Skip to main content

Featured

Ottawa and Alberta Forge Landmark Energy Accord

Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, meets with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Calgary on Thursday.   In a move that could redefine Canada’s energy landscape, Ottawa and Alberta have signed a new energy deal aimed at strengthening cooperation between the federal government and the province. The agreement signals a major shift in their often-contentious relationship, focusing on shared priorities such as clean energy investment, emissions reduction, and economic growth. The deal outlines commitments to expand renewable energy projects, modernize infrastructure, and support workers transitioning from traditional oil and gas sectors. Both sides emphasized that the accord is designed to balance Alberta’s economic reliance on energy production with Ottawa’s national climate goals. Observers note that this agreement could mark the beginning of a more collaborative era, reducing political friction and positioning Canada as a stronger player in the global energy transition.
Post a Comment
Read more

article

Labels

Johannesburg Faces Unprecedented Water Crisis: Taps Run Dry

 

For the past two weeks, Tsholofelo Moloi has stood in line with thousands of South Africans, waiting for water. Johannesburg, the country’s largest city, is grappling with an unprecedented collapse of its water system, affecting millions of people. This crisis has left residents, both rich and poor, facing a shortage of severity they’ve never witnessed before.

Several factors have converged to create this dire situation. First, hot weather has led to shrinking reservoirs. But the real culprit lies in decades of neglect and crumbling infrastructure. Johannesburg’s water system has suffered from lack of maintenance, exacerbating the crisis.

South Africa, already familiar with hours-long electricity shortages, is now adopting a term called “watershedding”. Just as loadshedding refers to power outages, watershedding means going without water. Moloi, a Soweto resident, expresses the stress her community faces: “We need to cook, children must attend school, and we need water to wash their clothes. It’s very stressful.”

Over the weekend, water management authorities warned that failure to reduce water consumption could lead to a total collapse of the water system. Reservoirs might drop below 10% capacity, necessitating shutdowns for replenishment. Imagine weeks without water from taps, especially as demand remains high due to scorching weather.

As World Water Day approaches, activists and residents are outraged. They see this as a crisis that has been brewing for years. The ruling African National Congress faces a serious challenge in this year’s election, with public frustration reaching dangerous levels.

Johannesburg, once accustomed to localized water shortages, now grapples with a citywide drought. The arrival of winter is weeks away, and no official drought declaration has been made. Residents are urged to conserve water, but for many, the cost of a 1.3-gallon bottle of water is steep in a country where over 32% of the population is unemployed.

The taps have run dry, and Johannesburg’s water crisis demands urgent attention. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment