COP17

Perspectives and Insights

What exactly happened at COP17, and what are the scientific and ethical implications for South Africa and the world?

 The Archbishop of Cape Town invites you to hear a panel of participants in the recent COP 17 climate talks in Durban share their insights into what happened there and what this means in the global, African, South African and Western Cape contexts.

In response to the high level of interest, the Archbishop is now hosting a similar event to an earlier meeting held at UCT. If you missed the first meeting, here’s your chance to be informed and engage with the speakers.

Thursday 8 March 2012, 6 pm

Memorial Chapel, Bishops School,
Campground Road, Rondebosch

Panelists:

• The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba (Host), Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Chair of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN).

• Prof Mark New (Chair), Director of UCT’s African Climate and Development Initiative

• Prof Harald Winkler, Group leader: Energy, Environment and Climate Change at the Energy Research Centre, UCT, and member of the South African UNFCCC negotiating team at COP17

• Prof Guy Midgley, Chief Director: Climate Change at the SA National Biodiversity Institute,
  and member of the South African UNFCCC negotiating team

• Prof Bruce Hewitson, National Research Foundation Chair for Climate Change, UCT

• Dr Nigel Crawhall, Director of Secretariat of the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee

Convened by

The Diocese of Cape Town Environmental Group

and

SAFCEI (The Southern African Faith Communities’
Environment Institute)

For further information, contact the Rev Dr Rachel Mash
on rmash@mweb.co.za.

There will be a limited time for questions, please email them in advance.

Since the nuclear industry is international, in order to counter it effectively, the anti nuclear power movement needs to have an international component. Establishing a global network between countries and organisations is therefore an important step. The Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World in Yokohama in January 2012 was an excellent start to this process, and the conference we are organising in March 2012 in Cape Town will be able to build on this, specifically in the African context.

This conference has been arranged by the Koeberg Alert Alliance and its partners and will bring together experts, activists and NGOs to help coordinate working more effectively together towards a truly sustainable energy future. The dangers of nuclear and its costs, as well as the viability of renewable energy in the South African context will also be emphasised. For more details about the conference, see here: www.koebergalert.org You are hereby warmly invited to join us as an NGO for the 8th and the 9th.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Disaster at Fukushima nuclear plant, Japan. Pic: Wikipedia.

Dear friends and colleagues in faith,

Warm greetings in this new year of 2012.

This letter is a request that we in the faith communities respond to the calls of civil society, follow the example of faith leaders in Japan following the continuing disaster at Fukushima, and speak out clearly against our Department of Energy’s plan for expanding nuclear energy in South Africa.

When you have finished reading, please email us at coordinator@safcei.org.za to let us know of your support, if we have it.

You will have followed events in Japan last year with the same sense of shock that affected us at SAFCEI: the dreadful tsunami that took so many lives, and the subsequent breakdown, explosions and ongoing crises at the Fukushima nuclear reactor that forced the evacuation of 200,000 people, spread radiation around the northern hemisphere, and will take decades if not centuries to clean up.

The exact circumstances of the nuclear accident at Fukushima are unlikely to be replicated in South Africa. However, as long as we humans imagine that we are immune to natural disasters and human error and believe unpredictable failures of very dangerous technology will not happen to us, these disasters can and will happen again.

Is this what we want for South Africa? Our own leaders seem to have ignored what happened at Fukushima, brushing this great human tragedy aside. Our government is now intent on building no less than six nuclear reactors in South Africa.

The technocrats who advocate nuclear technology seem convinced of their own infallibility. They ignore public opinion. And all too often, they are no longer around when the full consequences of their grand plans play out.

Given the immense risks of nuclear power revealed by the Fukushima and other incidents, we are astonished that our own government continues to pursue this option. The construction costs could be more than R1-trillion. These already immense expenses do not take into consideration the costs of managing the legacy of waste, left for future generations to deal with. It is an open scandal that nearly 30 years after the construction of the nuclear power station at Koeberg, the government still does not have a plan for managing the high-level radioactive waste produced there. How then can it be trusted to deal responsibly with many times more high-level waste?

