Why on earth is SA pumping R14 billion into drilling for oil in South Sudan

What on Earth are you doing, South African government? What are you doing to the Earth?

Let’s rewind: hands up all those who think it is a good idea to “invest” $1 billion (about R14.8 billion) of South Africa’s public funds into drilling for oil in South Sudan, as is happening?

We may as well just set fire to it, because fossil fuels are the single thing responsible for the majority of climate change, of global warming.

They’re the single thing we should be stepping far away from right now; they’re exactly what we should be leaving in the ground.

The only way to even slow climate change is by ceasing burning fossil fuels – stopping it is now impossible in the short-term, but we can put the brakes on for our children’s sake, for our grandchildren, for the billions of people already suffering from the effects. Instead we are doing the very opposite.

Our house is on fire yet the South African government is pouring oil on it, R14.8 billion worth of the stuff.

Just imagine what good could be done with R14.8 billion judiciously spent; imagine what progress could be made.

So where are our green alternatives, South Africa? Where are our solar farms and wind turbines, because we could make excellent headway with R14.8 billion?

Where is our ecological housing, our investment in green transport, our public incentive to do the eco-friendly thing?

Where are our tax breaks and hefty fines encouraging, nay, forcing companies to stop greenwashing, and instead to truly change how they operate, abandoning fossil fuels and converting to renewable options?

Where is the push by the government to act progressively, instead of paying lip service while drilling holes and building new refineries in South Sudan?

We need to radically change where we source energy from, and how.

We need to leave those minerals underground. Where is the political will?

And why when I Google “stop climate change” are so many suggestions still aimed at schoolchildren, at the people who can really do nothing except draw anxious posters, while corporations and governments – our government – pay billions for more drilling, for more oil, as if this house isn’t burning hot enough already?