GeoTag your Tree ... Sean Hide

'If you have a baobab seed in your hand you have the power to influence the earth for 2000 years," says Sean Hide on the iStart2 Show.


"Planting a million trees is my goal. We have distreebuted 500 000 seeds to date. Have your tree geotagged and one day you can see your tree on google earth."

Sean Hide leads his team at the GROW GROUP and they encourage growth in trees, in people and society. Their million-tree campaign will have your tree geotagged for future research on growth and distribution. They make hand made products that are convenient innovations. Encouraging you to grow a tree from a seed, benefiting yourself and the environment. A guaranTREE comes with each one ensuring a tree will be grown.

"We are responsible for creating a better earth. Let us inspire children to improve our environment, for it is their future. Plant a seed, Sponsor a forest or give a tree. Let us all grow together," is Sean's message to the people of South Africa. 

Podcast of the iStart2 Show with Sean Hide, our Sustainability Hero of the Week:

Thought of the Day:

The Nelson Mandela Learning Centre: A Beacon of Hope in Rustler's Valley

It is open!

The Nelson Mandela Learning Centre in Naledi, a beautiful village situated in Rustler's Valley and the picturesque Maluti Mountains of the eastern Free State, near Ficksburg. 

The Learning Centre, a world-class eco-friendly centre was launched on July 27 in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, in honour of his lasting memory to building our democracy, one village at a time.

"The dream is a promise we made to our people in 1994 that we will deliver a better life to them," said Jay Naidoo on the iStart2 Show.  "Why haven't we realised this dream in the villages and the rural areas of South Africa? How do we make democracy work for the people who had so little?"

"Together we are working to rebuild the village of the 21st century. We can with very little resources deliver the hope - those pathways of hope and opportunity that Mandela stood for - that countless leaders and countless people paid with their lives - to deliver a better future to the children that follow us."

Earthrise Trust, a non-profit trust, was set up in December 2013 with the purchase of the Rustlers valley farm by three comrades, Jay Naidoo, Kumi Naidoo and Gino Govender, who had worked together as social activists over decades. The book,  “Organising Change in the 21^st Century”, written by Jay Naidoo, is to be released shortly. Read the full story here.

Sustainability Conversations ... I see Trees of Green

"Whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree.
 He wants to be nothing except what he is. 

That is home. That is happiness.”
― Hermann Hesse, Bäume. Betrachtungen und Gedichte

 

 When Great Trees Fall

When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

Maya Angelou

Trees for the Earth

Earth Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1970 and is organised by the Earth Day Network.  Its mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle to build a healthy, sustainable environment, address climate change, and protect the Earth for future generations. With this year's theme, looking forward to its 50th anniversary, it sets the goal of planting 7.8 billion trees over the next five years.

Why Trees?

Trees help combat climate change.
Trees help us breathe clean air.

Trees help us to counteract the loss of species.
Trees help communities and their Livelihoods.



Food & Trees for Africa ...

 A South African programme that greens, educates, offsets carbon emissions and transforms schools and other community centres into healthier more sustainable environments was established by FTFA. FTFA responds to applications for trees from communities living in barren, dusty townships and delivers trees with instructions on how to plant and maintain them.
Millions of trees have been distributed to schools, clinics, old age homes, hospices, police stations and other community centres, but there are calls for many more.
Contact FTFA here

There is good and bad news about trees on our planet. The good news is that there are seven times more than we thought. Scientists estimated that the world had 400 billion trees. A new study says we have three trillion trees. That's a three followed by 12 zeroes. There are over 420 trees for every person alive today. A researcher said: "It's not good news for the world or bad news that we've produced this new number."

The bad news is that the earth once had six trillion trees. Humans have cut that number in half. Europe used to be a giant forest. Now much of it is fields and cities. We are responsible for the loss of three trillion trees. Another 15 billion trees are lost each year. Scientists said this number is a lot higher than 100 years ago. The researcher warned that we must try harder to bring back healthy forests worldwide.

Good & Bad news source here

View more Grafittree here



Our Sustainability Hero of the Week is Sean Hide from the Grow Group. Sean chats to us about his passion for trees, the Million Tree Campaign and how you and I can get involved in this exciting project.

