Business School and NMMU Hosts National Debate "Strategic Coversations: Fracking in the Karoo"

Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and NMMU Business School hosted and facilitated South Africa's first national debate around hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" in the Karoo on Tuesday evening, 22 November 2011 in Port Elizabeth.

The panel of participants included: concerned members of the public and residents of the Karoo, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber and Wilderness Foundation's Andrew Muir, private energy sector's Shell South Africa Upstream GM Jan Willem-Eggink, environmental lobby group Treasure the Karoo Action Group chairman Jonathan Deal, NMMU Geology & Mineralogy science authority Professor Maarten De Wit and NMMU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Affairs, Professor Piet Naude as debate leader and facilitator.

NMMU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof Piet Naude said the university feels strongly that it succeeded in stimulating critical thought and intellectual conversation amongst the public, private sector and academics with each other.

Naude said that the conclusion of the debate was clear. "Globally we stand before a very important decision to either explore a radical vision of renewable energy resources or we need to go for a compromise where we move away from highly polluted energies like fossil fuels, to use shale gas reserves, extracted through fracking, which according to scientists is 50% cleaner than coal, but still not a sustainable solution."

"In addition, the debate's outcome was that the moratorium on the fracking licenses should still be retained for at least a period where independent monitoring of exploration companies, such as Shell, is properly put in place and monitored, and that the public at large, including people from poor rural communities, be assured that fracking will not have an irreversible negative impact on their communities and future generations."