June 4, 2007
By Emily Visser
GLOBAL warming and the effects of climate change are the focus of the City's week-long environmental awareness campaign, to start on 5 June, International World Environment Day.
The international theme for the day is Melting ice – a hot topic.
The key event in the campaign is the launch of the Klipspruit - Klip River Greening Project, which was identified by the City as a 2010 Fifa World Cup™ legacy project; it is also a mayoral priority.
Executive Mayor Amos Masondo will be on site in Thokoza Park at 9am on the day, to kick off the campaign. According to the City's environmental management department, the event is expected to boost public awareness of and participation in the designs of the various eco-recreational parks proposed for the Klip River area.
A roadside testing site for emissions from diesel vehicles would be set up in the area to teach people about air pollution, said the executive director for environmental management, Flora Mokgohloa. Using handheld Hartridge meters, departmental officials would test vehicles for carbon dioxide and monoxide levels.
The city will hold events to mark world environmental day this week
"It is a publicity stunt," she confirmed, aimed at bringing the reality of pollution closer to people.
The department, with a working group made up of several municipal-owned entities, will use a number of messages relating to climate change to make the international theme more relevant to Johannesburg.
Everyone's concern
It includes the message that climate change is the biggest threat to quality of life for all Johannesburg residents and that the time has come for everyone to act. The week will focus on the City as conscious of and preparing for the effects of climate change.
"The biggest thing for us is to achieve is awareness. We want to profile the environmental portfolio and environmental issues. We want to start a social consciousness [around environmental issues] in the city," Mokgohloa said.
An environmental summit is also on the programme, where discussions will be held on various environmental issues and possible contributions to improve the quality of Joburg's environment. It will take place on Wednesday, 6 June at the Braamfontein Recreation Centre.
About 200 delegates from the City's key environmental stakeholder groups, such as Pikitup, Joburg Water, City Parks and City Power, as well as the Environmental Community Forum, will attend.
It will touch on waste management, air quality, climate change and bio-diversity with speakers from various governmental, non-governmental, research and business groups.
Extreme make-over
The final event for the week is an extreme make-over of the Wilgeheuwel Park in Roodepoort. Based on the popular M-Net
Make-over Home series, the park will receive a complete make-over in 24 hours, starting at 6pm on Thursday evening.
City Parks staff members will work through the night to have the park ready by six the next evening.
At present Wilgeheuwel Park is a natural open space with a small stream running through it, says Jenny Moodley, City Parks's spokesperson. Within 24 hours it will be landscaped, with irrigation in place, a water feature created, trees planted, and play equipment, lighting and signage installed.
Moodley says this is the first time this type of make-over has been attempted anywhere in the world. City Parks is hoping to create awareness and private sector support so that similar make-overs can be attempted in future. "We want to highlight the importance of the environment and environmental conservation."
Youth involvement
The environmental management department will also host a Youth Environmental Programme running concurrently with the main events. It kicks-off on Saturday, 2 June with an environmental youth summit at the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve.
World Environment Day is commemorated each year on 5 June, and is celebrated for the whole week in which the day falls. Conceptualised and developed by the United Nations, this year's theme centres on climate change.
Nations across the globe use the week to build awareness about environmental issues and to strengthen global efforts towards appropriate environmental action. Following the week, the City of Johannesburg will officially launch the Johannesburg Environmental Advisory Forum, consisting of experts in the field, in July. It will help to combat environmental challenges and boost sustainable development.
Environmental week programme
| Activity | Date
|
1. Official mayoral event – launch and open day with residents of Klip Spruit – Klip River Greening Project
2. Roadside testing of diesel vehicle emissions (awareness campaign) | Tuesday, 5 June 2007
9am – 4pm
Thokoza Park, Soweto |
| 3. Screening of Al Gore movie – Inconvenient Truth with City staff, municipal-owned entities, mayoral committee members and councillors | Tuesday, 5 June
4pm
Council Chambers |
| 4. Schools programmeEnvironmental youth summit | 31 May, 4 June and 7
June
2 June and 3 June |
| 5. Environmental summit | Wednesday, 6 June
9am – 3pm
Braamfontein Recreation Centre |
| 6. Extreme Make-over Park, Wilgeheuwel, Roodepoort – 24-hour extreme make-over of the park, starting at 6pm on Thursday, 7 June | Friday, 8 June
switch-on at 6pm
by mayoral committee member for environment |
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