Day 4 - research

Today I phoned my mate Benji Shulmonster, uh Shulman. He connected me to Paul Fairall - the "River god" in my eyes. Fairall is the chairman of the Jukskei River Forum.

He is an expert on the Jukskei River, I reckon. He has documents, video footage and experience.

I rate I will write a piece on him in the future. Also he told me about Wendy Bodman who mapped out many of Johannesburg's water systems. I read about her on Google. I'd like to write a piece about her too.

My team, group two has been granted the pleasure of going with him on a special tour around the river on Monday.

Fairall says the river is 2000 km long. I wonder if he included the spruits off of the river in that measurement.

He said he'd bring charts and other documents along on Monday so that's exciting. I hope I'll be able to get really good story ideas from him.

He told me the river was sewerage twice-diluted. This guy sounds rather passionate about the Jukskei. I respect this. I really think I'm going to learn something special form him.

We will be joined later in the trip by Marianne Laserson, an architect and former Johannesburg Town Planner.

We are starting our tour at a park in Bertrams where the river first sees sunlight.


Asides:

I've noticed many journalists are quick to run away from the economics of the environment. They just write pieces about how animals are dying and thigns are getting really bad and we should panic.

We cannot ignore environmental economics.

What is an environmental economist?

An environmental economist pursues theoretical and/or empirical studies into the economic effects of national and/or local environmental policies. The studies look at areas including air pollution, water quality, waste management, ozone depletion and climate change.

I studied Environmental Economics 3. I loved the lectures given to me by Professor Anthony Lumby. I’m still keen to do the honours course of it when time and timetabling permits.

One of the environmental economists I am particularly interested in is Robert O. Mendelsohn.


This major American economist contributed much to the economic thought around climate change. He contributed to the initial Copenhagen Consensus report.

He has been trying to find ways of valuing the environment. He’s looked at air pollution. He wants to measure the marginal damages of emissions across the United States.

He has also worked on valuing natural ecosystems, from valuing nontimber forest products and ecotourism in tropical rainforests, to coral reefs in the Caribbean and Australia, to measuring recreation in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Recently, he has been concentrating on climate change and its different implications on agriculture, irrigation and livestock, in different continents.

http://environment.yale.edu/profile/mendelsohn/

A story I wrote about Wits' efforts into environmental education:
Future focus on the environment

The university is encouraging students to pursue research and careers related to climate change and environmental management.

“The importance of environmental issues, as discussed at the United Nations climate change meeting recently, cannot be understated,” said Commerce lecturer David Roche-Kelly.

Roche-Kelly, who lectures in finance and environmental economics, believes that even though people may feel the economic crisis takes precedence , the actual environment one lives in cannot be disregarded.

“Students feel they need to understand how a country like China is managing to grow at such comparatively exceptional rates. This is all well, but they need to realise that seeing how China manages its own environmental problems and the role it plays in the world in general are maybe even more important,” said Roche-Kelly.

In an article published on September 27 by the British Sunday Times, it was reported that China was “ready to police its greenhouse gas emissions for the first time by giving its official blessing to a domestic emissions trading scheme”. President Hu Jintao had declared at the same UN climate conference that his country would achieve a “notable” reduction in emissions over the next decade.

“I think people should not be so quick to see China as the leader in the climate change battle,” stated Roche-Kelly. “The scientists know what they are doing. Yes, China did not commit to capping energy intensive industries but they already have a two-level emissions tax in place. They are very worried about their decreasing water supply. Research has shown that the rivers that flow from the Himalayan Glaciers, which serve 1,3 billion people, may not reach the sea soon.”

Wits University already offers courses in environmental law, economics, engineering and sciences. This is one of the reasons why Kelly is organising an inter-disciplinary climate change research programme at Wits next year.

In an effort bring more attention to how students can play a role in environmental studies in Southern Africa, Professor Colleen Vogel, from the School of Geosciences and Environmental Studies, will present a lecture on Wednesday, October 14.

Vogel is a previous co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Al Gore.

In her lecture: Saving for a Rainy Day – Constraints, Challenges and Opportunities associated with Climate Change and Climate Variability in Southern Africa, she will present some of her research and involvement in climate change and variability in the Southern African region over the past 25 years.

Courtesy of Vuvuzela.org.za

By the way - the Investment test was quite tough but I await the results. There was an arbitrary question about the bond rating system of Standard & Poor's.
Next post - story ideas get some life