Let’s skrik ourselves wakker, says Wild Swimmer Mike Loewe
Mike Loewe, night news editor of the Daily Dispatch in East London, and former director of Eastern Cape’s first wire service, the East Cape News Agency, was the first person to sign up for The Wild Swim alongside Fred Kockott, the founding director of Roving Reporters.
“Throw me to the sharks, Fred, I might emerge a wiser recycler and new society activist,” wrote Loewe in accepting Kockott’s challenge.
“I need to swim to skrik myself wakker from the deep, hypnotic disassociation that controls my hand every time I reach out and buy pollution at my local supermarket,” said the seasoned 59 year old journalist and civil rights activist. “Buffalo City Metro does not recyle. All my plastic kak goes straight to the official rubbish dump. Illegal dumping is rife.”
“All this retail plastic and other evil stuff is washing down streams into the ocean where I surf,” adds Loewe.
Climate change
In addition to plastic pollution problems, Loewe reckons our generation needs to confront “the big climate future”.
“If we were clever enough to create the amazing technology which screwed up our habitat, then we can fix it with new tech, new thinking and new social organisation,” says Loewe.
Click here to read Mike’s stories about The Wild Swim.
Wild Swim
The Wild Swim takes place from April 26 to May 2 along a 22 km stretch of the Wild Coast earmarked for heavy minerals mining. The adventure swim has been organised by the 8 Mile Club in association with Roving Reporters and the Kydrin Foundation to raise R250,000 for eco-tourism in the area, marine conservation and associated environmental journalism training.
“The ocean is my playground and I am a fierce guardian of her ensuring she is kept pristine and glorious for the generations to come,” says Marcelle.
To help The Wild Swimmers reach this target DONATE HERE.
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