Environmental Conservation 1992
South Africa, Secunda · 1992-02-06
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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front
This cover is postmarked on 8 February 1992 in Secunda. It forms part of a 1992 Environmental Conservation issue addressing soil, water and air pollution in South Africa. The three stamps each take on a different environmental theme. The 27c stamp deals with soil conservation and the damage caused by erosion and overgrazing. The 65c stamp addresses water pollution and the strain placed on limited water resources. The 85c stamp covers air pollution from industry, vehicles and household activity. One detail that stands out is the timing. The Montreal Protocol on Substances Depleting the Ozone Layer had come into force in South Africa less than two years before this cover was issued, on 15 April 1990. That places this set among the earliest South African stamp issues to directly reference ozone depletion as a stated concern.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet shows Earth photographed from space, with Africa turned toward the viewer under a mix of cloud and clear sky. Bold lettering curves around the globe reading Environmental Conservation and Omgewingsbewaring. The design is simple and direct. There is no illustration beyond the planet itself. That choice suits the subject well. Rather than depicting a specific landscape or species, it frames conservation as a global concern with Africa positioned at the centre of the image. The blue and white tones of the earth photograph sit cleanly against the plain envelope background. Above the cachet run three stamps by Johan van Niekerk. Each one shows a different environmental scene. A forest stream. A polluted rocky waterway. A misty riverside with dead trees. Together they move from healthy habitat to visible damage, giving the set a quiet before and after quality.
Information Card
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION The basic privileges men may lay claim to to ensure his survival are defined by ecologists as clean air, unpolluted drinking water, adequate shelter, toxin-free food and a safe and healthy natural environment. In man's pursuit of greater prosperity and a better life style, man himself, however, creates the danger of the depletion or destruction of all these essential necessities of life. Increasing technical and industrial development, overpopulation and urbanisation create serious environmental problems that can not be combatted by legislation alone. Each individual has a co-responsibility with governments, local authorities and other institutions, towards the earth on which we live and work. The protection of the air, water and earth against pollution currently receives universal attention. 27c Soil conservation South Africa loses approximately 300 million tons of soil annually. Some of the direct causes of soil erosion are the bombshell effect of rain drops, insufficient ground cover, storm water and the steepness of slopes. Some indirect causes which can be largely ascribed to human activities are poor cultivation, overgrazing, the destruction of natural vegetation, poorly planned roads, footpaths and livestock trails, excavations and quarries. Educating the public to conserve the soil is of primary importance in soil conservation programmes. Preventative measures such as controlled grazing, contour ploughing and crop rotation are propagated and employed, and areas that have already sustained damage are stabilised and reclaimed. 65c Water pollution Water is a limited national resource which has to be managed judiciously to ensure continued adequate water supplies of acceptable quality for all recognised uses. The overall water quality management goal is the maintenance suitability of South Africa's water resources on a sustained basis for domestic, industrial, agricultural, environmental and recreational purposes. Pollution may originate from different sources and be made up of different types of pollutants. The main categories are microbiological pollutants (bacteria and viruses), inorganic chemical pollutants (salts, metals and acids), organic pollution (human wastes, organic toxins and carcinogens) and plant nutrients. Salination and eutrophication of surface water resources present the most serious current water quality problems. Micropollutants (pollution by metals and man-made organic compounds such as pesticides), microbiological quality and sedimentation also warrant attention. Individuals can combat water pollution by not littering or polluting water sources, by using fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides judiciously and strictly according to instructions, and by acting responsibly towards the aquatic environment. 