Green Gain Consulting

New Scientist has reported that 50 000 babies are born every 6 hours in the world

and on average 75 million a year. Think about this for a second and the

consequences it leads to. This is an enormous amount of tiny people being added

to the world, and these tiny people turn into adults who need to be fed and

educated.

The natural environment is ravaged

to sustain more people and their

need for adequate resources. Where

a family is not able to sufficiently

financially support more members

there is a decrease in quality of life

for the whole family and education

and development suffers. It is easy to

sit and ‘preach’ about contraception,

but upon closer examination,

especially in an African context, all of

it is easier said than done.

In African culture family planning is

not a priority, children will look after you when you are old, they will give you

grandchildren and help bear the load of work the family undertakes to sustain itself.

I have often heard these cultural opinions in rural South Africa, Botswana and

Namibia, the argument is that it does not matter how difficult a larger family is to

support, but rather the amount of happiness to be found in a large family and the

support structure it holds. Beyond the cultural aspects there is a gap in education in

Africa, many women do not know that they have a choice to fall pregnant or not.

Contraceptives are expensive and difficult to come by in rural areas- Dischem is not

across the road.

Another interesting theory regarding population growth is taken to extremes in the

movie Idiocracy, it tells the story of how well educated persons have less offspring

and later in their lives because they want to ensure the best possible quality of live

for themselves and their 1 child. This while less educated people start having

children at a younger age and these are the genes that are passed on to future

generations. The ‘smart’ genes are not passed on and the world becomes more

idiotic than can possibly be imagined. The movie, all in all, is not great but the

concept it is found on is truly mind boggling especially because it makes a weird

kind of sense.

Africa is a beautiful and diverse continent but the environment, especially in arid

regions can barely support its population at present and factors such as global

warming will most likely only add to the difficulty of raising a larger family.

Education in relation to sustainable development and family planning may be

expensive but in the long run rewards us threefold. In my opinion this is equally, if

not more important than basic services and medical services as resource

management is the cornerstone of a healthy and sustainable community. Of course

my opinion is debatable, few people actually know what it involves to ‘live off the

land’ and solutions to the rural population boom should ultimately be found within

the communities themselves.

The purpose of the NBF is to provide a framework to co-ordinate and align the efforts

of the many organisations and individuals involved in conserving and managing South

Africa's biodiversity, in support of sustainable development. The NBF is a requirement

of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004.

The NBF aims to:

management.

The Environmental Laws Amendment Act 14 of 2009 became active on the 18th of

September 2009. The Act amends various environmental Acts, herewith a quick

indication of the important amendments –

an offence even if degradation occurs due to negligence.

reporting to government in 14 days. Non compliance with the section

results in an R1mil fine and or 1 year imprisonment.

hunting.

criminally liable.

The Environmental Laws Amendment Act 44 of 2008 became active on the 11th of

September 2009. The Act amends various environmental Acts, herewith a quick

indication of the relevant amendments:

imprisonment or both.

The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs has published for general

information the National Policy on Thermal Treatment of General and Hazardous

Waste.

The policy document presents Government's position on thermal waste treatment as

an acceptable waste management option in South Africa, and provides the

framework within which the following thermal waste treatment technologies shall be

implemented in the country:

to pyrolysis and gasification; and

The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs has amended Activity 1(i) as

sites but an EIA may still be required in terms of the Waste Act as the activity is a

waste management activity.

Leaded paint is defined as paint containing lead or lead compound with a total

content 0.06% (600ppm) and above, based on total non-volatile content which is

used for decorating. This definition of leaded paint does not include for the purposed

of this Notice:

The Pressure Equipment Regulations became active on 1 October

2009. The Minister of Labour has made these Regulations, in

terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993. The

Regulations contains provisions on the following :

these Regulations must ensure that equipment complies with

these Regulations. All pressure equipment for use in the Republic

shall be categorized and submitted to the applicable conformance

assessments of SANS 347 in addition to the requirements of the

relevant health and safety standard incorporated into these

Regulations.

manufactured for use in the Republic shall be conformity

assessed and subjected to the requirements set out in SANS 347.

Subject to the requirements of this Regulation a manufacturer shall issue a certificate

of manufacture for all pressure equipment supplied, with a verification signature by

an approved inspection authority when so required.

importer shall assume the liability of the manufacturer in terms of these Regulations.

