NEWSLETTER #6 - SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS

Volume 1, Issue No. 6,  December 2012/ January 2013

Foreword by the Acting Chair of Society of African Earth Scientists, Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu

Welcome to the sixth issue of the bi-monthly newsletter of the Society of African Earth Scientists (SAES).

  In the current issue we address the continent’s prospects for self-sufficiency in energy provision, particularly renewable energy, as informed by the foresight of Cheikh Anta Diop – one of the continent’s foremost scholars and thinkers. There is also a brief report from one of our trustees, Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi, who attended the 24^th Colloquium on African Geology, hosted by the Geological Society of Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2013.

Affordable Renewable Energy Prospects as informed by Cheikh Anta Diop’s Energy Vision for Africa

Cheikh Anta Diop, the late Senegalese historian and physicist (1923-1986), assessed Africa’s compendium of energy sources in “Black Africa: The basis for a federated state”¹. We are made aware of the diverse range of potential energy sources to power Africa’s development.

   Four renewable sources of energy in Diop’s compendium are of particular interest: wind energy, solar (both direct and indirect), river or hydro power, and geothermal energy.

   The most common way of creating electricity from renewable energy and fossil fuel sources is to generate sufficient heat to boil water and create steam that will in turn drive turbines. The turbines then rotate a current carrying conductor through a magnetic field or vice versa (the magnet / magnetic field is rotated instead of the conductor) to generate electricity.  The reader will recall from his/her high school physics, that a mere change in a magnetic field will generate an electric current. This is the manner in which electricity is generated in most power plants throughout the world, usually by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil or gas). But the principle is the same in generating electricity from renewables: we create sufficient heat to boil water and create steam to drive a turbine.   

   As espoused in black Africa, Diop’s “Energy Doctrine” is simply to diversify Africa’s potential energy sources in complimentary harmony.  This will lead Africa to a more secure energy future compared to the present over-reliance on unsustainable fossil fuels.

   Since the 1970s when Diop was writing, solar cells (used to produce electricity from the sun indirectly) have reduced considerably in cost.   However, an even cheaper option may be offered by employing solar energy directly in the form known nowadays as “concentrating solar energy”. This involves focusing direct sunlight onto the focal axis of a curved mirror. The axis may consist of a metal bar which is allowed to collect heat generated by focussed sunlight.  This axis may be a metallic casing filled with oil. The flow of the oil can carry heat to where it will heat up water to boiling point and produce steam to drive turbines and generate electricity in the usual way. Concentrating solar energy promises affordable renewable energy generated by modest scale installations that are small enough to be accessible in terms of low cost and low technology to local African communities.

   Certain other features of Diop’s African energy plan have come into realisation since the 1970s. Kenya’s geothermal energy, being supplied through the exploitation of wells drilled in the Rift Valley region, is now in operation. Now that wells have been drilled, completing the most expensive stage of the process, there is the prospect of a renewable affordable energy source, whereby steam can be generated simply by pumping water down these wells, where the water is heated by the hot rock below to produce steam and hence to  power  turbines.

   In Black Africa, Diop also notes the potential that exists for harnessing of wind energy in west and southern Africa. In the current day, we find that South African scientists are increasingly exploring the potentials for use of wind energy. So we may conclude, it seems that Diop’s energy plan for Africa is definitely displaying signs of coming to fruition, in terms of developments on the continent in respect of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal energy.

   Africa has the clear potential to innovate and even demonstrate leadership in respect of its approach to developing renewable energy sources. But much work remains to be done and African governments can do far more to ensure investment into renewable energy sources.  Renewable energy, such as solar is already transforming the approach to energy on the continent. As already noted, we witness the costs of solar cells significantly falling, and this trend is likely to continue.  Solar and other renewable sources, present the very real prospect of an energy revolution in Africa. Not only this, but the emergence of cheaper solar and other renewables promises to invigorate local economies, encourage intra-African trade and engender a faster pace of African development.

   The falling cost of solar is liberating African communities from reliance on the national grid as their only means of access to electricity. As prices continue to fall the affordability of solar brings within reach the prospect of community self reliance and the possibility that local communities can, through a collective effort (Ujamaa) build their own modest scale energy plants, sufficiently low tech enough to facilitate  continued and long term maintenance and hence sustainability  of such projects.

  

Report on the 24^th Colloquium on African Geology hosted by Geological Society of Africa

By Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi

The 24th Colloquium of African Geology (CAG24) took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from the 09-14^th January 2013.

