Go today, because Africa is being transformed by a feeding frenzy of foreign mining investments. China alone is pouring more than US$100 billion (A$130 billion) per year into mining projects on the continent, with India, Brazil, Canada and Australia not far behind.
All this mining is leading to an avalanche of new African roads and development projects. My research colleagues and I are currently trying to assess the environmental damage that will arise from 29 massive 'development corridors' that will criss-cross Sub-Saharan Africa, opening up many wild and semi-wild areas to human pressures.
Another depressing article on the consequences of uncontrolled fossil fuel use. Goodbye to one of the most magnificent animals still in existence, the forest elephant.
If the current situation seems scary, just wait. At the recent G20 summit in Australia, the 20 largest economies on the planet pledged to pour between US$60 trillion and US$70 trillion into new infrastructure over the next 15 years.
To put that into perspective, the estimated value of all existing infrastructure on Earth is around US$56 trillion.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
boisdevie wrote:To see the wilds of Africa would involve a journey creating lots of pollution. I'm hopefully no so ******* selfish.
but emordnilap [i]already[/i] wrote:(But walk/sail there)
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
boisdevie wrote:To see the wilds of Africa would involve a journey creating lots of pollution. I'm hopefully no so ******* selfish.
but emordnilap [i]already[/i] wrote:(But walk/sail there)
Sorry I went off on one. I'm having a bad time. But that's no excuse. Sorry.
It'd be easy for you. Walk through France, ferry across the strait and away you go!
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