Any pressure equipment that requires a permit to be issued by an organisation

approved by the chief inspector shall ensure that such approval is obtained by the

importer or manufacturer before the pressure equipment is placed in the market:

Provided that such equipment shall comply with the relevant health and safety

standard incorporated into these Regulations under section 44 of the Act.

and safety standard incorporated into these Regulations. Every manufacturer shall

cause a data plate to be permanently fixed in a conspicuous place to any steam

generator or pressure vessel.

accessories required by the relevant health and safety standard which is incorporated

into these Regulations under section 44 of the Act and used in the design,

construction and manufacture of such pressure equipment.

management system in accordance with the relevant health and safety standard

incorporated into these Regulations. A risk-based inspection process and

implementation shall be verified by a certification body accredited by the

accreditation authority in terms of ISO 17021 specifically for risk-based inspections

and approved by the chief inspector.

results, after manufacturing, of all inspections, tests, modifications and repairs shall

be recorded. The manufacturer shall keep the original manufacturing records of the

pressure equipment for a minimum period of 12 years.

opening, control or accessory is safe and unobstructed.

authorised person must issue a certificate of conformity after completion of a gas

installation.

modify, repair, inspect or test any transportable gas container, other than in

compliance with the relevant standards incorporated into these Regulations under

section 44 of the Act.

repaired, inspected or tested in accordance with the relevant safety standard

incorporated into these Regulations under section 44 of the Act. No person shall fill,

recharge, recondition, modify, repair, inspect or test any fire extinguisher unless such

person is an authorised person employed by a permit holder: Provided that a permit

is issued by an organisation approved by the chief inspector.

Please note that many relevant SANS codes have been incorporated into the

regulation. Ensure that copies of the relevant codes are also obtained from

www.sabs.co.za for the detail requirements that organisations have to comply with.

The Tobacco Products Control Amendment Act 63 of 2008 commenced on 21 August

2009. This Act amends the Tobacco Products Control Act, 1993, by:

products;

This time of the year is all about finishing work deadlines and starting to plan

well deserved holidays. Planning and preparing for holidays are key to

reducing stress and having the holiday you deserve and being kind to the

environment while being safe only adds to the spirit. Here are some holiday

tips to decrease the madness, while being kind to mother earth and all her

inhabitants:

Gifts can be made more personal and environmentally friendly by giving

gifts of time or talent. This reduces use of resources and ensures more

quality time spent with the

ones you love. Going to the

theatre, hosting a special

dinner, babysitting or

planting some flowers in a

friend’s garden is less

expensive and more

fulfilling than simply

wrapping a generic present.

Metallic gift wrapping and

ribbons can not be recycled

and often contain harmful

chemicals and paints.

Wrapping gifts in recycled

paper reduces strain on the

environment and boxes can

be reused as handy storage

instead of only having a

minute’s pleasure out of

pretty packaging. Essentially

using a box for packaging a present is another present.

Instead of buying cards and tags for Christmas wishes, write your message

on the packaging and save a tree or two.

Ensure that your geyser is turned off and all non essential appliances

should be unplugged before leaving home, your electricity bill will reward

you and electrical fire concerns won’t interrupt your time away. Install

motion sensor lights outside your house which can be left ‘on’ while you

With food prices soaring

and the quality of our

veggies decreasing a

vegetable garden is the

ideal solution!

are away. These will only consume energy when triggered to switch on

and still ensures visibility when needed.

Make sure your vehicle is in good working order before leaving on a trip,

check tyres (including spare), wipers, lights, brakes, oil and water levels.

An emergency kit in your car can also turn a catastrophe into easily

handled situation or save a live in an emergency situation.

you back at home. South African roads have shocking accident statistics

and speed and drinking and driving greatly adds to the problem. It is

better to arrive a day late than to not arrive at all, relax and enjoy the trip

as part of your holiday.

Remember while the environment sustains us and needs to be protected, that

safety comes first, a human life is priceless and a moment can forever change your

own and countless others’ lives. Spending a holiday in hospital or spending the

holiday budget on repairs and fines will only spoil what should be the best time of

the year.

In the May 2009 Newsletter the Mazibuku case was discussed in relation to the

fundamental right to have access to sufficient water supply in terms of the

Constitution section 27(1)(b). According to the Water Services Authority each

resident of the community Phiri was entitled to 25 litres of free water per person

per month, the High Court decided that necessary resources were available to

increase this amount to 50 litres per month.

