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GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Residents of the Vrygronde informal settlement in Graaff-Reinet teamed up with local NGO, Support Centre for Land Change, and 350.org, to host a World Earth Day event on Saturday 22 April.
World Earth Day is celebrated annually to promote environmental protection. It was initiated in 1970 and today it is supported by about 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
PHOTO GALLERY: Vrygronde celebrates World Earth Day
In preparation for their event, the Vrygronde community embarked on a cleaning operation on Friday 21 April.
They were assisted by their counsellor, Andile Nofemele, the municipality and CWP workers. On Saturday morning they prepared their community garden for the winter crop and in the afternoon they hosted an information session aimed at developing the community's understanding of their environmental rights, the importance of promoting environmental protection, and the urgency of producing their own food.
It was also aimed at explaining how the exploration, production, and consumption of fossil fuels - including shale gas - contribute to the climate crisis and how the climate crisis impacts on production, the availability of food, and hunger.
Hunger remains one of the primary challenges in this informal settlement and for this reason it is critical for the community to understand how the climate crisis relates to the food crisis and how this may take a turn for the worst if shale gas exploration in the Karoo is allowed.
The Vrygronde community's World Earth Day activities were in line with the global theme for 2023, Invest in Our Planet.
This is the third year that they participate in the globally coordinated World Earth Day events.
350.org is an international movement of ordinary people working together to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.
The Support Centre for Land Change has been resisting shale gas exploration in South Africa – in the Karoo in particular – for more than a decade.
They are in partnership with a network of national and international strategic partners, including 350.org, who are supporting their call for a national ban on fracking and a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy alternatives.
Three huge cheers for World Earth Day! Photos: Chriszanne Janse van Vuuren
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