Images:www.eskom.co.za

Oh dear… there’s no solution in sight! If we’re looking for an answer to our energy conundrum, one that will please everyone, we may as well give up right away. There’s no energy source that’s entirely green and entirely viable, nothing that doesn’t have its drawbacks. For every answer science comes up with, someone, somewhere will chain themselves to a tree in protest.

That would be a depressing truth if it weren’t for the fact that we can still make huge, worthwhile improvements in the direction of carbon-neutral, totally renewable energy. The current energy production model, particularly in South Africa, is not ideal. To find the best alternatives, we must look at the pros and cons of each. And probably then mix and match.

There are three main stumbling blocks when it comes to a change in our energy structure: one is economic, one is a law of physics and one is to do with people chaining themselves to trees.

Without economic incentives, change is unlikely unless you pass draconian laws. But there’s a corollary to draw – economic incentive is the fastest way to achieve any kind of change. That’s why renewable energy subsidies are such a fiery topic.

Storing energy isn’t really possible on a large scale, at least not with current technology. You can’t power a nation on AAA batteries. Energy must be used immediately it’s made. That’s incredibly wasteful. But there are ways to make it less so.

Finally, the environmental impact. The ‘externalities’ of our economic activity, if you like. If the earth could take an infinite pounding or we had better spaceships with which to colonize other planets, then none of this debate would be happening. But it can’t, and we don’t. In South Africa, the environmental questions are particularly heated because water is a scarce resource in our part of the world. Energy that pollutes or wastes water does not go down well.

ENERGY SOURCES: THE PROS AND CONS

COAL
State of the nation
South Africa is one of the most coal-dependent countries in the world. And it remains very much part of the future picture – Eskom is currently building new power stations, at Medupi and Kusile.
Pros
There an abundance of coal in South Africa, which partly explains our world-leading dependence on it for energy. It’s reliable and relatively safe. SASOL also manufactures petrol from coal, which would be useful in the case of a problem with the global crude oil supply.
Cons
Incredibly dirty. Coal-fired power stations are the baddest of the bad when it comes to carbon and toxic emissions, plus they consume millions of litres of fresh water. They also create significant visual pollution, and coal trucks destroy roads. There is inefficiency too, as coal stations have to keep churning even at off-peak times. The need for high-volume coal transport to power plants is in itself a dirty, inefficient procedure.

NUCLEAR
State of the nation
South Africa boasts the only nuclear power station on the African continent, at Koeberg near Cape Town. This supplies 6% of South Africa’s energy. Further nuclear power stations are very much on the Eskom agenda, with sites mooted at Duynefontein (next door to Koeberg) and Bantamsklip (near Pearly Beach in the Western Cape) and Thyspunt (near St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape).
Pros
Nuclear power calls only for minimal mining and supply of raw materials such as uranium. The seaside unit at Koeberg is cooled by ocean water, so does not interfere with fresh water systems. Carbon emissions are barely even an issue, so it is among the cleanest forms of energy.
Cons
Accidents involving nuclear power are notoriously bad news. The effects are long-term in the extreme. Nuclear waste has to be transported long distances and buried deep underground. Mining of raw materials has been known to contaminate water.

SOLAR
State of the nation
Solar installations, mainly for domestic water heating, have shot up in South Africa since Eskom increased its rebates early last year. They’re now about to drop again, but solar still makes sense to a lot of people.
Pros
Solar energy is free once you have the technology in place, and it’s simple enough to generate at home. It is clean and natural, and the energy can ‘survive’ for many hours if used to heat a well-insulated geyser. It can be a money-saver for the man in the street, who could one day (theoretically) also sell surplus energy into the grid. No major effect on fresh water systems.
Cons
Not that effective when the sun isn’t shining! What’s more, we need most of our power at night and in winter. On a domestic level solar can supplement energy from other sources, but at present it’s not suited to reliable large-scale power production.

WIND
State of the nation
Large-scale wind farms don’t have much of a presence in South Africa, but that is set to change following Eskom’s work at its testing facility at Klipheuwel near Cape Town. A 100MW facility at Koekenap on the West Coast is expected to be up and running in 2013.
Pros
Like solar, this is clean, free energy. There are no direct emissions. The use of wind energy is growing in many first-world countries, so there is much to be said for it. Many of South Africa’s coastal regions have no shortage of wind! No major effect on freshwater systems.
Cons
If the wind doesn’t blow, there’s a problem. You would need thousands of giant turbines to match the output of a coal-powered station, and then only when it’s windy. Construction costs are high, and production costs would be greater than for coal power. Windmills, which are most useful along the coast, tend to interfere with the view. And they’re not always bird-friendly.

