VN February 2023

Vetnuus | Februarie 2023 48 The start to this year has not been easy for most of us. Post-Christmas expenses plus load shedding have made it more difficult to make ends meet. Many small businesses sometimes get as little as four hours of power a day, and still having to pay full wage bills complicates things. The answer is not necessarily just an inverter- these also have limitations. And then an expected 18% increase in costs and an increase in the minimum wage scheduled for the first of April just makes matters worse. The Eskom concern offers no easy solution. We are in for load shedding for up to 10 years if it gets its act together immediately. It is not just as simple as increasing generating capacity by getting all the existing power plants working, although that would help greatly. Our only nuclear plant, Koeberg, has reached its recommended decommissioning age and should be closed next year. Further, the ideal area for sustainable energy production is along the southern Cape coast, where winds are fairly reliable. And for solar, the karoo is also favourable. But there are major problems. Firstly in the past, the demand for power had come from the Highveld, and the infrastructure here is aged but reasonably effective. It is not the case where sustainable energy is best produced. The entire infrastructure would need to be upgraded extensively and have high costs. This is also the reason for the limitation of power-producing ships' use -the transmission supply is inadequate. Independent advisors have indicated that small coal- powered, properly designed generators are the answer in the short term. These could be dotted throughout the country and connected up. With the timeframe being less of a problem, they could be converted into nuclear plants. Yes, I hear the outcry - coal with its environmentally unfriendly by-products and the inherent dangers of nuclear. Other options are a little far off, but one thing is for certain green hydrogen is currently at the top of the list. And the southern Cape is a very good area for its production. The latest technology for splitting water into its components is laser technology which is apparently very efficient. In the meantime, we hold our thumbs and ensure we have adequate equipment to produce our own power. But where does this leave us, vets? Small animal practice can cope with a relatively small amount of power so long as you don't have MRl,s and CAT scans. But I don't think it is the reason for concern. Our concern should be the depletion of disposable income of our clients. The sale of upmarket dog foods has dropped by up to 67%. One must ask, after all the effort the vets have put into marketing these products, be It for the benefit of the pet or the pocket or both, will this market ever return? There are serious doubts here, particularly where the pets are doing maybe 80% as well as they were on the feeds. v Life plus 23 without parole Mike Lowry Mike Lowry has been in veterinary practice for "life plus 23" years. In this column, he shares his experiences and opinions . Regulars I Life plus 23 + 23 24-Hour, Toll-Free Helpline: 0800 21 21 21