Launch of
The groundWork Report 2016
The Destruction of the Highveld: Part 1 – Digging Coal
Earthlife Africa (Jhb)
Renewable Plan A
Time:
4-6pm
Date:
Tuesday, 22 November 2016
Venue:
The Conference Room at The Observatory, adjacent to
The Gender Links Cottages
30 Gill Street
Observatory
Johannesburg
Life After Coal / ImpiloNgaphandleKwamalahle [1] campaign invites you to the release of The groundWork [2]Report 2016:The Destruction of the Highveld: Part 1 – Digging Coal and Earthlife Africa (Jhb) [3] - Renewable Plan A.
The groundWork Report is an annual report on the state of environmental justice. It looks at the ways in which environmental injustice is imposed on people but also at how people resist it. This report celebrates the resistance of the people of the Highveld. In a context where irresponsible government has buried its head in a discard coal dump, it looks forward to the people leading a debate on life after coal.
TheDestruction of the Highveldwas presented to people in the village of Arbor, Mpumalanga, on 8th November 2016, and in eMalahleni on 9thNovember 2016. Arbor village is dumped upon by coal dust, and people have been relocated, and had their homes cracked and air and water polluted by the local mines.eMalahleni (previously called Witbank) has been subjected to coal mining and its burden of pollution for more than 120 years. The devastating impacts of coal-fired power generation will be addressed in Part 2 of groundWork’s Report,Burning Coal,which will be published in 2017.
Earthlife Africa Jhb will also share their reportRenewable Plan Awhich speaks to a new energy future without coal.
The Highveld Environmental Justice Network (HEJN) [4] will share the experiences of people on the ground in the Highveld who have been key to the development of this report.
To view the report, visit
Programme
4 pm
Registration
4:15 pm
Opening comments: Bobby Peek (Director of groundWork)
Dominique Doyle (Project Coordinator of Earthlife Africa Jhb)
4:20 pm
David Hallowes and Victor Munnik
Authors: Destruction of the Highveld
4:40 pm
NomceboMakhubelo (Assistant Coordinator, HEJN, Mpumalanga)
Elizabeth Malibe (resident of Arbor, Mpumalanga and member of HEJN)
5:00 pm
Jerry Nkoati (of NtholeMorwalo, Lephalale, Limpopo Province)
5:10 pm
Richard Worthington
Independent Researcher and author: Renewable Plan A
Meeting SA energy needs with renewable energy and moving away from coal towards energy justice and a clean energy future
5:20 pm
Discussions
6 pm
Supper
RSVP
By Monday, 21stNovember
Joan Cameron
082459 4626
011673.2642
Footnotes
[1]Life After Coal is a campaign by theCentre for Environmental Rights,groundWorkandEarthlife Africa Johannesburgthat aims to discourage investment in new coal-fired power stations and mines, to accelerate the retirement of South Africa’s existing coal infrastructure, and to encourage and enable a just transition to renewable energy systems for the people.
[2]groundWork is a non-profit environmental justice service and developmental organisation working primarily in Southern Africa in the areas of Climate & Energy Justice, Coal, Environmental Health, Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, and Waste.
[3]Earthlife Africa’s Johannesburg branch was founded in 1988 to mobilise civil society around environmental issues in relation to people. The organisation has since grown to include branches in Cape Town, eThekwini (formerly Durban) and Tshwane (formerly Pretoria), as well as in Windhoek, Namibia. Branches are autonomous, but linked through the ELA Statement of Belief and common campaign activities. ELA Jhb is a largely volunteer-driven organisation, however, in recent years, funding has been acquired by some branches to staff and facilitate specific campaigns.
[4]The Highveld Environmental Justice Network is a voluntary association that joins together various non-governmental movements and organisations within the Highveld, Mpumalanga, fighting for people’s right to a clean and healthy environment, in an area that is well-known for its high levels of pollution as a result of the coal and other industries.