85c Air pollution Air pollution from smoke, soot, gasses, fumes and particles from industries, power stations, motor vehicles, railways and harbours, mining, agricultural and domestic activities causes damage to the ozone layer, acid rain and a greenhouse effect and leads to lung diseases, cancer and eye, nose and throat irritations. Legislation providing for the control of man-made pollution does exist, but the individual can combat air pollution by not smoking, ensuring that the fuel combustion of vehicles is effective to prevent the release of unnecessary gases, using minismoke stoves instead of ordinary coal stoves, employing charcoal for barbecues and applying pesticides judiciously. Commemorative envelope The ozone layer acts as a natural shield or filter which absorbs most of the harmful solar radiation and transmits the predominantly beneficial radiation such as visible light and infrared radiation. The concentration of harmful substances in the atmosphere increased markedly during the previous two decades. The Montreal Protocol on Substances Depleting the Ozone Layer came into force in South Africa on 15 April 1990. N.W. OMGEWINGSBEWARING Die basiese voorregte wat die mens vir hom mag opeis om sy oorlewing te verseker, word deur ekoloë omskrywe as skoon lug, onbesmette drinkwater, toereikende skuiling, toksievrye voedsel en 'n veilige en gesonde natuurlike omgewing. In die mens se strewe na groter welvaart en 'n beter lewenswyse skep hy egter self die gevaar dat al hierdie noodsaaklike lewensbehoeftes uitgeput of vernietig word. Toenemende tegniese en industriële ontwikkeling, oorbevolking en verstedeliking bring ernstige omgewingsprobleme mee wat nie met deur wetgewing alleen bekamp kan word nie. Elke individu het saam met regerings, plaaslike owerhede en ander instansies 'n verantwoordelikheid teenoor die aarde waarop ons woon en werk. Die beskerming van die lug, die water en die bodem geniet tans wêreldwyd ernstige aandag. 27c Bodembeskerming Suid-Afrika verloor jaarliks ongeveer 300 miljoen ton grond. Direkte oorsake van grondverlies is onder meer die ploefeffek van reëndruppels, ontoereikende grondbedekking, stormwater en die skuinstes van hellings. Indirekte oorsake wat aan menslike aktiwiteite toegeskryf kan word, is onder meer die verkeerde bewerking van die grond, oorbeweiding, vernietiging van natuurlike plantegroei, swakbeplande hoofpaaie, voet- en veepaaie, uitgrawings en gruisgate. Die opvoeding van die publiek om die grond te bewaar, is 'n hoofdoelstelling van bodembeskermingsprogramme. Voorkomende metodes soos weidingbeheer, kontoerploeëry en wisselbou word gepropageer en toegepas en grond wat reeds beskadig is, word gestabiliseer en herwin. 65c Waterbesoedeling Water is 'n beperkte nasionale hulpbron wat oordeelkundig bestuur moet word om 'n voortgesette toereikende voorraad water van aanvaarbare gehalte vir alle erkende gebruike te verseker. Die totale watergehaltebestuursdoelwit is om die geskiktheid van Suid-Afrika se waterhulpbronne vir huishoudelike, nywerheids-, landbou-, omgewings- en ontspanningsdoeleindes op 'n volgehoue grondslag geskik te hou. Besoedeling kan sy oorsprong hê in verskillende bronne en kan deur verskillende tipes besoedelende stowwe veroorsaak word. Die hoofkategorieë is mikrobiologiese besoedelende stowwe (bakterieë en viruse), anorganiese chemiese besoedelende stowwe (soute, metale en sure), organiese besoedeling (menslike afval, organiese gifstowwe en karsinogene) en plantvoedingstowwe. Salinasie en eutrofikasie van oppervlakwaterhulpbronne verskaf tans die grootste waterkwaliteitprobleme. Mikro-besoedelende stowwe (besoedeling deur metale en mensgemaakte organiese samestellings soos plaagdoders), mikro-biologiese gehalte en sedimentasie verdien ook aandag. Individue kan waterbesoedeling bestry deur nie rommel of ander afvalstowwe in waterbronne te stort nie, kunsmis, plaag- en onkruiddoders oordeelkundig en streng volgens voorskrif te gebruik en verantwoordelik teenoor die wateromgewing op te tree. 85c Lugbesoedeling Lugbesoedeling deur rook, roet, gasse, dampe en deeltjies afkomstig van nywerhede, kragstasies, motorvoertuie, spoor- en hawewerkers, myne, landbou- en huishoudelike aktiwiteite beskadig die osoonlaag, veroorsaak suurreën en 'n kweekhuiseffek en lei tot longsiektes, kanker en oog-, neus- en keelirritasies. Daar bestaan wetgewing om mensgemaakte lugbesoedeling te beheer, maar die individu kan lugbesoedeling bestry deur nie te rook nie, te sorg dat die petrolverbranding van sy motorvoertuig so na aan die ideaal moontlik plaasvind, minirookstowe in plaas van gewone steenkoolstowe te gebruik, houtskool vir braaivleis te gebruik en plaagdoders oordeelkundig te bespuit. Gedenkkoevert Die osoonlaag funksioneer as 'n natuurlike skerm of filter wat die grootste gedeelte van die skadelike sonstraling absorbeer en die oorwegend voordelige straling soos sigbare lig en infrarooistraling deurlaat. Die konsentrasie van skadelike stowwe in die atmosfeer het gedurende die laaste twee dekades aansienlik toegeneem. Die Montreal Protokol op Stowwe wat die Osoonlaag uitput het op 15 April 1990 in Suid-Afrika in werking getree. N.W.
Theme: Science & Technology
Condition: Very FineVery attractive. Clean and crisp, no discolouration, only the slightest signs of handling.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R1.77 (ZAR)
SG reference: 742-744
SAPO serial number: 5.18
Estimated value: ~US$0.31
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 256 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