Faith communities in Japan are now standing up in opposition to all civilian nuclear power. We attach to this message, the call from the Catholic Bishops of Japan to abolish all nuclear plants immediately.

The moral problems with nuclear energy are simple:

• the imposition of endless risk and cost onto future generations, in defiance of our Constitution, which calls for inter-generational equity
• the constant danger of nuclear accidents
• the risks of nuclear proliferation and its use for weapons
• the necessity of entrusting authorities with more power than is healthy in any democracy
• the security risks and culture of secrecy that is inherent to nuclear technology
• the limited responsibility of nuclear planners, who are rarely available to be held accountable when their grand schemes fail

These immense moral hazards should silence those who claim nuclear energy is vital for economic reasons.

But the practical problems are as great:

• the vast and increasing cost of nuclear technology – these plants always cost more than the public is told when plans are announced
• no country in the world has succeeded in finding a full and proper solution for dealing with high-level radioactive waste, waste that will be dangerous for tens of thousands of years
• the ever-increasing costs of fueling technology dependent on an increasingly scarce resource: uranium
• the reluctance of private capital to fund or insure nuclear facilities
• the dangers of building nuclear plants near rising seas which are vulnerable to growing numbers of extreme storms
• they cannot be precisely scaled to match actual demand
• the costs required to build secure facilities in an age of increased risk of terrorism
• real doubts over whether the planned construction schedule is in fact viable

Renewable energy technologies are advancing swiftly. In a country with South Africa’s great potential for the use of renewables, nuclear energy should not even be considered.

As faith communities, we must speak out against these plans:

We invite you, as faith leaders with profound responsibility, to take these actions:

• please email us at coordinator@safcei.org.za to let us know if you support this call, or would like to receive further information and resources from us?
• encourage your faith community to take a stand against nuclear energy
• write to the national press expressing your opposition to the nuclear programme
• join SAFCEI in a unified call to government from faith communities to abandon these reckless plans

with best wishes

Bishop Geoff Davies                                   

SAFCEI executive director

Prof Jonny Meyers at the University of Cape Town is looking for students interested in:

a) doing a PhD in climate change and health 

Left to right: Dr. Vincent Maphai, Josephilda Nhlapo-Hlope, Mike Roussos, Bishop Geoff Davies & Fr. Mike Deeb

It was hoped that Trevor Manuel, heading up the National Planning Commission (NPC) would share the discussion with Bishop Geoff Davies of SAFCEI.  It was then realized that an NPC meeting would prevent that so  Gwede Mantashe, ANC General Secretary, agreed to engage in debating this important topic.  However an ANC Youth League meeting prevented his attendance, so Trevor Manuel asked two people from the NPC to attend. They were Dr. Vincent Maphai, a Commissioner, and senior researcher Josephilda Nhlapho-Hlope.

Dr. Maphai shared some extremely wise thoughts to the 150 to 200 people present at the Southern African Catholic Bishop’s Conference Justice and Peace Department AGM.  He explained that in the Sixties they had been motivated by the quest for social justice.  However, following the era of Thatcher and Reagan, the motivation had been dominated my economic interests. 

He believed that poverty reduction without environmental degradation was not only possible but was an imperative.  We have to have public ethics driven by moral imperatives which treat the planet responsibly.   

 Ms Josephilda Nhlapho-Hlope, a senior research specialist from the NPC, then presented a power point overview of the NPC report.  Her presentation showed the excellence of the research and recommendations of the NPC report.

 Bishop Geoff thanked both for their good presentations and commented that if we could implement the recommendations of the NPC, we would go a long way to solving our social and environmental challenges. 

 Can we reduce poverty and create jobs without environmental degradation – Yes.

 Will we do this? I seriously doubt it, but maybe this is why it is so important that faith communities are involved as we put ethics and values back into the centre of our decision making.  The Cape Times headline following President Zuma’s state of the nation address It’s the Economics showed that we were still trying to find solutions through economics rather than morality

 What is our greatest priority? I would hope that it is the wellbeing of our children so that they will inherit a world where they can live in peace and security.  That means that we must do all that we can for their good.  Our present policies are a recipe for disaster.  We in South Africa – and indeed the world – continue in a completely wrong direction. 