   On the 08^th January 2013 attended the pre-conference workshop titled “Geopark Workshop”, which was organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the

Some of the YES participants with the President of Geological Society of Africa, Prof. Aberra Mogessie, during the YES Africa Symposium on the 11 January 2013

African Geopark Networks. This workshop was facilitated by Prof Patrick J. Mc Keever from UNESCO and Prof Ezzoura Errami, President of the African Association of Women in Geosciences (AAWG). The role of this workshop was to train participants on how to create geoparks, since the African continent does not have any geoparks although the continent is rich with geological and cultural history that is internationally and scientifically significant.

Some of the Geopark Workshop participants with Prof Ezzoura Errami (middle right)                                      

I attended the cocktail welcome function that took place at the Millennium hall on the evening of the 08^th January 2013, which was an opportunity to meet colleagues and also make new contacts with other participants. The opening ceremony took place on the 09^th January 2013, where the minister of the Ministry of Mines of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia her excellence Mrs. Sinkinesh Ejigu was a guest of honor.

    I gave a talk titled “The Young Earth Scientists (YES) Network perspective on geoscience information in Africa” under the geoscience information in Africa session and also co-organized the 2^nd YES Africa symposium in conjunction with CAG24. The main objective of the symposium was to bring together young earth scientists from across the African continent to share their scientific research with other scientists and also promote their research for the benefit of society. The symposium was well received, with over twenty participants from Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, and Ethiopia. In conclusion, the conference was wonderful and learned a lot. I would like to thank UNESCO, GSAf and CGS for sponsorship.

  

Earth Science Book Reviews

Modern Hydrology and Sustainable Water Development by S.K. Gupta²

This book is a gem recommended for permanent inclusion on the earth science reading list. It is admirably well written and arranged to convey a broad and complex subject in the most logical order the reader might expect. Gupta’s definition of hydrology is comprehensive and concise: 

"Hydrology deals with the scientific study of water, its occurrence, and movement through the earth-atmosphere system (air, land, and ocean). It is a discipline in the realm of geosciences and derives upon knowledge and techniques from several other fields (i.e., civil engineering, hydraulics, meteorology, geology, forestry, soil science, etc) to address water availability, in terms of quantity and quality.”

   This volume is arranged in the way one would expect for an approach to hydrology that emphasizes sustainable development.  It opens with a study of the properties of water and introduction to the hydrological cycle, which has a central role in the broad study of the science. It goes on to successively look at water occurring as surface water (glaciers, lakes, rivers and streams, surface runoff, etc), followed by water occurring as groundwater.  This includes the study of the movement of groundwater and in later chapters the author considers the methods for the location of groundwater and the challenges posed by groundwater pollution. The reader is also treated to a discussion on methods of water harvesting and other issues of water sustainability.

   Generally, this is a volume that unifies a broad subject deriving its scientific foundation from the basics of mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology, meteorology, engineering, soil science and related disciplines. It is invaluable to student and professional earth scientists, environmental scientists and engineers concerned with issues of water sustainability in a developmental context.

Affiliation and Association with other organisations

SAES is affiliated to African Association of Women in the Geosciences, Solar Sister, South Africa Young Earth Scientists Network, Stop Africa Land Grab and Stop Land Grabbing.

  

Earth Science Events

April 16-19,  2013

12^th International Conference Groundwater-Soil-Systems and Water Resources Management

Venue: Barcelona, Spain

Weblink: http://www.aquaconsoil.org/AquaConSoil2013/Start.html

May 3 - 5,  2013

Colloque maghrebin de geophysique appliquee

Venue: Meknes, Morocco

Overview of the latest scientific developments and recent work to help the fight against the loss of environmental resources and ensure environmental sustainability.

Weblink: http://www.fs-umi.ac.ma/cmga6-meknes-2013

July 25-27, 2013

International Conference on Water, Wastewater and Isotope Hydrology

Venue: Jnanajyothi auditorium, Bangalore, Karnataka state, India.

Bangalore University through its Civil Engineering Departments is organizing three-day International Conference on” Water , Wastewater & Isotope Hydrology” ic-wwish-2013, on 25th – 27th July, to create awareness on issues connected to water, wastewater, health and isotope applications. It is also to encourage the trans-disciplinary research amongst researchers, environmentalists, and agriculturists, NGO representatives from industry, policy makers, sociologists, economists and students to discuss recent developments in the concerned field

Weblink: http://www.ijwwish.com

  

September 8 – 12,  2013

Geological Society of South Africa – Geoheritage 2013 Conference

Venue: Klein Karoo, Western Province, SA.

Conference invites papers focusing on various aspects of geoheritage, including Geo-education  in relation to heritage and conservation,  management of geoparks and important gelogical/geomorphological sites. There will be an exhibition of  landscape art. Contributions on the role of landscape art in geoconservation are invited.

