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Thursday August 12 2010
Environmental impact
NGOS READY TO FIGHT INJUSTICE KAREN WATKINS wo non-profit organisations, the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and the Environmental Defence Fund (EDF), which will give people access to environmental law opened in Sussex Road, Observatory, last week. The CER which was established in October by eight environmental NGOs with the support of over 40 smaller ones, is run by a group of dedicated lawyers who give part of their time towards helping to protect the environment. Andy Gubb, Senior National Conservationist with Wessa, said the opening of the CER represents a pinnacle of achievement for funders, individuals and civil society groups. “At last we have a vehicle through which ordinary people will have much-needed access to environmental law,” he said. “The need for civil society access to law when dealing with environmental issues gained momentum about 10 years ago,” said Mr Gubb. Fred Orban, vice chair of MEP (Mossel Bay Environmental Partnership) who came to Cape Town for the opening, said: “This (CER) is long overdue and it should have been established 20 years ago. The MEP has been going strong for about 12 years and has been actively involved in many environmental issues and projects in the greater Mossel Bay area. The only reason why we in South Africa
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have anything left environmentally is because we had so much to start with,” he said. Milnerton resident and energy expert David Lipschitz said: “Taking big business and government to the Constitutional Court is expensive and it needs our collective input to make it happen. The nature of this name (CER) is excellent. It protects the environment. It also protects us as we live in the environment and are a part of the environment. We are all parts of a universal energy system and the CER will help protect us South Africans – as long as we support the CER.” Executive director of the CER Melissa Fourie said the CER will take part in environmental decision-making processes. “Like environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and applications for mining licences, and in cases of non-compliance with environmental laws (by both government and industry),” said Ms Fourie. She added that they also provide support in the reporting of noncompliance to the appropriate authorities. Mr Orban said that while environmental legislation is generally excellent, there are major practical problems as far as the onslaught on the environment is concerned. “The old problems are that the enforcement through the courts is not working well; due to lack of Continued on page 3
■ Olivia Warren and Alice Steytler, president and deputy president of Herschel Preparatory School’s Outreach programme, had their work cut out for them when they requested donations of soup for charity. Parents and pupils donated 2 830 packets and tins to distribute to the various homes for the aged, children’s homes and shelters for mothers and children that the school supports.
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