Atlas shows effects of climate change on Africa

June 11, 2008 By DEVON HAYNIE , Associated Press Writer

This image released by the United Nations Environment Program shows a satellite image taken between Dec. 21, 2006 and March 26, 2007 of the capital of Senegal, Dakar, a metropolitan area with 2.5 million people spread over the Cap Verde Peninsula. The United Nations environment agency unveiled a new atlas Tuesday June 10, 2008 that shows what the agency says are the dramatic effects of climate change on Africa. The nearly 400-page publication features over 300 satellite images taken in every African country. (AP Photo/United Nations Environment Program)

(AP) -- The United Nations environment agency unveiled a new atlas Tuesday that shows what the agency says are the dramatic effects of climate change on Africa.

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• Egnite - Jun 11, 2008
  • Rank: 1.6 / 5 (5)
  Don't you just love the phrase "Although Africa produces only 4 percent of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions..."?
  
  Do these CO2 emissions cause forrests to dissappear? Or countryside to be overgrown by towns? Or the migrations of refugees? I believe the phrase has no point being in this article as all these problems are caused by humans.
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• DGBEACH - Jun 11, 2008
  • Rank: 4.3 / 5 (4)

  The atlas clearly demonstrates the vulnerability of people in the region to forces often outside their control

  
  

  Africa is one of the regions least responsible for climate change, and is also least able to afford the costs of adaptation

  
  

  erosion as well as chemical and physical damage have degraded about 65 percent of the continent's farmlands

  
  

  Mount Kilimanjaro's shrinking glaciers, the drying up of Lake Chad and falling water levels in Lake Victoria

  
  

  the disappearance of glaciers in Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains and forests in Madagascar, and the loss of Cape Town's unique 'fynbos' shrubland vegetation

  
  
  ...seems pretty clear to me...are you implying that THEY are responsible for melting glaciers and such???
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• Egnite - Jun 11, 2008
  • Rank: 1.6 / 5 (5)
  Nope, just implying what I said in regard to events directly linked to themselves. Glaciers are melting all over the globe which may or may not be due to humans.
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• p1ll - Jun 11, 2008
  • Rank: 3.3 / 5 (6)
  lets just adapt, shall we? I believe thats what humans (and all other life form) do best!
  
  If I'm not mistaken, 99.9% of all life that has ever existed on Earth is EXTINCT. Think about it...
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• Glis - Jun 11, 2008
  • Rank: 2.6 / 5 (5)
  "The Great Global Warming Swindle"
  
  Excellent British doumentary. There is no argument for carbon emission reduction, especially in countries trying to industrialize.
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• Quantum_Conundrum - Jun 11, 2008
  • Rank: 2.6 / 5 (5)
  If I'm not mistaken, 99.9% of all life that has ever existed on Earth is EXTINCT. Think about it...
  
  ----
  
  TRanslation:
  
  Climate change is a NORMAL event on planet earth.
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• jyro - Jun 12, 2008
  • Rank: 3 / 5 (6)
  The only constant in climate is change
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• rubberman - Jun 12, 2008
  • Rank: 4 / 5 (6)
  Yeah....but it NORMALLY takes thousands of years, not a hundred (unless of course the change is spurred on by a singular monumental event)
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