Weblink: http://www.gssa.org.za/

References and selected Reading, Links, etc

1.  Diop, C. A., Black Africa : The basis for a federated state, Lawrence Hill, Connecticut, 1979.

2. Gupta, S.K., Modern Hydrology and Sustainable Water Development,  Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.

3. Jordan, et al (eds), Land & Power:  Sustainable agriculture and African Americans - A collection of essays from the 2007 Black environmental thought conference. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), 2007.

4. A link on “Groundwater and Rural Water Supply in Africa”: http://www.iah.org/downloads/occpub/IAH_ruralwater.pdf

5. Link to Journal of African Earth Sciences:

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-african-earth-sciences/

DAY OF EARTH SCIENCES IN AFRICA

AN ON-LINE GEODATA COLLECTION ACTIVITY TO BE HOSTED BY THE SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS 0N 20^TH MARCH 2013 AS PART OF DAY OF EARTH SCIENCES IN AFRICA 

The Society of African Earth Scientists (SAES) will on the 20^th March be participating in  “Day of Earth Sciences in Africa “ as part of the Association of African Women in the Geosciences-led, “Day of Earth Sciences in  Africa and the Middle East”. The Society, as a partner in the event, will be hosting an on-line geodata collection activity involving the measurement of the length of Africa’s coastline and the area of Africa’s landmass.  All participants are invited to post their results on the SAES facebook page on the 20^th March or  email their results to saescientists@hotmail.co.uk.

Activity Summary

To measure the area and coastline of Africa’s landmass in square km and km respectively, using Google earth software. Google earth software is downloadable free from the Internet. 

Outcome

The SAES hosted activity will

- encourage African scientists and interested public to become  familiar with a potential earth science tool that is freely  available

- enable appreciation of the true size of the African continent, until recently unknown.

Background

The advent of satellite technology and the Internet has liberated the African scientist from having to accept,  based on faith, statistics of his/her own continent as measured by others.  Until 2010, the size of the African Continent appearing on most maps, made Africa 14 times smaller than its actual size! This is because the Mercator Projection  ( published by Gerardus Mercator in 1569)  on which most maps are  based  till this day,  failed to correctly  allow for the curvature of the Earth, thereby distorting true values of African continental size on earlier maps. In 2010 the computer graphics expert Kai Krause published a map of Africa which showed other countries crammed into its outline.  It gave, at a glance, an appreciation of the true size of Africa, which is able to encompass the United States, Mexico, Japan, China, Iberia peninsula, India and western  Europe including the UK .

Detailed Description of the Activity

The Society of African Earth Scientists’ Earth Science Day activity invites us to measure two very important quantities: the area and the coastline of the African continental landmass. The tool we recommend for this exercise is Google earth. Google earth can be freely downloaded from the internet, and measures distances on the surface of the earth. Google earth (assuming we do not have Google earth Pro, which measures areas directly) allows us to measure Africa’s coastline very easily; whilst we need to work a bit harder to get an estimate of area by measuring only distances.

    Ideally, we could get a very good estimate of Africa’s area by supposing that the shape of Africa is made up of an array of very thin rectangles of equal width, d, (see fig. 1 above).  This fine estimate can in theory be made easily as it is easy to measure the lengths of each rectangle drawn within the shape of the continent. Since each rectangle is of width d, and the area of a rectangle is its length multiplied by its width, the area of the continent is thus given by the sum of the lengths of all the constituent rectangles multiplied by their common width, d. The smaller the value of d, the more accurate is the estimate. Theoretically, if the width d is infinitely small, the estimate is exact[1].

   In practice, it is very time consuming to measure area by making the width, d, so fine as to require the use of many rectangles to fill up the shape of Africa approximately. Also it is not easy to ensure the measurement of lengths which are perfectly equidistant as in the case of the idealised rectangles.

   A quicker method which still gives us an acceptable accuracy within 5% is to approximate the shape of the continent as closely as possible using an arrangement of rectangles and triangles to occupy the space inside the outline as closely as we see fit. We then determine the areas of these rectangles and triangles in the usual way (i.e., the area of a triangle is ½ x base x height; whilst that of a rectangle is width x length),  and we sum all the areas to obtain the estimate of the area of Africa’s landmass. We note that making use of respectively thinner and smaller  (and therefore more numerous) rectangles and triangles will improve the accuracy of our estimate; but will be more time consuming. We must balance the benefits of one against the other, accuracy against labour saving, depending on the level of accuracy we need to achieve.

