Swift Reaction to Ministers Call…

speed limit to be reduced because of road accidents.

Will the reduction of the speed limits on national roads from 120 km/h to 100km/h reduce the number of accidents on our national roads? Transport minister Sbu Ndebele thinks so.

Ndebele this week threw the cat among the pigeons with his plan to reduce the speed limit to 100km/h. The reaction came thick and fast. Analysts, drivers and even trade unions were quick to shoot down the proposal. Justice Project SA said that speed was rarely the cause of collisions. JPSA chairman Howard Dembovsky said a head-on crash was devastating even when two vehicles were both travelling at only 16km/h. Ndebele countered that studies conducted in other countries such as Australia, where the speed limit is 110km/h, indicated a reduction in the speed limit could save lives.

However, transport union Satawu said comparing South African with other countries and other road conditions only clouded the matter. Satawu said road safety could be better improved by strengthening law enforcement, providing reliable and safe public transport, maintaining existing roads and clamping down on corrupt officials. Ndebele announced his proposal after visiting the scene of a minibus accident between Empangeni and Mtubatuba, where 10 lives were snuffed out.

Ndebele did not mention that minibus taxis were already restricted to a 100km/h limit with little effect on the accident statistics. In August, South Africans were shocked by bus accidents that led to more than 40 lives taken on the roads. Trucks are already barred from travelling faster than 80km/h. however, most motorists will know of these heavy-duty monsters wheezing past them at the speeds way above that limit while there are no traffic officers in sight. Other pundits say local motorists have little or no respect for the law and drive recklessly knowing they can get away with it. Drinking and driving remains the key violation on our roads while overloading and un-roadworthy vehicles remain a problem the authorities seem unable to deal with.

The transport departments long running road safety campaign arrive alive has been encouraging motorists to ease up on the pedal with its well-known slogan: SPEED KILLS. However, few headed this warning and thousands of tickets are served on motorists for speeding every month. Ndebele’s department has failed to implement Aarto, a penalty system aimed to punish motorists for breaking the law. Ndebele plans to take his proposal to reduce the speed limit to cabinet soon.  

VOTE:

should the speed limit be reduced to 100km/h?

• YES 
• NO
• MAYBE

NEW MEDIA...2

From your home to land-fill or sea-fill . . . or recycle?

At DUT we had the honour of hosting world Afica day and it was a memorable experience,we had guests from WESSA and many other different greening places. We learnt a lot and these are some of the things I'd like to share with you.
Many everyday home items can be recycled. Bear in mind, though, that the recycling process can use resources such as water and electricity. The best thing to do is to avoid buying plastic containers and bottles and food that is wrapped in loads of packaging. Say ‘no’ to plastic shopping bags and complain to the store manager about excessive packaging.
While some municipalities offer recycling bins in their home refuse removal service, most don’t. In this instance, your items should be taken to your local municipality recycle site every few weeks.
The following everyday home items can be recycled:
In the kitchen:
Fizzy drink, squash, fruit juice and mineral water bottles
Milk bottles
Fabric softener bottles
Cleaning product bottles
Microwave-ready and oven-ready food containers
Margarine containers
Fruit and vege punnets
Plastic wrapping
Glass containers
Cans
Paper packaging
In the bathroom:
Shampoo and conditioner bottles
Cosmetic jars and bottles
Toothpaste tubes
Glass containers
Paper packaging
In the bedroom:
Magazines, books and newspapers
In the study:
Computers (but these can be donated to charities, schools and orphanages)
Batteries
Ink cartridges (but these can be refilled with ink)
Light bulbs
Cellphones
Cameras

Some practical Electricity Saving Tips – from Naeem Asvat, SAICA

Energy efficiency starts with good building design. Saving energy means examining a building closely and taking small steps to correct small things that may be wrong. These small steps have a cumulative effect and all play their part in saving on those electricity bills. For example:

• Make sure the doors between air conditioned and "un-air conditioned" spaces are closed at all times. The use of automatic doors, self-closing doors and air curtains should also be investigated.
• Seal cracks and broken windows that allow air conditioned air to escape.
• Install blinds and awnings to reduce the amount of sunlight penetrating rooms through windows in summer. By opening them in winter, more heat is allowed in, reducing the need for heating.
• In areas that have high levels of natural light, consider switching off electric lights.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps. Where intense lighting is not needed replace bulbs with low-energy ones.
• Check airflow through the building. If it is not efficient it will require the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to work harder to achieve desired temperatures.
• Use wall and ceiling insulation to reduce heat loss and consider the installation of double glazed windows. (It must be mentioned though that double glazing is expensive to install.)

