"It's about owning our future, and finding mitigation and adaption strategies for living sustainably," the founder said. "One of the things I like about the group and its meetings is that it allows for a good mix of intellectual discussion about climate change and all its intricate sub-plots as well as related grassroots issues such as making your own vermicompost, mulching your garden, growing your own organic vegetables and harvesting rainwater," said Lemercher.
The advocacy is concerned about climate change and the underpinning driver of carbon dioxide emissions from energy-intensive industries, and dubious decision making processes by authorities.
One of the main concerns of the group is that the Port Elizabeth harbor is earmarked for the development of a 510 million U.S. dollars ferro-manganese smelter and a 11 billion U.S. dollars oil refinery project.
Questions around energy costs, beneficiaries, and the economic and environmental sense in putting such projects far from source mines, and setting up a refinery when global crude sticks are dwindling have been raised and remain unanswered.
Worst still, no environmental impact assessments and public consultations have been done.
"So who decides on them. On what grounds, and whose interests, " the group asked.
Environmentalists are very much concerned, and this is not only in South Africa, where governments prioritize development at the expense of the environment. Many projects have been licensed in areas where the ecosystems are too sensitive and fragile.
The government argues that it wants to create employment and in the case of South Africa alleviating poverty by developing the economy. So this battle - the environment versus development-rages on.
Special Report: Global Climate Change
