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Coal still King

More than 40 countries have committed to shift away from coal in pledges made at the COP26 climate summit. Botswana on the other hand has different plans.

Some 850 Kilometres South West of the capital city Gaborone, lies a winding sandy landscape with wind worn- formations on the horizon accompanied by the harsh sun. The Kalahari Desert is conspicuous in the area. Here one finds BORAVAST a cluster of villages; Bokspits, Rappelspan, Vaalhoek and Struizendum.

Although the desert is expected to be barren and brown, green blobs occupy the landscape. These are Mesquite a Prosopis species locally referred to as Sexanana. An invasive tree species that has successfully colonised the area all thanks to its properties that enable it to release a toxin to suppress growth of nearby competing plants.

This has resulted in the replacement of most of the indigenous vegetation in the area, forming dense thorn bushes. Circumstantial evidence suggests that it may also be lowering important fresh-water aquifers and clogging boreholes with its extensive root system. This has seriously led to degraded rangelands and reduced biodiversity.

BORAVAST has found a loophole by clearing the species. The clearance is to generate income for the community whilst also ensuring rehabilitation of the landscape to increase continued flow of ecosystem goods and services, simultaneously promoting of livelihoods.

The BORAVAST community is on a mission to create a backbone for the national economy through the community project as they believe that they have the potential to scale up and produce opportunities for local businesses to participate in the value chain of the national economy.

According to BORAVAST Trust Vice Chairman Gideon Martin: The project has been dormant since 2015, however during the 2019/20 financial year, the Trust resuscitated the projects operations under the sponsorship of the UNDP (Kgalagadi and Ghanzi Drylands Ecosystem Project).

Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) has also jumped into the band wagon by presenting machinery, office equipment and branding assets worth more than 1 million pula to the BORAVAST Trust. The Department of Forestry has also chipped in with P464 000.To date there are only two operational value chain business being charcoal and fodder production in BORAVAST. Our charcoal product has been tested and competes with coal from Morupule, our fodder is also of high nutritional quality.

A member of the trust describes the charcoal making process: Charcoal is made by heating wood from Sexanana to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. This is done with ancient technology of building a fire in a pit, then bury it in the ground. The result is that the wood partially combusts, removing water and impurities and leaving behind mostly pure carbon.

The tricky part is to maintain the heat at a temperature that is appropriate to avoid the wood turning into ash. It is a tedious and risky process as we also have to be on the look out to contain the fire to avoid wild fires. We sit by the pots hours on end to ensure all goes well on the other hand, Charcoal burning produces large amounts of Carbon Monoxide (CO) which is harmful to us when exposed to very high levels.

In his blog Kobus Venter an activist states that, these are signs that governments are trying to regulate the industry by introducing more efficient charcoal-making kilns and establishing plantations to ensure sustainability of the timber source. In Namibia, millions of hectares of encroachment bush is being converted to charcoal and sold to neighbouring South Africa as barbecue charcoal.

South Africa itself (according to the most recent South Africa Yearbook) is plagued with alien plant infestations, totalling more than 10 million hectares, about eight percent (8%) of the countrys land surface area. The rate of spread is alarming and their numbers are projected to double over the next 15 years. More recently Vuthisa Technologies started to convert slashed invasives into charcoal and biochar using Emission Reducing Biochar kilns in a project known as the Vuthisa Biochar Initiative.

However, charcoal is the primary energy source for urban Africa, but its production is widely informal and unregulated. Consequently, charcoal is entwined with violence against nature through rampant deforestation and violence against vulnerable rural communities, fuelling violent political economies of conflict and extraction.

As they are violently dispossessed of forests and land, communities living in production areas face destruction of their cultural heritage, embodied in nature, and the conditions for economic and political dignity. This undermines possibilities for sustainable peace.

Natural Resource Management in the Kgalagadi landscape is characterized by competition and conflict between conservation goals, economic development and the preservation of livelihoods.

Economic development inevitably leads to trade-offs between land uses, and requires choices to be made between the conversion of forests into anthropogenic land uses such as agriculture, on the one hand, and maintaining natural forests with their inherent ecosystem services.

Botswana to realize its national priorities in environmental management focusing on managing the trade-off between income generation and environmental sustainability. The trade-offs between development and environmental sustainability are becoming more evident in the form of threats to fauna and flora, air pollution and water pollution. Ensuring that sustainable resource extraction levels are within the capacity of the environment to assimilate and regenerate is a key concern.

Global Energy Monitor (GEM) that develops and shares information on energy projects in support of the worldwide movement for clean energy. Has revealed in their 2021 report titled Deep Trouble; Tracking Global Coal Mine Proposals that Botswana has 6 Coal Mine Development Projects.

