Africa Geographic August 2007 [antikvár]

founder's note ¦M •iiii t' The window of opportunity to halt runaway global warming is tiny and closing - no more than a decade or two, three at the most jj Our planet is some 0.6 °C hotter than it was a century ago. On the face of it, this doesn't seem a lot. It sounds almost reassuring, in fact quite pleasant - at least for those living in colder climes. Also, the earth is very old and it has been through many warm and cooler periods, so what's the fuss now? Why all the predictions of global catastrophe? Well, that fraction of a degree places us in the warmest period in the past millennium -our modern world of teeming cities and global economy has never had to cope with such conditions. If the trend continues, which it is set to do, we will find ourselves in the hottest time since our ancestors first walked upright. Already some very worrying alarm bells are ringing - long and enduring droughts; year-on-year record-breakingly hot northern hemisphere summers; melting polar ice, with all sorts of implications for ocean dynamics, as well as for sea-level rise; equatorial glaciers retreating towards non-existence; massive floods and tropical storms increasingly inundating low-lying areas; and collapsing ecosystems, which are vital to supporting life on earth. As the world gets hotter, much worse will follow, with Africa well and truly in the firing line. The most sobering thought of all, though, is that many thousands of scientists around the world are convinced that we humans are causing it with our Insatiable consumption of fossil fuel energy and the destruction of tropical forests. These activities pump the equivalent of nearly nine billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere every year Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which historically correlate closely with global temperature, are at their highest levels in the past 550 000 years. Scientists predict that If these levels are not checked, we could be headed for a world six or more degrees warmer by the end of the century. There is consensus that keeping the increase below 2°C is vital, for this could be a tipping point beyond which we would find it ever more difficult to Influence events, maybe impossible. But even this challenge will be very hard to meet. Can we do it? Yes we have to. The consequences of accelerating climate change are just too dangerous for all life on earth. To avoid the very worst outcomes, we need to act globally, very quickly and with far more political determination and consensus than has been evident to date. The international community needs to find agreement regarding emission targets that are binding on the nations of the world. The window of opportunity to halt runaway global warming Is tiny and closing - no more than a decade or two, three at the most. Rich, developed countries and those in the process of rapid development must find accord. Individual governments - national, regional and local - need to initiate low carbon strategies, including emission laws that will provide a 'rule book' for industry. And we need to act personally too - in our businesses and homes. The task is great but it can be achieved - not without inconvenience for the wealthy and not without even greater hardship in the interim for the poor. But there is opportunity too. It is a time for business ingenuity, for improved and new, exciting technologies. And, best of all, there is an opportunity to make a better world for all. About our magazine Africa Ceographic is ediloriaily and financially independent. It enjoys the support and endorsement of several non-government organisations, but it is not afliliated in any way to these bodies or to any other publishing, environmental or political interest group. Africa Ceographic Urives to foster an awareness of wildlife, consen/ation, eco-travel, indigenous cultures and the general environment. It consistently advocates the wisest use of natural resources in a manner that involves and is of real benefit to the people of Africa. Africa Geographic is published 11 times a year,