The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
9 Mar 2011
When filmmaker Josh Fox was offered a hundred thousand dollars to lease his land for natural gas drilling, he embarked on a cross-country journey across the US to find out more about the practice of hydraulic fracturing. He discovered communities devastated by fracking.
Fox documented his findings in the Oscar nominated documentary Gasland, which also won the Special Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.
It's been reported that the industry aggressively attacked the documentary when it was nominated for an Academy Award.
Meanwhile Shell South Africa has submitted an application to the Petroleum Authority of South Africa (PASA) for the right to explore the Karoo for natural gas by hydraulic fracturing or fracking.
Part of Shell’s application for gas exploration requires the company to produce an environmental management plan.
In response to requirements from PASA, Shell released its "Draft Environmental Management Plan for the South Western Karoo Basin Gas Exploration Project," for public comment on 7 March 2011. The public has until 5 April 2011 to submit comments on the plan.
The Karoo community and environmentalists oppose Shell's exploration plans for the threat that it poses to the scarce and valuable water resources of the Karoo.
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