Climate Change in Africa by Jim Heck

Climate change in Africa is Jim Heck's #5 story for 2013. Jim began his career with the United Nations, working in several capacities for UNESCO, the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In 1976 he and his wife formed Morgan Tours, Inc., which in 1979 became Explorers World Travel (EWT). For the last 15 years, Jim has specialized in East Africa and probably knows more about the Serengeti and other wilderness touring in the area than any man alive. But his career in Africa spans a much wider area:

Climate Change Exacerbates Social Tensions and Causes Conflict

A wide array of research reveals that climate change plays a salient role in social change, violence and war. This research summary is one of the most comprehensive surveys of the social impacts of climate change ever assembled.

Climate change and conflict

The relationship between climate change, social tensions and conflict is well laid out by Kate Johnson. She provides a good overview of many of the ways in which climate impacts human behavior. She explains how climate change has the potential to increase conflict in environmentally and politically vulnerable states.

Climate Change and Conflict: Excerpts from a 2013 US Intelligence Report

A March 2013, Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, prepared for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, indicates that a changing climate and competition for natural resources can fuel tensions and conflicts. Here are select quotes from the report that highlight this relationship.

"Competition and scarcity involving natural resources—food, water, minerals, and energy—are growing security threats."

"Extreme weather events (floods, droughts, heat waves) will increasingly disrupt food and energy markets, exacerbating state weakness, forcing human migrations, and triggering riots, civil disobedience, and vandalism."

"Natural food-supply disruptions, due to floods, droughts, heat waves, and diseases, as well as policy choices, probably will stress the global food system in the immediate term"

Canada's Ruling Conservatives Take Another Swipe at Environmental Protections

Canada's ruling federal conservatives are once again taking the ax to the nation's environmental protections. In a bid to virtually eliminate government agencies that could stand in the way of fossil fuel extraction, The federal government is reducing the number of departments and agencies that can do environmental reviews from 40 to just three. The only federal bodies to carry out reviews will be the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, the National Energy Board and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

"We need to tap into the tremendous appetite for resources in the world’s dynamic emerging economies — resources we have in abundance," said Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver in defense of the move.

Bill McKibben on The Fight of Our Time (Video)

Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, global thinker and leader, and author of several books; including The End of Nature, and Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, shares this call to action for what could not only be the biggest fight of our time, but of all time. The fossil fuel industry is quickly destroying the planet, and making the fight to protect our future increasingly challenging as industry lobbying, and unabated growth continues. We all need to come together and rally behind leaders like Bill McKibben, 350.org, and countless others, to save this planet. How? With passion, spirit, and creativity, and as Bill says, sometimes putting our bodies on the line. Will you join the fight?