June 2013.Indd

groundWork is a non-profi t environmental justice service and developmental In this issue organization working primarily in South Africa, but increasingly in Southern Africa. 3 From the Smoke Stack groundWork seeks to improve the quality of life of vulnerable people in 5 2018 and beyond Southern Africa through assisting civil society to have a greater impact on 7 Walking on caves of fi re environmental governanace. groundWork places particular emphasis on assisting 10 Refl ections on EJ politics in Africa vulnerable and previously disadvantaged people who are most affected by environmental injustices. 12 Don’t frack with the Karoo groundWork’s current campaign areas 13 R12 million+ invested in SAWPA are: Climate Justice and Energy, Air Quality, Waste and Environmental Health. 14 The high cost of coal groundWork is constituted as a trust. The Chairperson of the Board of 16 Joining a network of friends Trustees is Joy Kistnasamy, lecturer in environmental health at the Durban University of Technology. The other 19 Greedy capital wants it all trustees are: Farid Esack, Patrick Kulati, Richard Lyster, Thuli Makama, Sandile 21 No gate can stay locked forever Ndawonde and Jon White. 23 New books groundWork’s SOUTH AFRICAN STAFF ARE: Director: Bobby Peek Deputy Director: Gill Addison Administrative Assistant: Bathoko Sibisi Climate Justice, Energy and Air Quality Campaign Manager: Siziwe Khanyile Waste Campaign Manager: Musa Help us spread the word Chamane Twitter Research Manager: Rico Euripidou www.facebook.com/ @groundWorkSA Trainee Media, Information and groundWorkSA Publications Campaign Manager: Megan Lewis Bookkeeper: Gill Waterworth AFFILIATIONS: groundWork is affi liated to the following international groundWork’s USA STAFF ARE: organizations: Director: Heeten Kalan Health Care Without Harm Coordinator: Sunita Dubey International POPs Elimination Network Basel Action Network HOW TO CONTACT US: 6 Raven Street Oilwatch International Pietermaritzburg Global Anti-Incineration Alliance P O Box 2375, Pietermaritzburg, 3200 groundWork is the South African member of Friends of the Earth Tel: 033-342-5662 International Fax: 033-342-5665 CREDITS: e-mail: [email protected] Printed on recycled paper from Sappi Fine Papers Web: www.groundwork.org.za Layout by Boutique Books – Printing by ArrowPrint 555 Amory Street, Boston MA 02130, USA Tel: +1-617-522-0604 Fax: +1-617-522-5591 Climate change has become a living reality as we reached the 400 ppm CO e-mail: [email protected] 2 threshold level in May. Web: www.groundwork-usa.org Design by Latha Ravjee, Crystal Clear Design and Illustration - 2 - groundWork - Vol 15 No 2 - June 2013 - From the Smoke Stack Photo by FoE by groundWork Director, Bobby Peek Dear Friends toll could rise beyond 10 000 people as they fi nd bodies in rivers and under landslides in the state We have crossed the 400 ppm CO level threshold 2 of Uttarakhand. It is clear that, in the South, the and we are living in the reality! It is not in the future ravages of climate change are going to be very – it is now! much more painful than in the North. I spent the last we ek before my sabbatical in It is clear from the evidence at hand, that the Germany, with the Committee on Southern Africa world’s governments are failing their citizens as – which was the old anti-apartheid movement – they continue to shift the chairs on the Titanic at trying to make sense of how Germany’s decision the UN negotiations on climate change. Even one to stop mining coal in 2018 is going to impact on of South Africa’s key negotiators at the UN, Dr the extraction of coal from the global South. Coal is Debra Roberts, has laughed off the negotiations as synonymous with climate change, and the month of she recently pronounced that it is a system of spin June was catastrophic for the world, as Germany’s more than anything else. Coming from one of the transport system ground to a halt and then ran chief negotiators on the South Africa delegation, perpetually late because of fl ooding, which resulted this is a wake-up call for all of us. Dr Roberts is in more than 45 000 people being asked to leave never one to mince her words. their homes – and some being forcefully evacuated by the authorities. The photos streaming from the Based upon this reality, Megan’s involvement in the world media resembled a fl ooded Mozambique – Global Power Shift, where more than 500 people you just saw water. The only difference was that from around the world met in June in Istanbul to at times you saw the roofs of large submerged work on local strategies to resist climate change, mansions. Just across the border, in Switzerland, is important because it is at the local level that extreme weather dumped huge amounts of hail effective resistance to climate change is going to – resembling