 For us to live sustainably requires a transformation, a revolution in our thinking and practice.  A revolution that moves from putting economics at the centre to a recognition that we humans are not only totally dependent on the wellbeing of the planet, but are inextricably part of it – and that economics is NOT at the centre of our being.  Worship God, not money we are clearly told!  

As you know, there are three pillars to sustainable development – Environment, Society and Economics.  We should realise that all is held within the wellbeing of the planet, but the reality is that economics dominates, whether in South Africa or the World Bank or Washington and now, it seems, Beijing.

The fundamental is that if we look after nature/environment, it will look after us.  This requires that we seek to establish the scriptural principles of Justice and Equity. We must be guided by moral principles and principles of justice and equity must be applied to the planet as well as people. 

In the Book of Exodus, in the desert when God fed the Israelites with manna, that is bread, from heaven, God provided for their needs not their greed. 

Our present economic system pays scant regard to the wellbeing of the planet and encourages and fosters greed.  I have to tell of my immense disappointment with the example my government, the ANC Government, is giving.   We have now become the most unequal country in the world.  I understood the ANC to be a party of the people concerned about their wellbeing.  I see cabinet ministers who should be setting an example driving around in vehicles that cost three quarters of a million Rand and staying in luxury hotels that I would never dream of entering.  And youth leaders wearing watches valued at a quarter of a million Rand.

The inequity in our country has now become obscene.  I don’t know how somebody can drive a vehicle that can cost R4 million while there are people without clean drinking water or sanitation.  The ANC must start living the talk.  Will you for the sake of the future?  The Equality Trust has proven that societies with greater equality are far happier, with far less conflict and violence.  We have some of the highest inequality levels and surprise, we have horrific levels of crime and violence.  Will the ANC promote a culture of sustainability, and move away from promoting consumerism and greed, which, by the way, undermines our incredible gift to the world of Ubuntu.

But you and I know that the core of the problem is our economic system, which considers profit and the bottom line only.  We have got to put people and planet before profit. Money is only a resource, a tool to accomplish what we need to do, and that is to ensure that people are fed, housed, educated, employed, and live in a peaceful harmonious society.  For that to happen, we have to have a natural environment that is pleasant and provides clean water and air and soil, for all of creation.  The acquisition of money does not do that. In our relentless pursuit of money we destroy all else. 

 The ANC – and all of us – recognise that the greatest challenge and priority is to overcome poverty and unemployment and inequality.

Our main thesis is that if you do what is right for the planet then we will overcome these challenges of poverty and unemployment.  How come?

Following COP17 it should be clear that if we want to look after people and the planet our energy policy is a key issue.

The planet requires an urgent and dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emmissions. Climate change is real. Ever since the industrial revolution we have been increasing carbon emmissions, so much so that we now have a level of CO₂ not seen in the atmosphere for the last 650 thousand years.  Fossil fuel is a wonderful source of energy – push a car 10 kilometres to realise how much energy is in one litre of petrol.  But not only is fossil fuel destroying the atmospheric balance, it has also done millions of people out of jobs. A machine can do a job that might require dozens or even hundreds of people to do the same work.

So what we need is a low carbon, labour intensive paradigm that improves the health of the planet and creates jobs.  But few seem to promote this. 

I am not proposing we go back to the pick and shovel age but that we use intermediate, labour intensive technology.  Why? Because 95 % of our children don’t get a matric and are unskilled and not all are going to become entrepreneurs. 

But why does this not happen?  I put it to you that it is not in the interests of overseas capital which  – understandably – prefers to invest in machines (which are not as troublesome as trade unionists) so we have the high tech, high energy, high capital paradigm, reliant on overseas investment instead of Africa doing things Africa’s way.

Last year it was reported that overseas investment in South Africa had increased, but employment was down.  It was also reported that agricultural mechanization over the last ten years had brought about a quarter of a million job losses.

Our greatest asset and resource is our people.  At the moment this is totally under-valued with over 50% unemployment in South Africa alone.  We are reaching peak oil. There is going to be a crisis in the way agri-business uses massive quantities of fossil fuel and water.

