Simon Gear
Simon is a broadcaster, writer and environmental scientist with two decades of experience. He has presented live TV or radio just about every day since
November 1999 and has appeared on all of South Africa’s domestic television channels, many of the local radio stations (including being the daily science and weather correspondent for Talk Radio 702 and 567 Cape Talk). He has also regularly appeared on several international stations such as the BBC, Canada’s CBC and China’s CGTN.
In September of 2018, he launched South Africa’s first dedicated sports commentary station, 1World Sports Radio (1WSR.com) and is also the owner
of Research News Africa, a science communication site (www.researchnews.africa).
He is the author of ‘Going Green’ (Penguin, 2008) and has contributed to a wide range of magazines, textbooks and website blogs. He has lectured extensively on South African Environmental Impact Assessments, Air Quality and climate change to business schools, universities and industry bodies.
Simon runs a small, specialist air quality and climate consultancy called Kijani, which focuses on assessing and modelling the air pollution and greenhouse gas impacts of mines, industries and public infrastructure. He is a keen conservationist and has worked for BirdLife South Africa and volunteered in vulture conservation with VulPro, the country’s leading vulture captive breeding and research organisation. He currently works as a science advisor on the environmental show, 50|50. Simon has a passion for science and the environment and is able to bring his love of these subjects alive for his audiences with his personal brand of humour and his relaxed style. Simon is able to talk and MC on a wide range of topics, including:
Simon has a passion for science and the environment and is able to bring his love of these subjects alive for his audiences with his personal brand of humour and his relaxed style. Simon is able to talk and MC on a wide range of topics, including:
- Designing happy cities for greener living
- Climate change and South Africa’s new urban realities: Cape Town in crisis
- Vultures of South Africa and the great folk who conserve them
- Rural climate change – implications for everyone from actuaries to commercial farmers
- Meteorology: the science of weather
- Sustainable development and the latest in environmental legislation
- South Africa’s energy future
- Science communication
- Bird conservation in South Africa
- The main environmental challenges facing mankind