Council’s plan to green the city backfires
It all began with the City of Johannesburg’s plan to green the city and reduce greenhouse emissions.El Nino study challenges global warming intensity link | World | Reuters
According to the municipality’s website, the BRT project “is the single largest climate change initiative ever undertaken by the city and represents a major turning point in how the city deals with congestion, pollution and greenhouse gases as a result of transportation”.
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Mayoral committee member responsible for transport Rehana Moosajee said last week that BRT would benefit the taxi industry as drivers would work shorter shifts, be paid regular salaries and get medical aid and pension. They would also contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
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Today, however, thousands of commuters will be stranded as taxi drivers take to the streets to protest against the project. Phase one of the project was expected to create 29000 jobs.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Research showing an El Nino event in 1918 was far stronger than previously thought is challenging the notion climate change is making El Nino episodes more intense, a U.S. scientist said on Tuesday.Warming is welcomed
El Nino causes global climate chaos such as droughts and floods. The events of 1982/83 and 1997/98 were the strongest of the 20th Century, causing loss of life and economic havoc through lost crops and damage to infrastructure.
But Ben Giese of Texas A&M University said complex computer modelling showed the 1918 El Nino event was almost as strong and occurred before there was much global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels or widespread deforestation.
AT least one NSW council sees climate change as beneficial to its future.
Glen Innes, in the New England Tablelands, is already experiencing burgeoning development and a rising population and believes climate change will stimulate further growth.
"The Tablelands will be a favoured area," said Graham Price, the director of development and environmental services for Glen Innes Severn Council.
"We may well benefit from climate change by seeing warmer winters and a little more rainfall in what is already a high rainfall area. That will increase the value of our major industry, agriculture."
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1 comment:
It might be worth explaining the background to the Johannesburg story.
First of all in Johannesburg, people use the word taxi to describe the minibuses that are effectively much more like buses than taxis. When you flag down your "taxi", you can theoretically go anywhere. However you will be sharing the "taxi" with whoever is already on board and anyone who subsequently joins.
Now these taxis are generally independent. They are not state run. They are generally owned and run by a semi-legal company or cartel. These are very protective of the routes they "own" and it is not infrequent that gun battles develop when one taxi firm attempts to muscle in on a rival's turf. I assume that drivers pay protection money to groups.
It sounds to me that this is green-wash. The government have wanted to regulate the taxis for a long time. Partly to end the protection rackets and violence but also because these are fairly profitable businesses.
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