2025/01/01 by William Beinart, Steven Robins · 1 voice
Engineering · Social Sciences · #Archaeology and Rock Art Studies #Mining and Resource Management #South African History and Culture
paper · pdf · doi:10.14426/na.v99i1.3194
openalex publication_date 2025/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/12/12 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
In recent decades, a new and multi-crested wave of investment has washed across the Karoo, much of it focused on aspects of what we are calling environmental entrepreneurialism, especially wildlife farming, conservancies, ecotourism, and renewable energy. ‘Sustainable’ copper mining, green hydrogen, and carbon credits are also promised. While driven by the private sector, this has not replaced the state, and it intersects with national and provincial projects that extend protected areas, facilitate conservancies, and regulate renewable energy infrastructure. The latter, with investment largely by private companies on privately-owned land, is probably the most significant area of investment. Renewable energy infrastructure is not directly aimed at benefitting the Karoo environment but at augmenting and decarbonising provincial and national electricity supplies. Other enterprises are similarly complex. While copper mining may enhance global environmental conservation, it is environmentally destructive locally.