Earthlife Africa Johannesburg feels compelled to respond to the recent presidential rebuke and in particular the suggestion of a self- serving agenda. The official response to our disclosure to the media of an unprotected radioactive site posing a threat to public health, in contravention of existing regulations, has brought welcome attention to the ongoing effects and activities of the nuclear industry, but it sought to undermine our integrity and question our commitment to the common good.
Earthlife Africa is proud of its work since its formation in 1988. We can claim a number of successes, including the establishment of the Greenhouse People’s Environmental Centre in Joubert Park, Johannesburg; the prevention of the siting of a toxic waste dump in Chloorkop, Kempton Park; exposure of lethal pollution by Thor Chemicals in KwaZulu-Natal; and adding rigour to numerous environmental impact assessment processes.
We can also claim a contribution to the broadening of the general understanding of the environment. Our Nuclear Energy Costs The Earth campaign demonstrates our capacity to reach into grassroots communities, while contributing to policy processes in constructive engagement with the post-apartheid state.
The founding principles, policies and objectives of Earthlife Africa are a matter of public record. We work with a range of stakeholders and our advocacy on energy policy is guided by the founding principles of the civil society Energy Caucus, which includes organised labour, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, faith and indigenous people’s groups and community-based organisations. The core of this common platform is a call for a just transition to sustainable energy.
The latest Pelindaba incident is an example of the failure of the nuclear industry to fulfil its many assurances to the public and to abide by existing regulations. Another failure is the National Nuclear Regulator’s inability to enforce existing regulation.
This is despite ongoing subsidisation of the nuclear industry, which includes a Treasury allocation of R500-million for the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor programme last year.
Our opposition to the ”nuclear option” for South Africa is not simply a rejection of the secrecy of the industry and its unsubstantiated claims to deliver cheap electricity. It is also a call to redirect finances to human-scale energy development, drawing on our abundant renewable-energy resources through development of local industries that can demonstrably deliver on our national priorities of job creation and poverty alleviation.
Earthlife Africa continues to question the opinion of the nuclear industry and International Atomic Energy Agency that there is a human-induced dose of radiation that can be declared ”safe”. Elevated levels of radioactivity from commercial activities that regulatory authorities choose to classify as ”safe” (which have been repeatedly reduced as knowledge develops) are essentially the levels of exposure not proven to cause human harm. That is, levels of exposure below which a company cannot be held legally liable.
The efforts of Earthlife Africa are directed to promoting social and environmental justice for the people of Africa. We do not believe that new legislation is required to curtail such activities.
Jacklyn Cock and Richard Worthington write on behalf of the Earthlife Africa Johannesburg steering committee of the Nuclear Energy Costs The Earth campaign