Interestingly, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba no longer received subsidised oil from Russia.  The health rate in Cuba has risen dramatically.  Diabetes and heart disease have dropped by 50% and longevity has passed that of the USA.  – Since people could no long rely on machines and automobiles! 

Africa with a labour intensive, organic farming model will bring greater health not only to the planet but to the people and in the process will create millions of jobs and bring about greater equality.

Where is the money – it is the energy sector. So fossil fuel enables those in power and with money to control these monopolies.  We say put power in the hands of people – through renewable energy – and distribute the wealth.  It can be done.  But the government is going in the wrong direction with nuclear energy, a centralised grid and even considering the option of fracking for natural gas. 

Fracking is not an option.  Apart from threatening water resources, a study by Cornell University released at COP 17 shows that 48% of the USA’s greenhouse gas emmissions are from methane from fracking. 

We have got to stop burning fossil fuels – for the sake of the planet and our children.  And we must have decentralised electricity generation through renewable energy if we are going to get energy to those four million rural households.

Don’t tell me that only coal and nuclear can provide base load for electricity.  That is a myth perpetuated by ESKOM! Obviously, we would not phase out all our coal fired power stations but instead of spending R350 billion on two new coal stations, Medupi and Kusile, we spend that on concentrated solar power that would be up and running within a year or two, whereas a new coal power  station takes 5 or even 8 years. 

And as for nuclear, on ESKOM’s own admission, that would not be up and running in under 15 years and every study of nuclear shows that the costs of construction continue to escalate, the costs of uranium continues to increase and will grow scarcer, the problem of toxic waste for the next few hundred thousand years has still not been solved, it is by nature a centralised system so won’t benefit the rural poor and if we spend a few trillion Rand, we will leave precious few resources for the education and development of people.  And this money has to come from the government.  In no country has private equity funded nuclear power.  Why? Because it is simply too risky, whereas private equity is queuing up to invest in solar and wind energy.    In 2010, renewables received $151billion of global private investment and surpassed nuclear powers total global installed capacity.  

Not only is nuclear energy high risk for people and planet, it is a high risk financially and is therefore an absurd option for a country that has some of the best solar and wind resources in the world.

So, to live in a healthy planet requires that we live in harmony with it and the best way of doing that is to follow the God given principles which are revealed in most religions of justice, equity, compassion, love.  The question I put to you is whether we will follow the universal laws of God or the vested self-interests of power politics and BEE coal shares.  Either we seek greater equity and peace or we follow a path of inequality and increasing conflict and environmental destruction. 

Sustainable development is possible. Are we willing to sublimate our own self-interests to make it possible?  

We believe that the emphasis of large scale centralised infrastructure development, in the hands of wealthy corporations is going diametrically in the wrong direction. 

What is needed is growth in the development of people.  Skill our people.  Enable them to use their considerable gifts and ingenuity.  Provide them with the resources. Liberate them, the people, economically. Don’t just further enrich the rich.  Share the resources of the planet. Look up on the web the Equality Trust.  Our roots as a species are in cooperative action.  It is these pro-social strategies rather than models of pure competition that explain survival and success.

Now I am not actually just getting at the ANC, but governments around the world.  There is a proposal before the UN that a law of ecocide be classed as an international law alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and war crimes as a fifth crime against peace.  Governments and corporations can then be held responsible for allowing so called development projects that destroy wetlands or destroy the atmosphere, such as Eskom does in our country.

We hope our government will be on the side of overcoming poverty and unemployment without environmental degradation.

10^th February 2012

Bishop Geoff Davies, Executive Director

Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute

Office Phone:  +27 21 701 8145

Cell Phone:      +27 83 754 5275

From Sendai
November 8, 2011
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan
To all residents in Japan,

The accident in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant triggered by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake contaminated the ocean and land by radiation, and tragically disrupted the daily life of an enormous number of people. Even now, almost one hundred thousand people are evacuated from the neighboring area of the nuclear plant, and numerous people are forced to live in fear and anxiety.

With regard to the pros and cons of nuclear plants, we, Japanese bishops, expressed in our message “Reverence for Life –A Message for the Twenty-First Century from the Catholic Bishops of Japan” as follows:

“It has provided a totally new source of energy for humanity, but as we can see in the destruction of human life in a moment in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the disaster at Chernobyl and the life-threatening criticality accident at Tokaimura, it also has the potential to pass huge problems on to future generations. To use it effectively, we need the wisdom to know our limits and exercise the greatest care. In order to avoid tragedy, we must develop safe alternative means of producing energy.”

The “tragedy” in this message was brought about by nothing less than the accident in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. This nuclear disaster wiped out the “safety myth”, which was created because people put too much trust in science and technology without having “the wisdom to know our limits”.

In the message “Reverence for Life”, we, Japanese bishops could not go so far as to urge the immediate abolishment of nuclear plants. However, after facing the tragic nuclear disaster in Fukushima, we regretted and reconsidered such attitude. And now, we would like to call for the immediate abolishment of all the power plants in Japan.

With regard to the immediate abolishment of nuclear plants, some people voice concerns about energy shortage. There are also various challenges such as the reduction of carbon dioxide. However, most important of all, we as members of the human race, have responsibilities to protect all life and nature as God’s creation, and to pass on a safer and more secure environment to future generations. In order to protect life, which is so precious, and beautiful nature, we must not focus on economic growth by placing priority on profitability and efficiency, but decide at once to abolish nuclear plants.

Because of the prediction that a new disaster will occur due to another earthquake or tsunami, all the 54 nuclear plants in Japan are at risk of horrific accidents like the latest one. Therefore, in order to prevent human-generated calamities associated with natural disasters as much as possible, it is essential to eliminate nuclear plants.

Although nuclear plants have been supplying energy in the context of “peaceful use” to society until now, they have also released an enormous amount of radioactive waste such as plutonium. We are going to place the custodial responsibility of these dangerous wastes on future generations for centuries to come. We must consider this matter to be an ethical issue.

 Nuclear power has been encouraged by national policies up to now. As a result, natural energy has fallen behind in development and popularity. We urge that the national policies be changed to place top priority on development and implementation of natural energy, which will also contribute to reducing carbon dioxide. On the other hand, it takes a long time and enormous labor to decommission a nuclear plant. Therefore, the decommissioning of reactors and the disposal of radioactive waste must be conducted with extreme caution.

Indeed, electricity is essential for our lives today. However, what is important is to amend our ways of general life by changing the lifestyles that excessively depend on electricity.

 Japan has its culture, wisdom and tradition that have long co-existed with nature. Religions such as Shinto and Buddhism are also based on the same spirit. Christianity has the spirit of poverty as well. Therefore, Christians have an obligation to bear genuine witness to the Gospel especially through the ways of life expected by God; “simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, charity towards all, especially towards the lowly and the poor, obedience and humility, detachment and self-sacrifice”. (2)

We should choose anew a simple and plain lifestyle based on the spirit of the Gospel (3), in cases like saving electricity. We live in the hope that science and technology will develop and advance based on the same spirit. These attitudes will surely lead to a safer and more secure life without nuclear plants.

From Sendai
November 8, 2011
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan

NO TO NUCLEAR As Catholic bishops in Japan call for all nuclear facilities to shut down, SAFCEI urges SA religious leaders to join us in opposing South Africa’s own nuclear programme.

PROTEST A march protesting (Facebook link) new developments and restrictions on Chapman’s Peak Drive in Cape Town will be held on Sun 22 January from 10.30am, starting from Hout Bay Beach car park opposite Chapmans’ Peak Hotel.

CLIMATE UPDATE An update from the World Council of Churches protesting the inadequate outcome of COP 17 in Durban.

MASS EXTINCTION Article from Tikkun on ecocide/species loss/biodiversity loss, and why it is as serious as climate change.

DE-NUKING GERMANY An HSRC seminar/videoconference on “How Germany Decided to Give up Nuclear Energy” – 1 February 10am, venues in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.

Every single thing in existence is worthy of supreme reverence. Nature is not something for human beings to exploit as they see fit, solely for their own interests. Both nature and humanity are part—and at the same time complete expressions—of the life of the universe. To destroy the natural world is to destroy human life. – Daisaku Ikeda

In a recent Mail & Guardian article, Minister Peters claimed that South Africa still needs our considerable coal resources and must invest in nuclear. These claims have no sound moral basis – they are founded in the narrowest conceptions of what is economically viable and betray the limited vision of the Minister’s advisers. For coal is immensely destructive of human health, climate and future wealth while the pursuit of nuclear energy with its immense costs, risks and health and security hazards is the ultimate expression of the sin of pride.