Tune in to the iStart2 Show on Thursday at 17h30.

 
Keitu Gwangwa & Pierre du Toit host the iStart2 Show on Thursdays at 17h30. Radio Today broadcasts on 1485 MW (AM) in greater Johannesburg and countrywide on ‪#‎DStv‬ audio channel 869. 

Radio Today also streams globally on www.1485.org.za. 

Something to think about ...
The Plant World generally symbolizes transformation

• Roots represent the past, and honour heritage and the Ancestors.

• Trunk represents the present and reveals the life force and creative spirit within each of us.

• Branches represent desired future goals.

• Fruit or Flowers represent attainment of goals.

Trees are regarded as the medicine people of the plant kingdom. They best represent the Warrior because trees are rooted and contained beings. They are stable yet flexible which allows them to bend in the wind but not break. Trees symbolize the process of transformation...: Roots are the past and how we honour our heritage and Ancestors; the trunk is the present; the branches are future goals.

Rethink the Plastic Bag SA... Hayley Mclellan #TwoOceansAquarium

"I don't want to see another plastic bag in my house," says Hayley Mclellan on the iStart2 Show. "I will make sure that I always have a re-usable bag. It is really difficult to be plastic-free. It is not easy." 

Our Sustainability Hero of the week is Hayley McLellan (Environmental Campaigner at the Two Oceans Aquarium) who started the Rethink the Bag campaign as a personal stance against ever increasing plastic pollution.

Support the Two Oceans Aquarium campaign that aims at having single-use plastic bags banned in South Africa.

Hayley's message is clear: "Start with one thing! One of the things you can do for Plastic Free July is to refuse plastic bags when you go shopping. Join us and Rethink The Bag-South Africa today - make a pledge, sign the petition and take the survey."

Hayley chats to us about her role at the Two Oceans Aquarium, her campaigns and the work they do as custodians of the ocean.


Thought of the Day:

What's Happening?

Cape Town - 5 - 7 August 2016





A Globetrotting documentary that is focused on SOLUTIONS.

Book your ticket today for a viewing at the Labia Theatre on August Fri 5, Sat 6 and Sunday 7 @ 6h15. Price R45. Booking 021 - 4245927.

Tshwane - 29 July 2016

 

Sheraaz LIVE at the Atterbury Theatre on 29 July 2016. Beautiful show with Hailey Clark and Lee Scott! Book your ticket today at computicket! 

See you there!

Sustainability Conversations ... Rethink this Godawful mess

"And Man created the plastic bag and the tin and aluminum can and the cellophane wrapper and the paper plate, and this was good because Man could then take his automobile and buy all his food in one place and He could save that which was good to eat in the refrigerator and throw away that which had no further use. And soon the earth was covered with plastic bags and aluminum cans and paper plates and disposable bottles and there was nowhere to sit down or walk, and Man shook his head and cried: 

 "Look at this Godawful mess." 
 Author: Art Buchwald
 

Plastic now pollutes every corner of Earth 

From supermarket bags to CDs, man-made waste has contaminated the entire globe, and become a marker of a new geological epoch.

The humble plastic bag and plastic drink container play a far greater role in changing the planet than has been realised. “Just consider the fish in the sea,” he said. “A vast proportion of them now have plastic in them. They think it is food and eat it, just as seabirds feed plastic to their chicks. Then some of it is released as excrement and ends up sinking on to the seabed. The planet is slowly being covered in plastic.”
- Source: The Guardian here

Polystyrene foam remains intact for about 500 years

Historians typically define eras by the type of material civilisations leave behind: the stone age, the bronze age, the iron age. The archeologists of the future may well look back on the modern era as the plastic age, our legacy piling up in landfill, clogging up rivers, floating about the oceans, and choking or poisoning wildlife – and the humans who eat the wildlife – for centuries to come

Polystyrene foam remains intact for about 500 years before breaking down into chemicals that linger far longer than that. Source:The Guardian here

About 8 million tons of Plastic enters the ocean every year

Trash accumulates in 5 ocean garbage patches, the largest one is between Hawaii and California. Read about a solution here

Plastic Bag dubbed South Africa's National Flower
 MORE than R1.2 billion collected from taxes on plastic bags over the past 13 years has not gone to creating jobs for youth in the green industry as it was meant to.

