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Karoo’s shale gas to boost economy, says report

EXTRACTING even a fraction of the estimated shale-gas reserves in the Karoo could contribute R35bn-R90bn to government revenue and generate up to 700000 permanent jobs over two and a half decades, according to a report by Econometrix, the economic research provider. The report, sponsored by Shell, the oil company that is seeking permission to start …

EXTRACTING even a fraction of the estimated shale-gas reserves in the Karoo could contribute R35bn-R90bn to government revenue and generate up to 700000 permanent jobs over two and a half decades, according to a report by Econometrix, the economic research provider.

The report, sponsored by Shell, the oil company that is seeking permission to start extracting for the gas, was launched in Johannesburg on Friday morning.

It measured the potential impact of shale-gas development on the South African economy, assuming a constant price of $8 per 1000 cubic feet and a rand/dollar exchange rate of R7,303.

The US Energy Information Administration estimates there are about 485-trillion cubic feet of shale-gas reserves in the southern Karoo.

Extracting between 4% (20-trillion cubic feet) and 10% (20-trillion cubic feet) of the estimated shale-gas resources would have an economic impact of R80bn-R200bn a year on South Africa’s gross domestic product, Econometrix said.

Average government revenue would be between R35bn and R90bn a year, and the process would generate 300000-700000 permanent jobs for a period of 25 years, it said.

“This is a lot of money, a lot of jobs. To walk away from values like these is going to be a difficult decision,” said Tony Twine, economist and managing director at Econometrix.

“The case for gas is truly compelling,” said Bonang Mohale, chairman of Shell South Africa.

Mr Twine also said large-scale shale-gas development might ease South Africa’s energy deficit, making it easier for the country to grow.

“If we want to grow (the economy), we must find a whole lot of energy to drive the economy,” he said, adding that if the amount of shale gas lying 4000m-5000m below the surface of the Karoo was confirmed, it could provide the equivalent of 400 years’ worth of energy consumption in South Africa.

OPPOSITION

Shale-gas exploration in the Karoo has, however, run into stiff opposition due to the “fracking” technique used to extract the gas.

There is a government moratorium on fracking, which involves injecting millions of litres of water, chemicals and sand into the earth at high pressure to free pockets of natural gas.

The Econometrix report “has clearly been commissioned by Shell, which already calls its independence into question”, said Jonathan Deal, chairman of the Treasure the Karoo Action Group, on Friday.

“I am sceptical of anything that is published by oil and industry anywhere that promotes their own interests. They have a history of publishing statistics that suits theoretical objectives that frequently do not represent the true picture,” he added.

“There is no consensus yet on the employment figures in terms of the jobs created and jobs destroyed, where you have agricultural and tourism jobs replaced by mining and drilling jobs,” Mr Deal said, adding that there also was no reliable data on how much gas could be extracted by fracking. “The average gas-well yields in the US are depleting so fast that from full yield on its first day, within 36-48 months it is offering sub-economic yields.”

The Econometrix report also made no mention of the possible environmental impact of fracking, Mr Deal said. “Should aquifers in this country become contaminated, it doesn’t matter how much money you have got, you cannot fix it. It is physically impossible to remove it, clean it and put it back. We are an arid country, and by 2025 we won’t have enough water.”

On Friday, another new report said that scientific tests in Poland had found that extracting shale gas produced some toxic waste but that the waste was reused and did not harm the environment.

The report was compiled by the Polish Geological Institute, which carried out a study last year when Canadian Lane Energy began test-drilling in northern Poland.

It said some highly toxic liquid waste and some solid refuse was generated by fracking, but that it was all reused. Laboratory studies found no pollution to ground water, soil or air, it said.

In South Africa, Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu set up a task team in April last year to investigate the impact of fracking. In August, she extended a moratorium in applications for licences to prospect for shale gas using fracking for a further six months.

According to Ms Shabangu, the task team is expected to forward its report to the Cabinet by March 31.

With NICKY SMITH, SAPA and SAPA-AP

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Economist: Get cracking on fracking

Filomena Scalise South Africa needs to get moving on exploring the potential of its suspected shale gas fields in the Karoo, a top economist said on Friday. Speaking at an event sponsored by Shell – the oil company that is seeking permission to start test fracking for the gas – Econometrix economist Tony Twine, said …

Filomena Scalise

South Africa needs to get moving on exploring the potential of its suspected shale gas fields in the Karoo, a top economist said on Friday.

Speaking at an event sponsored by Shell – the oil company that is seeking permission to start test fracking for the gas – Econometrix economist Tony Twine, said this had to happen soon if the country hoped to meet its future energy needs and boost its coffers.

“This is big stuff in terms of contribution to GDP, in terms of employment potential. Even if the gas finds turn out to be a lot smaller than the estimate… we are talking about a mighty big fish,” he said.

Econometrix was commissioned to produce a report on the macroeconomics of the project.

First discovered around 1967, the Karoo shale gas is currently only a “suspected resource” of about 485 trillion cubic feet (tcf).

If this were correct and, using a projection model of four percent of the estimated resource, there could be an annual economic impact of more than R80 billion to GDP – 3.3 percent of 2010’s GDP.

The average annual government revenue from 20tcf would be around R35 billion, according to the Econometrix report.

“The first step in harnessing such a potentially transformational economic resource has to be either proving or disproving its size and location. Only after that do prospects become bankable projects,” Twine said.

“Even under modest growth of the South African economy, we are going to need this exploration and a decision to move on it or not with minimum delay.”

Shell, one of three companies granted “desktop” exploration permits, wants to extract gas from a 90,000 sq km area – about the size of KwaZulu-Natal – that stretches from Bedford to Sutherland.

Falcon Oil and Gas from America have a permit to explore 30,000

sq km for gas, in an area one-and-a-half times the size of the Kruger National Park.

Sunset Energy from Australia has 35,000 km sq in areas around Graaff Reinet.

A consortium made up of Sasol, American Chesapeake Energy, and Statoil ASA has applied to explore an area of about 88,000 sq km, which includes a large portion of KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, according to the Econometrix report.

The government has placed a moratorium on applications for physical exploration, which was extended when it expired in February to the end of March.

The Econometrix report said if the amount of shale gas – lying about 4000 to 5000 metres below the Karoo surface – were confirmed, it could provide the equivalent of 400 years’ worth of energy consumption in South Africa.

Said Twine: “This is a big chicken; she is a big puppy.”

Information was needed to confirm the size of the resource and the distribution of the shale gas.

However, concerns over the environmental impact of fracking – the technique used to remove the gas, also called hydraulic fracturing – have dominated much of the debate around the planned project.

Fracking involves pumping a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure down a borehole into the rock strata containing the shale gas.

The process releases the gas, which flows out of the borehole to the surface, where it is captured and contained.

Twine said the project could lead to the creation of up to 700,000 jobs in a proposed first phase to 2035, after the initial proposed nine-year exploration period.

The report said it could also reduce reliance on coal for electricity generation.

Speaking at the event, Shell’s commercial general manager in South Africa Bonang Mohale, said his company had been working in the industry for many years and understood the environmental risks involved with fracking.

It also knew how to mitigate them.

He said that if the project were approved it could address the “energy poverty” experienced by at least 10 million people in South Africa.

“I think this will be bigger than the discovery of gold in Gauteng,” Mohale said.

Shell has, however, accepted the government’s moratorium on the project.

“Democracy presupposes that the majority view will prevail.”

Asked if Shell was worried about the possible nationalisation of the resource, Mohale responded: “If we were worried we would not be pouring so much money into this.” – Sapa

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South Africa: An Unending Well of Inspiration

How it is that a man who gave so much to his people’s quest for dignity has become a mere footnote in the contemporary narrative of the liberation struggle? In his classic song, ‘Some day we’ll all be free’, the legendary, black American soul singer, Donny Hathaway, sings: Keep your self-respect, your manly pride Get …

How it is that a man who gave so much to his people’s quest for dignity has become a mere footnote in the contemporary narrative of the liberation struggle?

In his classic song, ‘Some day we’ll all be free’, the legendary, black American soul singer, Donny Hathaway, sings:

Keep your self-respect, your manly pride

Get yourself in gear

Keep your stride.

Never mind your fears

Brighter days will soon be here

Keep on walking tall, hold your head up high.

Lay your dreams right up to the sky.

Sing your greatest song.

And you’ll keep, going, going on.

He ends his song by saying:

Just wait and see, someday we’ll all be free.

Take it from me, someday we’ll all be free.

It won’t be long. Take it from me, someday we’ll all be free.

Take it from me, take it from me, and take it from me

Even though Donny Hathaway was on the other side of the Atlantic when he released this inspirational song in 1973, there is a sense in which this song encapsulates the essence of what Mangaliso Sobukwe was about.

Monday, 27 February, marked the 34th anniversary of the passing of Sobukwe and because of the kind country we have become there wasn’t a grand state-sponsored event in his honour or speeches by our president or any other senior government minister.

There may be a few credible commemorative events organised by the Pan Africanist Congress, or perhaps some other organisations that share Sobukwe’s vision. Other than that, the day that should have been National Sobukwe Day passed like any other day.

Those who worked with Sobukwe or have read any credible account of his life and contribution will inevitably find themselves asking the question: How it is that a man who gave so much to our people’s quest for dignity has become a mere footnote in the contemporary narrative of our people’s liberation struggle?

The story of Sobukwe is simply one of supreme personal courage, extraordinary vision and pure inspiration. Together with people like Ntsu Mokhehle of Lesotho, Joe Matthews, Denis Siwisa and Duma Nokwe, he started his political activism in the ANC Youth League as a student at Fort Hare University. Because of this extraordinary leadership and oratory, he later became the president of the Student Representative Council at the same university.

Later, ideological differences emerged between him and some within the African National Congress, relating essentially to the leadership of the liberation struggle. As a result of these differences, he and those who shared his point of view initiated a break away from the ANC and, in 1959, they formed the PAC, which Sobukwe led as its founding president.

Even though the PAC was relatively new on the political scene, in March 1960, Sobukwe and his peers decided to organise anti-pass protests across South Africa. On 21 March, Sobukwe led the protest to the Orlando Police Station in Soweto and, on the same day, in a related march to the Sharpeville Police Station, also organised by the PAC, the apartheid police responded by shooting and killing the protestors.

The official figure is that 69 people were killed, including 8 women and 10 children, and 180 injured, including 31 women and 19 children. Many were shot in the back as they turned to flee. This tragedy later became known as the Sharpeville Massacre, today commemorated as Human Rights Day.

As a result of his political activities, in particular his leadership role in the anti-pass protests, Sobukwe was arrested by the Vorster regime for incitement, among other things, and was given a three-year sentence. At the end of his sentence, the Vorster regime quickly rushed to parliament to pass the General Law Amendment Act of 1963, which empowered the then Minister of Justice, Jimmy Kruger, to review the sentence of a political prisoner annually and prolong it at his discretion. This procedure later became known as the ‘Sobukwe Clause’ and, as a result of it, Sobukwe was moved to Robben Island for an additional six years.

After his release on 13 May 1969, Sobukwe joined his family in Kimberley, but was placed under 12-hour house arrest, under the notorious Suppression of Communism Act of 1950, and restricted from political activity because at the time the PAC was banned.

It is interesting to note the time and resources the apartheid government spent on dealing with just one man. It is also reported that, even on Robben Island, the guards were given strict instructions to make sure that Sobukwe was kept isolated and that he did not mingle with other prisoners because the authorities feared he might influence them.

The paranoia of the apartheid regime is perhaps best explained in the words of then Prime Minister of Apartheid South Africa, John Vorster, who said of Sobukwe: ‘He was a man with a magnetic personality, great organising ability and a divine sense of mission’.

At an early age, Sobukwe showed a keen interest in literature and was blessed with an incisive mind. He was also a theoretician and intellectual of such note that his peers insisted on calling him ‘Prof.’, although he never actually held that position at a university. In fact, some of the pioneers of mid-20th century African nationalism in South Africa, like Godfrey Pijte and AM Mda, credit him with having enhanced their own intellectual development.

So committed to the pursuit of knowledge and truth was Sobukwe that, when he lost his post as a teacher in Standerton in 1950 (for speaking in favour of the Defiance Campaign), he moved to Johannesburg, where he took up a post as a lecturer in African Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. During the same period he also took up the editorship of ‘The Africanist’.

Not even prison could diminish Sobukwe’s hunger for knowledge. While he was incarcerated, he went on to obtain an Honours Degree in Economics from the University of London and later studied law. He completed his degree in Kimberley, where he served his articles, and started his law firm in 1975. In recognition of his intellectual and academic depth he was offered several teaching posts in the United States of America, but he was unable to accept appointment because the Vorster regime would not permit him to leave the country.

There is an interesting story about how the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who was a peer of Sobukwe at Fort Hare University and in the ANCYL, attended Sobukwe’s funeral in 1978 and was supposed to speak at this event, but for some reason or another was unable to do so.

However, in February 1998, twenty years later, Mrs Veronica Sobukwe, the wife of Sobukwe, invited Dr Buthelezi to Sobukwe’s commemoration, which was held in his home town of Graaff Reinet at the Civic Centre. There Dr Buthelezi delivered the eulogy he had intended to deliver at Sobukwe’s funeral twenty years earlier.

In his eulogy, he said of Sobukwe: ‘No one who had the privilege to know Mangaliso Sobukwe could miss that he was a gifted leader with a great potential, and with a great role to play in the liberation struggle of his people’.

He went on to say: ‘Time has proven how his life and his sacrifices have contributed to bringing South Africa to its present stage and to making us what we are today. Today, more than twenty years later, we see how the multi-faceted nature of our struggle has reflected the great variety of problems and challenges now confronting all of us. History had to produce Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe so that Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe could give such a great contribution to produce our country’s history. He now belongs to history as he belongs to South Africa and to the whole of Africa. South Africa and rest of the continent shall continue to resort to the legacy of his memory and wisdom in order to complete our unfinished agenda of commitments to the cause of liberation and justice for all’.

Dr Buthelezi is correct – Sobukwe’s contribution to our democracy was great and he belongs to all of South Africa and Africa. This is why it is a monumental shame and profound paradox that, in the era of political freedom, there has to be periodic protests just so Sobukwe and others could be afforded the honour they deserve.

This kind of sectarianism is understandable when it comes from a racist minority government, but when it comes from a government that is led by an organisation that was part of our people’s liberatory efforts- it is totally baffling.

In helping us to understand the parochialism of Africa’s post-colonial elite, in his is celebrated book, The Wretched of the Earth, in the chapter ‘The Pitfalls of National Consciousness’, the Algerian thinker and revolutionary, Frantz Fanon, makes the following point:

‘National consciousness, instead of being the all-embracing crystallization of the innermost hopes of the whole people, instead of being the immediate and most obvious result of the mobilization of the people, will be in any case only an empty shell, a crude and fragile travesty of what it might have been. The faults that we find in it are quite sufficient explanation of the facility with which, when dealing with young and independent nations, the nation is passed over for the race, and the tribe is preferred to the state. These are the cracks in the edifice which show the process of retrogression that is so harmful and prejudicial to national effort and national unity’.

The story of our people’s quest for dignity typifies these pitfalls and this is why our story cannot be complete if it does not accurately reflect the contribution and role of all our freedom fighters. If Sobukwe’s story dies-our collective memory as a people suffers. It is too precious a story and we must do everything in our power to make sure it lives.

Like Hani, Biko and many others, Sobukwe’s every thought and every action were dedicated to the struggle to the restore the dignity of the dispossessed in our country. When confronted by the racist brutality of the white power structure, he did not wince-he stood his ground and fought the system with every ounce of his being.

He was a man among men, and it doesn’t matter what our political affiliation is or in which part of South Africa we may live, if it had not been for the fearlessness of men like Sobukwe, we would not be breathing the air of freedom as we do today.

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Energy Investors: Pay Attention to This Market

If shale gas production takes off around the world in the same way it has in the United States, energy analysts expect to see a significant shift in the global energy game. Large deposits have been found in many places, including nations that are among the world’s largest energy consumers: China, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, …

If shale gas production takes off around the world in the same way it has in the United States, energy analysts expect to see a significant shift in the global energy game. Large deposits have been found in many places, including nations that are among the world’s largest energy consumers: China, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan, and a handful of countries in Europe.

Many of these countries have developed economies and energy infrastructure in place. South Africa is a developed economy that lacks infrastructure, and may prove to be our first insight into how a country’s changing energy needs are addressed logistically.

Energy situation

South Africa’s energy issue is crushing its economy. Its energy grid is overburdened, and high energy tariffs are stifling business opportunities, particularly those in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.??????

The country relies mostly on coal for its energy — and has for decades. Though South Africa has an abundance of the resource, the environmental impact of coal and the country’s increasing demand for energy have put pressure on the government to diversify its energy sources. Right now, one company, state-owned Eskom, provides a staggering 95% of the country’s electricity.

In 2010, the government created a 20-year plan with the goal of having natural gas provide 6% of the nation’s new electricity generation. That is not a lot, but coal is so cheap, it becomes difficult to push the development of gas. That may be changing, however, as South Africa begins to realize the potential of its shale gas deposits.

Hello, natural gasdeposits

The Energy Information Administration estimates that South Africa could have as much as 485 trillion cubic feet of shale gas reserves. Right now gas accounts for only 3% of the country’s energy supply. The country’s main gas operator, Sasol, produces the gas in Mozambique and then ships it via a 535-mile pipeline.

When gas is available, it is much easier to bring it onto the grid than it is to build a new coal-fired power plant to meet demand. A recent poll commissioned by Royal Dutch Shell found that 73% of South Africans are open to the idea of natural gas extraction in the Karoo region, if initial exploration proves reserves are commercially viable. Farmers in the Karoo feel differently, and South Africa may well end up facing the same local opposition to hydraulic fracturing that occurs in the U.S.

Essentially, because South Africa’s reserves are untested, and no one is entirely sure of their commercial viability, it remains a giant question mark. Importing gas is an option, but as the U.S. knows well, imports are more expensive than domestic production, and a single pipeline from Mozambique isn’t going to cut it, either.

Alternative energy

South Africa is considering all of its options to improve its energy situation, including solar, nuclear, and wind.

Sasol has commissioned a study from a private California company, BrightSource Energy, on the viability of a solar thermal plant. The plant would generate 125 megawatts of power and would use mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight on liquids, which would heat up and generate steam to power turbines. The study should be completed by the third quarter of this year.

Additionally, the South African Department of Energy has selected a company called BioTherm Energy to produce two 10-kilowatt photovoltaic projects, as well as one 27-kilowatt wind project. Construction on the projects will begin in the third quarter of this year, and should be completed by the second quarter of 2013.

American solar company SunPower also has a presence in South Africa, where recently acquired subsidiary Tenesol SA has manufacturing facilities.

And then there’s nuclear power. The country is evaluating proposals to spend about $39 billion to build nuclear power plants with the capacity to deliver 9,600 megawatts of energy by 2029. Potential bidders for the nuclear projects include Toshiba Corp.‘s Westinghouse Electric, Korea Electric Power, and Areva SA.

Foolish takeaway

As South Africa proceeds down its path to a diverse energy future, it makes sense to track not only the process, but what companies are involved, and what energies ultimately end up taking off. Many, many countries will follow as the world’s demand for energy grows in the coming years.

Looking for three stock ideas to take advantage of emerging markets? Click here for The Motley Fool’s special free report “3 American Companies Set to?Dominate the World.”

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Why destroy Karoo riches for short-term gains?

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS Jonathan Deal, chairman of the Treasure the Karoo Action Group which is fighting to prevent Shell from fracking in the Karoo, has written a wonderful book that clearly shows what will be lost if fracking is allowed to go ahead. Picture: Courtney Africa TIMELESS KAROO JONATHAN DEAL STRUIK Jonathan Deal, chairman of the …

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Jonathan Deal, chairman of the Treasure the Karoo Action Group which is fighting to prevent Shell from fracking in the Karoo, has written a wonderful book that clearly shows what will be lost if fracking is allowed to go ahead. Picture: Courtney Africa

TIMELESS KAROO

JONATHAN DEAL

STRUIK

Jonathan Deal, chairman of the Treasure the Karoo Action Group, which is fighting to prevent Shell from fracking in the Karoo, has written a wonderful book that clearly shows what will be lost if fracking is allowed to go ahead.

The book covers the five different parts of the Karoo – the central, northern and upper Karoo, the Great Karoo, the Hantam Karoo, the Tankwa Karoo and the Klein Karoo; there is not a remote corner or town that is not visited. Together with detailed maps and strip routes, it is possible to plan a visit or holiday to this quiet region where life is so much more leisurely.

Most South Africans experience the Karoo only while driving through it on the N1 – praying that their car isn’t totalled by a half-asleep truck driver on the notorious “death stretch” between Touws River and Beaufort West. If they stop at all it is usually to fill up with fuel or to wolf down a takeaway in the middle of the freezing night.

But Deal encourages us to take a more leisurely journey and to discover for ourselves the hidden treasures of the Karoo’s many towns. He delves into the history of all these places and meets the most interesting people, most of whom seem passionate about where they have chosen to live.

The many excellent photographs give you a good idea of the timeless spaces, the endless skies and the long history of settlement. We are told about such diverse happenings as the transit of Venus in 1882 and the great flood of 1981. We meet Prince Albert’s Helena Marincowitz and Hekkie Moos, Britstown’s Adlene Potgieter, the famous Outa Lappies, Aberdeen’s Danny van der Linde, Amalienstein’s Hendrik Januarie and the itinerant nomads still travelling the back roads with their donkey carts.

We also find out how the Moordenaarskaroo got its name and how Gustav Nefdt became the first man known to have climbed Ladismith’s Towerkop. We visit some of the last remaining Anglo-Boer War blockhouses, the Blikkies Bar in Carnarvon, the Owl House in Nieu Bethesda, and we hear the story of the execution of John Baxter from Gina de Beer in Aberdeen.

At the end of each chapter there is a section on the highlights of the towns featured, and it is ideal for planning your holiday, as is the section on accommodation and tourism associations’ contact details.

There are few better ways to truly get to know the Karoo than by meeting and staying with the people who have been there for generations. You get the sense of place, of the food, the down-to-earth humour, the long history and the expectations of the future. Deal has produced a magnificent book that makes all these things clear and palpable, and it is with horror and disbelief that one now looks at the fracking saga.

You have to ask whether these people are crazy, or so hungry for riches that they would destroy all this for short-term gain. – Cape Argus

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Camping Camdeboo National Park opent 1 maart

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Jantjies kicks Lions to victory

Golden Lions fly-half Elton Jantjies kicked a record nine penalty goals on Saturday in a 27-25 Super 15 victory over fellow South Africans Central Cheetahs. The 21-year-old from western Cape town, Graaff Reinet, succeeded with nine of 11 attempts at goal — four in the first half and five in the second at a damp …

Golden Lions fly-half Elton Jantjies kicked a record nine penalty goals on Saturday in a 27-25 Super 15 victory over fellow South Africans Central Cheetahs.

The 21-year-old from western Cape town, Graaff Reinet, succeeded with nine of 11 attempts at goal — four in the first half and five in the second at a damp Ellis Park in the last opening-round fixture.

He beat the previous record of eight penalties created by Jannie Kruger of the Northern Bulls in 1996 and equaled by Willie Walker of the Otago Highlanders, Meyer Bosman of the Cheetahs and Derick Hougaard of the Bulls.

After receiving the man-of-the-match award, Jantjies was his usual humble self, deflecting praise to his teammates and bemoaning his first miss early in the game because he “went through his routine too quickly.”

His pre-kick routine imitates England 2003 World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson with the clasped hands and long, studious gaze at the ball before striking it.

The 27-point haul took him clear at the top of the scoring charts after the first round of the southern hemisphere championship, with six more than Beauden Barrett from the Wellington Hurricanes and Joe Pietersen of the Western Stormers.

While Jantjies scored all the Lions points, Cheetahs fly-half Johan Goosen came close to matching that feat in an eventful evening for the 19-year-old making his Super 15 debut after an outstanding Currie Cup campaign last season.

He converted an early try from prop WP Nel that gave the visitors a lead they held until the closing stages, kicked five penalties from five attempts and dropped a goal from the halfway line to underscore his huge potential.

However, having helped the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs build a 19-12 halftime advantage, Goosen was yellow carded on 54 minutes for obstruction at a ruck and retired injured soon after returning from the sin bin.

His absence proved costly as scrum-half Tewis de Bruyn and replacement pivot Sias Ebersohn fluffed penalty kicks and allowed the Lions to overturn a seven-point deficit with 30 minutes left.

After Jantjies kicked the Lions in front after five minutes, Nel barged over the tryline and Goosen converted from far out to give the visitors a lead they retained until six minutes from full-time.

The match-winning Jantjies penalty from close range came after Cheetahs loose forward replacement Ashley Johnson was penalized for a high tackle on Lions center Doppies la Grange.

STORMERS 39, H’CANES 26

REUTERS, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Joe Pietersen marked his Stormers return by kicking 21 points to help them begin their Super Rugby campaign with a win over the Wellington Hurricanes on Saturday.

The hosts’ three-try victory at Newlands was slightly overshadowed by what appeared to be a serious knee injury to their South Africa flanker Schalk Burger in the first 15 minutes.

The Hurricanes had all the possession during the opening exchanges, but once it turned over, their South African opponents scored immediately.

Gio Aplon dummied expertly and then squeezed between two players before racing more than 50m to land the opening try five minutes in.

Beauden Barrett, who also scored 21 points, replied with a penalty before Burger’s injury, with Pietersen knocking over successive kicks to extend the lead further.

After another three points from Barrett, the New Zealanders were reduced to 14 men when Tristan Moran was penalized for repeated infringements after 28 minutes.

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Climate change threatens rooibos tea

Farm workers swing their sickles through red branches, bundling them up before laying them out in the sunshine to dry. The annual harvest at Groenkol Rooibos tea estate, in South Africa’s Western Cape helps quench the world’s growing thirst for “red bush” tea, but farmers fear that climate change could destroy the delicate eco-system that …

Farm workers swing their sickles through red branches, bundling them up before laying them out in the sunshine to dry.

The annual harvest at Groenkol Rooibos tea estate, in South Africa’s Western Cape helps quench the world’s growing thirst for “red bush” tea, but farmers fear that climate change could destroy the delicate eco-system that their crop depends on.

Annual exports of rooibos have quadrupled in the last 13 years. The tea is popular for its perceived health benefits as well as its refreshing taste and has become a trendy drink in many countries. It contains no caffeine and just a tiny amount of tannin.

But rooibos tea only grows in this Western Cape region — nowhere else in the world.

“Rooibos is endemic to this area, it grows wild here and only here,” said Chris Du Plessis, who runs Elandsberg Eco Tourism.

“If you go up that hill and down the other side you’ll find that 90 percent of the plants that grow there don’t grow on the other side.”

Very few plants can survive in the dry, sandy terrain but rooibos bushes thrive in this area, living in symbiosis with micro-organisms in the soil. Farmers have tried to grow rooibos in Australia, the United States, even China — each time they’ve failed.

Willem Engelbrecht inherited Groenkol Rooibos Tea Estate from his father. Since taking on the farm, he’s noticed distinct changes in the weather.

“Over the last 10 years, there are more and more strange things happening,” said Engelbrecht.

The area already endures extreme weather conditions. The temperature drops to freezing in the winter, and reaches 48 degrees (118 Fahrenheit) in the summer.

Now, summers are hotter and winters, drier. As a result, Engelbrecht has had to adapt his farming techniques.

“In the past we used to plough the soil, these days we plough less and we keep material on the soil to act as isolation, basically to preserve the moisture.”

But if temperatures continue to soar, farmers like Willem will find it difficult to cope, posing risks to the 600 million rand ($78 million, 59 million euro) rooibos industry.

Climate change experts warn that the Western Cape will be hit hard over the next 100 years.

“A plausible scenario is a further three degree (Celsius) temperature increase over much of this region,” said Francois Engelbrecht of South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

“At the same time, this region is projected to become generally drier. So the general picture that is painted for all of the Western interior and coastal regions of South Africa is indeed not a very positive one.”

But those who depend on rooibos for their livelihood are trying to remain positive. The rooibos industry is booming, with the Cederberg area producing 12,000 tonnes of tea a year, half of which is sold for export. That’s enough to make 4.8 billion cups of tea a year.

Tea production also provides an estimated 4,500 jobs to the area, with much of the harvesting and drying done by hand.

“Rooibos is now gaining ground in a lot of countries and is grown from a very small base, so I think business can grow exponentially,” said Willem Engelbrecht.

The question for farmers like Engelbrecht, is how long this boom can last, before climate change kills off their crop.

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Strijdom van der Merwe’s “Drawing Clouds in the Karoo” Opens 3 April at Circa …

Strijdom van der Merwe’s “Drawing Clouds in the Karoo” Opens 3 April at Circa Gallery A brand new solo exhibition by renowned South African land artist, Strijdom van der Merwe, opens at Johannesburg’s Circa Gallery on 3 April. The exhibition, titled “Drawing Clouds in the Karoo”, will showcase as series of photographs that document van …

Strijdom van der Merwe’s “Drawing Clouds in the Karoo” Opens 3 April at Circa Gallery

Sculpting the EarthA brand new solo exhibition by renowned South African land artist, Strijdom van der Merwe, opens at Johannesburg’s Circa Gallery on 3 April.

The exhibition, titled “Drawing Clouds in the Karoo”, will showcase as series of photographs that document van der Merwe’s “sculptural drawings”. He describes these works as “metaphors to cloud formations” which, in turn, is a reference to “the building up of public anger against the proposed ‘fracking’ in the Karoo”.

A highlight of the exhibition is the wind chime, which was first erected at COP17. The exhibition continues until 5 May 2012. Don’t miss it!

As a land artist I generally use the materials provided by the chosen site. These sculptural forms take shape in relation to the landscape. It is a process of working with the natural world by using what I found on site.

In this series of documented photographs I used the rusted wire that were deposited in the landscape and arranged them on the existing sandstone pillars in the landscape. These sculptural drawings are metaphors to cloud formations and my close relation to the land and the cycles of nature as it occurs in the landscape. The building up of clouds is also a reference to the building up of public anger against the proposed “fracking” in the Karoo.

Book details

Image courtesy Circa on Jellicoe

Cats: Art, Events, Non-fiction, South Africa
Tags: Art, Circa, Circa Gallery, Circa on Jellicoe, COP17, Drawing Clouds in the Karoo, English, Events, Exhibition, Fracking, Karoo, Non-fiction, Photography, Protea, Protea Boekhuis, Sculpting the Earth, Sculptural Drawings, South Africa, Strijdom van der Merwe, Wind-Chime Project
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Karoo calls clearly

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS Desolate valley bursting with life Related Stories Pics: what makes the Karoo great        I recently read that the most spacious plateau region in the world outside Asia is our own Little Karoo and Great Karoo, so when an English friend came to visit I planned a trip and, at the end of …

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Desolate valley bursting with life

Related Stories

I recently read that the most spacious plateau region in the world outside Asia is our own Little Karoo and Great Karoo, so when an English friend came to visit I planned a trip and, at the end of three weeks, it was a decision neither of us regretted.

As we travelled through the many narrow valleys of the Little Karoo shut in by the high mountain peaks of the Swartberg and Outeniqua ranges, rising between 1800 and 2200 metres, we thought that nothing could be more wild or beautiful – till we reached the Great Karoo, five times its size and also hidden behind the massive Swartberg mountains.

Here we drove for hours straight into the horizon, marvelling at vertical cliffs and piled dolerite columns formed by 100 million years of volcanic activity and all balancing precariously above the endless stretches of valley floor. It was equally awesome at night because the sky is full of hundreds of stars and we subsequently learned that it offers some of the best opportunities for astronomy in the world .

Still enjoying the wild countryside in the mountains 50 miles north of Graaff Reinet, we saw signs pointing to the Owl House at Nieu-Bethesda, an isolated village in the mountains.

This was once the home of Helen Martins, a reclusive artist who transformed her house and garden with more than 300 cement and glass sculptures, mainly of owls but also of people and animals, all created over many lonely years. She never exhibited any of them but instead crammed them, with increasing difficulty, into the ‘Camel Yard’ outside her house where they are still on display.

Her house is equally interesting with walls and ceilings glittering with brightly painted crushed glass and the obsolete impedimenta of daily life just as she left it in 1976 when she committed suicide. Today her Owl House is a national monument and is definitely worth a visit.

A typical street in Graaff Reinet.

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

We managed to tear ourselves away and continued driving into a vast cathedral of mountains and had mixed feelings as we neared Graaff Reinet. We still wanted the wildness plus the wide, seemingly never ending open road, not the confines of a town, even though it is the fourth oldest in the country and the only one established in a game reserve.

Our first view of it was from the mountains surrounding it on all sides and, immediately, we understood why it was called it the “gem of the desert” by the early travellers. We saw a rich green oval of gleaming white buildings without a single one breaking this historic uniformity of colour and architecture and we subsequently learned the town’s harsh history of the Great Trek from its two museums.

Founded in 1876 and named after its first Governor, Jacobus van der Graaff and his wife, whose maiden name was Reinet, the town has magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture and 220 heritage buildings, more than any other town in the country, all centred round the impressive Dutch Reformed Church with its pointy steeple and intricate decoration.

From this central point little streets fan out, all lined with whitewashed Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian Karoo-type homes and, as we explored it, we felt we were walking in another era. There can be few towns like this anywhere in the world.

We spent two unforgettable days wandering the streets and watching the world go by as we drank coffee at the Drostdy Hotel, once the seat of local government, then we drove 14km to explore the Karoo Nature Reserve and its highlight, another unique area known as the Valley of Desolation and now declared a national monument. Though it is called a “valley”, it is, in reality, another unique Karoo marvel of sheer cliff faces, ochre and red rocks soaring 120 metres into the sky, vast canyons, dolomite towers and ancient craggy columns, all the result of volcanic activity over 200 million years ago .

Surprisingly this wild desolation is bursting with life and has 336 types of plants and 43 types of mammals and we consistently heard bird calls from many of the 220 species who make their home here.

Often we walked among these huge majestic precipices and followed a series of trails for several hours hoping to find traces of fossilised skulls or skeletons of the Karoo dinosaurs that populated this area 230 million years ago and, had we known, we could have stayed overnight in a hut for hikers which must be booked in advance from the Department of Nature Conservation (049 892 3453).

Instead we drove on to the Nqweba Dam and watched the buffalo, gemsbok, springbok and black wildebeest that came to drink its waters and huge birds soaring among the clouds.

Our next visit was to the Mountain Zebra National Park, clearly signposted off the N10 to Cradock. The mountain zebra, as distinct from the Hartman’s zebra (the “ordinary” zebra), is one of the rarest mammals in the world.

In the early 1930s they were threatened with extinction, so in1937 the National Parks Board proclaimed this an area for their preservation with 5 stallions and only one mare.

It seemed a hopeless venture, particularly since there were still only 25 in 1964, but today there are 330 of this rare species making here alongside buffalo, black rhino, eland, kudu, wildebeest and cheetah, the latter also recently introduced after being absent from the area for 70 years.

The mountain zebra differs in many ways from their more common relative. Apart from their ability to climb as high as 2000m because of the special structure of their hooves, which enables them to run as fast as 70km an hour and also to dig for water, they have thin vertical black lines on their neck and body changing to wide horizontal bars on their haunch.

Their under belly, creamy white with one dark stripe running its length, is also different and they have a hanging flap of skin on the upper neck, known as a dewlap, their head is shorter with a dark muzzle and it has a long flowing tassel of a tail. The mountain zebra almost never form herds.

Regretfully we left the park and drove to Cradock, a thriving agricultural community full of historic buildings, before making our way back to Durban. We only had time for a quick visit to Olive Schreiner’s house, a typical example of local architecture at 9 Cross Street followed by an even quicker visit to Plewmans Store where the authenticity of the first diamond ever discovered in South Africa was tested by scratching the letters DP on a window pane.

On our way out of town we passed the Van Riebeek Karoo Gardens with its indigenous shrubs, succulents and old yellow wood water mill but our adventure had ended – till we visit again. – Sunday Tribune

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FFA shows youngsters the ag way

National Future Farmers of America week was celebrated at Bret Harte and Calaveras high schools this week and youngsters got into the act at both ends of the county. FFA members actually began the week on Friday, Feb. 17, as they traveled to Modesto to attend the Made for Excellence and Advanced Leadership Academy conferences. …

National Future Farmers of America week was celebrated at Bret Harte and Calaveras high schools this week and youngsters got into the act at both ends of the county.

FFA members actually began the week on Friday, Feb. 17, as they traveled to Modesto to attend the Made for Excellence and Advanced Leadership Academy conferences. During the MFE, students explore themselves and learn what kinds of leaders they might be; they improve on the skills that they already possess and work on their weaknesses. The ALA focuses on agriculture issues and helps club leaders put together vision plans to work toward improving agricultural awareness in their respective communities.

“We took 23 students to the conferences,” said Carrie Phillips, an agriculture teacher at Bret Harte.

Bret Harte FFA members use this week to highlight their activities on campus and around the county’s agricultural community. On Tuesday, the club staged a fundraiser for the Friends of the Calaveras County Fair that featured teachers puckering up to kiss pigs. On Thursday, students served lunch to staff on campus to thank them for their support of the FFA’s activities and today is Ag Opportunity Day, during which all Bret Harte students are invited to visit the agriculture classrooms to learn what’s available.

Wednesday is a highlight of FFA week at Bret Harte, at least if you ask youngsters along the Highway 4 corridor. The club opens its doors to preschoolers through first-graders. More than 250 children from area preschools and Copperopolis, Mark Twain and Michelson elementary schools and the Christian Family Learning Center visited and were guided through four different stations, each highlighting something special about agriculture. Agriculture Sciences II students explained how dairy cows produce the milk that the kids drink, helped the children plant California poppies to take home and guided them through a coloring exercise that showcased the benefits of FFA membership.

“I really like FFA,” said sophomore Tyler Fullerton, who helped children plant their poppies. “I like the little kids and it’s fun to work with them and help them get involved in agriculture.”

Easily the most popular of the stations – despite the fact that it took up almost two classrooms – was the petting zoo.

“I like the ducks because they’re cute and they eat funny,” said Tyler Halstead, also a Copper first-grader.

Contact Mike Taylor at mtaylor@calaverasenterprise.com.

© 2012 Calaveras Enterprise. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Record breaker Jantjies kicks Lions to victory

LIONS 27 CHEETAHS 25 Cobus Grobbelaar of the Lions is tackled by Andries Strauss of the Cheetahs. Photo: Getty Images JOHANNESBURG: Lions fly-half Elton Jantjies kicked a record nine penalty goals on Saturday in a 27-25 Super 15 victory over fellow South Africans the Cheetahs. MATCH STATS The 21-year-old from western Cape town Graaff Reinet …

LIONS 27 CHEETAHS 25

Cobus Grobbelaar of the Lions is tackled by Andries Strauss of the Cheetahs.

Cobus Grobbelaar of the Lions is tackled by Andries Strauss of the Cheetahs. Photo: Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG: Lions fly-half Elton Jantjies kicked a record nine penalty goals on Saturday in a 27-25 Super 15 victory over fellow South Africans the Cheetahs.

MATCH STATS

The 21-year-old from western Cape town Graaff Reinet succeeded with nine of 11 attempts at goal — four in the first half and five in the second at a damp Ellis Park in the last opening-round fixture.

He beat the previous record of eight penalties created by Jannie Kruger of the Northern Bulls in 1996 and equalled by Willie Walker of the Otago Highlanders, Meyer Bosman of the Cheetahs and Derick Hougaard of the Bulls.

After receiving the man of the match award, Jantjies was his usual humble self, deflecting praise to his team-mates and bemoaning his first miss early in the game because he “went through his routine too quickly”.

His pre-kick routine imitates England 2003 World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson with the clasped hands and long, studious gaze at the ball before striking it.

The 27-point haul took him clear at the top of the scoring charts after the first round of the southern hemisphere championship with six more than Beauden Barrett from the Wellington Hurricanes and Joe Pietersen of the Western Stormers.

While Jantjies scored all the Lions points, Cheetahs fly-half Johan Goosen came close to matching that feat in an eventful evening for the 19-year-old making his Super 15 debut after an outstanding Currie Cup campaign last season.

He converted an early try from prop WP Nel that gave the visitors a lead they held until the closing stages, kicked five penalties from five attempts and dropped a goal from the halfway line to underscore his huge potential.

But having helped the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs build a 19-12 half-time advantage, Goosen was yellow carded on 54 minutes for obstruction at a ruck and retired injured soon after returning from the sin bin.

His absence proved costly as scrum-half Tewis de Bruyn and replacement pivot Sias Ebersohn fluffed penalty kicks and allowed the Lions to overturn a seven-point deficit with 30 minutes left.

After Jantjies kicked the Lions in front after five minutes, Nel barged over the tryline and Goosen converted from far out to give the visitors a lead they retained until six minutes from full-time.

The match-winning Jantjies penalty from close range came after Cheetahs loose forward replacement Ashley Johnson was penalised for a high tackle on Lions centre Doppies la Grange.

LIONS 27 (Elton Jantjies 9 pens) bt CHEETAHS 25 (WP Nel try Johan Goosen con 5 pens drop goal) at Ellis Park. Referee: Mark Lawrence.

AFP

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Shell intensifies efforts to obtain shale gas exploration rights

Shell reckons an energy crisis looms in SA(SABC) Oil company Shell says introducing gas as a large contributor to the energy supply in the country could be a game changer.  Shell representatives were speaking at the Africa Energy Indaba taking place in Sandton, north of Johannesburg. The oil company has applied for exploration rights to …

Shell reckons an energy crisis looms in SA(SABC)

Oil company Shell says introducing gas as a large contributor to the energy supply in the country could be a game changer.  Shell representatives were speaking at the Africa Energy Indaba taking place in Sandton, north of Johannesburg.

The oil company has applied for exploration rights to look for shale gas in the Karoo, but environmental groups are opposing it. Shell’s Jan Willem Eggink says having a more stable energy supply, which is not as dirty as coal, could benefit the economy.

He says, “Some of the gas can immediately be converted into electricity, it is required here as you have the energy crisis looming in South Africa.”

Eggink says other gasses could go to new industries, something that is seen in the United States, noting that there is indication that there is a lot of gas available in the country.

It’s a little disconcerting that there is enthusiasm for gas to the extent that it’s competing for limited capital with renewables

He says security of supply is not an issue anymore, with the price being low. Having it in SA would result in creation of heaps of jobs, which is exactly what is needed.

Meanwhile, the WWF’s Programme Manager for Climate Change, Richard Worthington, says gas shouldn’t be looked at as a major contributor to the country’s energy sector, but only as a transitional energy source while infrastructure is being built for renewable energy sources.

Worthington says it’s a little disconcerting that there is enthusiasm for gas to the extent that it’s competing for limited capital with renewables. “We think that the best return on investment for SA at this time is in renewable energy and energy efficiency and that should be given top priority.” He also says renewables should be prioritised because of the social benefits that can be delivered.

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Peninsula Energy: Uranium discoveries at Lance continue to be better than expected

Friday, February 24, 2012 by John Phillips Gus Simpson, managing director, told Proactive Investors today that drilling results from Lance continue to be ‘beyond our expectations’, while adding production remains on target for early 2013. A resource upgrade is also in the wings, due late March 2012. Peninsula Energy (ASX: PEN) is on the road …


Friday, February 24, 2012 by John Phillips

Gus Simpson, managing director, told Proactive Investors today that drilling results from Lance continue to be 'beyond our expectations', while adding production remains on target for early 2013. A resource upgrade is also in the wings, due late March 2012.Gus Simpson, managing director, told Proactive Investors today that drilling results from Lance continue to be ‘beyond our expectations’, while adding production remains on target for early 2013. A resource upgrade is also in the wings, due late March 2012.

Peninsula Energy (ASX: PEN) is on the road to production at the Lance Projects in Wyoming, U.S., and providing a boost to the economics of the project is a continued string of high grade results.

