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As of 13 February 2023, South Africa declared a national state of electricity disaster. In this paper we consider the impacts of global tech giants on the land, environment, people, heritage, and the technological landscape in Cape Town, South Africa. Our methods consist in long-term ethnographic fieldwork (Waltorp 2010, 2019, Waltorp et al 2022) and decolonial design anthropological approaches (Kambunga 2023) as we work with a group of local assistants and critical friends (www.digisatproject.com). We start from the controversy surrounding Amazon Web Services Headquarters: In 2021, the Observatory Civic Association and the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoi Indigenous Traditional Council filed an urgent notice with the High Court of South Africa to interject the construction of the Amazon River Park development on sacred land, where confrontations between the Peninsula Khoekhoe and the first Dutch settlers took place (genesis of colonialism in South Africa), and one of the only natural floodplains in Cape Town. Respondents argued that the site has no visible heritage significance, and the interjection will hinder economic development and job creation, an urgent concern, with Cape Town home to the most data centres on the continent. Data centres provide the computing and storage power that is essential to realising the smart digital futures furthered by corporate strategists and government policymakers. Yet, the data centres that underpin these futures are themselves energy-intensive enterprises (Howe et al. 2015) placing burdens on national energy supplier Eskom and energy shortages for the neighbouring communities (Pollio and Cirolia 2022). Data are entangled with water, wind, oil and other elements. Resource prospecting and extraction of energy were driving forces of colonial expansions. The material effects this has had on contemporary human and more-than-human life as well as geopolitical formations continue: How might we think together beyond techno-solutionism and -determinism to imagine technological futures otherwise.

Waltorp, Karen and Asnath Paula Kambunga. 2023. "Land, Legacies and Energy Futures in Cape Town, South Africa." In 4S Paraconference X EiJ: Building a Global Record, curated by Misria Shaik Ali, Kim Fortun, Phillip Baum and Prerna Srigyan. Annual Meeting of the Society of Social Studies of Science. Honolulu, Hawai'i, Nov 8-11.

1. What are the organization's future goals, and how does it plan to achieve them?

2. How does the organization conceptualize and prioritize community engagement and leadership in its work?

3. What are some of the most pressing environmental justice issues in Orange County, and how is the organization working to address them?

 The work by the Orange County Environmental Justice (OCEJ) organization can potentially advance justice and good governance by addressing environmental injustices in Orange County. By educating and empowering communities, OCEJ can increase awareness of the impacts of environmental issues such as air pollution, water contamination, and climate change, leading to more informed and engaged citizens. OCEJ's advocacy efforts can also help hold local government and industry accountable for addressing environmental injustices and promoting more sustainable practices

Their website has a history of past press releases and publications featuring the organization and its work. This includes local news including Telemundo and Daily Pilot detailing their work and collaboration with UC Irvine, among other organizations, as they conduct their research and present their findings.

1.  The OCEJ works closely with community members in the region; this includes the University of California, Irvine, and other community-based organizations and advocacy groups working on environmental issues in Orange County.

This organization was conceptualized in 2016 and officially notated as a non-profit in 2019, garnering it as reasonably new; with that comes challenges to bring about awareness and build communal support for OCEJ. As with other environmental justice organizations, the nature of the work and the mission to center marginalized communities present challenges and overcome historical and systemic oppressions that have contributed to disproportionate exposure to environmental harm.

OCEJ does not explicitly state they have a unique approach to organizing in their non-profit. Still, within their mission and considering the individuals who comprise their staff and advisory board, I would argue they have a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic approach to environmental justice. There are members from the Acjachemen and Tongva Nations, Asian American-Pacific Islander, and Latinx communities who are working collaboratively to achieve environmental justice.

OCEJ has conducted several studies to highlight the environmental disparities within Orange County. Notably, this includes campaigns like Communities Organizing For Better Water !Plo-No! Santa Ana and Environmental Justice Organizing Academy

As a new organization, OCEJ is focused on building awareness and advocating for environmental justice issues in Orange County. The main initiatives illustrative of the organization’s work include; advocating for clean air, addressing water contamination, climate change action, and community engagement. They seek to advocate for marginalized communities disproportionately exposed to and impacted by environmental harms.

This organization utilizes its website and social media to disseminate information, share updates on its work, and engage with the public community.