The Good, the Bad & the Uncertain & Knowing the Difference

THE GOOD
In this Engineering News article, Scholes (from Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)) speaks of how climate change can present economic growth opportunities for countries prepared to get “out of the old failing industries and into new growth areas of green technology”. Mention of solar power being a point of focus for SA is welcomed while some may question the suggestion that "carbon capture and storage, underground coal gasification, and other advanced coal technologies should be a part of South African technology research".

THE BAD
There is something that I've been noticing of late that is of great concern to the African continent. This is the trend of foreign countries/companies rocking up on African soil to provide enticing and "promising" deals to African governments in exchange for African soil and resources. I first noticed it in the energy generation industry, with foreign companies planning on setting up power plants on African soil to export power for use in their home countries. This has also been happening for ages in mining, and now it is apparently also becoming more common in agriculture (foreign countries leasing/buying African soil for farming food then exporting the food to their home countries.) I do hope that our African leaders will remove the wool from their eyes soon so that they can see how they are being exploited. Read this very enlightening "The Independant" article for more on this topic. A future of squandering for limited resource is far from bright.

THE UNCERTAIN
In another Engineering News article, UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, is quoted as saying (when speaking about the issue of climate change) “It is far better to adopt a precautionary stance. Future generations will hold us in extremely low regard if we do nothing”.. Although this article seems to convey that a "low carbon high growth trajectory" is possible, I would suggest that Miliband has worded things in a rather vague way open for misinterpretation. Scholes from the CSIR also noted in it "that key climate change challenges for Southern Africa were: adapting to a hotter, drier, and stormier future; persuading the world to take a unified action to keep global warming tolerable; to protect coastal cities from flooding; and to stay competitive in a low-carbon economy."