This week, on the music front, Stephen Hollis sets out the costs to the music industry and individual artists who produce the music we all enjoy as he discusses
the rise of the pirates of the digital age, and we also look at a different type of piracy. This is a far more deadly one in terms of being life-threatening (and even more costly in monetary terms), and it is also receiving attention, this time on the high seas, with
anti-piracy efforts being boosted by a joint navy exercise involving the German and South African navies.
For all of you who find bank fees... how can we say this tactfully... onerous... you may be interested in the tiff between two of SA's major banks as
FNB bites back at Standard Bank on the subject of bank charges.
And to end off, Martin Sprott and Dr Philip Bode say that South African companies had better get with the action and
join the social media conversation. As the writers say, in one way or another, social media has always been with us - but now your customers are not just chatting about you and your products over the fence, but on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. That means comments (good and bad) are reaching a far wider audience - so you should capture the "energy" and turn it to your advantage. As Sprott and Bode say... put social media at the core of your customer- engagement strategy.
Rod Baker, general manager: content
Submit your company news to
environmentalnews@bizcommunity.com. Exclusive contributions may be sent to
contributors-environmental@bizcommunity.com.
WeCanChange is partnering with GCX and Green College Online (
In a bid to address climate change by creating awareness and educating communities about climate change, MTN has planted 3 500 trees in four months and the telecommunications giant is on course to reach its target of 5 500 by Earth Day, next month. 
Government will intensify its efforts to address the threat posed by acid mine drainage (AMD) in the Witwatersrand area, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said on Thursday. 
According to Business Report, Mpumalanga farmers say the country faces a national food crisis if water pollution from mining in the province is not brought under control. Louw Steytler, new chairman of Grain SA, told Beeld newspaper that the organisation was deeply concerned, as Mpumalanga was responsible for a large part of South Africa's food supply. 
In the spirit of sustainability, both Nampak and Engen have announced company projects that are increasing recycling. Engen has opened waste collection points in KwaZulu-Natal and Nampak Flexible is streaming its plastic and other factory waste into alternative sources to landfills. 
In response to evident need, coupled with industry demand, the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is offering two workshops that are an extension of their existing training courses. These courses will be offered in Johannesburg on 29 March 2012. 
The Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT) turns 25 in 2012. To celebrate this achievement, SANGONeT's CEO, David Barnard, will run 750km across three deserts on three continents as part of the annual SANGONeT "No Pain No Gain" campaign. 