Instead the money has gone to the Department of Environmental Affairs' (DEA) coffers to fund Working for Water and Working on Fire, said the department's spokesperson, Albie Modise.

Read more here

 Our Sustainability Hero of the week is Hayley Mclellan, environmental campaigner at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. We chat to Hayley about their Rethink the Bag and Plastic Free July campaigns.

 

Keitu Gwangwa & Pierre du Toit host the iStart2 Show on Thursdays at 17h30. Radio Today broadcasts on 1485 MW (AM) in greater Johannesburg and countrywide on ‪#‎DStv‬ audio channel 869. 

Radio Today also streams globally on www.1485.org.za. 

Something to think about ...

Make your voice heard by joining our campaign to ban the plastic bag in South Africa and convince our politicians (by emailing your ward councillor - remember, it's an election year!)

Spelling Bee unites Africa at the Cradle of Humankind

The Mzansi Spelling Bee is a growing movement to get South Africa’s children to fall in love with words. The love of words and education is the one gift that South Africa can offer our children. Through words we can raise confident children with the power to dream, create, break boundaries and explore the world.

"Everyone should go for what they want to achieve and not give up"

- Zameer Dada on the iStart2 Show

Nine #Bee organisations from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe will be taking part in a first-ever African Spelling Bee competition scheduled to take place at the Cradle of Humankind on Saturday 16 July 2016. Please join us and support our children. Entry is free. 

Spelling Bee Team Zimbabwe arriving at OR Tambo Airport

We chatted to Zameer Dada, a former Spelling Bee winner and his Mom, Kuraysha on the iStart2 Show this week. Zameer will be part of the team representing South Africa at this extraordinary event. Best of luck to all the participants!!


To listen to a podcast of the show, click play below:



Thought of the day:


As we approach Nelson Mandela Day, make an effort to create a better society by applying to partner with the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund here

"Most adults won't step on a stage and spell. Think about it." 

Ntsako Mkhabela, founder of the Mzansi Spelling Bee. 

Follow-up Story:

Congratulations!!

We are proud to announce that Zameer Dada won the African Spelling Bee Competition. Well done South Africa!

Sustainability Conversations ... Children of Africa Unite #MandelaMonth 2016

 Artist: Mbongeni Buthelezi

The 2016 Mandela Day will again be a worldwide commemoration and celebration of the life, philosophy and achievements of one of the biggest heroes of our time.

What Mandela Day Means

Mandela Day is based on the idea that if every individual dedicates a short amount of time to making the world a better place, there is immense potential for collective good to flourish. Mandela Day is a call to action for every individual, group, corporate, to take responsibility for making the world a better place, one step at a time, in response to areas of need within their communities and guided by means at their disposal
 
The Mzansi Spelling Bee is a group of passionate individuals who play their part in creating a better South Africa. They take Nelson Mandela's quote of "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" to heart.

Ntsako Mkhabela, the founder, is a strong believer in improving literacy in South Africa one word at a time; one child at a time. This initiative has grown from a single province spelling bee in 2012 with 200 spellers to being in 9 provinces with thousands of spellers in this, the fifth season of the Mzansi Spelling Bee. 

The Mzansi Spelling Bee is a growing movement to get South Africa’s children to fall in love with words. The love of words and education is the one gift that South Africa can offer our children. Through words we can raise confident children with the power to dream, create, break boundaries and explore the world. Get involved in the Spelling Bee here.

The Palace of Justice was the venue for the historic Rivonia Trial (1964) involving Nelson Mandela. In 2002 the entire interior of the building was renovated, except for the holding cells below ground level. Mandela and his fellow trialists found themselves in one of these cells on every day of the trial. The walls of the cell carry messages left by generations of political prisoners.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation released photos of graffiti in the holding cells at the Palace of Justice, Pretoria. Read more here

Mbongeni Buthelezi is the epitomy of Sustainability through Art. He has made a name for himself in contemporary art through his use of waste plastic. Buthelezi "paintings" are made of waste plastic, which he cuts into little pieces and melts, with a heat gun, onto a plastic canvas. This man is unique in making his contribution to a more sustainable world.