WATER
State of the Nation
Hydroelectric energy is nothing new in South Africa, with the Drakensberg systems the best-known facilities. The area’s wet and rugged terrain lends itself to this kind of power production, but there are smaller-scale systems in other parts of the country.
Pros
No direct emissions. Dams have very long lives, and can be used for multiple purposes such as drinking water and recreation. Hydro power does not need to be used when it’s not required – it can effectively be ‘renewed’ by pumping the water back up to a high level and repeating the energy production process. Although this process can require an alternative power source for the pumping, it could be seen as less wasteful than, for example, burning unnecessary coal throughout off-peak times.
Cons
Any dam, especially a river dam, can have a major impact on ecosystems and human life. The Three Gorges Dam in China is a notorious example of this. Failures involving dams can also be second only to nuclear in terms of catastrophic potential. Construction costs are also enormous, it’s a very lengthy process and it still struggles to get anywhere near coal’s production levels – the output of the humungous Three Gorges Dam still contributes only a tiny percentage of China’s requirements.

GAS
Energy can be created by burning natural gas, but in South Africa the process has nothing like the presence of coal. As with coal, SASOL routinely waves its magic wand over the stuff to make it into petrol. What is popularly known as ‘natural gas’ is primarily methane.
Pros
Produces substantially less carbon emissions than coal, and far less toxic emissions as well. There are also natural gas resources in South Africa.
Cons
If released directly into the atmosphere, natural gas is a worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide – though it doesn’t hang around as long. The quest for natural gas in South Africa has given rise to controversial ‘fracking’ proposals in the Karoo. This relatively new extraction process brings the risk of water contamination in an arid area.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Much as we may pontificate about what Eskom and government do, we can reduce the overall energy production requirement by changing our own behaviour. With humans, that is never easy. Living green, at least for the moment, is the more time-consuming route. And we’re always in a hurry.

The need for instant action and answers, hastened by the sweet 'n sour advent of global instant communication, is one of the fundamentals of modern economic activity. Ask the busy executive to spend an hour of his work day taking public transport to the next meeting and he’ll laugh his head off.

There is one way to turn that seemingly impossible state of affairs around: create a stigma. We need a society in which the executive who takes his own car gets snubbed; likewise his company.

It’s not impossible, it’s infectious. It starts with the individual. Make uncomfortable statements about people’s habits. You may not be popular; you may feel like an early religious martyr. But remember – the apostles may have been martyred, but their ideas caught on eventually. They got a pretty large ball rolling in the end.

Set an example. Observing energy efficiency in your home doesn’t need much incentive. Even if you don’t care about saving the planet, you’d probably like to save money. If you’re so rich you don’t care, then pay a butler to turn your lights off.

So, with winter here to stay, let’s consider that heating homes is a cash-cruncher of note. So before you switch on the electric heater, ask yourself whether another layer or five of clothing might do the job instead. Electric blanket? An extra duvet is a better, cleaner investment.

Hot water is the biggest deal of all when it comes to your domestic bills. If your geyser doesn’t have a blanket, what are you waiting for? It will keep the heat in and save you loads. Check the temperature settings too - if your water comes out so hot that you need a ton of cold water to avoid a burning, you’re chucking away money every day.

Give careful consideration to solar power. You will need to research this yourself, weighing up your energy requirements, Eskom rebates, installation costs, when your peak times are and of course how sunny your part of the world is. Be aware that your registered installer can claim the subsidy on your behalf and offer you a discount instead.

Green transport is less easy to encourage. The rising cost of petrol should be incentive enough to make people reconsider, but it seems it’s not high enough yet. Nobody wants to sit on a train or ride a bicycle in the cold. We all think we’re special cases, and that someone else should make the effort. Yes, government needs to made radical public transport improvements, but that’s not an excuse for the individual to throw up their hands.

Mother Nature does not keep score of contributions – it’s only that right hand column that counts. So get that bike. Sit on the train. Be a leader. And when there are enough of us, that ball will start rolling fast…