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Robin Harris, cowriter of Margaret Thatcher's autobiography and for many years her speechwriter and trusted... http://t.co/6qgYhb1kP6

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Ivo Vegter Reflects on the "To Frack or Not to Frack" Talk at the Franschhoek Literary Festival

Extreme EnvironmentIvo Vegter was on the panel at the Franschhoek Literary Festival talk, “To Frack or Not to Frack”, on Sunday, along with Former Business Day editor and Karoo resident Tim Cohen, environmental lawyer Cormac Cullinan and Jonathan Deal of the Treasure Karoo Action Group.

Vegter has written about his thoughts on the talk for the Daily Maverick, writing that he “didn’t come away from the debate with the usual feeling that I had missed opportunities, but it did raise some issues that are worth closer examination.”

At the Franschhoek Literary Festival last weekend, I had another opportunity to debate Jonathan Deal, the environmental activist opposed to shale gas drilling in the Karoo who recently shot to world fame for winning a rich environmental prize. I didn’t come away from the debate with the usual feeling that I had missed opportunities, but it did raise some issues that are worth closer examination.

The school hall in Franschhoek was filled to capacity with visitors to the annual literary festival. The faces were uniformly white, the hair predominantly grey, and the clothes tasteful. I had just driven 650km from a talk I had delivered the previous night at Moneyweb’s Ibandla retreat for company CEOs and chairmen. I was exhausted, but felt well-prepared and confident in my position. Anticipation of high drama hung in the still, warm air of this pretty, wealthy town.

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