Tips for your home - from Hugh Tyrrell

Business greening and marketing coaching -  info@greenedge.co.za
Water -
shower instead of bath and fit a low-flow shower head. This reduces the amount of water needed to wash and lowers energy use because less water needs to be heated. Run a hose from the bath or shower outlet onto the shrubs and flowerbeds, or install a greywater system.
Energy -
if you haven't put in a solar water geyser yet, install a geyser timer to automatically switch your geyser on and off. This minimises electricity use while ensuring hot water when you need it. And until you get one, do it manually. Switch geyser off just before you go to work and then on again as soon as you get home. No loss of hot water, a significant saving in energy (and cash).
Food/diet -
buy local, and eat fresh and seasonal. Food choices are a major determinant of our eco-footprint. To reduce 'food miles' (the distance food has to travel to get to us) and their carbon emissions, buy food grown and processed as close as possible to home. Eat fresh food rather than frozen or cooked - both of which use energy -and enjoy what's in season. All these are healthier choices too.
Recycle waste -
use old beer or milk crates to hold your glass, plastic and paper. Stack on top of each other to reduce space, and make carrying to the recycling depot easier. If you have a garden, compost all food trimmings, peelings and left-overs and use the compost so made for a veg garden. If you live in a flat or complex, learn how to manage worm-farm bins.
Cleaning -
choose phosphate-free washing powder as this minimizes harm to water courses. And lower the temperature setting on your washing machine - 40 C is sufficient. Use floor and furniture cleaners with fewest artificial chemical components, so reducing potentially toxic chemicals in your home.
Clothes & textiles -
buy classic styles and keep them for longer. Repair rather than throw out. Second-hand clothing sales amongst friends and acquaintances is a great way to stay on touch and pick up bargains.

Thank you.

ELECTIONS HERE WE COME…

As we all know, the elections are here and you should know by now exactly who you’re voting for… Major issues and controversy arose against the leading party and the DA about open toilets, the elections were even named “TOILET ELECTIONS” because everything was about the open toilets in the Free-state and Maropeng. As an aspiring journalist I went out onto the field and took onus on asking people who they were voting for. Nomvula Sikhakhane a 2^nd year journalism student Said that she was voting for the ANC leading party because she felt that they are doing an excellent job and that they should stay in power as they are the only party that does not discriminate against other parties and supports and respects other political parties for their own personal views and differences.
Mbuso Mkhize a 3^rd year journalism student said that he was not going to vote for any political party because the it hasn’t done anything for him, it hasn’t put food on his table and it hasn’t done anything to make him want to put a cross next to their names. People have different opinions as to whether or not they’re voting. Some believe that voting gives them the right to complain and that by voting they are making a difference but others think that by voting they’re throwing away their votes and don’t see the need for it. South Africa's national and provincial elections take place every five years.

Voters vote for a political party, not individuals. The political party then gets a share of seats in Parliament in direct proportion to the number of votes it got in the election. Each party then decides on members to fill the seats it has won. This is called a proportional representation (PR) voting system.

National government makes and carries out laws and policies for the whole country. It is made up of:

Ø  Parliament led by the Speaker

Ø  National Government led by the President and Ministers

Provincial government makes and carries out laws and policies that affect the province only. It is made up of:

Ø  Legislature (the laws of the country) led by the Speaker

Ø  Provincial Government led by the Premier and Members of the Executive Council (MECs)

Democratic national and provincial elections have taken place every five years starting in 1994. By-elections take place within 90 days after a municipal ward council seat becomes vacant due to death, expulsion or resignation of a ward councillor.

However if people don’t want to vote they are not forced to do so, your vote is your right and to others it is their own personal secret.

NEW MEDIA...

I CANT BELIEVE IM BLOGGING THIS...
I have learnt alot in new media, I have learnt how to make contacts all over again, Ive learnt how to conduct an interview with people of higher authority and participate in things that I never thought Id participate in. Its made me realise that not everyone lives the way we do, and have luxurious lifestyles not that I didnt know that, its just the realisation of it that got me. Ive worked with team members which I thought would never help me with anything, like Sphesihle Masondo. New media teaches you everything that you did not know about the internet, it shows you the world beyond social networking and googling. Im honoured to have experienced an opportunity like this and hope that in future i will share my knowledge with the students yet to come.

POPPYS TAKE...: vampires and Reality...

POPPYS TAKE...: vampires and Reality...: " hmmmm... what a bloody valentine. its a story that has been perpetuated since the time of Cain and his intense jelousy.. mortal enemie..."

vampires and Reality...

 hmmmm... what a bloody valentine. its a story that has been perpetuated since the time of Cain and his intense jelousy.. mortal enemies in the struggle for power, wealth and love.. is it truly non existent or are we just blinded by the sagas taking plave???