Joburg Green Map's blog

Business Day Dialogues Panel on Renewable Energy

There are lively debates springing up all about South Africa, driven mostly by single issues and aimed at influencing public opinion. The Business Day Dialogues series is much broader in scope than these current debates, and aims to influence policy as well as the man and woman in the street.

This is in line with the announcement made by the Executive Mayor, Mpho Parks Tau during his State of the City Address in Johannesburg early this year, where he emphasised that Rea Vaya is one of the key catalysts of transit orientated development and of developing “corridors of freedom” in the City of Joburg.   

The event focuses on Eco-Logic - a mindset and value system that goes beyond products and manufacturing to include how we run our businesses, how we live in society and our communities and the application of natural law to our politics and economy. All category winners personified these values.

Cangro taught learners through a drama about recycling and how to start vegetable gardens. Nedbank donated cans and plants to assist the learners to grow their own vegetable as part of the bank community social responsibility.

Marakele National Park

The National Parks Week initiative was born out of the realization that the majority of South Africa’s citizens were not visiting parks. Free access serves the purpose of helping to familiarise and create awareness about the understanding of environmental conservation amongst South African citizens.

The new regulations include 14 fish, 9 reptiles, 9 birds, 15 mammals and 106 plants all listed in Category 1a or 1b – both of which require compulsory control or management.

The Trees for Africa Arbor Challenge aims to promote the planting of as many trees as possible by Arbor Month this September and beyond. This challenge allows users to interact with one another on the Food & Trees for Africa website and to post tree-planting events, as well as to record the amount of trees you have planted so far.

Plans for the Sophiatown Xtreme Park

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo's (JCPZ) international award-winning concept of an Xtreme Park makeover was initiated in 2006 in Wilgeheuwel; it is a spinoff of the popular Extreme Home Makeover television series. JCPZ is using the idea as a catalyst to rehabilitate neglected open spaces such as illegal dumping sites, turning them into liveable recreational parks.

Image via Flickr (L.Crosbie)

According to data released by Global Insight in 2008, 21.6% of Johannesburg’s household live below the poverty income level and that 42% of poor neighbourhoods struggle daily to get a meal.

Wendy Brawer of Green Map Systems & Benji Shulman from Joburg Green Map.

On a recent business trip to New York I decided to stop by the Green Map Headquarters to see how Big Green is done in the Big Apple. The Johannesburg branch of the Green Map has been in contact with the founders of the program in NY for many years so it was a real privilege to meet Wendy Brawer and her team face-to-face.