Media, events jamboree at COP17

Today - Indigenous knowledge, Save the Snowman

Today, Tuesday 29 November 2011 is the 'Indigenous Knowledge and Young Scientist on Climate Change' session at the CCR Expo from 10am to 6pm. The event will focus on indigenous knowledge systems and climate change solution and focuses on encouraging and educating the youth on indigenous knowledge systems.

The Save the Snowman campaign goes live today following its media launch at the Netherlands Embassy stand in the Climate Change Response Expo (European Marque). The digital snowman will live or melt based on the input from the public, who are able to control the temperature via social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and SMS until Friday, 9 December 2011.

Dutch Ambassador to South Africa HE Andre Haspels says, "Awareness is key to bringing the world economy onto a more sustainable path. Through this initiative, we aim to bring the topic of climate change to the very people who will be affected by it in an innovative, '2.0' way."

Core to the campaign is the daily website question of what each individual would be willing to do to reduce CO2 emissions. For example, 'would you give up meat one day a week to reduce your emissions?' or 'are you willing to compensate your air miles when flying?' The snowman will live or die each day, so it is our shared responsibility to keep him alive.

Ambassador Haspels continues, "The choice of a melting snowman symbolises that climate change concerns us all. It is not only about penguins on the South Pole, but much closer to home. The fact is that we can do something to save him by engaging and by thinking carefully about our daily choices. The private sector in addition also has an important role to play and the snowman site highlights some of the expertise on offer from the business sector that can help combat climate change."

Four ways to Save the Snowman

There are several ways to save the snowman and prevent him from melting. Visit www.savethesnowman.co.za and answer the daily question or send your answer via SMS to 34002, with the keyword 'snowman'. Alternatively, tweet your answer, using #savesnowman or leave the answer on the Netherlands Embassy South Africa Facebook page. COP17 delegates will be able to follow the snowman developments on a TV-big screen at the Netherlands stand.

Dutch businesses, such as Philips and many others, provide essential technologies that can combat climate change and are supporting the campaign by offering prizes.

Youth Summit until Friday

The Youth Summit, which launched on Sunday 27 November 2011 continues until Friday 2 December at the Olive Conference Centre behind the Elangeni Hotel.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries events

Members of the media are invited to attend three high-level events hosted by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson.

• Saturday 3 December - Agriculture and Rural Development Day (ARDD) at the Ritson Campus, Durban University of Technology from 8am to 6.15pm. The one-day conference is aimed at creating public awareness of Africa's potential and vulnerability and to mobilise global support for climate-smart agricultural practices and policies. Participants will include BRICS Ministers of Agriculture, representatives of the African Climate Policy Centre of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the World Food Programme and ROPPA, the Network of Farmers' and Agricultural Producers' Organisations of West Africa.
• Sunday 5 December - Forest Day 5 at the Olive Conference Centre from 8am to 3pm.
• Tuesday 7 December - Climate Smart Agriculture, at the ICC from 2-3pm will launch an Action Plan for Africa. The conference will also focus on increased south-north and south-south collaboration which will enable the international community to build on existing successes and address global challenges. To attend, email Steve Galane at az.vog.ffad@LAGevetS.

Environmental theatre

Well Worn Theatre, a Johannesburg based physical theatre company with a strong environmental ethos, is presenting two plays on the main cultural programme, Planet B and The Pollution Revolution. The performances are free and all are welcome to attend. For more, go to www.wellworn.org.za.