The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital

Madiba had a dream of establishing a dedicated children's hospital. In 2016, NMCH is rapidly nearing completion. The Nelson Mandela Children’s Trust strives to change the way society treats its children and youth. This long-term vision captures the central role society plays in shaping children’s lives. To make your contribution in helping Mandela's dream come true, click here

 

Children of Africa Unite on the iStart2 Show today. Nine #Bee organisations from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe will be taking part in a first-ever African Spelling Bee competition scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, over the next few days. Today we chat to Zameer Dada, a former Spelling Bee winner  and his Mom, Kuraysha. Zameer will be part of the team representing South Africa in this extraordinary event. Best of luck to all the participants!!

Keitu Gwangwa & Pierre du Toit host the iStart2 Show on Thursdays at 17h30. Radio Today broadcasts on 1485 MW (AM) in greater Johannesburg and countrywide on ‪#‎DStv‬ audio channel 869. 

Radio Today also streams globally on www.1485.org.za. 

Something to think about ...

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains,

 but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others"

- Nelson Mandela

What a wonderful World ... Stuart Martin

"You can't manage anything if you don't measure it," says Stuart Martin on the iStart2 Show this week. "I am passionate about Geography. It is about social patterns, it's about relationships between things, it's about textures and contexts .... A picture paints a thousand words." 

"We can make a difference in the way we interact with this world"

- Stuart Martin

Our Sustainability Hero of the Week is Geoscientist, Stuart Martin. He specialises in the extraction of information from satellite imagery and aerial photography. This information is modelled and integrated with other data sources to provide valuable business intelligence. 

Stuart answers the call for Earth scientists to contribute directly to the health, prosperity and well-being of all people by emphasizing the importance of evidence-based decision-making. He says we must understand the implications of what we are doing and not only focus on our little world: "Stand back ... zoom out and look from afar. We live in this wonderful world and we have a treasure around us." 

We chat to Stuart about his passion for Geography, the work they do in the areas of drought, small scale farming, urban development and human settlement and the art and importance of mapping. Listen to the show below:

Thought of the Day:

Something to think about ...

Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill. Stephen Hawking
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/stephenhaw627122.html

 population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill.

    

Sustainability Conversations ... Improving Business Intelligence

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals emphasize the importance of evidence-based decision-making. This is a call for Earth scientists to contribute directly to the health, prosperity and well-being of all people.

Satellite and Arial Photography

In the fields of satellite imagery and aerial photography, the geospatial community has a myriad of choice with respect to sensors, resolutions, revisit times and capabilities in terms of imagery. Within the community, the ability to extract information and knowledge from these images seems to be lagging behind as most applications stop at using the imagery as a source of “line mapping” or even more simplistically an image backdrop or pretty picture.

Stuart Martin highlights some of the underutilised capabilities of image resources in This article

Solar can also bring important benefits to people even if it is just a few watts at a time. The inspiration to bring solar power to Africans who live off the grid came to Xavier Helgesen a few years ago.

On a business trip to Malawi, he decided to spend the night in a small city with 30,000 inhabitants. He was amazed to see the entire city was dark after the sun went down. People carried kerosene lamps at night. When a family invited him to dinner, they all huddled around one dim indoor light.

Read how Off-Grid Electric has solarized 100,000 African households because of a dream. Read the full story here

Our Sustainability Hero of the Week is Geoscientist, Stuart Martin. He specialises in the extraction of information from satellite imagery and aerial photography. This information is modelled and integrated with other data sources to provide valuable business intelligence. Tune in to the iStart2 Show and find out how Stuart Martin from GeoTerra Image makes his contribution to creating a more sustainable world.

Keitu Gwangwa & Pierre du Toit host the iStart2 Show on Thursdays at 17h30. Radio Today broadcasts on 1485 MW (AM) in greater Johannesburg and countrywide on ‪#‎DStv‬ audio channel 869. 

Radio Today also streams globally on www.1485.org.za.

Something to think about

 

“All I ever wanted was a world without maps.”
― Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient