The Johannesburg Press Club and EE Publishers invite you, your friends, colleagues and all interested persons to attend an open public debate on "Fracking in the Karoo - for and against..." DATE: Wednesday 25 May 2011 TIME: 15h30 for 16h00 VENUE: Axiz Auditorium, Midrand. Click here for map. COCKTAIL PARTY: Snacks, soft-drinks, beer & wine served after debate COST: R50 per person attending, payable at the door. Click here to register online and reserve your seat(s) PRESENTERS Chairman:
- Dr. Rod Crompton, member of the board of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), responsible for regulating petroleum and gas pipelines.
Presenters in favor of fracking:
- Prof. Philip Lloyd of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Energy Research Centre (ERC) of the University of Cape Town (UCT)
- Ivo Vegter, well known opinion leader, journalist and writer in The Daily Maverick and other leading publications in South Africa (see his views on fracking here)
Presenters against fracking:
- Dr. Anthony Turton, well known water resource scientist, formerly at the CSIR, now professor in the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State (UFS)
- Dr. Chris Hartnady, formerly associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at UCT, now technical director at Umvoto, with expertise in structural geology and tectonics in South and southern Africa
A vote will be taken before and after the debate to determine those for the motion, those against and those undecided. BACKGROUND The subject of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", for the exploration and production of shale gas in the Karoo has been well covered in the media as a potential "game changer" in the energy sector, with heated arguments both for and against. This debate will bring together diverse expert views to present and argue the case: "Fracking in the Karoo - for and against...", to enable you to better understand the issues and make up your own mind. The debate will cover:
- The geological aspects of the area
- Job creation, economic development and poverty alleviation
- Security of energy supply and opportunities for power generation, energy diversity and cleaner burning energy resources
- Investment and business opportunities, and technology risks
Impacts on the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project - The old economy vs. the new economy; the stone-age vs. the space-age; the resource-based economy vs. the knowledge-based economy
- Hydrocarbon-based energy vs. renewable energy
- Security of water supply and the impacts on the region's water resources
- Fracking chemicals and water pollution issues
- Waste-water storage, handling and processing
- Issues of CO2 emissions and climate change
- Environmental risks and dangers, and environmental protection issues
- Competition for land
- Alternative technologies and techniques
REGISTRATION Click here to register online and reserve your seat(s)
Seating is limited to 350 persons and booking is essential. Please register early to book your seat(s) and avoid disappointment. DIRECTIONS From the N1 highway between Johannesburg and Pretoria, take the New Road off-ramp and head West (away from Midrand). At the first traffic lights after the N1/New Road intersection, turn right into Sixth Road and into the International Business Gateway, where you will be directed to the Axiz Auditorium. Please click here for a map |