Africa | Grist

Disappearing slave history 1
Posted 1 week, 2 days ago James Island’s grisly connections with the slave trade draw thousands of tourists to this shrinking patch of Gambia each year. The historically significant place is now threatened by rising sea levels.
EU ewww

Europe places outcome of Copenhagen squarely on Obama 2
Posted 2 weeks, 1 day ago Europe now predicts that a legally binding treaty is impossible to expect in Copenhagen, and that it could take up to a full year beyond the global summit this December in order to reach a binding deal.
Africa returns to Barcelona talks, while U.S. resists giving up the numbers 0
Posted 2 weeks, 2 days ago Climate negotiators are terribly frustrated with the United States for not taking two momentous steps -- defining the quantity of carbon it is ready to remove from the atmosphere, and putting on the table a definite dollar amount to help developing nations make the transition to cleaner and economically greener economies.
Por favor, don’t kill us

Africa walks out on climate talks in Barcelona, citing lack of commitment from West 3
Posted 2 weeks, 3 days ago Negotiations among more than 190 countries meeting in Barcelona to address climate change continued Tuesday, but delegates from 50 African nations refused to take part until developed nations commit to reduce global warming emissions by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
common but differentiated despondencies

Rich countries halt Barcelona climate talks with inaction; Africa walks out 4
Posted 2 weeks, 3 days ago African negotiators at the U.N. climate talks in Barcelona refused to continue formal discussions about all other issues until wealthy countries live up to their legal and moral responsibility to commit to deep emissions reductions.
Rooting for the Sandicoly superheroes

Roll-up for the world’s largest mangrove planting project 1
Posted 2 weeks, 5 days ago Eager to enter the pantheon of mangrove superheroes, we headed to the Saloum Delta in Senegal where the world's largest mangrove planting project is underway. Organized by local NGO, Oceanium, almost 30 million mangroves have been planted since June.
Now you see it now you don't

Disappearing beaches in Gambia 0
Posted 3 weeks, 1 day ago Hotel managers in Gambia say without the beach the tourists will not come but the beach in front of the country’s two landmark hotels is disappearing pretty fast. It is a very serious state of affairs for a country that derives a major percentage of its income from tourism.
African leaders adopt landmark refugee convention 0
Posted 4 weeks ago African leaders on Friday adopted a convention -- billed as the first of its kind worldwide -- on the protection of the 17 million people on the continent who have fled their homes.
The rising tide of environmental refugees 2
Posted 4 weeks, 1 day ago Our early twenty-first century civilization is being squeezed between advancing deserts and rising seas. Measured by the biologically productive land area that can support human habitation, the earth is shrinking.
Unlocking the Gates

Bill Gates reveals support for GMO ag 44
Posted 1 month ago The Gates Foundation is reshaping African agriculture. So far, it has refrained from declaring patent-protected biotechnology a panacea for African farmers. But if a recent speech by Bill Gates is any indication, that view may be changing.
Trouble with chicks

Where the Sahara meets the Atlantic 0
Posted 1 month ago The Banc d'Arguin, where the Sahara meets the Atlantic in Mauritania, is a staging post for over two million exhausted migratory birds from Europe and Siberia. This vital geographic point is threatened by climate change.
A fishy business in Morocco

Sardines head south 0
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago
A Djimon in the rough

Actor Djimon Hounsou wants to show the human costs of climate change 1
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago Actor Djimon Hounsou is just as snacky in real life as he was on the big screen in Blood Diamond, The Island, and Gladiator. Better yet, he's also a climate activist and humanitarian. As a global ambassador for the aid and development group Oxfam, Hounsou has traveled in sub-Saharan Africa and seen the direct links between climate change and human suffering.
Atlantic Rising

Morocco’s beaches may become launching point for climate refugees 0
Posted 2 months ago Climate change is likely to only increase the amount of people willing to risk the dangerous voyage from Morocco to the Canary Islands.
Gates swinging in new direction?

Worldwatch gets $1.3 million Gates grant to look at sustainable ag in Africa 3
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
In a move that may be a response to criticisms of its ag program, the Gates Foundation recently announced it was awarding a $1.3 million, two-year grant to Worldwatch to look at low-cost, low-tech techniques for improving ag productivity in Africa.
No continent left behind

Climate talks should not focus on China and India at Africa’s expense 0
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
As the international community prepares to negotiate a new international climate treaty, extending the Clean Development Mechanism and modifying it to better serve African nations must be a priority.
How Much Does a Guilty Corporation Owe?

The Unsettling Case of Shell Nigeria 0
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
Meat or nothing

While the West will have to eat less meat, Africa might have to eat more 0
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Insanitation

Reports highlight need to support clean water projects in poor countries 0
Posted 6 months, 1 week ago
The failure of governments in both rich and poor countries to prioritize basic sanitation is killing thousands of children every day, according to two reports released today by international aid agencies WaterAid and PATH. And a third report released yesterday suggests that the global economic crisis may increase the death rate, at least in Africa.
Looking for work?

African ethanol producers accepting employment applications 0
Posted 8 months, 1 week ago
Wanted: Young cane cutters for part time seasonal work. Must be willing to work ten hours a day swinging a machete in tropical sun while wearing gloves, long sleeved shirt, and hat -- no retirement benefits (because you won't live that long). Apply within.