Love and compassion must guide our decision making for current and future generations.  If they were part of the calculations of our Minister’s department, they would not dream of taking these risks. The basis for our decisions should always be what is good for people and planet and not what is profitable, and profitable only in the short term, at great cost to our future.

We know that to maintain the health of the planet – and so our own health – we must follow the laws of nature – and, the faith communities would add, of God. When we deviate from the laws of the universe, nature and of God, we cause disruption and destruction to the natural world – and to us, for we are bound to our Mother Earth’s wellbeing. When we behave as if resources are unlimited, or as if accidents do not happen, or as if natural disasters only occur elsewhere, or as if human beings are never tragically fallible, we invite disaster.

We must ask: how can the department of energy tell our children that they must find a solution for storing our high-level nuclear waste when you have not yet even funded a solution for the waste from Koeberg and carefully exclude future waste-storage costs from the projected costs of planned new plants?

How can our government make us slaves to the ever-rising costs of scarce and limited resources? In the US, the five states with the highest proportion of renewable energy have the most stable energy prices. This tells us that our prosperity demands more renewable energy ambition.

It is also extraordinary that this decision has been taken in such haste despite the visible ongoing tragedy of Fukushima, where hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and where a far more technologically advanced country than SA is barely managing to cope with a nuclear disaster. Looking at such loss, at the destruction of communities, is heartbreaking. Where is the heart in our government, we must ask, that it is prepared to take such immense risks?

Already, Eskom in its arrogance is serving expropriation orders to people in order to build these monsters – threatening livelihoods in the Western Cape.

While the morality of these decisions is our primary concern, we do not ignore practicalities. In fact, it often seems government ignores the deeper practicalities. Leading economists tell us that the more we delay action on climate change, the faster we destroy future prosperity – yet we persist with the climate-destroying Medupi and Kusile coal stations, fuelling our own destruction.

The Fukushima disaster shut down 11 of Japan’s nuclear reactors, at least six of which are now condemned – but the Japanese Wind Power Association declared that there was no damage at all to its members’ facilities, from either the earthquake or the tsunami. Within three weeks of the disaster, Fukushima operator TEPCO, one of the five largest electricity utilities in the world, lost more than three-quarters of its share value, while the Japan Wind Development Company nearly doubled its stock price.

Again and again, it is argued that South Africa’s economy will depend on nuclear reactors – yet around the world, sensible business people are putting their money into renewable, not nuclear, energy.

Tragic numbers of our youth despair of their chances of ever getting jobs; renewable energy creates more, and more decentralised, jobs than nuclear energy – but still, we are given nuclear.

The big companies who will be the primary beneficiaries of these facilities promise economic development.  We know this is the urgent concern of government, but it will be of the same kind that has long bedevilled South Africa – generating as much inequality, poverty, economic risk and pollution as it does electricity and commodity exports.

Of course we want economic development, in those sectors that need it, for the dignity and wellbeing of our people. We insist on it. We recognise that South Africa needs some expansion of energy supply, and replacement of older sources.

But there is no need for nuclear power – wind and solar power technologies are rapidly advancing; recently, a solar power plant in Spain was able to supply the grid for 24 hours.  Clearly, these are the technologies of the future – not only for their ability to supply reliable power but also because they are renewable, while both uranium and coal are finite non-renewable resources and will eventually run out.  Why postpone this reckoning – why foist an even bigger problem on our children, and their children?

There are also vital questions that must be asked about the feasibility of the proposed nuclear construction schedule. An international World Watch Institute report of 2011 revealed that there are serious constraints on the manufacture of key reactor components that are likely to greatly slow down commissioning dates – compounding the universal tendency of nuclear projects to cost far more than the initially projected costs.