It continues; The Special Report on 1.5C by the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that CO2 emissions from coal use needs to fall 50 to 80% by 2030 to keep warming well below 2C. If proposed new mines open as intended, the CO2 emissions from combustion will be equivalent to 4,639 Mt a year, a 14% increase over global CO2 emissions in 2020 (34,100 Mt), barring declines elsewhere.

In addition, the mines will leak an estimated 13.5 Mt of methane each year from broken coal seams and surrounding rock strata, based on coal mine depth and the gas content of the coal seam. Combined, the annual greenhouse gas emissions from proposed coal mines will be between 5,000 and 5,800 Mt of CO2-equivalent (CO2e) each year (for CO2e100 and CO2e20, respectively), comparable to the annual CO2 emissions of the United States (5,100 Mt). The build out of new mines, therefore, raises serious concerns about meeting the Paris climate agreement.

Science continues to confirm the urgency of climate crisis. The main issue now is that the super powers are now realising their contribution to climate change and are devising means to halt the repercussions. Now enters the matter of climate justice; those who are least responsible for climate change suffer the ,most, Botswana has not fully utilised her coal reserves and coal production from wood yet the world is about to phase them out. What about the BORAVAST Trust trying to make a living? The question of the day would be whether an energy transition will be possible in the near future considering that Botswana uses her physical wealth ( coal ) to grow her economy?

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WeekendLife

Mrs Botswana’s ‘MO’ to gender parity

18th March 2024
Mrs. Portiah S Mokgathong

Mrs. Portiah S Mokgathong, an illustrious beacon brightening the corners of Botswana, wields her vision for gender equity and empowerment like a torch, illuminating paths for her community. Standing at the helm of the Anaya-Tlhwatlhwa Foundation, and donning multiple hats as an international personal wellness coach, a savvy business magnate, and the esteemed Mrs. Botswana 2023/24, her mission is to cast rays of change into the lives she touches.

Her strategy for bridging the gender divide is both comprehensive and visionary. Mokgathong, understanding the vitality of lifting women and girls, equally champions the cause of young boys and men. She advocates for a culture of mutual admiration and understanding across gender lines, fostering a society unbound by the shackles of conventional gender roles—a society where balance and harmony reign supreme.

 

In her magnum opus, a collaborative venture with entities like NAPHA, Men and Boys for Gender Justice, the Botswana Police Service, and Girls for Girls Botswana, lies a quest for familial empowerment. Her goal is to fortify the foundation of families, supporting parents and guardians, sons and daughters alike, equipping them with the capabilities to forge strong intrapersonal and professional bonds.

 

“My project is family oriented, we want to focus on the family as a whole, we want to help both parents or guardians, men and women and the children of households both boy and girl. I am passionate in doing so because lately women and the girl child have been given a pedestal, they have been given a lot of help and a lot of recognition while men are considered as perpetrators and young boys are neglected, therefore we want to groom both the girl and boy child so that they grow up to be able to interact with each other and when they get to relationships, be it personal or work wise,” she said.

 

Mokgathong’s reach extends further than mere intervention; she invests in the empowerment of individuals through education, skill development, and the allocation of resources crucial for autonomy and enduring triumphs. By nurturing innate capabilities, igniting the flames of innovation, and promoting entrepreneurship, she sets the stage for marginalized communities to emerge from the shadows of dependency, crafting their own realms of prosperity.

 

“As we educate a girl child to be strong and independent, we also enable a young man or boy to be able to accept that strong independent woman, ensuring that the equation is balanced. I also want to help stop gender-based violence while protecting our children. When I began my initiative, it was based on GBV and child protection, but it developed into campaigning for the less fortunate and vulnerable,” she stresses.

 

Her journey, fraught with hurdles, including early disappointments in her pursuit of the Mrs. Botswana title, stands testament to her resilience and indomitable spirit. Gratitude fills her heart for mentors, sponsors, kin, and comrades whose support has sculpted her into the powerhouse she is today.

 

She says: “People want to be involved with you when you are a top finalist or the reigning queen. When I first started, I was only a person, and it was difficult and time-consuming to generate cash, solicit donations, and obtain obligation, particularly in rural areas. But right now, as the reigning queen it is a bit easier to reach out to collaborators and sponsors and I pray to God that as I am continuing with my project after crowning the new queen it will continue to be so and growth and more people will be willing to invest and help out.”

 

Juggling her myriad roles demands the prowess of a maestro, yet Mokgathong thrives by weaving her family into her philanthropic endeavors and mastering the art of time management. She empowers young aspirants to self-reflect, establish objectives, harness mentorship and sponsorship, and gear up for the trials that lie ahead.

