It’s back to the drawing board for government, which has received a bloody nose in the Western Cape High Court where its nuclear procurement processes to date have been declared unlawful and set aside. Judge Lee Bozalek on Wednesday ruled in favour of the case brought by Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) … [Read more...]
Shale gas fracking in Karoo gets a green light
The government has given the go-ahead for shale gas development in the Karoo region, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Thursday. He revealed this during a community engagement on shale gas development in Richmond, in the Northern Cape. "Based on the balance of available scientific evidence, government took a decision to proceed with the development of … [Read more...]
Conference brings together Africa’s leading women in energy
The third annual Women in Energy conference, organised by the Africa Energy Indaba, will bring together Africa’s leading women in the energy sector on Monday 20th February at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The Africa Energy Indaba was the first energy conference on the continent to launch a specialised event for the promotion and empowerment of women in the … [Read more...]
Ministers sign secret deal to mine strategic water zone
Documents unearthed a week ago show Environment Minister Edna Molewa signed the approval for mining in the Mabola protected environment on August 20 2016, three months before Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane signed it on November 21. The permission for Indian company Atha Africa Ventures to mine in Mabola, a critical water catchment area near Wakkerstroom, … [Read more...]
Carmichael megamine jobs need ’21 times the subsidies’ of renewables
Clean energy projects in Queensland are already on track to create more employment than Australia’s largest proposed coalmine, which if funded federally would cost taxpayers 21 times more per job, according to new study. Federal government agencies are investing $71.4m in seven solar farms and a windfarm in Queensland, which are set to deliver a total of 2,218 jobs, … [Read more...]
Cape Town’s water restrictions: a necessary, new way of life?
“The drought that has impacted many regions within South Africa for a considerable length of time now has exposed the poor, or lack of, water management (monitoring and control) ability of many water institutions, as well as the difficulties and inability of municipalities and their consumers to be able to reduce their consumption when required” says Steve Gillham, General … [Read more...]
GBCSA launches Green Star Communities Pilot Programme in SA
The Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) announced the launch of the locally applicable version of the Green Star – Communities rating tool in South Africa. The tool is a framework that will drive the development of more sustainable neighbourhoods and precincts, ultimately making African cities more sustainable. Green Star – Communities, developed by the Green … [Read more...]
Yet more secrets for nuclear power
Yet another secretive Section 34 Determination for nuclear power had been signed by the current Minister of Energy, Tina Joemat-Pettersson. This was revealed in Court during what was described as a “disquieting” twist of events by senior counsel for the State (Marius Oosthuizen SC) on Tuesday. In the Western Cape High Court Environmental Justice Groups - Earthlife Africa … [Read more...]
Nuclear energy crowding out adaptation responses
Nuclear energy is a false solution to climate change. Research into costs, timeframes and lifecycle carbon costing shows that even if nuclear energy did not emit radiation during operations or leave us with toxic waste for thousands of years, it is too expensive, too late and not carbon-free. In addition, nuclear power needs uranium as fuel, which comes from uranium mining. … [Read more...]
The Paris climate agreement is now official
The significance of the Paris agreement coming into force today is easy to miss: it may seem like an anti-climax, given the travails that led up to its signing last December. But the moment is of huge importance. This is the first time that a legally-binding agreement, signed by all of the world’s functioning governments, has laid down a commitment to limit the growth of … [Read more...]
Rwanda, coffee haven emerging from a dark past
The tiny country of Rwanda is beautiful. Trapped between Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda is a country of green hills, mighty volcanos, dense forests, and the vast Lake Kivu. Known as the “land of a thousand hills”, its population of 11.7 million is squeezed into 26,338 km2 of land. Rwanda has experienced its share of trauma and … [Read more...]
A new type of politics could help prevent climate disaster
China and the US’s announcement that they will join the Paris climate accord comes at a time when the UK’s own climate and energy policies appear at best in disarray, and worst at odds. Imagine you’re stuck in a burning building. Stay and you perish, but the complexity of the building means that to physically escape you have to work with the others also trapped. If everyone … [Read more...]
Africa’s only solar panel manufacturer shines brightly
Professor Vivian Alberts is sitting in a small office above a hi-tech solar factory set among rolling vineyards in sunny Stellenbosch, South Africa. “We want to offer to the government and people of South Africa a completely optimised South African photovoltaic system built by South Africans for the South African market,” he says, beaming. He sees the country as an emerging … [Read more...]