Having appreciated the method by which we approach our task we proceed to the measurement of distances in Google earth.  In the tool bar at the top of the google earth screen, there is a symbol of a ruler. There is also the symbol of dots connected by a line.  These icons are a clue as to how we are to use Google earth to measure distances.

                 i) Measurement of the African coastline using Google earth

To measure the distance around the outline of the African continent, we click on the icon showing dots connected by a line. Hovering over the icon reveals the  label “add path “over the icon.  A window will appear with various tabs, including one labelled “measurements”. Click on the “measurements” tab and a “new path”  window will appear with a space for the display of length. At this point you may choose from a drop down list in this space to display these distances in units of your choice. For this exercise, we choose kilometres (km).

   We then use the mouse cursor to trace a path around the outline of Africa. When we have completely traced the coastline as closely as possible, the window gives us the distance (length) in kilometres. Your answer should be close to 26,000 km.

ii) Measurement of the Area of Africa’s Landmass

As described above, we begin by sketching an arrangement of rectangles and triangles to fit inside the outline of the African continent as closely as possible (see fig 2 ). We then use this sketch as a guide for the distances we are going to measure using Google earth’s ruler facility. We proceed to measure the required distances. We will not trace as we did in the last activity, but instead at each step measure the distance between two points.

   We begin with the first rectangle side (or triangle side, depending on our arrangement). We click on the ruler icon in the top tool bar. A window appears with two tabs (“line and “path”) and we choose the tab labelled “line”. This time we click on the upper point of a vertical rectangle side (for instance) on Africa’s north coast, the length of which we intend to measure. Then we click on the lower point at the bottom end of this vertical side. A line appears joining the two points and the window shows the length of the line in kilometres. We write down the length of this line on our outline sketch of Africa (as shown in Fig. 2).  We continue in this fashion until all the lengths of rectangle and triangle sides in Fig. 2 have been measured. We then proceed to determine the areas of the rectangles and triangle shapes composing the shape of Africa and sum them up to arrive at our total continental land area as described previously.

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[1] This is  the principle behind  estimation of geometric areas and other quantities in mathematics by means of the operation known as “integration”

NEWSLETTER #5 - SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS

   

Volume 1, Issue No. 5,  October/ November 2012

Foreword by the Acting Chair of Society of African Earth Scientists, Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu

Welcome to the fifth issue of the bi-monthly newsletter of the Society of African Earth Scientists (SAES).
   In the current issue we address the continent’s unfolding dual challenges of land grabbing and hydraulic fracturing.

Why the World Bank has Refused to Halt Funding of  the Africa Land Grab

Despite receiving a formal request from Oxfam Kenya to stop the financing of land deals, the World Bank has refused to halt its funding programme.¹ The World Bank does not accept the Oxfam position, that the funding facilitating land deals are adversely affecting the food security of African nations. The World Bank continues to justify its financial support by claiming their action is designed to ameliorate the effects of rising food prices and the looming prospect of world food shortage.

   Ironically, two thirds of the land acquired in Africa between 2000 and 2010 have been used  for export crops, which will not feed Africans, and much of the remainder is to be used for biofuels which will feed nobody, inside or outside of Africa.

   I was reminded by Dr Emeka Akaezuwa of Stop Africa Land Grab   that this should not be an unexpected response as “African land grab”, he notes, “ is the brainchild of the world bank”. The World Bank is therefore bound to pay lip service to the ideals of   enhancing food security whilst continuing to fund land deals that are further impoverishing Africa and other developing regions.

      The land deals are also to be understood in the context of European climate change targets. European targets to replace fossil fuels with biofuels are contributing to the increase in food prices and global hunger, according to  Oxfam. Current EU mandates require member states to increase the amount of transport powered by biofuels to reach 10% by 2020.  

  

Hydraulic Fracturing in Africa²

Although proving to be an unpopular technology elsewhere in the world, hydraulic fracturing is likely to be coming to Africa. Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” involves the vertical drilling into hundreds of feet of rock followed by   horizontal drilling through shale rock. Millions of gallons of water mixed with rock, sand, and chemicals are blasted into the shale rock at super high pressure inducing fractures in the rock and releasing shale gas. Drawbacks are however, that the process uses massive amounts of water to blast through the shale. The drilling may pass through aquifers that provide local communities with a supply of groundwater. Local water supplies are therefore in danger of becoming contaminated, as evidence from fracking in the US suggests. Also, fracking is well known to cause earth tremors.

   A watershed in the emergence of fracking in Africa is that South Africa has now lifted its previous ban.³ It is now more likely that in time as more companies globally exploit shale gas, other African countries believed to possess shale gas reserves such as Algeria, Morocco and Western Sahara, etc will follow suit.

