The conflict between development and sustainability

My field of study and extracurricular activities give me contradictory information whose resolution and consolidation are a difficult task. The sciences I study insist that we can no longer develop in the traditional sense. The earth’s carrying capacity indices indicate that we are now operating above the earth’s carrying capacity. In 1999 for example, we needed 1.2 earths to replenish what we had used up to assimilate our waste and to produce food and water. The population growth in the last 125 years has increased by 5 Billion and it is projected to reach 9 Billion by 2050. Inherent in this statement are the contradictions I wrestle with.

Increased population figures no doubt cause an increase in global energy demands, and strain the earth’s ability to carry the population. Population growth is not necessarily the most significant factor, affluence is more significant. This explains why the US consumes 140 times more energy than Bangladesh .Therefore with development which we are aspiring for the 1 Billion Africans that share our continent, the demand for energy will increases exponentially. For example, it is common knowledge that 38% of green house gases are emitted by electricity generation. It is well known, too, that South Africa was granted $3 Billion by the World Bank to build the medupi coal fired station to start operation in 2015. It is also well know that South Africa’s economy is mainly driven by mining, which is an energy intensive sector. Further, South Africa has abundant reserves of coal (although reported to be reaching the limit soon). Angola has recently announced discovery of oil in an area rich in biodiversity, the Albertine rift (accounting for 39% of Africa’s Mammal species).Therefore, as part of development for Africa and South Africa, there will be significant strains on the environment, which will no doubt be compromised to meet the growing energy demands.

Yet, a significant part of what I believe needs to be done to bring Africa at Par with the developed world will require that Africa follows the same destructive path of the developed world in order to score high in the indices of well being that the developed world has developed. There is an inevitable confrontation between the reduction of carbon footprint and the development of the country and continent. As an example and according to Harrison and Denis, to maintain our emissions of the carbon dioxide at 550ppm, we will need to reduce the emissions by a factor of 3 or 4. All our current measures to reduce the strain, including renewable energy, indicate that when considering all factors involved (the life cycle) such as transport and building, the emissions still form a significant factor in production of even renewable energy itself.

Which will take president? According to the UN, sustainable development requires that we meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Can sustainable development be possible within the current context and definition of development and well being? If sky scrapers, jets, cars, and big houses are evidence of success and economic well being, is it possible to balance this kind of development, without leaving anything for our children?

The key challenge will have to be resolved or we will face the possibility of extinction. CO2 levels have reached 370 ppm in the atmosphere, unprecedented in 500 000 years. The ice caps are melting and sea level is rising. Global temperatures are increasing and the seasons are getting extreme. Air quality is deteriorating. In Cape Town, for example, on a clear winter’s morning, one can see the brown haze of pollution lift off the city to the skies. Prolonged exposure can eventually lead to acute Illnesses. Yet our developmental aspirations are in direct conflict. Government cannot possibly draft a comprehensive energy policy without compromising SASOL and Eskom. These companies provide majority of South Africans (where unemployment is at 25%) with jobs, and power.

This irony is best illustrated by environmentalists who drive cars instead of using public transport. The environmentalist who uses air travel when a bus is an option or the vegetarian who wears leather boots illustrate this innocent contradiction at a micro level. This is the conflict we face across the world and here in South Africa and Africa. How to match our own aspirations with the responsibilities we have to the environment. These are conflicts I trust my fellow SAWIPeans and many young leaders across Africa, will assist me in answering and understanding. More work must be done, in continuing to incentivise cleaner energy, and legislating greener practises as we continue to deliberate over solutions to this, arguably the biggest dilemma for our generation.