Environment Forum
Global environmental challenges
So long, sardines? Lake Tanganyika hasn’t been this warm in 1,500 years
East Africa’s Lake Tanganyika might be getting too hot for sardines.
The little fish have been an economic and nutritional mainstay for some 10 million people in neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo — four of the poorest countries on Earth. They also depend on Lake Tanganyika for drinking water.
But that could change, according to research published in the online version of the journal Nature Geoscience. Using samples of the lakebed that chart a 1,500-year history of the lake’s surface water temperature, the scientists found the current temperature — 78.8 degrees F (26 degrees C) — is the warmest it’s been in a millennium and a half. And that could play havoc with sardines and other fish the local people depend on.
The scientists also found that the lake saw its biggest warm-up in the 20th century.
This unprecedented warm water could interfere with the lake’s unique ecosystem, which relies on nutrients churned up from the bottom of the lake to feed the algae that form the base of the lake’s food web. As Lake Tanganyika heats up, the mixing of waters is lessened and fewer nutrients get to the top level where algae and fish feed. More warming at the surface magnifies the difference between the two lake levels and even more wind is needed to churn the waters enough to get nutrients to the upper layer.
from Davos Notebook:
Africa feels the heat on climate change
It may have contributed less than any other continent to CO2 emissions, but Africa is on the front line when it comes to the impact of climate change.
Just ask Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.
"It is a threat for us," he told a panel at the World Economic Forum. "On Kilimanjaro the snow is fast disappearing, sea levels are rising -- we have one island that has already been submerged -- and we've towns around the coast where we have to incur huge costs of adaptation to erect walls."
In theory, Africa is also in a strong position, given its virgin forests that represent one of the world's great carbon sinks. But setting up workable offset-trading schemes is easier said than done. "I can assure you, it is so difficult to access these facilities," Kikwete said.
Reuters photo: A truck passes Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania's Hie district
from Mario Di Simine:
Africans protest COP15, say “process manipulated”
In the most heated protest of these early days at COP15 in Copenhagen, African representatives accused the political leaders of the developed world of hijacking the conference to the detriment of developing nations.
The marchers said the process of the talks had been manipulated by the developed world's political leaders to impose on Africans a deal that won't benefit them.
Augustine Njmanshi, of Christian Aid, said Africans were suffering and would "not die in silence."
He added: "$10 billion is not enough to buy the coffins to bury us with."
See,now only is a last chance to do something at COP15.Poor are going to loose heavily for all that has been done by the affluent so far, may be knowingly or unconcerndly.But now after knowing all this situation of the Earth Rich must come out to help poor with zeal and commitment.In a way it is going to pay them back.I think it is only time now to search individuals heart and do and support the cause.
Solar heads to developing world
While solar power has investors on Wall Street seeing green, countries in the developing world also see a bright future in solar technology.
They believe solar power systems that convert sunlight into electricity can help power developing areas without going the route of dirty coal-fired power plants.
Solar companies like China’s solar panel maker Suntech and California-based eSolar, have recently announced forays into the developing world.
Suntech is teaming up with Pakistan’s alternative energy development board, which the company’s chairman and chief executive Zhengrong Shi called “a clear example of the promise of solar energy.”
Solar thermal company eSolar said last week that it is expanding in Africa and earlier this year it partnered with an Indian company to build solar power plants in India over the next 10 years.
And a $400 billion euro plan is gaining steam to power Europe with Sahara sunlight, despite critics.
Today’s top solar market — and lots of profits — are found in Germany while the United States and China are fast-growing alternative energy sectors. Will countries like South Africa join their ranks one day? How will countries and governments make good on the promise of solar energy for the developing world?
What we should learn from our historical experience with energy is that we shouldn’t put all of our eggs in one basket. There is no reason that we can’t develop multiple energy generation technologies in wind, solar, biomass, and whatever else we develop that is truly clean and renewable.
I think it’s important that renewable energy allies don’t squabble between solar and wind. Even if it’s just because the technologies are too immature to declare a winner. Support renewable energy and don’t mudsling other technologies.
@ Ricardo: I think you’re blinded by your love for wind. There are many solar options that scale from low-tech to high-tech designs. Try to inform yourself before condemning and entire industry with thousands if not hundreds of thousands of derivative designs.
@ Robert. Solar thermal (i.e eSolar) is incredibly efficient. In direct heat applications, it can reach over 90% efficiency. Standard solar panels available commercially are only 15% efficiency, but high-performance ones reach 45% (but are more expensive). Furthermore, until we find a way to reflect the true cost of coal and other fossil fuels, it’s unreasonable condemn solar. And do you really think that there aren’t “subsidies” for coal and natural gas in the form of inequitably cheap access to mining rights, tax breaks, and other forms of government support. Just because solar subsidies are more transparent doesn’t mean there isn’t tax payer money going into traditional forms of fossil fuel based energy.
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Solar technology is still on an aggressive learning curve and as production increases, costs will drop with economies of scale. So will other renewable energy technologies. With advances in our economic system, such as a carbon tax, we may also find a way to better reflect the value of renewable energy systems such as solar.
