The Gupta saga has drowned out news of a remarkable decision by our government to declare carbon dioxide emissions as pollution (Government Gazette No.40996, July 21). If you emit more than 100,000 tonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide a year, then you must develop a pollution-prevention plan and must monitor and report on its implementation. It sounds so eminently reasonable. The problem becomes apparent when you examine who in SA emits more than 100,000 tonnes? Each one of us emits on average about half a tonne a year. The Comrades athletes do about 2.5 tonnes. If the race gets up to 40,000 runners, the organisers will have to develop a pollution-prevention plan. This sounds ridiculous, but consider the problem faced by Eskom or Sasol or the cement industry. Their operations cannot help but produce carbon dioxide. They are all striving for maximum economic efficiency. In Eskom’s case, this means running stations as efficiently as possible, with the lowest possible emissions. Now it ...
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