Madam Deputy Speaker, the lifting of the moratorium on shale gas exploration at this stage is a short-sighted decision and not in the best interest of the environment. Critics of the practice fear groundwater will be contaminated and local research has proven that groundwater contamination is a real threat.
We all know that some day the planet will reach peak fossil fuels. Not if, but when. What we know is that after the completion of fracking, the drilled holes will be sealed off, with no guarantees that it will not start to leak in the years to come and contaminate the water and the environment. If we allow fracking, if we believe that there will be no contamination of toxic waste after sealing holes, why do we not dispose of nuclear waste from Koeberg in these holes, if the sealing is so effective? This will never happen, but what is the difference?
Government has ignored the fact that fracking technology is banned in more than 155 jurisdictions around the world, where tens of millions of people who live have chosen to forego the economic benefits of fracking in favour of the environment where they raise their children, grow their crops and abstract their drinking water.
According to Barry Mackall of Eskom Solar, renewable energy should start to become cheaper than fossil fuels in 2015. Shell has acknowledged that it will take up to nine years to explore, and even longer for shale gas to become an energy source. We might be overtaken by time. There are real alternatives for fracking. Have we done enough studies on offshore gas, a resource that does not need fracking and can be available in three years?
Cope expresses concern about the way that the government has handled this, the secrecy around the technical task team that was appointed and the lack of consultation. We shall not support the process in its current format and we need more research to be done, as well as proper consultation. [Applause.]