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There is no confusion about fracking in SA, says lobby group

Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 26 April 2011

Cabinet’s vote is clear in putting a halt to fracking at this time

A lobby group opposed to hydraulic fracturing as a mining technique has dismissed media reports this morning, which stated that Shell’s fracking application for the Karoo would continue to be heard.

A report in the Cape Times this morning claimed a moratorium announced by Cabinet last week had no impact on existing applications for fracking licenses, and that it rather only affected new applications.

“It is absurd for anyone to suggest that Cabinet intended anything other than what is clearly described in the press release that was issued last Thursday,” said TKAG national coordinator Jonathan Deal. A press release said that Cabinet had, “… endorsed the decision by the Department of Minerals to invoke a moratorium on licenses in the Karoo where fracking is proposed.”

“The statements attributed to the Department of Minerals spokesperson Bheki Khumalo today would serve only to rubbish the clear written directions from Cabinet, as described in their press release,” said Deal Continue reading There is no confusion about fracking in SA, says lobby group

Fracking won’t impact on SKA bid

Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 21 April 2011

There seems to be little chance that oil giant Shell’s plans to prospect for shale gas in the Karoo Basin using the “fracking” method will have an impact on South Africa’s bid to host the square kilometre array (SKA) radio telescope.

An artist's impression of what the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope will look like.

Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor said this in a written reply to the National Council of Provinces.

“An application can only have impact if granted,” she said.

“If the Shell application is granted, and if Shell uses communication systems with frequency ranges that interfere with radio telescope operations, the prospecting will affect radio astronomy.”

However, the South African SKA project office (Saspo) had proactively met with Shell and Golder Associates to indicate communications restrictions.

“All operations in the Karoo will be comprehensively addressed through regulations under the Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act 2007, which are expected to be finalised in the 2012/13 financial year, following consideration of the outcomes of the public consultations on the astronomy regulations, Pandor said. Continue reading Fracking won’t impact on SKA bid

More water to be made available for growth

Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 14 April 2011

The Department of Water Affairs has promised to work together with South Africans in order to make more water available for communities and economic growth.

De Hoop Dam project visualization by GESS

Minister in the department Edna Molewa said that they were building on the significant progress they had made in commissioning key water projects of strategic economic importance to the country.

These, she said, included the Mokolo and Crocodile River (West) project set to supply water to Eskom’s new Medupi power station and other industries in the area.

The project would also assist households within the Lephalale Municipality from 2014 onwards.

The estimated cost of the first phase of the project was R2 billion, with R600 million set to be spread over the next three years.

She said they had also awarded a R2.2 billion contract for the construction of the Spring Grove Dam on the Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal to supply water to the Ilembe District and the Ethekwini Metropolitan area by November next year. Continue reading More water to be made available for growth

Open letter to Shell regarding fracking in the Karoo

Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 24 March 2011

By: Jeremy Westgarth-Taylor – pioneer of Water Rhapsody Conservation Systems

The points in the letter below will be raised by Jeremy Westgarth-Taylor in a meeting with Shell scheduled for 16:00 on 25 March 2011 at Sports Science Centre in Newlands, Cape Town

Dear Shell, I have done a study of other frackers, and I see no difference between you and others elsewhere worldwide, what with the lack of transparency and downright lies.

Millions of litres of water are needed for fracking - per drilling site.

Fracking in our Karoo is not something that we simply don’t want. We are not going to have it. It will not go ahead if nothing else because of the strength of our consumerism. This is not Nigeria where Shell can simply do what Shell pleases.

You and your minions Golder have promised us a lot of things during our meetings, the answers to questions which have not been answered and at best have been obfuscated. Are you lying or simply being economical with the truth in these examples?

For instance; when asked about the toxic compounds that you intend to introduce into the earth, after drillings have been completed, to start your fracking process your Adam Dodson said in one or more meetings:

1.     One of the chemicals used in fracking is also used in ice cream.
2.     The chemicals were something which you would report in the EMP proposal – (which is not there).
3.     The Chemicals are of proprietary nature and could not expose them.
4.     Could not tell us because the geology differs in every area from place to place.

Clearly and succinctly answer which of these is the correct answer. And let us know whether diesel is one of the ingredients. Why don’t you give us the list of all the possible ingredients for this purpose?

We read in the newspapers conflicting things and on the basis of the conflicting items we need some answers. Continue reading Open letter to Shell regarding fracking in the Karoo

Fracking could sink SA’s telescope bid

Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 16 March 2011

Oil giant Shell’s plans to prospect for shale gas in the Karoo could affect South Africa’s bid to build the world’s biggest radio telescope.

This 1,000ft telescope is the largest curved focusing dish on Earth and is sunk in a limestone basin in Puerto Rico.

Science and technology deputy director-general Val Munsami said Shell’s plans were starting to raise questions among international partners.

They were asking how such exploration might impact on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), he told Parliament’s science and technology portfolio committee.

South Africa and Australia were shortlisted in 2006 as locations for the SKA project.

The SKA will cost about two billion euro to build, and require between 150-million and 200-million euro a year, for 50 years, to maintain and operate.

The radio telescope – brainchild of a consortium of major international science funding agencies in 16 countries – comprises 3000 giant antenna dishes, each the height of a three-storey building.

Astronomers plan to use the SKA to peer back through time, across vast distances, to investigate the history of the universe and when the first stars were formed.

The SKA core site in South Africa is near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape, where many of the dishes would be erected. Continue reading Fracking could sink SA’s telescope bid

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There is no confusion about fracking in SA, says lobby group

Fracking won’t impact on SKA bid

More water to be made available for growth

Open letter to Shell regarding fracking in the Karoo

Fracking could sink SA’s telescope bid

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