Residents of the community have now approached the Constitutional Court to

increase the 50 litres of water per month, which the Court in the first instance ruled

to be fair and reasonable free supply by the Water Services Authority.

There is a common misperception that all rights contained in the Constitution places

an obligation on the incumbent government to provide us as citizens with those

rights. This approach poses insurmountable problems of delivery as the Constitution

contains amongst other the rights to housing, health care, food, water, social

security, education and environment. Expecting government to providing all these

rights to every person in South Africa using limited state funding is an obvious

impossibility.

Constitutional rights fall in two distinct groups. The first group is the civil-political

rights or rights that place a negative obligation on the state. That would mean the

state may not interfere with the exercise of those rights by the citizens such as

religion, speech, life, privacy, association, expression, movement, occupation etc.

The second group is the socio-economic rights or rights that place a positive duty

on the state to ensure that those rights are realised or achieved by providing

certain public goods or services such as housing, health care, food, water, social

security, education and environment. This second set of rights poses the larger

problem.

The central conundrum of these second type of rights, is to what extent the state

has to provide these goods and services? The next question that invariably arises is

if someone is not happy with the extent to which government is providing these

goods and services, can they be taken to court to force them to provide these

goods and services, and more importantly, can they be taken to court and forced to

provide the goods and services at a certain level?

The good news is that in a constitutional democracy such as South Africa, the

function of the judiciary is to be a check and balance to the laws that parliament

make and the actions that the executive takes. So yes, government can be taken to

court if they do not provide on the socio-economic rights contained in the

Constitution.

What has been made clear in the Mazibuku case before the Constitutional Court is

that the court may only investigate whether the government acted reasonably

when they set the levels of delivery of goods and services that they aim to achieve.

The court will therefore not apply their own discretion as to what level of goods or

services they feel the government should be providing. The decision as to what the

level of goods or services are, must be left to technocrats in government who have

a good understanding of what the needs are and also of what the capacity and

funding of government is to achieve the aims. The court may merely inquire as to

whether the process followed to decide on the levels of provision of goods and

services was a reasonable one.

What are the implications for section 24, the environmental right? The answer is

slightly schizophrenic. The first part of the environmental right imposes a negative

obligation on the state not to do anything that can detrimentally impact on the

environment to the extent that it is not detrimental to our health or well being. The

second part places a positive duty on the state to take “...reasonable legislative and

other measures...” We see the legislative measures in the flurry of legislation that

we have experienced lately. The”other measures” are the more interesting section

supported by appropriate and well directed policies and programmes implemented

by the Executive. The policies and the programmes must be reasonable both in

their conception and in their implementation. The formulation of a programme is

only the first stage in meeting the State’s obligation. The programme must also be

reasonably implemented. An otherwise reasonable program that is not implemented

reasonably will not constitute compliance with the state’s obligations”.

The section 24 environmental right therefore place both positive and negative

obligation on the state. In short, we can demand action from government to take

other measures except legislative measures to protect the environment, but the

type and level of intervention or measures stands to be determined by the

technocrats themselves and cannot be set by even the Constitutional Court.

The Constitutional Court’s judgment amounts to the residents of Phiri once again

only be entitled to 25 litres of water per person per month and not 50 litres as the

High Court in the first instance ruled. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot

because of nasty human greed.

The Supreme Court of Appeal has recently delivered judgment on the use of the

Development Facilitation Act (DFA) for fast tracking approval of developments

tribunals as the Act can overrule the provisions in terms of subdivision of

agricultural land in the Agricultural Land Act (ALA). The ALA provides that local

government must give approval for this type of development, applications through

local government however are a very time consuming process and this is the

reason why developers use the DFA.

The Court investigated the Constitutional legitimate powers of tribunals and found

that Chapters V and VI of DFA are Constitutionally invalid. The Constitution states

that functions and powers that have been specifically conferred to local government

by it may not be exercised by tribunals and use of the DFA is therefore not allowed

in this instance. The Court declared the relevant Chapters of the DFA invalid but

suspended the judgment for 18 months although tribunals will not be allowed to

give approvals for sub division of agricultural land in this time period. The Supreme

Court of Appeal’s finding of invalidity does still need to be reviewed and confirmed

by the Constitutional Court before it can be enforced and this may be the reason

for the suspension of the judgment.

