NUGGET (29 NOVEMBER 2024)
Nuggets! (Bite size updates on the real important stuff related to Tech, Trends, Business and the Planet.)
The time has arrived for my last article and nugget of the year. It feels like just yesterday I was writing one for January 2024.
South Africa encounters significant water challenges due to its semi-arid climate, periodic droughts, and rising demand from agriculture, industry, and a growing population. Aging infrastructure and political shenanigans have really made this problem far worse.
www.southafricaswatercrisis.co.za is a website for one of my latest social injustice projects. It declares that the water challenges in South Africa are, in fact, a crisis. The right to water is a constitutional right in South Africa, and the project calls for a state of disaster to be declared, an immediate court order to grant relief for homes and businesses, and for action to be taken by citizens and corporations.
Mount Fuji has become snowless for the first time since records began 130 years ago, losing its iconic snow. Normally, snow starts to form on the mountain by October 2, but this year’s warm weather prevented any snowfall. The previous record for the latest snow was October 26, noted in 1955. Meteorologists have attributed this anomaly to high summer temperatures that persisted into September, which may be influenced by climate change.
Read more here:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/30/mount-fuji-no-snow-record-japan-summer
P.S. How cool is this photo – check out that massive shadow! Photograph: Newscom/Alamy
Soon, Africans, perhaps South Africans, will send someone into space using our own technology and launching from our own continent. How will we achieve this? There are some exceptional projects and organizations working toward this goal right now, for example: https://developspacesa.org/
But why is space travel even a consideration for us? We have so many other pressing issues to focus on. This could require an entire book to explain, but let me say this: Africa is the birthplace of humanity, and if humans are going to travel to other worlds, I’d be damned if they don’t come from Africa! There are also many other compelling reasons to focus on space travel and technologies, such as education and research, to name just two. Our future requires a lot of space!”
I was interviewed for a top position at Icasa. Here is the video:
To end 2024, let me share three good news nuggets related to environmentalism.
First, there was the discovery of a freshwater reserve. A freshwater reserve twice the size of Loch Ness was discovered beneath the Iblei Mountains. It’s believed to contain roughly 17 billion cubic meters of water, which could help alleviate Sicily’s drought. I will be back in Italy in 2025!
In February 2024, the EU Parliament passed a law to restore 20% of the EU’s land and sea. The plan aims to rehabilitate at least 30% of damaged habitats by 2030, 60% by 2040, and 90% by 2050
The Earthshot Prize took place in South Africa for Earthshot Week 2024. Prince William championed Africa’s role at the 2024 Earthshot Prize.
The Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) won the 2024 Earthshot Prize for Clean Our Air in South Africa: • Winner: Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) • Category: Clean Our Air
Other winners • Protect and Restore Nature: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (Kazakhstan) • Revive Our Oceans: High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (Global – 120 countries) • Build a Waste-Free World: Keep IT Cool (Kenya, Uganda) • Fix Our Climate: Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems
The awards ceremony was hosted by Billy Porter and Bonang Matheba, celebrities included Heidi Klum, Nina Dobrev, Tobe Nwigwe, Winnie Harlow, and Beast. The event was absolutely epic, and well done to all the winners
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A human should have 2,920 hours of sleep per year, I will be using December to catch up on some of that. Until then, keep thinking about the future!
The End!
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Who is Jean-Pierre Murray-Kline?
Jean-Pierre is a South African serial e-entrepreneur, published author, and change champion who has worked in over 300 types of industries in some capacity or another. His own online businesses have generated millions of Rands and involved sectors such as law, web & app development, events & entertainment, property, technical services, media, and tourism.
He has traveled to over 180 cities worldwide and is extremely active as a business and environmental technologist. In addition to his own projects, he researches and consults on all things online: marketing, reputation, compliance, law, and e-security, and also offers strategy workshops and scenario sessions on future thinking with a key focus on technology, the environment, and global influences.
Jean-Pierre is often asked to be a guest speaker on a variety of subjects he continuously studies and writes about.
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