With making scientist from the Oil and Gas companies stating that farcking could be South Africa?s economic liberation. Many, especially local communities and environmental defenders, are still pushing on the notion that fracking in the Karoo is the most dangerous endevour they could inflict on the environment and water resource.

Figure 1.1 Environmental Justice: Concepts, Evidence and Politics ( Walker, 2017).

The possibility of ?fracking? in the region has provoked heated debate. Is has be officially released that exploitation activities might commence within the next three years from now, conditional on results of site specific environmental impact assessments.

If it is found that gas from deep shale layers can be liberated at commercially feasible flow rates, the Karoo could be the locality of a domestic gas industry within the next 20 years, lasting for several decades.

It is said that it would be beneficial to use gas development when there is abundant cheap solar and wind energy? Because it adds quick-to-respond gas turbines into the South African energy mix and increases the ability of the power generation system to use sporadic renewable energy sources in a way which slow-to-respond power sources like coal and nuclear cannot.

The main benefits listed under fracking of shale gas is that it will create employment and improve national energy security.

The main concern is the water resouces, Each production would need about 15 million litres of fluid to frack.  Water is the main solvent (it doesn?t have to be fresh water), sand and a small quantity of potentially harmful chemicals. After the fracking , the fluid is pumped back to the surface and stored for fracking the next borehole. After some time, the contaminated water must be purified, the hazardous material sent to a licensed disposal facility (currently there are none in the Karoo), and the clean water returned to the environment.

The greatest risk involved with fracking fluid is that it may leak into the surface water and shallow aquifers that are utilized by the people, livestock and the ecosystem, due to insufficient sealing of the upper parts of the borehole, or following a spill on the surface. These risks can be reduced, but not eliminated, by sound engineering.

Figure 1.2 Did You Know #DYK – A Walk Through Your Advisory Setting (SHAWE, 2015).

Fracking in the Karoo has been presented as a ?yes-no? decision that will be taken by government. In reality, the choices are more nuanced, far in the future, and not solely governmental.

I personally believe that fracking is a big ?NO? for me and I fully suggest that the government takes note of the people and their views and the risks involved with fracking to our environment.

Reference list:

Hutchings,. R & Hutchings., M. 2017. Explainer: unpacking the issues around fracking in South Africa. The Conversation. [Online]. Available:

https://theconversation.com/explainer-unpacking-the-issues-around-fracking-in-south-africa-80513. July 13, 2017. Accessed: 04 June 2018.

Pictures:

1.1    Walker,. G. 2012. Environmental Justice: Concepts, Evidence and Politics. Paperback Publishings. [Online]. Available:

1.2    Shawe,. S. 2017. Did You Know #DYK – A Walk Through Your Advisory Setting. [Online]. Available: https://blog.l2b.co.za/did-you-know-dyk-a-walk-through-your-advisory-setting/ . January 17, 2017. Accessed: 05 June 2018.

1.3    Ramphele,. L. 2015. Shell's top shale-gas man has left SA. Does this mark the end of fracking?  [Online]. Available: http://www.702.co.za/articles/2109/shell-s-top-shale-gas-man-is-sent-home-does-this-mark-the-end-of-fracking . March 15, 2015. Accessed: 05 June 2018. (Cover picutre)