Renewable energy is in many instances already cheaper than nuclear.  Even where it is more expensive, those planning these plants have no right to incur risks to human health that will persist for thousands of years for the sake of short and medium-term savings. To do so tramples on the constitutional rights of future generations to enjoy an environment as safe and as abundant as that which we have inherited.  In the words of Jane Goodall, we are stealing the future from our children.

Nuclear costs only climb – yet the price of wind turbines is declining, and solar photovoltaic prices are tumbling even faster. In 2010, all renewables excluding large hydro received $151 billion of global private investment (nuclear got none) and surpassed nuclear power’s total global installed capacity.

We are disturbed that the myth that renewable energy cannot provide base load electricity continues to be perpetuated. In our meetings with university researchers, a totally different picture is painted, with almost unlimited new opportunities for renewable energy to meet the energy requirements of our society.

Much hard work by civil society last year helped to pushed more renewable energy into the IRP2010 electricity planning process.  In spite of this the IRP was still not a true reflection of the submissions made. The renewable energy submissions showed far greater opportunity for renewable energy generation than has been accepted by the IRP. It is absurd that a country like South Africa should have a long term plan of only 9% of renewable energy when we have much greater solar radiation than countries with higher renewable energy production plans. Our ambitions are pathetic compared to India and China.

As well-governed countries like Germany turn away from nuclear, why do we not see similar ambition in our own politicians to lead us into the energy future? Instead, you seem to be insisting on perpetuating old energy solutions that are deferring immense problems to future generations.

So we ask you, Minister Peters, meet with us. We have been seeking dialogue for a number of years. We hope that our country’s experience at COP 17 has made it clearer that government and civil society – including the faith communities – need to work together. 

Again we declare, it is our people’s health and wellbeing and security that must be paramount, assured by a healthy planet – not the profits of foreign multinationals or the nuclear prestige of our politicians.

Bishop Geoff Davies is the executive director of the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI)

“Our Peace is Our Power”

4 December 2011

While world leaders and delegates have been striving to make decisions on the future of our planet and its people, faith communities in Durban and around the world have been praying. In the middle of the second week of the COP 17 UN climate conference, faith leaders and communities from various backgrounds gathered together to pray for a meaningful outcome.

Banners read, “We Have Faith, Act Now for Climate Justice”. Our prayer was to support and to guide leaders to make ethical choices based on justice and equality together with the sacredness of human life. When a higher power is sought, said KZN Inter-Religious Council leader Father Mike, “another world is possible”.

There was representation from various faith communities including Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Baha’i, Muslim and Buddhist. All were praying and hoping for the Divine to be present with the world, and to remind us of the inherent oneness and unity of humankind. Our Green Bishop Geoff Davies said, “moral principles need to be put at the heart of the climate issue. We need to move from being self-centred to other-centred. Compassion must guide our leaders and conservation and compassion go together.”

Everyone at the prayer service vowed to pray daily for the meaningful outcome of the COP this week.

Quotes from the various faiths include: from the Baha’i Faith, “Oh Though Kind Lord! Unite all. Let the Religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home” and from the Buddhist Faith “be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if your feet are kissing the earth.” From the Bible “God created the world… and it was good”

As our negotiators are meeting this final week of COP, faith communities’ have faith in a better world for all, especially for the most vulnerable. Our world leaders now need to show the same level of faith and commitment to the meaningful, fair, ambitious and legally binding outcome from these COP talks in Durban. – Nava Derakhshani, SAFCEI staff

SAFCEI board members, staff and members joined the Global Day of Action march organised by civil society organisations around the world on Saturday 3 December, in support of a fair, ambitious and binding deal at the UN climate conference in Durban, COP 17.

The security presence at the march was enormous, and the organisers had to go to court in order to secure a marching route that went past the International Convention Centre where the COP is underway. SAFCEI supported the court application, which was handled pro bono by the Legal Resources Centre.

The beginning of the march was disrupted by members of the ANC Youth League wearing the livery of the eThekwini (Durban) municipality COP volunteers. The security presence was immense – rivalling the days of the apartheid era.

At the International Convention Centre, the COP president, South Africa’s minister of international relations, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, and the UNFCCC executive secretary, Christiana Figueres, addressed the march. Figueres said that children have only one message for climate negotiators: “do more, do more, do more.”