Call it crazy or call it the ultimate

sacrifice but the Voluntary Human

Extinction Movement (VHEM) believes

that voluntary extinction of humans is

the alternative to extinction of millions of

plant and other animal species and

ultimately the demise of our planet.

Their idea is based on the fact that the

earth and its animal and plant species

and their preservation is more significant

than the continued existence of humans.

This is in my opinion a truly noble

concept although the general believe is

that the earth exists for humans to use

as the ‘top’ of the food chain, without

humans there is no reason for the earth, animals or plants to exist. VHEM does not

encourage suicide but rather a conscious decision to not reproduce and to educate

people on the importance of sustainable living and development.

The VHEM website is filled with interesting facts and figures, open your mind to a

different view and visit the site for an interesting read. www.vhem.org

With the holiday season approaching alcohol abuse concerns are at the foreground.

This is not an issue concerning only a couple of countries and goes far beyond

driving under the influence of alcohol, it affects every person. While holidays place

a microscope on alcohol abuse it is a constant concern that needs to be addressed.

Alcohol abuse is dangerous to the abusers health but also increases violence, all

kinds of accidents and encourages irresponsible behaviour.

The World Health Organisation has declared its war on ‘booze’ this year, and has

found that alcohol abuse is the fifth leading cause of premature death and disability

worldwide. A document is now being drafted by WHO which will be released to

governments in January 2010. This document will highlight the problem, create

awareness and provide for the most cost effective policies which have shown

success world wide. This action centres around the realisation that alcohol abuse

and its effects go beyond the abuser but have a passive effect on family and friends

as well.

An alcohol fact sheet can be found on the SA Health Info site which contains some

shocking statistics on alcohol abuse in South Africa.

Most of us know

that smaller

engine cars equal

petrol

consumption but

are you really willing to give up your luxury car to do your part in easing global

warming? Take a look at the environmental heroes and villains.

Citroen C2 1.4 6 110

Toyota Yaris 1.3 6 141

BMX X5 6.4 152

Audi Q 7 3.0 TDI 10.5 282

Mercedes CLK 63

AMG

14.4

344

Unnecessary or preventative use of antiviral medications to prevent and treat H1N1

could assist in drug-resistant strains of the virus forming. Already, a handful of

cases of Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 have been reported and there is no shortage of

examples of misuse of the antiviral medications. People often fail to complete a full

course of the antiviral medication, similar to antibiotics, and this leads to drug

resistant strains of a virus which are more difficult to treat and pose greater health

treats.

The summer season in South Africa has for the time being halted the spread of the

virus as the warmer weather makes it more difficult for viruses to survive. We are

now enjoying summer while the virus is forming new strains and come winter we

will once again be plagued by this often hypochondriac illness.

Although swine flu has spread widely and is considered a serious treat it is in most

cases no worse than normal seasonal flu. The only benefits drawn from self

medicating without diagnosis is pharmaceutical companies ‘coining it’. So beware of

the hype and realise the responsibility of taking antiviral medications not only

towards you but all other people affected by drug resistant strains of viruses.

Grist has recently reported on a project called Solar Roadways in the USA which has

the potential to change the world into a clean-energy haven. Solar road panels are

being developed to replace paved and tarred surfaces, these panels will supply

solar power and be fitted with LED lighting, heating units, power transmission lines

and possibly electric vehicle charging stations. It is estimated that if all asphalt

surfaces in the USA are replaced with these panels there will be nearly enough

electricity produced to supply the ENTIRE WORLD! The cost estimates are

enormous but when measured up to the cost of building infrastructure for coal

derived energy and the increased safety it provides for drivers it seems very

reasonable.

Now just imagine if Africa with its magnificent sunshine could support a project

such as this one! Less coal trucks on our roads, less pollution, cheaper electricity,

healthier people and less road accidents. It seems that our appreciation of beautiful

sunny days and how we can use them for our benefit is lacking creativity and drive.

Efficient use of free and renewable energy sources can make Africa the ‘light’

continent through education, innovation and careful spending of limited financial

resources, and in the long run the pay off will be significant.

Reuters reported that Egypt has put its foot down in not allowing genetically

modified (GM) products to be imported or exported into the country. All agricultural

imports and exports must now be accompanied by a certificate stating that the

product has not been genetically modified.

GM refers to crop plants created for

human or animal consumption

using molecular biology techniques.