   To appreciate the concern over ceding the responsibility for ensuring the purity of African rivers, groundwater, and air to the conscience and judgements of corporations primarily driven by the desire for quick profits through shale gas exploration, one has to take into account the oil and gas companies that will be leading this new shale gas exploitation and the appalling record they have in African environmental health and safety. It is shell, for example, that is to lead the exploitation of shale gas in South Africa. What is their record in observing environmental health and safety measures in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region? If their record is appalling there, why would we expect their behaviour to be different elsewhere on the continent? Given limited African technological and infrastructural resources how will African countries cope with potential groundwater pollution, earth tremors and atmospheric pollution? The clear track records of environmental irresponsibility in Nigeria and elsewhere should be stark reminders of  what we may expect.  

The African Union Research Grant Programme⁴

In its Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) developed in 2005, the African Union clearly recognises the important role of science and technology in Africa’s sustainable development, and this fact must be taken full advantage of by African science and technology organisations. The CPA “articulates Africa’s common objectives and commitment to collectively use science as a development tool…. It addresses the way forward to use science and technology as catalysts for sustainable development.”

   In  meeting these objects, the AU commission  has designed the African union research grant which  has among its objectives the wish to promote intra-african and international cooperation and collaboration in research. The implementation strategy of the grant encourages the creation of research networks and the formation of consortia of scientists that will jointly make bids for the AU research grant.

   The African Union’s Research Grant Programme offers an important opportunity for  African science and technology organisations to work together as consortia to apply for research funding  for well considered research projects that will lead to the improvement of quality of life for African communities.

   It is worthy of note that the priority areas for the 2012 call for research proposals fitted precisely with the objects of SAES and highlight the relevance of considering the AU research grant for  prospective future research.  

Earth Science Book Reviews

Erosion and Sedimentation (2^nd edition) by Pierre Y. Julien

The science of sedimentation and erosion  is still in its relative infancy. This volume by Julien⁵ brings the topic up to date and manages to convey the fundamentals of the mechanics of sediment motion alongside the fundamentals of the relevant concepts in fluid mechanics. The book, aimed at Earth scientists and engineers, is well written and illustrated and appears to make a highly complex subject much more accessible. The volume contains many worked examples and serves well as a text for postgraduate studies in erosion and sedimentation.

Society of  African Earth Scientists  Events

On 8^th Nov 2012 the Society held a soil and water conservation workshop at Hampstead Quaker  Meeting Rooms. The notes have been  available on the facebook page and will also become available on the SAES blog.  The notes are intended as a resource to assist soil and water conservation work in an African context.

   Future SAES events will include an event on African land grab, possibly featuring a speaker from the Stop Africa Land Grab movement, and/or the Oxfam Pan Africa Economic Justice Lead.  Following on from this, and not to be forgotten, is a planned workshop on photovoltaics.

Affiliation and Association with other science & technology organisations

SAES is affiliated to the African Association of Women in the Geosciences.

Earth Science Events

  

December 3 - 4, 2012

Achieving Food and Environmental Security - New Approaches to Close the Gap

Venue: Royal Society, London

THE ROYAL SOCIETY 2012 scientific discussion meetings at the Royal Society.
3 – 4 December
This meeting is free to attend, but pre-registration is essential.

For more details visit http://royalsociety.org/events

December 3 - 4, 2012

Annual International Conference on Geological & Earth Sciences (GEOS 2012)

Venue: Hotel Fort Canning, Singapore, Malaysia

December 10 - 21, 2012

Conference and Advanced School on Quantification of Earthquake Hazards in the Caribbean – The Gonave Microplate

Venue: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Two-week workshop dedicated to understanding the  deformation processes around the Gonave microplate and the related earthquake hazards, followed by an advanced school on the theory and application  of modern seismological and geodetic methods

Weblink: http://www.agenda.ictp.it/smr.php?2380

 April 16-19,  2013

12^th International Conference Groundwater-Soil-Systems and Water Resources Management

Venue: Barcelona, Spain

Weblink: http://www.aquaconsoil.org/AquaConSoil2013/Start.html

May 3 - 5,  2013

Colloque maghrebin de geophysique appliquee

Venue: Meknes, Morocco

Overview of  latest scientific developments and recent work to help the fight against the loss of environmental resources and ensure environmental sustaoinability.

