Green Options

A new report ranks ten leading world cities on their greenhouse gas emissions. It also examines how and why the emissions differ.

As the report says, over 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Leading cities of the world, global cities, are the places where greenhouse gas emissions really need to be cut. The greenest city from the study is Barcelona and the worst is Denver.

This post consists of a few lines and a link to what’s happened since some of my recent posts where there has been significant action. Each item is identified and linked by the date and title of the original post.

July 2009 - Sable Antelope - One Sold for $ 385 000 and Giant Species Rediscovered in Angola.

Three more Giant Sable Antelopes, have been sighted in Angola. This brings to six the number of this rare species, which was feared to have become extinct, that have been sited in the last few weeks.

July 2009 - Mauling of Baboon by “Fighting Dogs”, Reopens the Cape Peninsular Baboon Debate

Two men were attacked by Pit Bulls in Ocean View ,the same Township in Ocean View this week, prompting a warning from welfare group TEARS.

Chacma Baboon photographed in the Kruger Park, South Africa.

The difficulties stemming from the proximity of the troops of Cape Peninsular baboons and Cape Town suburbs is in the news again, in a really disturbing way.

Previous posts looked at the possibility of residents paying an increased tax to allow the Cape Town municipality to manage baboons, that are causing problems in Cape Peninsular suburbs and at the somewhat lighter story on a baboon that fell through a roof into a bath.

However, the close proximity between the baboons and the community has turned ugly in a way contrary to what one would have expected.

The Latest Problem

(NOTE: a GOOGLE earth clip at the bottom of the post will help with the South African place names)

Two teenaged boys unleashed their dogs on a baboon in Main Road, Ocean View not far from his natal pack in Kommetjie on Tuesday 21 July. He stood little chance, as he was 20 years old, had few teeth and had lost the strength of his youth. He was badly mauled in the attack, and rushed to a veterinary clinic. The dogs were initially reported to be Pit-bull Terriers, but were actually a American Pit-bull and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Both dogs have a predisposition to attack other dogs and are totally fearless and loyal to their owners.

A post of a few months ago considered whether the Cape Town City Council would have to charge residents to manage the Peninsular Baboons - now they have approved funds and plan a workshop while residents have baboons droping into their bathroom.

City Supports Baboon Monitoring and Wants to Develop a Plan

In the first news story since the recent post on the Cape Peninsular baboons, the Cape Town City Council has set aside a quarter of a million dollars to continue the funding of the baboon monitoring programme on the Peninsula.
This was good news for many as there has been uncertainty, as to whether the city council would continue to fund a ten-year-old baboon monitor programme. The programme has minders keeping watch over baboon troops and where possible keeping them away from the urban areas. Sensibly the city has also decided that the quarter of a million dollars is only an interim solution and will also be working with South African National Parks (Sanparks) and Cape Nature Conservation to address the problem. The city will host a baboon expert workshop at the Civic Centre on July 2, with the aim of finding “the most effective strategy for baboon management in the Cape Peninsula” and determining how best to implement it.

Cape Town could be forced to increase its residential rates to be able to manage the conflicts that are developing between 11 troops of baboons and the Cape Peninsular’s city and town residents.

The baboons of the Cape Peninsular, south of Cape Town, are a real tourist attraction both within the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), along the roads that pass through it and at many of the landmarks in the peninsular. They are Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus), also known as the Cape Baboon which are like all other baboons, from the Old World monkey family.

The carbon footprint of international conferences held in Cape Town is almost entirely a function of travel. Erecting the greenest building in South Africa will probably have greater public relations value than environmental impact, if the air travel component is not addressed.

The New Conference Centre

Following a feasibility study the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) has decided to invest 130 million US$ in the extension of its facilities. The planned expansion will include 9,500 m² of exhibition and a total of 30,000 m².

In announcing the plans it was stated that the building would be South Africa’s greenest building! Rashid Toefy, the CEO of CTICC’s holding company said “In the context of climate change, sustainable business development and being in a competitive industry, CTICC’s focus must be on minimising its carbon footprint and the environmental impact of any planned expansion.”