These plants have been modified in

the laboratory to enhance desired

traits such as increased resistance

to herbicides and drought or

improved nutritional content. Not

only can genes be transferred from

one plant to another, but genes

from non-plant organisms also can

be used. An example of this is the

The debate surrounding GM foods has been a hot topic for many years and

inconclusive evidence of side effects from eating such food or its effects on the

environment only adds to the confusion. GM products have improved production of

many crops aiding in improving the quality of life of many people but is it really

worth the risk?

An American study has shown that women who are optimistic have a lower risk of

heart disease and death. The research on nearly 100,000 women, published in the

journal Circulation, found pessimists had higher blood pressure and cholesterol.

Mind over matter has long proven to be one of the key aspects in mental and

physical health but people fail to realise the effects of a negative mindset. The

Placebo effect is based on the same principle: The human brain and the mental

capacities it possesses can be more powerful than medicine.

Mother earth network has reported how a 16 year old has solved the crisis of

decomposing the almost indestructible plastic bag. Daniel Burd presented his

research on microorganisms that can rapidly biodegrade plastic at this year’s

Canadian Science Fair in Waterloo, Ontario. Daniel undertook an experiment to

identify and isolate the most productive microorganisms which naturally decompose

plastic and then to multiply them to shorten the natural 1000 year decomposition

process of plastic. He achieved a 43 % degradation of plastic in six weeks, an

almost inconceivable accomplishment.

James Lovelock, author of ‘The Revenge of Gaia’, has recently proposed that

endangered ecosystems can be saved by nuclear waste. He suggests that

ecosystems like the Amazon can be used as nuclear waste disposal sites, which will

deter humans from undertaking harmful or for that matter, any activities in the

area. Deforestation, pollution and extinction of species are all linked to human

activity and this extreme course of action is proportional to the extreme violations

of humanity against nature.

Lovelock argues that animals and plants are not endangered by radioactivity while

humans will suffer serious consequences by spending time in a nuclear ecosystem.

Evidence of plants and animals being ‘happy’ living with nuclear substances can be

found in Belarus. After the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, plant and animal

numbers in the region increased significantly although their average lifespan

decreased. Nuclear waste will serve as a guardian to plants and animals but there

are many human factors, especially in the long term which will have to be

considered before converting forests into nuclear waste sites.

Canadian Research shown that chemicals and noise combined in the workplace

found cumulatively to contribute to hearing loss.

Both animal experiments and human studies suggest that certain chemical

exposures may cause "ototoxic" effects (damage the hearing and balance

functions of the ear). In general, the exposure

concentrations that cause these effects are

considered high. However, exposure to some of

these chemicals and noise at the same time can

significantly increase the risk of developing

ototoxic effects.

Ototoxins are chemicals, which can damage

hearing and can cause mild to severe hearing

loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or deafness. An ototoxin can be ingested,

absorbed, or inhaled into the body. Once in the bloodstream, the ototoxin is

circulated to the ear and absorbed by the auditory nerve, damaging the

nerve and causing hearing loss. Ototoxins can also cause hearing loss by

damaging the cochlear hair cells (as happens in hearing loss caused by

noise).

Ototoxic chemicals can cause hearing loss on their own, however when

combined with noise exposure, the effects can be even more severe. Organic

solvents are the most commonly identified chemicals, but others may also be

involved (e.g. metals and chemical asphyxiate). The hearing frequencies

affected by solvent exposure are different than those affected by noise.

Research suggests that solvents may interact synergistically with noise. Even

when noise and chemicals are at permissible exposure levels, the impact of a

combined exposure can do more damage than a higher exposure to either

hazard alone.

Chemicals that may be associated with hearing loss include:

the workplace.

chemical exposure, but may not be possible).

prevent the combined effects of noise and solvent exposure.

legislation.

programs should consider the possible combined effects of exposure

to both solvents and noise.

Extract taken from CCOHS

Website

SANS 3000 is required to be complied with by all network, train and station

operators, in terms of the National Railway Safety Regulator Act and the Railway

Safety Management Regulations, 2004, when compiling their safety management

systems (SMS). A SMS is required by all operators before they will receive their

Safety Permit, without which they may not operate legally.

Digilex is the perfect tool for implementing and managing SANS 3000 which is

being added to compliment the existing ISO 14 001, OHSAS 18 001 and ISO 9001

systems. What better tool to manage your risks, documents and incidents in one

place using one login?

For more information please send us an e-mail.