Weblink: http://www.fs-umi.ac.ma/cmga6-meknes-2013

Some selected Reading, Links, etc

1. http://allafrica.com/stories/201210080770.html?aa_source=useful-column

2. http://journalistsresource.org/studies/environment/climate-change/fracking-shale-gas-health-effects-research-roundup

3. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-07/south-africa-allows-exploration-of-shale-gas-resources.html

4. http://www.au.int/en/dp/hrst/rgp

5. Julien, P. Y.., Erosion and Sedimentation, 2^nd Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2010.

6. A link on “Groundwater and Rural Water Supply in Africa”: http://www.iah.org/downloads/occpub/IAH_ruralwater.pdf

 7. Link to Journal of African Earth Sciences: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-african-earth-sciences/

NEWSLETTER #4 - SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS

    

Volume 1, Issue No. 4,  August/September 2012

Foreword by the Acting Chair of Society of African Earth Scientists, Chukwunyere Kamalu

Welcome to the fourth issue of the bi-monthly newsletter of the Society of African Earth Scientists (SAES).

A Proposal on Sustainable Development

On 26^th April 2012, when the Society was formally launched at the Africa Centre with a lecture on “Earth and Land in African Thought and Practice”, the lecture was followed by a  vigorous discussion on the role of SAES and  plans for delivering its  objectives.   Mr Sam Montoute made the suggestion from the floor of a sustainable development project involving the purchase of degraded and deforested land in Africa.  Sale of the land back to the  community from which the land was purchased -  at the same price as it had been purchased for - would return the land back to the community in an improved state (after having improved the land  value and revitalised the land by planting trees and vegetation).  Following the Africa Centre launch, I suggested that Sam should draft a brief paper on the project which we could publish in the SAES newsletter. The paper  is included below.  

New SAES Science Blog

In September, the Society started its own science blog on the internet. This represents an interesting development as it now gives the Society a public platform on which to publish its papers for public attention. In particular, the Society is now able to display its note, EARTH, WATER AND JUSTICE, for  the information of African governments in respect of the environmental and social impact of land grabbing, and a reminder of  the responsibility of African governments to protect the rights of their citizens  and Africa’s natural resources.  The blogspot also avails the Society of a convenient means to archive  issues of its newsletters and an opportunity to raise funds through the letting of advertising space on its blog  to ethical business.

The  Bio- Energy Issue

Bio fuels is currently a topical issue which has featured in the SAES posts and in earth science discussions generally.  Many are of the popular view that bio fuels will reduce carbon emissions as they provide a sustainable alternative to carbon fossil fuels.  Many environmentalists and well meaning public have bought into the idea that bio fuels represent a sustainable and eco-friendly form of energy. However, the scientific research into bio fuels challenges this perception.
   In fact bio fuels, have been discovered to  sometimes equal  or exceed the carbon emissions of  conventional fossil fuels [1], [2]. They also threaten food security as more and more governments and corporations seize  fertile land to harvest bio fuel crops in place of food crops; depleting the local food producing capacity.
   The danger of bio fuels is that they are seen as sustainable when their effect can be  the opposite. We tend to see tree planting as always a sustainable eco-friendly measure; but this is  not always the case. Often tree planting is undertaken in developing nations by corporations from industrialised countries for the purpose of carbon trading; whereby a corporation removes the obligation it has to cut its carbon emissions in its native country by effectively exporting that  carbon reduction to the developing world by planting trees in Africa (for instance). As trees absorb carbon dioxide, the carbon emission reductions   achieved this way are considered  as a trade-off for the corporation’s emissions in its mother country. 
  This is the Clean Development Mechanism cited in the Kyoto Protocol, which is seen by many as not only inherently unfair but as i) promoting land grabbing as it encourages private companies to pursue the acquisistion of land for this purpose, ii) enabling industrial economies to use this as a loophole to avoid direct cuts to their carbon emissions and exporting these cuts to the developing world, iii) the largely monoculture plantations resulting from this action bring about environmental damage as some corporations plant foreign trees like evergreens from Europe to grow in one seventh of the time they would take to grow in Europe, contaminate the groundwater with pesticides and herbicides, deplete the groundwater supply of the locality, destroy bio diversity, etc. 
   In October the British NGOs Biofuelwatch and Friends of the Earth will be holding a joint conference on bio fuels where it is expected some of these issues may be addressed. A report back on this meeting is expected in the next newsletter.

Affiliation and Association with other earth/solar science organisations

SAES is delighted to announce its affiliation with both the African Association of Women in the Geosciences and Solar Sister.

