[This was written by Fran Siebrits and published online by Hy-Se-Sy-Se www.hy-se-sy-se.com/what-the-frack, 2011]

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a method of extracting natural gas
and oil from the layers of rock underneath our feet. A phenomenal
amount of water, mixed with a shocking variety of chemicals with
unpronounceable names, is forced down a pipe that has to first be
drilled into the earth. The pressure of this action forces the liquid
concoction into cracks in the shale layers of the rock, dislodging and
releasing pockets of trapped natural gas and oil wells.




Because oil and gas is so important to petroleum companies, these
“bulldogs” stampede any piece of land with the slightest whiff of
natural gas resting peacefully below its surface. In short (and in
theory, to be specific) the two pros of fracking in the Karoo would be
an increase in economic value to the area and possible job creation. But
isn’t that also what FIFA said?

“Either
that or he was not given the memo by Shell that they had already tried
this approach in 2010 and the public saw right through it.”

The cons, however, far outweigh the good points. If you look at
documentaries on the issue, it appears that top of the list are a change
in environmental conditions and the negative implications on human
health. The most obvious concern brought up is the chemical
contamination of ground and surface water – this includes drinking
water. To be completely honest, I think that listing the possible cons
of fracking in the context of the Karoo will take up more space than is
allocated for this piece. So without being condescending, I’ll kindly
ask you to check out the top blog on the issue, listed below.

As with many controversial issues that arise in SA, there are those
in favour and then those (usually falling into the activist category)
who are opposed to the idea.

In an article posted on 18 August 2011 on www.2oceansvibe.com,
spokesperson for the Karoo Shale Gas Community Forum, Vuyisa Jantjies,
didn’t show much tact or intellect on behalf of the group that is in
support of the fracking. According to the site, the Karoo Shale Gas
Community Forum stated that “fracking critics are ignoring the needs of
the Karoo’s poverty-stricken residents”. It’s an opinion that suggests
the simplistic, polarized thinking that activists are only unthinking
whites pitched against poor people of colour. It’s the sad game of
victim that we so enjoy playing in SA.

“The
controversial documentary, Gasland, which Larsen uses as her point of
departure, has been an introduction and eye-opener to hydraulic
fracturing for many people.”

This type of argumentation unfortunately suggests Vuyisa’s shallow
take on the matter at large and could even show up his lack of
understanding regarding economy, sociology, geography, business, natural
science, and pretty much every other topic relating to the situation.
Either that or he was not given the memo by Shell that they had already
tried this approach in 2010 and the public saw right through it.

In the eleventh issue of Cape Chameleon (published by www.projects-abroad.org.za),
which takes nature, conservation and community upliftment to heart,
Maja Larsen sums up the concern of hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo to
those who may still be unclear on the issue. Apart from the typo error
under the first subheading where she misleadingly talks about “deep
scale formations” instead of deep shale formations, the article is
informative and clear. Her objective approach might not stir as much
debate as Vuyisa’s viewpoint, but the information is all there, ripe for
the public’s picking. And at least Larsen’s is a clean approach.

“South Africa is a precious country. Here, the main focus should be to build a unified nation, not so?”

The controversial documentary, Gasland, which Larsen uses as
her point of departure, has been an introduction and eye-opener to
hydraulic fracturing for many people. This American-based documentary
highlights the negative implications of fracking on surrounding drinking
water, health in surrounding communities, land degradation, and
governmental silence. There are an increasing number of questions about
fracking.

Even though Larsen looks at different views from organisations in
favour of and opposed to fracking, her article was cleverly structured
to persuade readers ever so slightly to oppose the proposition made by
Shell to frack in the Karoo. It’s just a pity that the article doesn’t
have a more pronounceable conclusion, merely stating that “We have taken
the first steps towards knowledge”.

In the end, the facts speak for themselves. Having watched the
documentaries, heard the rebuttals and been in the company of many a
informed and heated discussion, I believe that the points against
fracking are evidence enough and far outweighing the short-term benefits
to the pockets of a few or governmental coffers with accounting that we
are not privy to.

South Africa is a precious country. Here, the main focus should be to
build a unified nation, not so? Hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo has
never been about racism (someone please pass this snippet of information
on to Vuyisa). It’s about a democratic South African government having
to make a decision on behalf of its people; and it would seem that most
people do actually give a frack about what happens to our environment.

The Karoo ‘situation’ is about more than just money; it’s about an independent developing country having the option of saying NO
to the monopolies controlling the oil industry. It’s a matter of pride
and conscience; it’s caring about future generations who will continue
to shout “Viva South Africa!” on solid, unpolluted African soil.

Stay informed:

1. The action group at http://treasurethekaroo.blogspot.com/ (Treasure the Karoo) raising awareness as well as being a much-needed watchdog.

2. Documentaries to watch (about the American fracking situation) are Gasland and Split Estate.

3. Read an interview with David Constable, CEO of SASOL, to get SASOL’s viewpoint here: Why Sasol supports Karoo fracking moratorium

4. If you need copies of Cape Chameleon and can’t find it, they are on Facebook too! Search for Cape Chameleon magazine.