Scorched

Earth rising (M&G)

Friday, January 30th, 2009 | climate change, cosmology | No Comments

It’s Monday, 5am. Earth is pirouetting around the tip of its axis, spinning Africa back towards the sun. Birds have finished belting out their morning song (bloody racket, sometimes, the dawn chorus, but you can’t help loving it). Soon, a crescent of flaming orange will slice across the eastern horizon, as if someone’s peeping through a curtain.

I’d rather be in bed, but astronomical phenomena wait for no one. In two hours the moon will begin to roll between us and the sun, drawing the curtain closed again in a partial solar eclipse. › Continue reading

Rational thoughts on climate change

Thursday, January 29th, 2009 | uncategorized | No Comments

Unplugged in the ‘burbs’ (M&G)

Friday, January 16th, 2009 | energy | No Comments

Ka-twang!

That was the control key being levered off the keyboard with the blunt end of a sosatie stick and ricocheting off the computer monitor.

Twang!

Followed by the shift key.

‘Wang – that’s the enter key. Twang, ka-Twang, ‘wang — a few punctuation keys nearly make orbit. Twa-twang-’ang-’ang — L, K, M and N go airborne.

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Tags: energy

Enter the dragon (Extra Virgin)

Thursday, January 1st, 2009 | uncategorized | No Comments

It’s been called the new scramble for Africa. China’s growing presence on our continent must surely be a sign that the next global giant is stirring. Leonie Joubert looks to the East.

Remember Chappies wrappers? They had those quirky “did you know” facts printed on the inside. Maybe they still do? I don’t know. I haven’t bought one in yonks (that used to be adolescent code for “like, forever”. Although I doubt it still is. But I wouldn’t know, I haven’t been a teenager for… well, yonks). › Continue reading