 

As Mrs. Botswana, her ambition soars beyond personal accolades; it’s tethered to the upliftment of her nation through the empowerment of women, the nurturing of men’s talents, and the preparation of the youth for a flourishing future. She envisages expanding the Anaya-Tlhwatlhwa Foundation’s influence, delving deeper into rural engagements to sow seeds of empowerment and hope for generations yet to come.

 

“For charity work to be more effective, I believe we need to empower other than just giving. We need to empower the less privileged and the vulnerable, with the right skills and knowledge so that they can sustain themselves in the long run. We need to help those who are talented and innovative. I am proud to say my work is doing wonders, the kids that we are mentoring are able to find direction in life, they now know what they want to be as they grow up and they are able to identify subjects they want to study and career they want to pursue. Families that we have been in contact with, families that are from different background are able to identify their skills and they are able to grow and turn them into businesses.”

 

In essence, Mrs. Portiah S Mokgathong stands as a pillar of strength and a source of inspiration in Botswana. Her unwavering commitment to fostering gender equality, community upliftment, and personal development lights the way for others. Through her relentless endeavors and steadfast dedication, she renders a profound impact on her community and beyond, etching a durable mark of empowerment and optimism.

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WeekendLife

The narrative of joy’s true roots unfolds

18th March 2024
Happiness Research a Game Changer for the Environment

 

 

 

 

AUBREY LUTE

STAFF WRITER

 

Happiness research is proving to be a game changer for the environment, as it challenges the traditional notions of success and well-being that have led to environmental destruction. Author Jeff Golden, in his book Reclaiming the Sacred, highlights the findings that money and possessions account for only a small percentage of people’s happiness. Beyond meeting basic needs, additional money does not significantly increase happiness and can even undermine well-being by compromising relationships, leisure time, and gratitude.

 

This luminous work, crowned as the pinnacle of environmental literature by IndieReader and hailed across genres at the Nautilus Book Awards, shares prestigious laurels with luminaries such as the Dalai Lama and Brené Brown. It delves deep into the heart of happiness, revealing a threadbare connection to material wealth that has been our misdirected pursuit since the twilight of the 1940s.

 

The decline in happiness in the United States and other industrialized nations since the 1940s can be attributed to the emphasis on economic growth and consumption as measures of success. This focus has led to environmental destruction and a disconnect from the joy and wonder inherent in the world. By shifting our relationships with money and possessions, we have the opportunity to elevate our quality of life and reconnect with what truly matters.

 

One of the key insights from happiness research is that people living in serious poverty are still satisfied with their lives, while wealthy individuals often struggle to find happiness. Money does not equate to happiness, and the pursuit of wealth can actually diminish the ability to savor positive emotions and experiences. Even lottery winners find that their happiness levels return to baseline within a few months.

 

The optimal amount of work to maximize happiness is around 8 hours a week, highlighting the importance of balance and leisure time in well-being. By reevaluating our priorities and shifting away from materialism, we can create a more sustainable and fulfilling way of life.

 

Further explorations in Golden’s magnum opus present a paradox of satisfaction amidst scarcity, with a significant majority finding contentment in the face of poverty, juxtaposed against the fleeting happiness of wealth. The narrative delves into the diminishing returns of affluence on the ability to cherish life’s fleeting moments and the ephemeral nature of fortune’s favor. It posits a provocative thesis on the optimal engagement in work for harvesting happiness, challenging the sanctity of the 40-hour workweek.

 

 

Jeff Golden, with his background in sustainable development and environmental advocacy, brings a unique perspective to the discussion of happiness and its impact on the environment. Through his book Reclaiming the Sacred, he encourages readers to reconsider their relationship with money and possessions and embrace a more holistic approach to well-being.

 

The happiness research is a powerful tool for promoting environmental sustainability. By recognizing that true happiness lies beyond material wealth, we can make choices that benefit both ourselves and the planet. It is time to reclaim the sacredness of ourselves and the world around us, and create a more harmonious and fulfilling future for all.

 

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WeekendLife

LESEGO CHOMBO FOR MISS WORLD TITLE

6th March 2024

The outgoing Miss Botswana Lesego Chombo says her participation at the on-going Miss World beauty competition has grown her to be an ambassador of Botswana and the African continent at large.

Chombo has made history as the first participant from Botswana to perform exceptionally well at Miss World, with former Miss Botswana Emma Wareus being the second best after placing first runner up in 2010.

The Miss World Top 4 finalist is the first to place in all Miss World Fast Track events, and winning some in the process.

She is also the first Miss Botswana to perform at the Miss World Beauty-with-a-Purpose Gala Dinner.

Further, Chombo is the only Miss Botswana participant at the pageant to have her Beauty-with-a-Purpose project in the Top 10.

Chombo is the first Miss Botswana to place high in Talent Fast Track event.

Meanwhile, Miss World finale will be broadcasting live this Saturday on BTV and the Miss World website and YouTube.

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