GALLERY
Air pollution
Figure 1. Dump Day / Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg
Description: smoke emerging from a landfill site.
Caption: The New England Road landfill site in Pietermaritzburg has become an infamous symbol of toxic air pollution in the city. It is a menacing danger to the environment that surrounds it and its inhabitants. In this landfill, fires break out almost annually, releasing toxic gases and fine particulate matter (Witness, 2020), which can pose major health risks over time impacting the health and livelihoods of local communities (Whitehouse, 2015). Going to school less than 2 kilometers away from the site, I witnessed the harmful effects of this landfill, with smoke engulfing parts of the city for days; schools being closed and businesses shutting down. We would know when the dump was on fire before we could even see the smog – the initial indication being that many of us would start feeling sick when we went outside – a result of the dangerous air quality that we were being exposed to. The poor management of this site has allowed it to gradually deteriorate to a point where it has come to present serious risks to the health of both the environment and its inhabitants (Nixon, 2011). It is a quiet but relentless poisoning. However, despite the silently invisible nature of this issue, it should not be ignored or dismissed (Nixon, 2011). While many may feel removed from such issues, as they are not directly impacted by them, it is important to understand that our perceived distance from these issues does not mean that they aren’t happening right now and that they won’t affect us eventually.
Habitat loss and Degredation
Figure 2. A Silent Fall / Parkview, Johannesburg
Figure 3. Silent Casualties / Westcliff, Johannesburg
Description: A felled tree on a street in an urban area.
Caption: Habitat loss is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and degradation in South Africa. The cutting down of a single tree might seem like an insignificant event, however, when the cutting down of trees is repeated across suburbs or cities, it contributes to the slow degradation of the environment – as (Nixon, 2011) calls it, slow violence. Expanding urbanization in South Africa, risks endangering many species, in Johannesburg, there has been 13% decrease in tree cover since 2000 – which has had a negative effect on biodiversity (Global Forest Watch, 2023). The tree's removal is representative of the long-term consequences of human interference with the natural environment and although changes like these happen gradually and slowly, often going unnoticed, their cumulative effect is long-lasting. A tree is not just a standalone organism, rather it is an important part of the ecosystem as it supports various species such as birds. Therefore, the removal of it disrupts the relationship that birds have with trees which leads to a slow decline in local biodiversity which then manifests in the broader issue of habitat loss and the extinction of species over time (Nixon, 2011). Although, the seemingly silent changes and damages in these ecosystems often don't claim immediate attention, they still have significant and harmful consequences. Habitat degradation, at the hands of urbanization, is the most severe threat to South African plants, affecting more than 1600 plant species (SANBI, 2024). With each tree felled, comes the gradual erasure of ecosystems and the dwindling of biodiversity (Nixon, 2011). We need to start thinking about why we threaten the very thing that we depend on – the environment. Thus, we need to meaningfully take initiative in order to conserve our environments.
Description: Guinea fowls in an urban area.
Caption: Although they are usually at home in open fields and rural areas, guinea fowls now must navigate suburban areas. As, approximately 22% of the natural habitat of South Africa has been transformed for human use (AL Skowno, 2021). While they look like they are in a rural, open environment, this photograph was actually taken in a Johannesburg suburb. Their populations in suburban areas are dwindling as urbanization expands. Their dwindling populations have negative impacts for the operations of various ecosystems, food chains and workings in the natural environment – “They keep insect populations in check. Adults and their chicks and eggs provide a food source for predators on the urban edge… Their droppings could arguably be a form of fertiliser. They provide other species with a warning system whenever danger, for example, domestic dogs and cats, approaches via their alarm calls” (Viljoen, 2023). This is a subtle symbol of the slow violence of habitat loss (Nixon, 2011) and the gradual displacement of animals. As urbanization invades nature, birds are gradually displaced and forced to adapt to their disappearing ecosystems and environments (Nixon, 2011). Their presence in suburban areas reflects the silent persistent harm of biodiversity loss. An invisible but powerful war of destruction that happens over time (Nixon, 2011). Although these birds are resilient, yet vulnerable, they remind us of the ecosystems slowly disappearing and thus the consequent result being dwindling biodiversity (Nixon, 2011). Such illustrates an example of a slow violence that has and will have long-term consequences for all forms of life (Nixon, 2011). Such displacement and habitat loss should encourage us to make an urgent call to challenge expanding urbanization and the destructive practices that fail to show a regard for the environment and anything that falls outside of the realm of the Anthropocene. It is thus crucial that we advocate for the preservation of the natural environment.