The latest highlights from Kendrick include:

– 4 metres at 2,340ppm eU3O8, including 2.6 metres at 3,420ppm eU3O8;
– 3.3 metres at 1,100ppm eU3O8, including 1 metre at 2,760 ppm eU3O8; and
– 2.7 metres at 920ppm eU3O8, including 0.8 metres at 2,300 ppm eU3O8.

These results follow on from those delivered to the market earlier in the month, including:

– 9.4 metres at 485ppm eU3O8, including 1.7 metres at 1,620 ppm eU3O8;
– 1.2 metres at 1,965ppm eU3O8, including 0.8 metres at 2,990 ppm eU3O8; and
– 2.3 metres at 730ppm eU3O8, including 0.9 metres at 1,140 ppm eU3O8.

The current drilling program is targeted at increasing the resource, and also the confidence categories to Indicated from Inferred, with an updated resource forecast for delivery in around a month’s time. Two rigs are active at the moment.

Gus Simpson, managing director, told Proactive Investors today that drilling results from Lance continue to be ‘beyond our expectations’, while adding production remains on target for early 2013.

The proposed Kendrick production unit is located to the west of the Ross production unit. Drilling in this area has targeted the K4 and K5 roll fronts with significant mineralisation intersected in the Fox Hills sandstones. (See picture).

The drilling along the Kendrick roll front system is consistently producing thick high grade intercepts which has resulted in its prioritisation due to its resource expansion potential and its proximity to the proposed site of the Lance Central Processing Plant.

K4 and K5 adjacent to K3

The K4 and K5 roll fronts are located to the east of and adjacent to the K3 roll front trend which is down-gradient from the main roll front within the permit area. The expectation is that much of the inferred material within these areas will be re-classified as indicated.

The K3, K4 and K5 roll fronts are currently open-ended and the most recent drilling has targeted the northern extensions of these roll front trends as well as defining the nose position.

Drilling will continue to test both the northern and southern extensions of these trends. Recent drilling on the K4 and K5 roll fronts has confirmed along-strike continuity of over 500 metres together with horizontal widths of up to 60 metres.

Peninsula said that it has also become apparent that the K4 and K5 trends merge towards the north producing wide areas of continuous mineralisation.

They also appear to be strike-parallel to the K3 roll front which is continuous for around 3 kilometres. These trends and the consistent high grade, thick intersections being returned have significant implications for the resource potential of the Kendrick area.

 

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A glass to this pass and we’ll cycle up with class

Tomorrow I am off to that little Karoo town of Prince Albert. Me and my faithful bicycle, Bert. Prince Albert stands at the base of the Swartberg – that sawtooth range separating SA’s arid north from the wet south. I am going there for a five-day practice run before our 10th and last Tour de …

Tomorrow I am off to that little Karoo town of Prince Albert. Me and my faithful bicycle, Bert. Prince Albert stands at the base of the Swartberg – that sawtooth range separating SA’s arid north from the wet south. I am going there for a five-day practice run before our 10th and last Tour de Farce, scheduled for May.

This week’s dummy run is a set-piece tour called the Gourmet Karoo Cycle Tour.

My wife maintains I am going just for the food. This is a cruel simplification of my honourable motives and I will spare the reader the rest of this domestic exchange.

There’s a lot more to it than eating. For instance, there’s wine tasting.

True, there’s some “culinary adventures” including lunch under the trees in Die Hel, tea and crumpets in Klaarstroom, Karoo dinners, as well as snacks en route served from a luxury coach that, towing a bike trailer, will take us from Joburg and back.

It will then follow us every day picking up the feeble.

I’d be embarrassed at having to be picked up but, with luck, my chain will break – irreparably – and I can then ride in the bus with the sandwiches.

A dozen of us will be cycling, some with their wives.

The itinerary says we cycle up the Swartberg Pass.

Now this is a very serious pass with hairpin bends and many precipices. Liz Szabo (Escape Cycle Tours) who designed our tour has cycled up its 26km in one go.

I have done that, too – without resting and in searing February heat. But, like Liz, I am not one to brag about it. Anyway it was in a car, which some nitpickers will say doesn’t really count.

I recall reaching the summit and looking north to the parched Great Karoo and then south – south into the deep, lush, green 25km-wide valley of the Little Karoo.

Will I be cycling up the pass this time? Please feel free to ask this and any other dumb questions by writing on a postcard and posting it anywhere you like.

As I say, this is a dummy run for Tour de Farce X when, once again, we will be cycling in France. It’s the fourth time us Farciers have chosen France.

(“It’s the French dinners,” says my wife. But it’s not of course. It’s also the lunches and the wine and the camaraderie and the exercise and the French cheese and croissants.)

This time our six-man peloton will be winding through Alsace in north-east France (using a barge as a hotel) and then we’ll be trying out a 200km stage of July’s le Tour de France.

Le Tour athletes do it in about six hours. We plan to do it in four – four days, that is.

Last week I ran into Tony Davies, the man who, inspired by our Tour de Farce adventures, rallied five of his retired friends to do what we did in 2003 – two weeks of cycling across the south of France.

Except Tony’s route took them, more by error than anything else, deep into the mountainous Cevennes with its tortuous climbs.

“Well, it looked perfectly flat in the atlas,” he said.

It turned out to be a severe test of just about everything – lifelong friendships, bikes, bodies…

They are now planning to emulate our very first Tour de Farce when we cycled 1 000km down the Danube. Except they are starting from the Danube’s source in the Black Forest and cycling 2 850km to the Black Sea in probably two sections over two years.

It proves what I have long maintained: cycling drives you mad.

 

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SA favours Karoo gas exploration but wants info on job creation, environment …

These were the main findings of an opinion poll conducted by Ipsos for Shell during August and September 2011. Ipsos polled more than 2,000 South Africans on exploration for natural gas in the Karoo Basin. Face-to-face interviews allowed the interviewers to describe, inform and question respondents on shale gas, the process of hydraulic fracturing, their …

These were the main findings of an opinion poll conducted by Ipsos for Shell during August and September 2011. Ipsos polled more than 2,000 South Africans on exploration for natural gas in the Karoo Basin. Face-to-face interviews allowed the interviewers to describe, inform and question respondents on shale gas, the process of hydraulic fracturing, their views on Shell and their hopes for South Africa.

Mari Harris, Director of Public Affairs at Ipsos, said, “Respondents clearly desire more information; they want to know if there is gas, how it will benefit them and what the impact will be.”

Awareness

The vast majority of South Africans (86%) were unaware of the possible exploration for natural gas in the Karoo and only 12% indicated that they had heard the term “hydraulic fracturing”1 before. As would be expected, awareness by word of mouth is higher among Karoo residents than among those living in other parts of the country, an indication of the greater relevance of shale gas exploration and hydraulic fracturing for people living in this area.

South Africans do want to know if there is gas in the Karoo

However, in spite of the very low awareness, when asked, more than seven in every ten adult South Africans (73%) were in favour of determining the presence of natural gas in the Karoo. If natural gas was proven to be present in the Karoo the same proportion (73%) would be in favour of gas extraction. However the proportion of those who are strongly in favour increases (from 39% to 45%), while the proportion of those in opposition decreases to 21%, with a larger group now uncertain as to how they feel about the issue (6%).

After the ideas of supporters of hydraulic fracturing were presented, about seven in every ten (69%) adult South Africans indicated that they were still in favour of gas exploration. After hearing views expressed by critics of the hydraulic fracturing process, the support for gas exploration reduced marginally to about two-thirds (66%).

