A SUBMISSION ON NUCLEAR ENERGY IN SOUTH AFRICA BY

NiMBLE - Nelson Mandela Bay Local Environmentalists

NiMBLE is an independent community volunteer non-profit platform of volunteers aiming to promote pro-social aims and economic development of our community within the framework of environmentalism.

A WIN-WIN economic development and environmental management policy is vital to the well-being of our community, our socio-economic legacy and to our VISIBILITY within the INTERNATIONAL climate change effort.

Defining a National Energy Plan gives us ONE shot at getting it right, and redressing many issues and backlogs. Nuclear Energy is ONE cog in this machine, but it is a significant cog.

The significance of the role of Nuclear Energy in terms of the Eastern Cape, and future of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro necessitates in our opinion the creation of a 'Commission on Macroeconomics, Energy and Ecosystem Services for Poverty Reduction'

We are fundamentally GAIA theorists and James Lovelock's philosophy in terms of Nuclear Energy is the backbone overiding the 'hype and over-hype of nuclear-phobia. Phobia is an apt term here.

pho.bi.a (f+,bZ f) n., pI.bi.as a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it. [1780-90; extracted from nouns ending in -PHOBIA]- pho,bic adj., n.-phobia a combining form meaning "dread o£:" "phobic aversion toward," "unreasonable antipathy toward" a given object: agoraphobia; xenophobia. [< L < Gk, = -phob (os) -PHOBE + -ia -IA]

Nuclear Power Plants offer a significant solution to many problems GLOBALLY and of specific consequence to our Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.

We DO NOT presume to have a NUMERUS CLAUSUS of ALL the answers but hope that our submission will elucidate the view from Nelson Mandela Bay and of a certain group of pro-Nuclear environmentalist forming a part of the community.

Clear reasoning and mindfulness form a integral part of the road forward, not only with dealing with communities 'out-of-the-Ioop' so to speak regarding Nuclear technology, but also with those driving the National Energy Plan for specific advantage with detriment to segments of South African citizenry like us in the far too often side-lined Eastern Cape.

For this reason, we propose the 'Commission on Macroeconomics, Energy and Ecosystem Services for Poverty Reduction'

A strengths and weakness analysis(SWOT) brainstormed at a meeting offered these insights:

Strengths (Pro-Nuclear)

1. High-tech knowledge upgrade of skills pool in our community 2. Cleaner than coal

3. Seawater vs Freshwater

4. Abundant local power, positive implications for pro-poor electrification

5. Development of a local IPP ie a REDS or RTO, Economic benefit consolidated through the above for provincial & local regions

6. Nuclear Waste 'Storage' off coastal continental shelf out to sea off the bay is easiest.

7. A 'nuclear knowledge' hub in the Eastern Cape would give us the nuclear franchise

8. Exporting not only energy but knowledge across Africa

9. CDC boast, positioning Nuclear Plants in the CDC's like Coega will maximize advantage and minimize ruining pristine coastline

10. Diversification of Energy bouquet

11. Leaves the door open for PREMIUM green energy. (We envisage this opportunity in the future where Pro-poor and CDM opportunities can exploit Alternative Energy Production for not only VISIBILITY in the global climate change effort, but for sustainable livelihood pro-poor development.

12. The opportunity to revise the NEP, giving the Eastern Cape an equitable share of energy production 'ownership'

13. If the Eastern Cape had 25% of National Energy production through nuclear at the coast and its HUB in the Eastern Cape, this would do a great deal for redressing past side-lining. Offering a quantum leap in terms of skills opportunities and sustainable livelihoods connected to this locally based high-tech industry. Nelson Mandela Bay, the home of Nuclear Energy, South Africa.

14. We advocate for an Energy bouquet spread: Coal 50 %, Nuclear(at the Coast)35 % and 15 % Alternative Energy for the account of pro-poor initiatives

15. Of the Nuclear at the Coast -75% should be for the Eastern Cape giving us 25% of the national energy production

16. 50% of National Energy production in the Highveld (CoaI)The remaining 25% spread between the Western Cape and KZN.

17. Uranium enrichment and export via Coega, limiting transport

18. Redressing the Eastern Cape's historical side-lining would more than justify this.


Weaknesses:

1. Nelson Mandela Bay is driving a campaign to be the GREEN Capital of SA

2. Phobia's in terms of Nuclear Energy

3. Skills inadequacies

4. Ruining opportunities for CDM developments & alternative energy production

5. Making LNG and peaking plants redundant

6. Transmission lines

7. Side-lining of other provinces in the Energy 'race

8. Coal; 2nd biggest SA earner is marginalised

9. Uranium, transport, enrichment, and safety

10. Nuclear waste

11. Nuclear at the Coast and eco-tourism

12. Political Will and Finance is NOT centred in the Eastern Cape

13. Runririg' pristine coastline

14. Drawing an influx of people into the Eastern Cape

15. Changing the fundamental nature of the Eastern Cape to a HlGH TECH nuclear centre, with global status as a knowledge industry and scientific breeding ground

The above are intended in good faith as a number of consideration around the consideraton of Nuclear Energy in South Africa. It is not a Numerus Clausus, and intends to show the serious consequences attached to this line of thinking.

NiMBLE as Nelson Mandela Bay Metro's premier Metro Environmentalist platform for public participation in our local environment affairs for OUR collective future encourages clear reasoning into the path ahead.

A number of concerns are apparent and FOREMOST must be the side-lining of the Eastern Cape once again. Over 200 years of this kind of oversight gives us the courage to stand up and say, we have a right to demand an equitable share in the future of this country, no longer will the Gauteng, Western Cape or KZN dominate our future.

I hope you'll accept this in that spirit.

Grego!)' G. Smith, chairperson 2007, NiMBLE