NEWSLETTER #39 - SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS

Volume 10, Issue 2

April - June 2021


CONTENT
Chair's Foreword:  My SAES Representation at Climate Research Development and Agro-ecology conferences in June 2021.
Climate Change and Geo-engineering
Earth Science Events

References and selected reading

Chair's Foreword*

This quarter I report on conferences in June 2021 I attended representing SAES, including 

a) the UNECA, Climate Research Development Postdoctoral grants closing workshop and 

b) Supporting agro-ecological enterprises (seen with the backdrop of a mass scientists boycott of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 over the excessive corporate control of the UN food systems agenda).

a) Climate Research Development Closing Workshops

I was invited to the closing workshop on a review of postdoctoral climate research  projects organised by several entities including the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). On first thoughts, this research development programme was a great indigenously driven initiative that emerged as a great success in taking African climate science forward. 

The climate research programme, known as CR4D (Climate Research for Development) is an African led initiative supported by partnership between the African Climate Policy Centre of the UNECA, the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). The CR4D is the outcome of the historic African  Climate Conference of 2013 held in Arusha, Tanzania. At this conference attended  by over 300 climate scientists, policy makers, climate service providers and practitioners participants attended to discuss the state of African climate science and existing gaps in climate knowledge and data.  The conference recommended 1) the setup of multi-disciplinary research to improve the continents forecasting skills, 2) research to fill gaps in climate data, 3) the fostering of greater collaboration between climate service stakeholders, etc.

On review, the resulting research programme was highly successful, producing 21 research  grants of which 57% were disbursed to young African women scientists; 60 resulting journal publications, 40 grants for further research. The programme was diverse and reviewed researches in drought and flood prediction, organic and a novel "plasma" fertiliser, the health effects of climate change and also the effect on food security and agriculture.

b) Supporting Agroecological Enterprises

In the context of the current backdrop where many scientists and civil society activists including myself have boycotted attendance to the UN Food Systems Summit in protest at undue corporate influence on the UN Food Systems Summit agenda against the interests of the small farmers sector, which makes up the vast majority of global farm holders; the meeting was called to discuss research proposals and recommendations on the transition to agroecology in Africa. This presentation is a means to share research process findings and next steps from the Supporting Agroecological Enterprises research project. The meeting noted the need to work closely with women's organisations in promoting agroecology, since women were the principle food producers and practitioners. The food sovereignty struggle was thus parallel with gender specific social justice issues whereby corporate agribusiness was seeking to usurp the economic role of  African women as the continent's main food producers.

Climate Change and Geoengineering

If there was a silver bullet to solve the climate crisis, it would have to be related to the need to take control of the devastating effects of industrial agriculture on planet warming.  The Amazon rainforest recorded for the first time net emissions in carbon due to greenhouse gas emissions compared to the carbon absorbed. Largely thanks to the destructive policies of the Bolsonaro government of Brazil, leading to the burning of large tracts of the rainforest, the Amazon is currently emitting more green house gases than it can absorb[1].

La Soufrier volcanic eruption, St Vincent, Eastern Caribbean, April 2021. The study of the effect on solar radiation of emitted particles from volcanic eruptions has led to scientific consideration of spraying aerosols into the stratosphere as a means of managing solar radiation to control climate.

Common sense would surely dictate that industrial agriculture of this vein should be consigned to the past, and a kinder agro-ecological model of farming needs to be adopted by the world for a sustainable agricultural world economy. Such an agriculture would do away with the need for climate polluting pesticides and fertilisers and instead promote organic alternatives (organic fertilisers and pesticides) with far lower harmful emissions. Agroecological methods would engender an environment with increased carbon capture through a holistic ecosystem oriented approach.

However, big money usually has a say in mainstream narrative, if not control of it. Wealthy proponents of geoengineering have helped the  measure to rise in the agenda for climate change mitigation. The more it appears we are running out of time, the more geoengineering becomes an appealing climate fix for some; as Lizzie Burns, project manager of the Harvard Solar Geoengineering Research Programme  implies[2]. 

In the UK there were a series of British geoengineering experiments called SPICE (Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering) which was shelved due to conflict of interests and environmental activists protests. Even those in the geoengineering field agree that caution is necessary. The climate scientist Claire Parkinson notes that countering climate damage by pouring stuff into the atmosphere "is fraught with potential unintended consequences".

Furthermore, there is also concern that geoengineering could attract support away from the tried and tested remedy (which we know will work)  of cutting carbon emissions. Some argue that the consequences of geoengineering are not well understood: Stratospheric injection might damage the ozone layer and disrupt ecosystems. An alternative view from Harvard academic Frank Keutsch is that it would be dangerous not to experiment with and learn about geoengineering i.e., the effect of aerosols on solar radiation management.[3].

Earth Science Events

November  4-5, 2021

International Conference on Ecological Geology and Earth Science ALSO

Earth Science and Climate Change ALSO Rock Mechanics, Geological Ecology and Environmental Engineering Conferences

VISION: Bringing together scientists, researchers and scholars to share experiences, knowledge and research on the subject areas.

VENUE: Capetown, South Africa.

References

[1]  Carrington, D., theguardian.com, Amazon rainforest now emitting more CO2 than it absorbs, July 2021.

[2]  Smithsonianmag.com. Risks, Rewards and Possible Ramifications of Geoengineering Earth's Climate, March, 2019.

[3]    Greenfield, P., theguardian.com. Balloon test flight plan under fire over solar engineering fears, February, 2021.

 *Board of the Society of African Earth Scientists: Dr Enas Ahmed (Egypt), Osmin Callis (Secretary - Guyana/Nigeria), Mathada Humphrey (South Africa), Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi (South Africa), Damola Nadi (Nigeria),  Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu (Chair - Nigeria).