Fracking Alternative Energy Sources
This is a response to this Video from Shell, “Exploring the
Karoo”
Shell is running a promotional campaign in the Karoo.
They are visiting all the farmers in the area and sharing information and
promoting Fracking to the Karoo farmers.
The reasons Shell present for fracking is:
- South Africa is facing an Energy Shortage crises.
- 8 Billion people in South Africa do not have access to electricity and the SA government wants this changed
- Cleaner energy source than coal
- Problem in future if we do not find alternative ways of creating energy
- Job creation
- It will be good for the economy
There are many alternative ways of creating energy other than through the use of fossil fuels.
These alternatives are cleaner, present no risk of
pollution and are renewable.
The real reasons why Shell wants to mine for shale gas, are
not the reasons listed above and their interest is not in wanting to solve these problems.
The real reason is profit and self interest.
Especially if alternative, cleaner solutions exist to address
the problems listed above.
The best alternative source of alternative energy at the
moment is “Energy Efficiency”
Through energy efficiency a person can achieve the same
output with a lot less input.
Technology has really developed extensively recently, becoming
more efficient and affordable.
This is especially true for lighting and water heating.
For example, one can produce the same amount of light now
with 6 Watt of electricity, that would have required a 100 Watts of electricity
in the past.
This can be done by replacing a 100 Watt incandescent globe
with a 6 Watt LED globe.
Saving electricity though energy efficiency is better than
just creating more energy and not using it efficiently. For every one kWh saved
through energy efficiency is one kWh not needing to be generated by burning
fossil fuels, and the associated pollution.
Eskom has been running a program called IDM for the last 5
years. Integrated Demand Control. Through this program they pay customers for
every kWh saved by installing more energy efficient technology.
Through this program they have saved more than 3 600 Mega
Watts of electricity. This equates to the power generated by a 6 tower power station!
And all of these savings has been measured and verified. Furthermore, this energy saving is perpetual.
Eskom actually experienced a decrease in the sales of
electricity of more than 3% in 2012, even though the economy has
grow by more than 2%.
South-Africa was accustomed to cheap, abundant electricity. Electricity prices were kept low by the government to encourage economic development. As a result, we consumed a lot of energy and made use of energy in-efficient technologies. For this reason, the opportunity for energy efficiency is very big in South Africa.
To see what is possible through energy efficiency visit this
website.
