|
|
Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 06 April 2011
In its desperate efforts to battle chronic water shortages, Jordan, one of the world’s 10 driest countries, is mulling “unconventional” and “environmentally unfriendly” plans, experts say.
 The plan is to provide the capital Amman with water for 50 years. The challenge is huge for this tiny country where desert covers 92% of the territory and the population of 6.3 million is growing.
Critics said the government’s efforts to manage the country’s limited water resources and generate new ones are being hindered by a strategy which at best is chaotic.
Jordan is tapping into the ancient southern Disi aquifer, despite concerns about high levels of radiation, while studies are underway to build a controversial canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea.
“Unconventional projects, like Disi for example, are environmentally unfriendly,” said water expert Dureid Mahasneh, a former Jordan Valley Authority chief.
Radiation
The $990m project seeks to extract 100 million cubic metres of water a year from the 300 000-year-old Disi aquifer, 325km south of Amman, officials said.
The plan is to provide the capital Amman with water for 50 years, said water ministry official Bassam Saleh, who is in charge of the project that was launched in 2008 and is due to be completed in 2012.
A 2008 study by Duke University in the US, shows that Disi’s water has 20 times more radiation than is considered safe, with radium content that could trigger cancers. Continue reading 300000 year old Disi aquifer to quench water shortage
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
Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 07 March 2011
By: PC Baker
I am sure that many of you have seen and read a lot about this proposed programme; it has been well reported in the press as well as on the news services. Johan Rupert, a Karooster himself has joined the forces mobilizing against this operation which has given the campaign a big boost….”Rupert vs. Shell”.
 Support the cause. Get your T-shirt (click on image) There have been public meetings held throughout the Karoo and in PE as well as Cape Town. The momentum is increasing to force Shell to abandon this exploration and possible drilling.
But why should we be against something which will bring clean natural gas into our energy grid and jobs to our people in the Karoo, the most destitute and hopeless in the country? Surely it can only be a good thing for all concerned?
The facts of the matter are unfortunately contrary to popular belief and the notion of gas being clean, and an environmentally safe energy source is not anywhere near the truth.
In order to get to the potentially gas bearing layers deep within the bowels of the earth’s crust, wells must be drilled down to levels between 2 and 5 kilometres! That’s very deep and these wells therefore have to pass through the water bearing strata of rock or aquifers; both farmers and villagers in the Karoo depend on these aquifers for their drinking and farming water. The Karoo is a desert and water is one of our most precious resources. As the planet earth gets warmer and warmer, we are expecting to see an average temperature increase in the Karoo of 6-7deg C over the next 50 years. More heat: more evaporation from surface water reserves; plain and simple. Ground water will become a more and more important commodity to look after if we and our children are to survive. Continue reading Don’t Frack With Our Karoo
Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 20 February 2011
The stark and harsh reality of acid mine drainage (AMD) is laid bare in a report by the Department of Water Affairs.
 Episodes of AMD decant are contaminating Tweelopiesspruit. Photo: Alistair-Clacherty The document includes the findings of an interministerial committee team of experts on AMD, assembled in September to investigate the issue.
“Urgent reduction of water ingress into mine voids remained a high priority,” it says.
The department would neither confirm nor deny ownership of the document.
The document proposes various interventions for three areas: the West Rand (Western Basin), central Johannesburg (Central Basin) and the East Rand (Eastern Basin).
It also notes that recent heavy rain and resultant flooding in Gauteng raised concerns that these conditions would lead to more water flowing into mines and worsening AMD in the province.
“The recent occurrence of flooding is in essence a matter separate to that of AMD; however, cognisance must be taken that flood water has potential to enter mine workings and also increase AMD.”
The document points out that water in mine workings is an important environmental concern. Continue reading AMD laid bare in Water Affairs report
Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 07 February 2011
Shell, Sasol and Bundu are names of companies that are going through application processes to drill exploration holes very deep into the ground in the Karoo in search of water and gas.
Millions of litres of water are needed for fracking - per drilling site. Shell has opened up a can of worms with their public participation meetings, and there are too many questions that have been unanswered; though the questions have been asked of them directly.
To drill explorative holes, and to look for water at limitless depths, Shell has applied for an EMP (Environmental Management Plan). I am not aware of how deep existing boreholes go down to get water for farming purposes, but all of the farmers say that there is just enough water for them to exist in that harsh environment. Other hydro-geologists say that there is no more water for any purposes whatsoever in the Karoo.
At the outset, it must be stressed that the problems relating to “chemical fracking” are all about water.
How much water is needed by Shell for drilling and fracking? Shell and the others need millions of litres of water per drilling site, but nobody is willing to say how many drilling sites there are in their proposals, nor how many millions of litres are needed per drilling site.
Will Shell compete with farmers for water? If there is a finite volume in the fossil aquifer, and Shell is to extract more water than before, it is only logical that there will be less water than before. The process may go ahead without any research as to the re-charge of the aquifer. A full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should be done to find these facts out. Continue reading Fracking the Karoo and unanswered questions
|
Water Rhapsody
is a
WWF Green Trust
award winner.
Save up to 90% of your municipal water bill.
|