Ocean pollution
Description: tuna tin can filled with plastic and rubbish
Caption: The image of a tuna tin can filled with plastic and rubbish, ironically titled "Sea food?" – highlights the large amounts of plastics present in our food and oceans as a result of pollution. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has found that South Africa is the 11th highest contributor of leaking land-based plastic into the ocean – throwing about 109,000 tonnes into the ocean every year (Caboz, 2021). In addition to this, over 100 million marine species killed annually due to plastic pollution in our oceans (Osborn, 2023). And, much marine life in our oceans also risk extinction and endangerment, a result of ocean acidification. (Kolbert, 2014) notes that coral reefs (intricate ecosystems that many marine species rely on) are unlikely to outlast the Anthropocene, likely being the first major ecosystem in the modern era to become ecologically extinct – just like the picture illustrates, what if one day the chances of one eating seafood may be as uncommon and unheard of as the chances of one eating plastic? Will we only start caring about these issues if the latter happens? Because, unlike explosions or natural disasters that grab our attention, this issue is happening here and now and only worsening over time, it will eventually manifest in the irreparable destruction of the environment and cause irreversible damage to it (Nixon, 2011). Moreover, ocean pollution also puts communities that are dependent on the ocean for their food and livelihoods in compromising positions. Our negligence and disregard for the environment, puts both marine biodiversity and people at risk and the impacts of such will be devastating. Therefore, we need to address this issue before we cause anymore irreversible damage and reach a point of no return.
Figure 4. Do you sea food? / Westcliff, Johannesburg
Greenwashing
Figure 5. Cup of contradiction / Brooklyn, Pretoria
Description: A plastic cup with a paper straw and a plastic lid
Caption: This image of a plastic cup with a paper straw epitomizes the practice of greenwashing. The paper straw represents an attempt for the business at being sustainable and environmentally friendly, while the plastic cup challenges and undermines it. Greenwashing is defined as “the act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is.” (Webster, n.d.). Moreover, greenwashing is an environmental concern as it delays meaningful environmental change – with companies often prioritising their appearance of sustainability over meaningfully practising environmental responsibility. It also diverts attention from critical environmental concerns, misleading people who genuinely want to make environmentally friendly informed choices. In addition to this, greenwashing also allows companies to somewhat hide the harmful impacts that their practices have on the environment (Good, 2024). This environmental violence that occurs gradually and out of sight, a violence of delayed destruction. Allows companies to harm the environment under the guise of sustainability, this is perhaps even more menacing and insidious, as it hides the realities and gravity of the harm actually happening to our planet (Nixon, 2011). Moreover it should be pointed out that “ producing a plastic straw requires 39 kilojoules of energy and produces 1.5 grams of carbon dioxide emissions. However, producing a paper straw requires 96 kilojoules of energy and produces 4.1 grams of carbon dioxide emissions” (Szakal, 2023). South Africa generates 2.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually but only 14% of it is recycled (Stubbs, 2023). So while all these companies are leading us to believe that they are champions of environmental responsibility and sustainability, giving us paper straws, because they care about the environment so much – plastic waste is accumulating out of sight and harming our environment in so many ways (Nixon, 2011). Ultimately, sustainability is more than just a marketing tactic, it is actually a requirement for the future of our planet. It requires more than simply a paper straw in a plastic cup.