting a tree automatically enters you into a competition where you stand a chance to bag a 2 night stay for 2 people at Umlani Bushcamp in the Timbavati. A win-win situation? Definitely.

Have a look at the video below for some visuals of the drive:

Dayle Kavonic – Cape Town Intern

Being ‘green’ is more than just being aware of how many trees  are being planted, or which delicious celebrity is adding his/her name to a new cause. There are simple steps you can take in your daily habits that overall will make a positive impact on the pollution footprint of your life.

Let’s start in the kitchen and aim to banish all those noxious chemicals that are in most standard cleaning products, hidden behind a veil of false sparkling and fake citrus or lavender fragrances. The chemicals are noxious and greatly impact the health of the water systems that are already under severe stress from the collective amounts of chemicals that end up being flushed down the drain.

To that effect we investigate Bicarbonate of Soda and it has some surprisingly good uses.

Check out our top ten here