Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / Full text to be digitised and attached to bibliographic record. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Tsitsikamma Forest, in the most southern part of the Eastern Cape, is
part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, one of six such Kingdoms in the world.
It has the richest area of plant bio-diversity and fauna in the world
which are rare and endemic to the area. The deep gorges, temperate
forests, un spoilt oceans and various other features such as the famous
Bloukrantz River Bridge, where the world's highest bungi jumps take
place are factors that have become the main source of job-creation and
income for tourism and its inter-related activities.
However, this ecosystem is also home to about 480 families who live in
low-income housing at Stormsriver. This settlement which was relocated
from the shack area of Coesa, nearby, has an unemployment index of
67% and a similar poverty index. In addition, the Stormsriver Village
nearby has a population of about 300 families, mainly older retired
white folks. The area is administered by the Koukamma Municipality
which is an amalgam of several smaller municipalities viz., Clarkeson,
Kareedouw, Stormsriver, Woodlands, Eerste River, ]oubertina and
Bloukrantz.
Waste reduction and the disposal thereof has always been a major
concern to local authorities and the Koukamma Municipality is obviously
faced with the same challenge. The authorities have resorted to the
concept of landfill sites, which has proven to be the cheapest solution to
date. But, with this option comes the problems of health risks to the
poorer people who converge on the dump sites in search of food, the
harm to children searching through rubbish heaps and the various legal
repercussions emanating out of this practice.
The option of open-burning and its related effects on human life and
forest fires rules it out as an option. Transporting waste out of the area is
also very costly.
It was then resolved by the Koukamma Municipalities that the possibility
of installing an incinerator at Stormsriver would be an option to be
investigated. The reasoning behind the selection of this site was the
concern of high unemployment in the Stormsriver area and extreme
poverty and this venture would in some small measure create jobs, put
food on the table and break the poverty cycle.
The process of incineration gives rise to emissions such as dioxins and
furans which is known to cause cancer, asthma and tuberculosis, if
subjected in high doses over a long period of time. It is also regulated by
the Atmospheric Pollution Act 45 of 1965.
The important moral debate at the core of this problem is the whole
question of humans rights and should these be violated solely because
the subjects do not belong to an affluent class and should be shown less
respect and have their health jeopardised by the toxic air from
incineration. Or, should the people's poverty index rise further due to
lack of employment.
The question that also begs here is whether the well-being of the entire
ecosystem, especially the rare and endangered plants and animals take
preference over the well-being of the people of Stormsriver, given that
the emissions from the incinerator will impact on the animal, bird and
plant life, including that of water, soil and air.
This would also put into jeopardy the income generated by Tourism and
the jobs inherent in it for the locals and would threaten the area's
sustainability.
The various moral views of philosophers have been canvassed in order to
come to a holistic understanding. I have in this vein looked at the views
of ethicists such as Tibor Machan, who believes that animals and other
organisms do not have any rights and are there purely for human
consumption. Then the views of Peter Singer and Tom Regan have also
been included, in which consideration is shown to animals. Others such
as AIda Leopold, J. Baird Callicott and Paul Taylor whose thinking
extends to that of not just showing respect for a single entity but allows
for equal respect for all members of the biotic community, have also been.
considered.
Various solutions have thereafter been considered and amongst those are
the relocation of the incinerator out of the Stormsriver, moving the plant
to the industrial zone at Kareedouw, transporting the waste out to Port
Elizabeth, dumping and finally the 'Do Nothing' option.
Using Paul Taylor's "respect for nature" ethics as a guide, I have come to
the conclusion that the installation of a waste-reduction incinerator at
Stormsriver, Tsitsikamma, may be supported subject to a set of serious
riders and conditions in that firstly, the health of the immediate and
surrounding inhabitants should not be affected in any way whatsoever.
Secondly, the well-being of the non-human environment which must
include air, soil, water and plant life, including the animal and bird life
must not be harmed in any way. In this way all members of the biotic
community will be shown equal respect, thus creating a viable and
sustainable community / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Tsitsikamma Woude, in die mees suidelike deel van the Oos-Kaap, is
deel van die "Cape Floral Kingdom", een van ses sulke woudgebiede in
die wêreld. Dit beskerm die rykste area van plant bio-verskeidenheid
asook fauna wat skaars is in die wêreld en slegs daar gevind word. Die
diep bergpasse. gemagtigde woude en ongerepte oseaan, tesame met die
beroemde Bloukransrivier brug waar die wêreld se hoogste bungi
spronge plaasvind is faktore wat bygedra het dat werkskepping en
inkomste hoofsaaklik uit toerisme en verwante bedrywe afkomstig is.
Hierdie eko-sisteem is ook die tuiste vir ongeveer 480 gesinne wat in
sub-ekonomiese huise in Stormsrivier woon. Hierdie gemeenskappie wat
vanaf die naby geleë Coesa hervesig is, het 'n werkloosheid sowel as
armoede syfer van 67%. Bykomend is daar die Stormsriver nedersetting
daar naby met 'n bevolking van 300 families, hoofsaaklik ouer, afgetrede
blankes. Die gebied word bestuur deur die Koukamma Munisipaliteit
wat in 'n samesmelting van 'n hele paar kleiner munisipaliteite is o.a
Clarkson, Kareedouw, Stormsrivier, Woodlands, Eerste Rivier, ]oubertina
en Bloukrans.
