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46% of getS.E.T.go! readers think that the most important benefit of South Africa’s recent participation in the Shanghai Expo, will be the raising of our country’s science & technology profile on the global stage. |
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38% opted for “sharing of international best practices in maths & science education”; and 15% for “building an international network of contacts”. |
Almost 21 000 learners from around South Africa and SADC countries participated in the Science Olympiad this year.
We’ve seen a glimpse of what transport could be like in a low-carbon economy, and it comes in the form of a hydrogen-powered tricycle …
Greater mobility and extending access to affordable transport are two of the challenges facing South African communities. Add to that the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, and this becomes a serious dilemma – one that is receiving increasing attention from the scientific community.
The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) recently hosted a Round Table in Johannesburg tackling this exact topic. The theme was “Getting there: The future of transport in a low-carbon economy” and discussions included:- The challenge of extending access and mobility for all South Africans.
- Sustainable low-carbon mobility within a framework of social justice.
- Adopting an inclusive approach to effort sharing under a carbon budget.
One of the highlights of the programme was a presentation from the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) public awareness programme on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, which demonstrated the use of a hydrogen tricycle as one of the possible solutions to creating low-carbon modes of transport, especially in rural areas.
HySA Public Awareness is managed by SAASTA on behalf of the DST. The tricycle was developed by the Resource Driven Technology Concept Centre at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Other presentations at the Round Table event included the South Africa’s National Energy Research Institute (SANERI), which demonstrated two cars that use carbon natural gas, as well as a talk by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Jeremy Cronin, who highlighted the challenges that face his department due to South Africans relying on private as opposed to public transport.
A constructive debate session followed between participants on how they believed their organisations and companies could contribute to solutions that will reduce movement of goods and people, shift to low-carbon modes of transport, and improve energy and fuel efficiency.
The hydrogen tricycle that was demonstrated at the WWF Round Table on transport in a low-carbon economy.