There should be caution in jumping on the “forests are always better” bandwagon.
The idea that forests increase rainfall is an old idea that has inspired scientists and the public for centuries. Over 500 years ago, Christopher Columbus came to believe that the American tropics had heavy, continuous afternoon rain because of its dense vegetation.
It would be in Africa’s best interests to limit a rise in global temperature
At the end of the century, if carbon emissions aren’t reduced faster, the global temperature is likely to be 2.6°C to 4.8°C higher than it was in 1986–2005. Africa could be even hotter than that, to the tune of between 3℃ and 6℃.
Berzelia stokoei, one of the 3% of plants in South Africa that are found nowhere else in the world.
Plant experts in South Africa have a challenging deadline to meet: gather everything that’s known about the country’s 21 000 indigenous plant species into a formal online record by 2020. Fortunately they are well on their way.
It’s been four years since African leaders met in Equatorial Guinea to commit themselves to boosting agricultural growth across the continent. This is an important way to create real change in Africa. During the gathering, all the African Union’s heads of state signed the Malabo Declaration. It offered a blueprint for Africa’s agricultural sectors, to be achieved by 2025.
For example, the declaration called for at least 10% of any nation’s public expenditure to be allocated to agriculture and rural development. It also set out plans for increasing countries’ food security by intensifying agriculture in a way that didn’t destroy the environment.
