Coal – the burning issue
As we speak, the World Bank is in the throes of voting on a proposed $3.75 billion / R29-billion loan to Eskom, the bulk of which would go to develop Medupi, a 4 800 MW coal-fi red power plant and the fourth-largest coal plant in the world.
Coal – the burning issue
As we speak, the World Bank is in the throes of voting on a proposed $3.75 billion / R29-billion loan to Eskom, the bulk of which would go to develop Medupi, a 4 800 MW coal-fi red power plant and the fourth-largest coal plant in the world.
Proponents of the loan and the project argue that coal still remains the cheapest possible way right now to generate electricity thus providing cost effi cient access to power for the poor and that some of the funding will go towards Eskom exploring and investing in renewable energy sources.
They also argue that innovative technology will be used in Medupi to create a far cleaner coal-fi red power plant than ever before.
Countless other environmental and civic organisations and commentators disagree, stating that 60% of South Africa’s electricity is being guzzled by heavy industry and drawing attention to the failure of Eskom management to re-negotiate outdated contracts with major industrial users of energy, despite repeated requests by Eskom’s own board.
They state that it’s these contracts that give aluminum smelters and other industrial users ridiculously low electricity rates, which are responsible for the increasing rates paid by other users, decreasing affordable access for lowerincome households and creating the supposed demand Medupi purports to serve.
Regarding the ‘cleanness’ that the power plant’s new technology will facilitate, many point out that this technology as yet remains largely untested, with speculative potential benefi ts;
while many have called the part of the loan going towards alternative energy projects as merely tokenistic – with the immediate CO2 savings from these renewable energy projects being modest by comparison to the emissions of Medupi bearing in mind that their total generating capacity is less than 5% of Medupi.
In many ways, the ultimate confusion about the whole deal is where the South African government’s energy policy actually lies.
Are we a country that is indeed as committed to the lowering of carbon emissions as we publically proclaim in forums like the Copenhagen Climate Conference, or are we still silently committed to dirty energy that benefi ts largely multinational industry, while creating a massive public debt and not seriously exploring the potential of renewable energy?
The World Bank deal is as yet not fi nalised and the burning issue of coal remains as heated ever!
Stamp out standing by
The amount of ‘standby power’ electricity used while an appliance is not being used but still plugged in that’s consumed by our computers, printers, TVs, phone chargers, and many other electro gizmos may seem insignifi cant.
But it’s not! Various studies around the world suggest that this can add up to anything from 6% to 22% of all energy home or offi ce usage. So stamp out standing by and switch off appliances at the plug when not using them!
Earth hours, Earth days, Earth years, Earth life!
Earth Hour on Saturday 27 March was a resounding success, with 126 countries participating and hundreds of millions of people in over 4 000 cities and towns taking part.
At the appointed time, all around the world, famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London, the Pyramids in Egypt and the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe turned off their lights and were engulfed in darkness for one hour, between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.
In South Africa, this included the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Table Mountain in Cape Town and the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Earth Day on 22 April is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a global attempt for international co-operation to address issues like global warming, toxic waste, destruction of rainforests, expanding deserts and ocean pollution.
You can participate by registering your own green efforts at www.earthday.net as part of the Billion Acts of Green Campaign.
This campaign is geared at mobilising all of us to take small steps in our homes, our schools and our businesses that add up to an enormous collective action.
Also, why not take part in the Biomimicry Institute’s Great TV Rebellion of 2010, in honour of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary.
Here the institute is calling for 5 000 people to turn off their TVs during Earth Week from April 19 to 25 and turn on to nature.
You can take the pledge online at www.biomimicryinstitute.org/tv2010 Two other very important days are Plant Conservation Day on 18 May and the International Day of Biological Diversity on 22 May.
Edu-Green
Any school registered with the Eco-Schools Programme in South Africa for 2010, can participate in another exciting Climate Change Poster Competition, with a poster that demonstrates, in a clear and imaginative way, a commitment to tackle climate change with drawings and statements.
The winning posters should be A2 size (with only one poster per school) and posters can be either an individual or a group effort. Closing date is 9 June 2010.
For queries and more information on the Eco-Schools South Africa Programme and the Climate Change Poster Competition, please contact the National Eco-Schools Co-ordination Team on 033 330 3931 (ext 145) or ecoschools@wessa.co.za.
Then for educators, the Stars in Education Awards celebrate and reward teachers who have gone the extra mile in making a positive difference in the lives of their learnersand their surrounding communities.
Contact Shihaam Domingo on 021-865 2813 or email her at stars@argo.org.za. Alternatively, visit The Stars in Education Awards page on www.argo.org.za and www.teacher.org.za for more information.
Contacts for Makana Enviro-News:
Nikki Köhly: nkohly@yahoo.com, 046 636 1643
Lawrence Sisitka: heilaw@imaginet.co.za, 046 622 8595
Jenny Gon: j-gon@intekom.co.za, 046 622 5822
Dan Wylie d.wylie@ru.ac.za, 046 603 8409
Nick James: nickjames@intekom.co.za, 046 622 5757
Strato Copteros strato@iafrica.com, 082 785 6403