a winter snow – on Geneva, with take place. Stopping the mining of coal and coal- winds in excess of 130 kilometres per hour, which fi red power stations in Germany, halting exports is associated with hurricanes. In Alberta, Canada, from the mines in South Africa, stopping the drilling storms in June displaced more than 100 000 people of oil in the Niger and the fracking of gas in the as people here experienced the worst fl ooding ever. Karoo – this is where real, meaningful action is taking place, not in the global fancy halls of power, The global South also suffered from fl ooding during where all is talk and no action. this period. Unlike the few deaths that occurred in Canada, suffering was more intense in India where But taking action against coal is not going to be they experienced their heaviest rainfall to date. easy. With their disaster management response teams Eskom, in its arrogance, has decided to ask to not expecting this, more than 800 people have be exempt from meeting air pollution emission died, with authorities indicating that the death standards for power plants, including the new - Vol 15 No 2 - June 2013 - groundWork - 3 - Medupi. This is strange, for Medupi was to be a Sadly, during these last few months, the South world-class facility, funded by the World Bank, African government was caught up in a political meeting the best standards. Yet here we are, faced faux pas, when, back in mid-April, the South African with a situation where even Eskom’s new stations government wanted to posthumously honour cannot meet the very weak South African standards. Forbes Burnham with the prestigious Oliver Tambo In this case it is clear that government understands Award. Controversially, Burnham was fi ngered coal to more important than peoples’ health; in the murder of Dr Walter Rodney, renowned coal that benefi ts multi-nationals, rather than the historian and political activist who strengthened the people who need electricity to ensure their lives narrative of the under-development of Africa by are healthy. This announcement came after they Europe. The 13th of June was the 33rd anniversary ignored a multi-stakeholder negotiation on how of his death. The South African government backed to work on new air pollution standards for South down after international pressure – and deferred Africa, a negotiation that was called for by the the award to a future date. It is unconceivable Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental that the South African government would consider Affairs, after the Section 21 emission standards honouring Burnham, for Rodney is key in ensuring came to parliament and the Committee saw that it that Africans themselves fi ght their way out of years was poorly negotiated and constructed. of imperialism. Something that is ever so critical as we challenge the BRICS. Government will place, and is already placing, barriers in society’s way to make sure that their The heat is on in terms of fracking in the Karoo. grip on coal is not loosened. In April, parliament Jonathan Deal of the Treasure the Karoo Action passed the Protection of State Information Bill (aka Group received the Goldman Award for his work The Secrecy Bill) which will limit the information on highlighting the plight of the Karoo. The people will be able to access. This Bill, if signed Southern Cape Land Committee (SCLC) has, into law, will no doubt result in information on with its extensive network of farm workers, small coal developments being withheld by government. farmers and the very many unemployed people in Couple this with Minister of State Enterprises, the Karoo, taken on the challenge of fracking to Gigabe’s, “Strategic Infrastructure Projects”, and ensure that local people have a clear understanding much is going to be for the “national good” and of the realities around fracking and what it would local community people are going to be shafted. mean for the people of the Karoo. A small gathering Will the Bill stand the rigours of the Constitutional in Steytlerville, called by SCLC, brought together Court? This is yet to be decided upon. As Zapiro social justice activists from across South Africa with so eloquently put in one of his May cartoons, we local people from the Karoo and over two days would not have known of C.A.R. Gate, Nkandlagate people spoke about what they understand of and and Guptagate if the Secrecy Bill had been in place. fear from fracking in the Karoo. We would probably not have known of Marikana We have a great battle ahead of us – coal, fracking, if the Bill was in place. The Bill takes us back to a off-shore oil and gas drilling and new coal-to- place many of us dreaded, a place we should not liquid facilities are all issues with which we have venture back to.

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