Chapter 10
LIPPY WOMAN
Op eds, in which the author gets lippy.
31 Jan 2026
9 Feb 2026
29 Jan 2026
Magical thinking vs the laws of physics — why science journalism can’t save us from climate collapse [Part 1]
Science journalism is reporting on the symptoms of a disease whose origins lie in an economic model that’s at odds with the laws of physics. Until we address the root of the problem, we won’t bring down the fever of climate collapse, biodiversity loss or other planetary boundary crashes.
First published in the Daily Maverick.
Our own flavour of climate avoidance — why science journalism can’t save us [Part 2]
Science journalists are humans, before we’re society’s watchdogs. The talking points at the recent World Conference of Science Journalists show we’re so busy surviving the immediate threat to our careers that there may be little headspace to confront the enormity of climate collapse.
First published in the Daily Maverick.
What is a lethal dose of plastics poisoning?
In this TEDxJohannesburg talk, Leonie traces how profit-driven systems keep the tap of plastic production wide open while the rest of us absorb the consequences. Exposing the politics behind this crisis, she argues that only bold regulation, accountability, and a global shift toward a true circular economy can uphold our right to healthy, breathable air.
Hosted by TEDxJohannesburg and #TEDCountdown.
18 Jan 2026
Disruptive storytelling — the need for slow journalism at a time of planetary crisis
The annual gathering of African investigative journalists last November was a reminder of the need for slow, methodical reporting to expose social ills that span decades and vast geographies. A journalist’s craft, though, starts with the A-B-Cs.
First published in the Daily Maverick. Photograph: Sam Nzima.
11 Nov 2025
Keep it clean — plastics pollution is a public health issue
Single-use plastic pollution is a public health concern, as much as it’s about clean beaches and the safety of ocean animals. The Health Department should be pulling alongside Environment Minister Dion George to close the tap on single-use plastics.
First published in the Daily Maverick. Animations by Stella Joubert, @stellarsdrawings.
28 Jan 2026
Microplastics critique is a damp squib, not a bombshell exposé of faulty science
The Guardian supposedly dropped a bombshell when it reported recently that early research on the extent of microplastics in the human body is too fraught with errors to be taken seriously. It misses the point, and sets back efforts to address this pressing public health crisis.
First published in the Daily Maverick.