A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN AFRICA

A proposal  by Sam Valentine-Montoute
    I would first like to introduce myself: my name is Samuel Valentine-Montoute and I was born in London, United Kingdom; however my parents were from the Island of St. Lucia, Caribbean.  From them I learned to love and appreciate the natural world; to utilize the plants and animal life around me in order to extract food, medicine, a home and a trade.  I grew to understand the importance of looking after the earth, for without it life could come to an end.  Thus, like others of the same mind, I have a growing concern for the planet we are living on and have laboured to find ways in which we can affect the future well-being of this planet in a cost effective way that we all can contribute too, and gain from.  
Our contribution can take place on two levels: one to protect the environment; and the second, to utilise land that can be productive, not only for ourselves, but for our grandchildren and their children.  For this to be possible, we would have to consider ourselves as caretakers of the earth, and not the owner’s.  For this project we could only achieve our goals by purchasing and thereafter using the land in a way that is neither a threat to the individual or community nor detrimental to the environmental well-being of the planet. The method I am about to describe to you will not only be economical viable to all parties involved, but will prove to be sustainable to the local community for the foreseeable future. 
   My proposal is to establish a joint venture between private individual’s, and community members.  To raise capital for the venture, shares will be sold and the money used to purchase all materials, equipment and land.  However, to protect all parties, and the land itself, a joint agreement between the local, regional and national governments and the community members will be drawn up.  The land will be protected by an Act of Parliament, such as the Forestry Act of 1919 of the United Kingdom.  Any and all transfer of ownership or proposed change in usage of the land can only take place through the above mentioned  Act. 
   It is further proposed that any discussion surrounding the disposal of the original parcel of land must be granted by the original owners – the community.  This would occur by the repurchase of the land by the community itself, at the original price, excluding inflation.  Thus, the land cannot be sold to a third party, at any time during its ownership by private investors; but must revert back to its original owners.  This should secure in the minds of the local community that they will never lose ownership of the land, while it is in the hands of private investors.  If the national government chooses to purchase the land through a Compulsory Purchase Act it has to be accompanied by an Act of parliament, and the price set at the full commercial rate. 
   Temporary ownership or lease can be obtained through the sale of shares, thus allowing individuals in the surrounding communities the opportunity of becoming investors in their local region.  The selling of shares can lead to the means of raising additional funds for the sole purpose of increasing land usage, for example increasing the range of crops grown on the land or timber for the construction or furniture industry.  However, it is important to state that the choice of crops or timber must be based on sustainability, and environmental benefit to all concerned, including the land itself.   To further increase the profitability of the land, and thus the financial reward to the community, it is proposed that research be undertaken with regards to exploiting the financial rewards arising from the sale of the carbon dioxide that would naturally be captured by the timber, to the relevant institutions or governments.
   It is also proposed that the program be used as a means of providing practicum’s (work experience) to national and/or international learning institutions – community college’s, technical institutions and universities.  Learning institutes would be invited to lease portions of the land, or participate by becoming partners in the venture, with the possibility of providing basic learning tools to community members, as part of the arrangement.  The reintroduction of local plants, foliage and animals, and the long-term impact this may or may not have upon the land and the various people groups that live in and around the vicinity and their changes in lifestyles that may or may not occur, could be studied and learned from, with the results being used on behalf of communities around the world. 
   Accommodation will need to be built to house visiting professors and their students, and well as other interested parties.  In keeping with the overall theme of the program, buildings will be erected using local materials, which would blend in with the environment.   All necessary structures will be made available for a project of this magnitude, including the Internet and other mobile devices.  Observations points will also be erected to all the study of the local wildlife, without causing interruption to their daily lives. 
   Youth who have committed non violent crimes could be offered the opportunity to spend a period of time at the facility, rather than being sent to jail.  As part of their rehabilitation into society, the young people must be willing to learn a skill, attend classes for reading, writing and mathematics, and learn how to care for the land, animals and people groups that live in the area.  The cost for their stay will be borne by the National Governments from which these young people came from. 

Sam Valentine-Montoute

September 2012

 If you are interested in taking forward the issues addressed in this proposal you may contact the author at the following email address: Contact: sam.montoute@btinternet.com

Earth Science Book Reviews 

Geological Atlas of Africa - With Notes on Stratigraphy, Tectonics, Economic Geology, Geohazards, Geosites and Geoscientific Education of Each Country, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2^nd edition 2008.  Thomas Schluter.

