Gasland: Stop fracking with our lives

In the build up to Earth Hour on Saturday night, the campus organisation SEACC SF screened the Oscar-nominated documentary, Gasland. The South East African Climate Consortium Student Forum bought the rights to the movie, which highlights the true nature of hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’. This technique is used to mine natural gases and the documentary uncovers the disastrous effects this process has had on the lives of American citizens living near the drilling stations.
The documentary, written and directed by Josh Fox, is shot in a poetic and experimental way and contains a montage of people whose health, water and livestock have suffered from the chemicals used in the process and the natural gas released into the air and water.
The crowd in Eden Grove Red, gasped as footage was shown of drinking water which had so much gas in it that it ignited in the presence of a flame. There are shocking revelations of the way companies are bulldozing their way into communities without being monitored by any state or environmental organisations.
The documentary is pertinent to South Africa, as a number of international oil companies are planning to prospect the Karoo for natural gas.
If they are successful, they will use the fracking process to obtain the natural gas, at great risk to the environment and the lives of people and animals.
SEACC SF sent a petition around after the screening, which they plan to present to Parliament next month. There it will be taken forward by DA shadow environmental minister, Gareth Morgan. They hope not only to gain the support of Grahamstown residents, but to raise a national opposition to hydraulic fracturing.
SEACC SF bought the rights to Gasland for $75, which converts to around R509, at current exchange rates. Anyone interested in getting involved, or making a donation, can contact Patrick Curran on g06c0565@campus.ru.ac.za or Alex Lenferna on seaccsf@gmail.com.

Published in Grocott's Mail on 1 April 2011.

Power to the hour

Guitarists, Joel Pearson and Duncan Park, from the band Folklore, play music at an Earth Hour event in Botanic Gardens . Behind them, a fire poi artist paints the night air with fire.
Photo by Gabi Falanga

Joel Pearson, a guitarist in the band Folklore, picks out intricate blues-folk tunes at an Earth Hour event in Grahamstown.
Photo by Gabi Falanga

Voices of Glory choir sing “Heal the World”, apt for the occasion, which aims to raise awareness to protect our planet. Photo by Gabi Falanga

A drumsoc member paints the air with her fire poi during an Earth Hour event in Botanic Gardens on Saturday night. Photo by Gabi Falanga

The view from Settler's Monument during Earth Hour on Saturday was no different from the view on any other night. Most of Grahamstown stayed lit throughout the hour, with the exception of a handful of households.
Photo by Dianne Jordan.

Earth hour is a symbolic designated hour, during which people around the world switch off all their lights and electrical appliances to show support for climate change and making responsible environmental lifestyle choices.
A large group of people gathered in the Botanical Gardens on Saturday night to acknowledge the event, which was organised by a number of Rhodes University societies. And although it was well attended, I couldn’t help being slightly disappointed.
I was imagining a peaceful event, huddled up on blankets, listening to chilled-out live music. The huddled-up-on-blankets part was realised - but, alas, not the peaceful part.
Student band, Folklore, with their characteristic blues-folk style, was drowned out by the raucous screams and shouts of people getting hopelessly sloshed. It felt like many people attended the event as just another excuse to have a piss-up.
But maybe I should get used to the fact that drinking, darkness and live music seem to be inseparable. Added to this, it did not seem like any lights in town or on campus had been switched off – well, at least not the ones I could see through the trees.
Not long after Folklore finished playing, Voices of Glory choir took up their spot on the grassy "stage". They sang an absolutely beautiful rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World”, which struck an emotional chord with those present.
They were followed by a rather, um, interesting poet, who recited a poem that was meant to be sensual, but came across as raunchy - not quite fitting with the occasion. He did make an impression on some crowd members, though, who giggled uncontrollably (and were probably blushing), as he described how he was going to travel the contours of a woman’s body.
It would be unfair of me to make it sound like the evening was all bad. The turn-out was impressive and hopefully this means that environmental consciousness is spreading.
Student society Gaian Revolutions And Social Solutions (Grass) had put candles in brown paper bags, which had been painted by children and dotted them around the Gardens.
Between performances, Drum Soc’s rhythmic beats filled the air and their fire poi performers had the audience in awe.
My favourite part of the evening was when I saw Saturn through one of Astro Soc’s telescopes. It looked like a big, super-shiny star, with bright stripes on either side of it – its rings.
Even though I was disappointed by the event, it did have a festive atmosphere and is definitely a step in the right direction.
Here’s to incorporating sustainable decisions into our everyday lives and looking forward to a bigger and even better earth hour next year.

Published in Grocott's Mail on 29 March 2011.

Go beyond the hour

Switch off all your lights. Huddle around a table with a candle and play scrabble, monopoly or snakes and ladders. Tell ghost stories. Make your own lanterns. Lie on a blanket in the garden and watch the stars or run around with sparklers. These are all things that you can do when you switch your lights off on Saturday night, from 8.30 to 9.30pm for Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is an international event organised by the WWF to support our planet by creating awareness about climate change. This event has been happening annually since 2007, with 128 countries participating last year. To participate, switch off all your lights and electrical appliances for the hour. This year, people are encouraged to go beyond the hour by making lifestyle changes and limiting electricity usage.
SEACC SF, GRASS and Astro Soc will feature performances by Drum Soc, BUA poetry society and Voices of Glory in the Botanical Gardens. The evening will kick off at 6pm with a screening of the documentary, 'Gasland', at Eden Grove Red, followed by a short presentation on the proposed hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo. Moving across to the Botanical Gardens, Earth Hour celebrations will continue from 8:30pm until late. Entrance is free and everyone is welcome. Bring your own drinks and a picnic.