In a grassland disperse with grazing herds of wildebeest , black - maned lions lurch the fringes and meerkats scurry around in the undergrowth . This is theKgalagadi Transfrontier National Park , a vast protected area of 3.6 million hectare ( 8.9 million acres ) that spans two land . But it turns out that one of those nations – Botswana – in which three living quarters of the park resides , has on the Q.T. sold off fracking rights for more than half of the reserve , describe the Guardian .
Translated as “ place of thirst , ” Kgalagadi straddle between both South Africa and Botswana , encompassing big parts of the Kalahari Desert as a mosaic of sand dunes , disperse grasslands , and the singular tree . Water rarely flow on the surface , and is instead found beneath the ground under the previous , juiceless riverbeds . And yet , it turns out that last twelvemonth the governance of Botswanasold off fracking rightsfor around half of the park to a U.K.-registered company . While common official say that no boring has taken place within the boundaries of the park , grounds has been find that propose otherwise .
Fracking , recognize by its full name as “ hydraulic fracturing , ” has become a highly controversial and polarizing theme . acclaim by many in the oil and gas industriousness – and many governments to boot – as a punk and ( comparatively speaking ) carbon - ignitor source of natural gas , it is being fight in many places as a replacement to the more diligence - heavy and carbon - contaminate fossil fuel such as ember . But the process , which see a cocktail of piddle and chemicals injected under gamey pressure into shale rock around1,800 – 3,000 meters(6,000 – 10,000 groundwork ) below the surface to release up pin bubbles of raw gas , has many critic .
The main parameter against the practice session is the danger it poses to hugger-mugger pee source . It is claimedthat the fracking fluid can contaminate aquifer , sully them with potentially harmful chemicals and making them unsafe to drink . These assertion have been highly rejected by the shale gasoline companies responsible for for fracking , who claim that the operation takes place way below any aquifers . The research from both sides of the argumentation is being invariably refuted and shop .
Regardless of which side is right , the Botswana government seems to have gone ahead anyway , without anyone ’s knowledge , not even those who are managing the park , it seems . From both the South African and the Botswana side , the managers expressed surprise to the news that this batch had been made . But this is n’t the first clip that Botswana has been caught out with fracking . Two years ago , the Guardian divulge that the body politic had been granting licences for fracking to take spot in other National Parks , namely the Central Kalahari Game Reserve .
[ H / T : The Guardian ]
