Archive for December 22nd, 2009

Trying to Find Aljazeera?

22/12/2009

By Randall Richards

Control Room - The Movie

Trying to find Aljazzeera in the U.S.? Good luck. It’s not easy. Our media blackout is not total however. You can see an online version of their TV broadcast. It’s not what you’ve been told. We have found them to be very balanced and professional over the years.  As a side note, if you’ve not seen the DVD  The Control Room, about Aljazeera’s balanced coverage during the early stages of the Iraq invasion, and its the subsequent “mistaken” missile attack by U.S. forces on its Badgad Bureau, you ought to see it (Netflix).

When we lead programs in Peru, the cable TV provided in hotel rooms almost always has Aljazeera. It’s a fresh perspective. We encourage you to check it out online at www.livestation.com .

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Film/DVD | Leave a Comment »

Rooibos Tea Plant Under Threat

22/12/2009

Rooibos Tea farmers on the Front Line of Cimate Change
By Amanda Richards

Rooibos - The Frontline of Climate Change

I was born in South Africa, and we all grew up with Rooibos or, red bush tea. I was saddened to see this recent article covering this important plant being threatened by environmental and man-made factors.

In this article in The Independent newspaper, Virginia Marsh explores how this valuable plant is threatened by climate change – and with it the independent farmers that depend upon it for their livelihoods.

By Virginia Marsh

"Red Bush" or Rooibos Tea

Unusually, the entire global supply of rooibos comes from a single production area in the west of South Africa that measures just 200 x 100 kilometres. Efforts to cultivate it outside of the Suid Bokkeveld have not been successful: it draws on the region’s unique soils and climate and needs to grow alongside other components of its ecosystem.
Read the rest of this article:

Tags:, , , , , ,
Posted in Climate Change, Conservation, Environment | 1 Comment »