SOUTHERN CAPE NEWS - The Southern Cape Land Committee (SCLC) and groundWork (Friends of the Earth, South Africa) welcome the announcement that Shell will not “aggressively” continue to pursue their application for an exploratory license to frack for methane gas.
This is in line with international trends in the fracking industry which is increasingly realising that the failure to generate sufficient profits makes fracking unviable and dangerous. Parallel to this is the various struggles of local resistance globally, that is gaining momentum and highlighting to the world real concern that society has about the negative environmental impact of fracking.
“The imperative now is to pursue renewable energy options which are environmentally and socially sustainable and will protect the fragile and unique natural resources of the Karoo while opening opportunities for local people to benefit from access to energy that supports their needs, rather than that of corporations,” reads a statement by Angela Conway, representing SCLC and groundWork.
Local people whose lives are impacted upon by poverty and unemployment have been driving an anti-fracking campaign awareness in townships and on farms in the Karoo calling for transformative development which will provide sustainable employment and skills while protecting the natural resources, in particular water.
“SCLC and groundWork are committed to supporting local people in organising and strengthening voice towards agrarian transformation, towards a Karoo where there are equal opportunities and towards a Karoo where our children will enjoy a quality of life.”
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