This volume [3] claims to be the first summarization of the geology of Africa presented in atlas form and including the stratigraphy, tectonics, economic geology, geohazards, geosites and geoscientific education of each country and territory of the continent.  The summary information on  the book states “The atlas aims to contribute to capacity building in African Earth Sciences and to initiate research and economic opportunities by providing a database of basic geological background information.”
   As well as this the book is full of attractive illustrations and the introduction contains certain gems of information for those interested in the historical background of  the subject.  On page 9 the author appears to grudgingly admit  that the earliest scientific geological map originates in Africa. It says: "Undoubtedly existed in Egypt a highly developed surveying and engineering system, but unfortunately no cartographic proof of it is known - except on a map drawn on a papyrus... prepared during the 19th dynasty under the Pharaoh Sethos I with his son Rameses II...". One would normally suppose that either there is proof or there is not. Plainly there is proof,  because this is the 19th dynasty papyrus the author has mentioned. However,  the way this is written (with"buts" and caveats designed to sow doubt in the reader as to whether this actually did originate in Africa or not)  is to give the impression that there is no proof. Thankfully, we are able to read between lines, and the bottom line I understood from this is that the earliest evidence of scientific geological mapping points to its origin in Africa.
   This is a text  highly recommended for  those fascinated by the geology of Africa.

Earth Science Events

October 9, 2012.

 Forests are not Fuel: The Limits of Bio-energy in Climate Mitigation
Hosts: Biofuel watch & Friends of the Earth
Venue: 8 Hop Gardens, off 52 St Martins Lane, London WC2N 4EA

October 22 - 24, 2012
WINDABA 2012
Venue: Cape Town Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
Windaba 2012 is the international event on wind energy in South Africa hosted by the South African Wind Energy Association.
The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) introduce WinDABA 2012, South Africa's Wind Industry's Conference and Exhibition.

November  19-21, 2012
International Conference on Biodiversity and Sustainable Energy Development
Venue: Hyderabad, India
“Biodiversity-2012 paves a path to move towards the nature respecting the beautiful lives comprising the diversity. The conference states a call to the scientific community to take the Social responsibility saving the Mother Nature and providing a ground to explore the survival opportunities by sharing thoughts through scientific research and applying them into social life. Biodiversity-2012 shares the opportunity to bring together researchers from academia and corporate, activists, ecosocial organizations and NGOs to foster collaborations through the research talks & presentations to put forward many thought provoking strategies sharing the common agenda of Biodiversity Conservation”.

December 3 - 4, 2012
Achieving Food and Environmental Security - New Approaches to Close the Gap
Venue: Royal Society, London
THE ROYAL SOCIETY 2012 scientific discussion meetings at the Royal Society.
3 – 4 December
This meeting is free to attend, but pre-registration is essential.
For more details visit http://royalsociety.org/events

December 3 - 4, 2012
Annual International Conference on Geological & Earth Sciences (GEOS 2012)
Venue: Hotel Fort Canning, Singapore, Malaysia

December 3 - 4, 2012
Annual International Conference on Geological & Earth Sciences (GEOS 2012)
Venue: Hotel Fort Canning, Singapore, Malaysia

December 10 - 21, 2012
Conference and Advanced School on Quantification of Earthquake Hazards in the Caribbean – The Gonave Microplate
Venue: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
Two-week workshop dedicated to understanding the  deformation processes around the Gonave microplate and the related earthquake hazards, followed by an advanced school on the theory and application  of modern seismological and geodetic methods
Weblink: http://www.agenda.ictp.it/smr.php?2380

 April 16-19,  2013

12^th International Conference Groundwater-Soil-Systems and Water Resources Management
Venue: Barcelona, Spain
Weblink: http://www.aquaconsoil.org/AquaConSoil2013/Start.html

 May 3 - 5,  2013

Colloque maghrebin de geophysique appliquee
Venue: Meknes, Morocco
Overview of  latest scientific developments and recent work to help the fight against the loss of environmental resources and ensure environmental sustaoinability.
Weblink: http://www.fs-umi.ac.ma/cmga6-meknes-2013

Some selected Reading, Links, etc

1] Haberl et al,  Correcting a fundamental error in greenhouse gas accounting related to bioenergy, 2012.  http://www.cccep.ac.uk/Publications/research-articles/error-greenhouse-gas-accounting-bioenergy.pdf

2] Schulze et al,  Large-scale bioenergy from additional harvest of forest biomass is neither sustainable nor greenhouse gas neutral, 2012. http://ncfp.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/biomass-energy-not-sustainable-or-carbon-neutral.pdf

3] Schluter, T., Geological Atlas of Africa - With with notes on stratigraphy, tectonics, economic geology, geohazards, geosites and geoscientific education of each counry, 2^nd Edition, Springer-verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2008.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=IfvKWpsISTQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA4&dq=african+geology+undergraduate+textbooks&ots=lQ7JXRkO0H&sig=Y4l2oLYNi5EVzjuxupZbpMdciz4#v=onepage&q&f=false

4] A link on “Groundwater and Rural Water Supply in Africa”: http://www.iah.org/downloads/occpub/IAH_ruralwater.pdf

5] Link to Journal of African Earth Sciences: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-african-earth-sciences/