It is high time that Safripol, one of Africa’s top plastic manufacturers, takes full responsibility for its toxic legacy of air pollution in local communities. Yesterday, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) and its supporters protested in Cape Town outside the building where KAP Industrial Holdings Limited's annual shareholder meeting is hosted. This … [Read more...]
Protesters demonstrate outside Cape Town oil conference
The Africa Oil Week conference at the Cape Town International Convention Centre this week is bringing together governments, investors, international corporations, and lobbyists, who - despite our imminent global ecological crisis – remain unchallenged by our politicians as they further push our world over the edge of collapse through their aggressively escalating production of … [Read more...]
SA’s inadequate nuclear liability regulations finally updated
South Africa’s inadequate nuclear liability regulations have finally been updated and gazetted by Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe. This news comes after almost six years of Greenpeace Africa pushing the Minister to do so to protect taxpayers from the potentially astronomical costs of a nuclear accident. "We can finally celebrate the fact that the … [Read more...]
Between the drillers and the deep blue sea
Environmental attorneys Adrian Pole and Kirsten Youens have lodged a detailed appeal on behalf of WILDOCEANS with the Environment, Forestry and Fishery (DEFF) Minister Barbara Creecy, challenging an authorisation granted by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to authorize foreign mining giants Eni and Sasol to drill six exploration oil wells at two deep sea locations in … [Read more...]
SA’s plans for more coal electricity condemned
In the wake of a new bout of load-shedding, the long-overdue Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) was finally published for implementation today – following nearly a year of deliberations, behind closed doors, at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC). The Life After Coal Campaign (LAC) and Greenpeace Africa (GP) are appalled to note that the … [Read more...]
Sweden rejects major gas terminal on climate grounds
The Swedish government decided today to deny the EU-backed Gothenburg gas terminal its final permit on climate grounds. This development is the latest in a series of faltering gas projects and follows years of local opposition including a blockade of the harbour and terminal by hundreds of people in September. Olivia Linander of the local grassroots group Fossilgasfällan … [Read more...]
Extinction Rebellion gatecrashes energy conference at CTICC
Earlier today, Extinction Rebellion (XR) Cape Town and XR Winelands took non-violent direct action against the Africa Oil and Power conference currently being held at the CTICC, in order to draw attention to the crimes against humanity that the conference is intended to facilitate. The official website for the conference boasts a “…platform for power pioneers such as Kenya, … [Read more...]
Go-ahead for controversial oil project off KZN coast
Marches, protests and objections to plans to drill for gas and oil along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline over the past few years have come to naught. The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has granted environmental authorisation to the Italian energy group, Eni, and Sasol Africa to conduct exploratory drilling in the Durban and Zululand basins, covering a total offshore area … [Read more...]
Dumping fossil fuels to drive green development
Disinvestments in fossil fuels amounting to 11 trillion dollars – eight times the global GDP – have been recorded in the last six months of this year, according to a report released this week. According to the report, divestment “leapt from 52 billion dollars in 2014 to more than 11 trillion dollars today — a stunning increase of 22,000 percent”. But the report noted that … [Read more...]
Coal mining venture could wreck iMfolozi Wilderness Area
The final Spatial Development Framework for the uMfolozi Municipality has been released. The uMfolozi Municipality stretches from the southern borders of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park to the coast. Map 18 on mining areas shows the area identified for coal mining running along the southern border of the HIP. What is especially problematic is this paragraph from page 102 of … [Read more...]
Africa’s opportunity to turn climate change crises into prosperity
No job is too important to be created or sustained at the expense of the well being of our children and their future, writes Mamphela Ramphele. There is no place to hide from the climate emergencies upon us. We have the responsibility as the people and citizens of Africa, to put pressure on our leaders to respond urgently and decisively to turn these crises into … [Read more...]
Anti-pollution activists block Eskom entrance with emergency “hospital” scene
Anti-pollution activists from Greenpeace Africa have completely blocked the entrance to Eskom's Megawatt Park headquarters with a makeshift emergency hospital scene to highlight the premature deaths and diseases caused by Eskom's polluting coal-fired power stations. This follows Greenpeace India's release of a new study detailing the world's worst sulphur dioxide (SO2) … [Read more...]
Tax breaks for South Africans who install solar power systems
South Africa’s government, energy regulator and Eskom have often been criticised for obstructing the introduction of distributed, small-scale embedded generation, which would help businesses to cut costs and ensure the stability of their power supply during load shedding. But in fact, there are significant and far-sighted tax breaks which have been put in place by National … [Read more...]
