Msikaba Gorge

29 Jun 2010

Below, for general information, is a letter Bishop Geoff recently wrote to faith leaders about climate change. Specifically, it concerns the climate negotiations to be held here in South Africa next year and the current discussions related to Government's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity generation.

The aim is to foster closer cooperation among faith communities with regard to climate change and to get these topics onto the agenda of every faith community. Creation care must surely be a central issue for all people of faith!

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To:      Faith Leaders of South Africa                                                         22^nd  June 2010

Dear Faith Leaders,

I send my warm greetings. I am writing to you about climate change, which is the greatest threat humanity has ever faced. It is essential that faith communities grasp the seriousness of the position and give a lead and moral direction.

This letter briefly outlines the situation.  I hope to follow it up with a telephone call or a visit, so this is to prepare the way.

There are two areas we need to be involved in:

1.     Climate Change Negotiations:  Following the failed Copenhagen talks, South Africa will be hosting the 2011 round of talks in December – that is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP17).  Though this is still 18 months away, it is essential that we put it onto our agenda and begin to prepare for it.  I believe this should happen at two levels: national and congregational.  Our members need to recognise that caring for creation is part of our mission and that all our congregations should become aware of climate change and respond to it.

Following Copenhagen, it is said that COP16, to be held in Mexico later this year, will not make significant progress, but the COP17 meeting in SA will be crucially important.  We believe the faith communities should be preparing some major acts of worship and other means of communicating to our own government and the governments of the world the need to arrive at a meaningful arrangement, seeking to ensure a more sustainable path for the future.  In order to do this we must develop a theological base which will underpin the moral stand we wish to provide to our governments in negotiating our future agreements.

 2.    South Africa’s energy policy:  We are facing critical decisions, not only in terms of global climate change, but for our own energy policy, which will commit us to a particular energy pathway for the next 40 to 50 years. In January this year SAFCEI wrote to President Zuma asking for a “CODESA” style national conference to develop an energy policy. We were supported by many civil society organisations that were also feeling a sense of dislocation between different government departments and bodies such as Eskom and NERSA (National Energy Regulator).  The response is that the Department of Energy is in the process of working through its Integrated Resource Plan for electricity (IRP2). This is being run alongside other processes such as a climate change policy and a renewable energy policy.

The process is complex. SAFCEI is interacting with civil society and government. I now write in the hope that you would encourage and endorse SAFCEI’s position so that we may speak on behalf of the faith communities.  I outline our position below.

South Africa, along with other developing countries, is claiming ‘carbon space’ so that we may continue emitting CO₂ using fossil fuels to bring about development and growth. We fully support Government’s aims for development, but believe it must happen through renewable energy.  This can be financed by private investment and the developed North, which has an ecological debt to Africa.

South Africa, and indeed the World Bank, claim that it is only through coal (and nuclear) that we can generate base load electricity.  Technical developments for renewable energy have advanced to such an extent that it is now possible to generate base load electricity from solar and wind. Not only are renewables cheaper and cleaner, they employ far more people than coal and nuclear and will enable us to bring energy to the 2 million rural households in South Africa at a fraction of the cost of centralised electricity. Renewables also put power and wealth into the hands of the people instead of being under the control of a centralised system with huge opportunities for further corruption. 

SAFCEI has endorsed the call by “350.org” to reduce carbon emissions to 350 parts per million (ppm).  We cannot allow CO₂ levels to increase to 450 ppm or temperatures to rise by an average of 2 °C.  This is the present negotiating level at UNFCCC.  Carbon emissions have increased so much over the past three years that we are now on track for a 3 °C temperature rise.  This will make our planet pretty uninhabitable.  No country is entitled to ‘carbon space’. We all have to start reducing our emissions and doing so urgently.

We therefore hope that you will endorse the following stand proposed by SAFCEI:

(a)   We cannot afford to build more coal-fired power stations, financially and for the health of our planet.

(b)   We do not want to build any further nuclear power stations, not only for safety reasons but on economic grounds and the fact that no community wants a nuclear station at its back door.

(c)   The government should put all its efforts into developing renewable energy and promoting energy efficiency. These will bring about huge employment opportunities and will enable South Africa to take a leading position in Africa for rolling out renewable energy and in doing so bring energy to the people of Africa.

I hope that you will bring these two items – COP17 and South Africa’s energy policy – to your annual synods or conferences.  If you would like someone from SAFCEI to explain this to your gatherings, please let us know. 

3.     A Vision of Paradise – Global Warming and Religions: The SABC screened this extremely good four-part show on global warming and religions.  It explains the position very clearly.  It consists of four DVDs (48 minutes each).  These are obtainable from SAFCEI at R100 a set.  They would make excellent viewing for house churches or study groups, and I would hope that you could promote them in your faith community.  We are happy to send a complimentary copy to faith leaders if you would like one.  Please let us know.  We hope that, having viewed it, you will then request more copies to be distributed among your membership.

We hope that we can all join in seeking to bring about a more sustainable future for our children.

With blessings and greetings,

(signed)
Bishop Geoff Davies
Executive Director: SAFCEI