Climate Change: Our planet heating up

South Africa and the rest of the world are experiencing the harsh realities of climate change. We simply have to do something – and fast.

The National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) has led discussions on climate change. NSTF Discussion Forums are aimed at providing solutions to many problems we face as a country.

The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) invited members of NSTF to comment and submit feedback on the draft Just Transition Framework for South Africa.

According to the PCC, this is the time to prevent the impact of global warming and to change the future of the planet.

Evidence for Climate Change

Outlining evidence for climate change, the late and great Prof Bob Scholes explained the evidence in: ‘Show us the evidence for climate change’ (NSTF Discussion Forum, 2017).

He was a professor at the Systems Ecology and Director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) Winner of the NSTF Lifetime Award 2015 and a prominent member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Prof Scholes said temperatures are clearly rising in many places in the world, and especially so in southern Africa. Rain- fall trends are more difficult to predict because rainfall is naturally a more local occurrence. He said the scientists on the IPCC could tell that the earth’s heating was mainly due to human activity, and not because of other causes.

Climate change and disasters

During the Science and Disaster Management for Social Justice Discussion Forum in December 2022, in Cape Town, Dr Brilliant Petja spoke about the impact of climate change. Dr Petja is Research Manager on Climate Change, Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa.

He said: “The message has been loud and clear. The projections show increases in temperatures where heat waves will become regular.

Rising temperatures will, among other effects, reduce crop yield and livestock production, and directly impact on water security through increased evaporation and land-use change.”

STEM Career | Did you know? One of the careers you can go into is Hydrology. Hydrology is a field of study that focuses on the management of water. A hydrologist finds out how much water is available, for now and for future needs, and then makes recommendations on water management practices. Listen to career talks with award winners in science on YouTube.

Editorial

provided by Mr.

Barnard Manne, Media Liaison Officer.

Kgaugelo Pule , NSTF

STEMulator: Research Assistant

Politics and Climate Change?

Climate change is an environmental issue that has been prevalent globally since the era of globalization. Globalization has increased the global integration of economies and societies.

This process is reliant on burning of fossil fuels and highly intensified agriculture in the production of goods and food. The greenhouse gases that are emitted in agriculture and burning of fossil fuels come with detrimental implications for the atmosphere that result in climate change; thereby negatively affecting life on Earth.

The recommended solution for this is the deployment of policies for the already existing eco-technology to be implemented.

The importance of fossil fuels and other carbon-intensive industries has resulted in strong opposition to climate-friendly policies, despite widespread scientific agreement that such policies are required.

The implementation of eco-technologies has been impeded by the fossil fuel industry because it controls a lot of money so that gives it influence over other industries, including those affecting climate action.

Although public awareness on climate change is rising, acts of individuals such as attempts to reduce one’s carbon footprint are not enough to make a compelling impact.

It is vital that education on climate movement is given heed as it focuses on putting pressure on governments and industry to take action to address the causes and impacts of climate change.

Climate change may largely be an environmental issue, but it is highly affected by politics.

Therefore, attempts to reduce its negative impacts should go along with understanding policies that are placed and how individuals can influence reformation policy with the aim of reducing our carbon footprint.

Lerato Pitso

It is not always doom and gloom. We can avert climate change or climate disasters and here is an example. The hole in the ozone layer!

What is the background? It is not complex. This time.

Since the 1970s, the ozone layer has steadily been depleted with a spike in depletion at the polar regions during sprint time. The ‘hole’ was noticed in the mid 1980s and the reasons got international focus.

The world also got to get a better understanding of the importance of the ozone layer.

The major reason for the depletion did not take long to discover: the CFC gasses. These are gasses used in the spray cans, fridge insulations and foam-blowing agents (industrial consumption). The CFC gasses migrate to the upper atmosphere and that is where the ozone layer sits.

In a rather non-scientific way, the CFC gasses caused ozone (O3) to degenerate into O2. Ozone itself is a toxic gas, but it protects us from UV light.

UV light (in higher concentrations) can cause skin cancer, blindness and cataracts. It is equally harmful to plants and animals. Example? Lon Angeles Times from 10 October, 2000: “PUNTA ARENAS, Chile —

“A wide swath of southern Chile was on alert Monday as dangerous levels of ultraviolet radiation hit peaks because of the depletion of the protective ozone layer over the Antarctic.

Health authorities warned the 120,000 residents of this fishing and wool-producing city--one of the few populated areas beneath the ozone hole in the Southern Hemisphere--not to go out in the sun”.

The ozone hole over the Antarctic this year is at its deepest level since scientists began measuring it 15 years ago, with more than 50% depletion being recorded throughout most of the hole, United Nations experts said Friday.”

Do we need more examples? This is critical.

But here is the thing: Montreal Protocol (UN) came into place in 1987, banning CFC gasses.

It will take time, but the ‘hole’ is shrinking and was at its lowest in 2019. There were additional factors for this, but the trend is clear: the ozone depletion has stopped.

The ‘hole’ will have gone back to pre-1984 levels by 2045-2050 and will have totally healed by 2075 – if nothing else happens.

We got sent this. This is really something. Read on!

Applications for the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation’s University Fellowship is now open

A new cohort of young South Africans has just started their final year of school, and amongst them are future change-makers, problem-solvers and innovators with dreams and plans for a better world. Through its unique Fellowship programme, the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation has, since 2005, created extraordinary opportunities for high school graduates with the potential to develop into high impact, responsible entrepreneurs.

The Foundation is now calling on learners who are aspiring entrepreneurs from the matric class of 2023 to apply now for this prestigious Fellowship opportunity that will pave the way to a university education, entrepreneurial mindset development interventions as well as personal and academic development support. Applications are open from 6 February to 28 April 2023.

This year, the Foundation has refined its funding model for the Fellowship in line with its efforts to scale up the programme. For learners living in households below the R1 million annual income threshold, full funding including tuition, residence, books, tuition, counselling, and monthly stipend costs will be provided.

For learners with entrepreneurial mindsets from households above this income threshold are also welcome to apply and upon acceptance, the value of their Fellowship funding will then be determined on an individualised needs basis. This global best practice three-step funding model is based on guiding principles that admissions are purely merit-based and funding is entirely needs-based to ensure that all eligible recipients of the Fellowship known as Candidate Fellows can access the entrepreneurial programmes.

The programme marks the start of a unique entrepreneurship journey as Candidate Fellows are nurtured in the development of an entrepreneurial mindset, ethical values and strong leadership skills as they pursue their university studies. The programme focuses on both academic support and personal development with access to a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem that can support them as they go on to generate ideas, start ventures and grow enterprises with purpose.

Fellowship Applications Requirements include:

• South African citizenship

• 21 years of age or younger in 2023

• Minimum of 60% in pure Mathematics or a minimum of 80% in Mathematical Literacy for final grade 11 results

• Minimum average of 70% for final grade 11 results (excluding Life Orientation)

• Intention to study towards a Commerce, Science (excluding Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry); Engineering, Law, Humanities or Arts Degree at any of our partner universities including the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Johannesburg, the University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela University, Rhodes University, the University of the Western Cape, Stellenbosch University, the University of Pretoria, the University of the Free State or University of KwaZulu-Natal.

• Indications of an entrepreneurial mindset

• Belief in the future of South Africa

Applications are accepted between 6 February 2023 and 28 April 2023, 17:00 SAST.

Visit www.allangrayorbis.org to download an application form, or to apply online.