This letter appeared in the Cape Times at the end of July 2011.
People continuously ask "when is the world going to end?". I now have the definitive answer.
South Africa has on average 38 days of above ground coal stocks at any time. A coal strike puts this in perspective.
At any time, South Africans have about 38 days till the world as we know it ends!
If there is coal disruption for any reason, most of our power stations will stop producing electricity.
If we have no electricity, we have no water as water is pumped using electricity.
If we have no electricity, we have no transport as petrol and diesel are pumped using electricity.
If we have no electricity, we have no food as food is transported using petrol and diesel and refrigerated using electricity.
If we have no electricity, we have no money as our ATM's and banks run using electricity.
If we have no electricity, we will have no jobs and no livelihood.
If we have no electricity, then our backup diesel generators will quickly run out of diesel, perhaps giving us a few days more than 38 days.
If we have no electricity, then 60% of Cape Town City's income is gone. Why put so many of your income eggs in one basket?
Isn't it about time that we are allowed to take responsibility for our own electricity provision, after all there will be nothing without it?
Investments in energy efficiency renewable energy will seem cheap in comparison to having no world at all.
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