South Africans care most about job creation

The study highlighted that job security and job creation remain very important issues in South Africa and more than half (54%) indicated that they would like more information on how gas exploration will benefit economic development and create jobs. Regarding infrastructure development, four out of every ten (39%) want information about how it will benefit the supply of and access to electricity. More information about the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing was important to 41% and a third (35%) would like to know how clean burning natural gas will be.

1The process of forcing a mixture of 99% water and sand, with 1% chemicals into shale formations deep underground to release natural gas.

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South Africa favours Karoo gas exploration but want info on job creation …

[Johannesburg, 22 February 2012] – Although most adult South Africans were unaware of the possible exploration for natural gas in the Karoo, when introduced to the concept, the majority said that they are in favour of determining the presence of natural gas in the Karoo. Respondents wanted the pressing issues of job creation, economic development …

[Johannesburg, 22 February 2012] –

Although most adult South Africans were unaware of the possible exploration for natural gas in the Karoo, when introduced to the concept, the majority said that they are in favour of determining the presence of natural gas in the Karoo. Respondents wanted the pressing issues of job creation, economic development and environmental concerns to be addressed in the process. The prospect of natural gas development creating a reliable domestic energy source that would give more South Africans access to electricity was also of paramount importance.

These were the main findings of an opinion poll conducted by Ipsos for Shell during August and September 2011. Ipsos polled more than 2,000 South Africans on exploration for natural gas in the Karoo Basin.  Face-to-face interviews allowed the interviewers to describe, inform and question respondents on shale gas, the process of hydraulic fracturing, their views on Shell and their hopes for South Africa.

Mari Harris, Director of Public Affairs at Ipsos, said, “Respondents clearly desire more information; they want to know if there is gas, how it will benefit them and what the impact will be.”

Awareness

The vast majority of South Africans (86%) were unaware of the possible exploration for natural gas in the Karoo and only 12% indicated that they had heard the term “hydraulic fracturing”1 before.  As would be expected, awareness by word of mouth is higher among Karoo residents than among those living in other parts of the country, an indication of the greater relevance of shale gas exploration and hydraulic fracturing for people living in this area.

South Africans do want to know if there is gas in the Karoo

However, in spite of the very low awareness, when asked, more than seven in every ten adult South Africans (73%) were in favour of determining the presence of natural gas in the Karoo.  If natural gas was proven to be present in the Karoo the same proportion (73%) would be in favour of gas extraction.  However the proportion of those who are strongly in favour increases (from 39% to 45%), while the proportion of those in opposition decreases to 21%, with a larger group now uncertain as to how they feel about the issue (6%).

After the ideas of supporters of hydraulic fracturing were presented, about seven in every ten (69%) adult South Africans indicated that they were still in favour of gas exploration. After hearing views expressed by critics of the hydraulic fracturing process, the support for gas exploration reduced marginally to about two-thirds (66%).

South Africans care most about job creation

The study highlighted that job security and job creation remain very important issues in South Africa and more than half (54%) indicated that they would like more information on how gas exploration will benefit economic development and create jobs. Regarding infrastructure development, four out of every ten (39%) want information about how it will benefit the supply of and access to electricity. More information about the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing was important to 41% and a third (35%) would like to know how clean burning natural gas will be.

Notes to Editors

Research Design and Technical Detail
This research project had been commissioned by Shell in order to measure the South Africans’ awareness of potential gas exploration in the Karoo and to gauge the opinion of the South African public regarding this issue.

2 006 face-to-face interviews were conducted in the homes of a representative sample of adult South Africans (18+ years old) using CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) methodology.

The fieldwork period was from 4 August to 2 September 2011.

To promote ease of understanding and to ensure the best possible quality of results, interviews were conducted in the respondents’ language of choice.

The sample included respondents from all population groups, provinces and types of settlements, in the whole spectrum from metropolitan areas to rural areas.

A disproportionately high number of interviews were conducted in the Karoo areas to ensure that the opinions of those members of the public who would be most impacted by any further development in the Karoo were adequately represented.

At the analysis stage all findings were weighted to represent the total adult population of South Africa in its correct proportions.

The sample error is 2, 2%.

For further in information please contact:

Mari Harris, Director Public Affairs, Ipsos South Africa
Telephone: 011 686 8458
Mobile: 082 5575058
Email: mari.harris@ipsos.com
http://www.ipsos.com

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1 The process of forcing a mixture of  99% water and sand, with 1% chemicals  into shale formations deep underground to release natural gas.

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Karoo ideal for stargazing – astronomer

2012-02-22 13:00 The Karoo is ideal for stargazing, astronomer Kechil Kirkham has said. (Duncan Alfreds, News24) Multimedia   ·   User Galleries   ·   News in Pictures Send us your pictures  Â·  Send us your stories Duncan Alfreds Laingsburg – The Karoo provides the ideal opportunity to observe the night sky for both professionals …

2012-02-22 13:00




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The Karoo is ideal for stargazing, astronomer Kechil Kirkham has said. (Duncan Alfreds, News24)

The Karoo is ideal for stargazing, astronomer Kechil Kirkham has said. (Duncan Alfreds, News24)

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Duncan Alfreds

Laingsburg – The Karoo provides the ideal opportunity to observe the night sky for both professionals and amateurs, an astronomer has said.

It’s very dark; many places in the Karoo are dark and that’s very good and that’s rare,” astronomer Kechil Kirkham from Over the Moon Tours told News24.

The Anysberg Nature Reserve recently began a stargazing programme for visitors and Kirkham said that the open plain of the Karoo provided an easy way to observe the stars.

“Mountains are bad for stargazing for two reasons: One is that they generate clouds and potentially rain as well. They also will restrict your view and Anysberg has this beautiful wide open plain. So you can plonk your telescope or lie down on the ground and see all around.”

The 62 500ha reserve has accommodation for about 20 people in cottages although there is also a campsite and plans to build one more cottage.

Astronomy tourism

CapeNature, which owns the reserve, wants to ensure that the area remains unspoilt and as a result, there is very little development on the site.

“There is no light pollution here: It’s one of the darkest spots on Earth. It’s as dark as Sutherland where the Southern African Large Telescope [Salt] and the other telescopes are for the South African Astronomical Observatory,” said Kirkham.

In urban areas, light pollution and atmospheric moisture make stargazing difficult, but rural areas have an advantage in that their lack of development makes it easy to see stars more clearly than urban areas.

“There’s very little in the way of air pollution and perturbations in the atmosphere that you would get around centres of population or places where there’re large forests,” said Kirkham.

The reserve which also features several species of animals such as gemsbok, red hartebeest, the endangered Cape mountain zebra may benefit from an increasing interest in astronomy.

SA is currently bidding to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) which aims to build over 3 000 linked radio telescopes in the Northern Cape province.

“I believe that in the Western Cape, astronomy tourism is just going to increase. Even if South Africa doesn’t win the Square Kilometre Array bid, there’s going to be MeerKAT [Karoo Array Telescope].

“The Southern African Large Telescope is now fully operational; all kinds of interesting results are going to be generated from that place which will attract more people to wonder about astronomy – both local tourists and international tourists,” Kirkham said.

Accessing the reserve is not easy as there are no tarred roads and the CapeNature website advises that high clearance vehicles are used, but small groups of visitors may find the experience quite rewarding.

“Most tourists will not have seen a very dark place like Anysberg so I believe that this place can attract all kinds of visitors, but especially those who are interested in stargazing, and those who haven’t seen the Southern Hemisphere night sky, because that’s different here,” Kirkham added.

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