Die vermindering van afvalstowwe asook die verwydering daarvan was
maar altyd 'n groet kopseer vir die plaaslike owerhede en dit geld nou
ook vir die Koukamma Munisipaliteit. Die owerhede het besluit op die
konsep van afvalstortings areas omdat dit die goedkoopste oplossing tot
nou toe is. Met hierdie opsie kom egter die probleem van gesondheids
risiko's vir die armer gemeenskappe (mense) wat op hierdie stortings
terreine toesak op soek na kos, die beserings wat kinders opdoen wat die
gemors deursoek asook die wettige terugslag wat hierdie praktyk totgevolg het. Die gevaar van oop vure en die effek wat dit sou hê op mense
en die woud self maak dat hierdie opsie nie oorweeg word nie. Ook is dit
te duur om afvalstowwe uit die gebied uit te vervoer.
Die Koukamma Munisipaliteit het toe besluit om die instállering van 'n
verbrandingsoond by Stormsrivier te ondersoek. Die rede om hierdie
gebied te kies was die hoë werkloosheid syfer en armoede in
Stormsrivier. Hierdie besluit sou werkskepping, kos op die tafel en die
verbreking van die armoede-siklus tot gevolg hê.
Die proses van verbranding het aanleiding gegee tot die nuwe gevare
van skadelike afval produkte van dioksiede en furane wat kanker, asma
en tuberkulose tot gevolg het as mense vir lang periodes aan hoë dosisse
blootgestel word. Hierdie uitstraling word ook deur die "Atmosferiese
Besoedelingswet 45 van 1965" gereguleer.
Die belangrike morele debat wat die kern van hierdie probleem vorm is
die vraag na menseregte en of die menseregte geskend kan word bloot
omdat die mense in die gebied nie aan 'n gegoede klas behoort nie moet
daar minder respek aan hulle getoon word en moet hul gesondheid in
die weeg skaal geplaas word deur die giftige lug as gevolg van die
verbrandering van afvalstowwe, of moet werkloosheid verder styg as
gevolg van die gebrek aan werk?
Die ander vraag wat gevra moet word is of die welvaart van die hele ekosisteem,
veral die van skaars en bedreigde plante en diere voorkeur moet
geniet bo die welvaart van die mense van Stormsrivier gegee die feit dat
die uitstraling van die verbrandingsoond ook 'n inpak gaan hê op die
diere, voëls en plant lewe inkluisend op water, grond en lug. Dit sal
ook die inkomste wat uit Toerisme voort gebring word, en die werksgeleenthede
vir die plaaslike mense wat daarmee gepaard gaan, in die
weegskaal plaas asook die gebied se standhoudendheid bedreig.
Die verskeie standpunte van filosowe is na gekyk ten einde tot 'n
holistiese verstaan van die situasie te kom. Langs hierdie weg het ek dan
na die etiese standpunt van Tibor Machan gekyk. Tibor Machan glo dat
diere en ander organismes geen regte het nie en dat hulle daar is vir die
uitsluitlike gebruik deur mense. Die standpunte van Peter Singer en Tom
Regan, wat 'n mate van sorgsaamheid teenoor diere toon, is ook in ag
geneem. Andere wie se standpunte in ag geneem is, is Aldo Leipold,J.
Baird Callicot and Paul Taylor. Hulle denkrigting maak voorsiening
daarvoor dat respek nie net aan 'n enkele entiteit getoon moet word nie,
maar aan almal wat in 'n biotiese gemeenskap saamwoon.
Verskeie oplossings is hierna oorweeg onder andere die verskuiwing van
die verbrandingsoond buite Stormsrivier na die industriële gebied in
Kareedouw, die vervoer van die afval na Port Elizabeth, storting asook die
"Doen Niks" opsie.
Ek het as etiese riglyn Paul Tayor se "respekteer vir natuur" gebruik en
het tot die slotsoom gekom dat die iristallering van 'n afval
verminderings verbrandingsoond te Stormsrivier ondersteun kan word
met ernstige voorbehoude en voorwaardes deurdat, eerstens, die
gesondheid van die onmiddelike en omliggende inwoners op geen
manier hoegenaamd aangetas moet word nie. Tweedens, die welvaart
van die nie-lewende omgewing met inagneming van lug, grond, water
en plantlewe, insluitende die diere en voëls moet op geen manier
geskaad word nie. Op hieride maruer sal almal wat deel uitmaak van die biotiese
gemeenskap gelyke respek betoon word wat die daarstelling van 'n
lewensvatbare en standhoudende gemeenskap tot gevolg sal hê.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49805 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Maharajh, Rajinder Jain |
| Contributors | Hattingh, J. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Science. Dept. of Philosophy. Centre for Applied Ethics. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 158 pages |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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