In South Africa the government is considering whether to remove the moratorium that prohibits the use of high volume slick-water hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') in drilling for natural gas.
Fracking is an environmentally dirty process which will:
Add significantly to world greenhouse gases.
Consume water in unsustainable volumes.
Increase damaging air pollution up to 300km downwind.
Risk polluting groundwater.
Put workers and our people at risk of toxic pollution.
Produce wastes that we cannot treat.
Industrialise a hauntingly beautiful landscape.
Create temporary boom-town conditions.
NOT provide long-lived jobs with useful skill sets.
Increase the traffic on poor roads a hundred-fold.
Cause noise, dust and light pollution.
Do nothing to alleviate poverty because of the 'Dutch Disease' effect that will strengthen the Rand and hamper exports.
South Africa has no trained supervisors for fracking operations, which coupled with a low price of gas will mean that companies will cut all the corners they can. A free-for-all will result. That can be avoided by careful use of balanced, renewable energy sources.
Tell the President, the Ministers and the Cabinet that removing the Moratorium will harm South Africa and its citizens. Tell them that fracking will harm the world's many and profit only the few.
