insert_link Africa Hunter-gatherer diets weren’t always heavy on meat: Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet By Zineb Moubtahij, Leiden University About 11,000 years ago, humans made a major shift from hunting and gathering to farming. This change, known as the Neolithic Revolution, dramatically altered our diets. For decades, scientists have thought that pre-agricultural human groups ate a lot of animal protein. But analysis has always been hampered by a scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Pleistocene sites. So, in fact, […] todayJune 10, 2024 16
insert_link Environment Hydropower damages river systems in Africa: how more solar and wind power can solve this problem By Angelo Carlino, Carnegie Science; Andrea Castelletti, Polytechnic University of Milan, and Rafael Schmitt, Stanford University Across the African continent, more than 300 new hydropower projects are planned to meet the growing demand for electricity. Some of these will require big dams, which can have major negative environmental impacts. Another looming problem with hydropower is that the water cycle is affected by climate change. Water […] todayJune 7, 2024 30
insert_link Environment Baobab trees all come from Madagascar – new study reveals that their seeds and seedlings floated to mainland Africa and all the way to Australia By Andrew R. Leitch, Queen Mary University of London There are eight species of baobab in the world, and they have a surprising distribution. Six are found in Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean; one is found on the continent of Africa; and the last is far away in Australia. The origin of this group of plants has fascinated people for a long time. […] todayJune 7, 2024 25
insert_link Business / Economics By not mining vital minerals, NZ is ‘offshoring its own environmental footprint’ – is that fair? Getty Images By Martin Brook, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau When Resources Minister Shane Jones recently unveiled his draft strategy for mineral mining, it was quickly criticised by the Labour opposition as “taking New Zealand backwards”. One environmental group even called it a “love letter to mining companies”. But the government’s ambition to double the sector’s export value to NZ$2 billion by 2035, with flow-on effects […] todayJune 5, 2024 17
insert_link Environment Climate Change threatens Namibia’s Agricultural Sector The agricultural sector is vital for sustaining livelihoods in Namibia but faces significant climate change challenges. Namibian farmers frequently experience adverse rainfall seasons, leading to floods, droughts, and pest and disease outbreaks. Droughts, occurring every other year with varying severity, have particularly harmed crop and livestock farmers, reducing productivity and income due to poor yields, livestock performance, and market prices. Technical Advisor of Livestock and Rangeland from […] todayJune 4, 2024 18
insert_link Africa Nearly 25% of land in Africa has been damaged – what’s to blame, and what can be done By Mlungele M. Nsikani, South African National Biodiversity Institute Land degradation is a huge issue across the continent of Africa. One of its biggest drivers is biological invasions. This is when invasive species (species that aren’t naturally found in the area) arrive and produce large numbers of offspring which spread over long distances. Mlungele Nsikani, a land restoration specialist and environmental scientist, explains how […] todayJune 4, 2024 19
insert_link Environment How many giraffe species are there? Understanding this is key to their protection By Laura Bertola, Leiden University Giraffes, with their distinctive body shape and variations in coat patterns, have long been an example in evolutionary biology teachings. They are a textbook example of how species adapt to their surroundings and survive under harsh conditions. Despite this, scientists and conservationists still grapple with understanding the evolutionary history of giraffes. Giraffes occur throughout most of the savannah landscapes […] todayJune 3, 2024 31
insert_link Environment ‘Cape of Storms’ – climate researchers explain Cape Town’s recent extreme weather By Sabina Abba Omar, University of Cape Town and Stefaan Conradie, University of Cape Town A severe storm hit South Africa’s Western Cape province between 6 and 9 April 2024, with extreme winds gusting at up to 135km/h. The storm left a trail of destruction across Cape Town and surrounding areas – at least 1,500 people were left homeless after the high winds fanned fires […] todayJune 3, 2024 18
insert_link Africa Malawi faces a food crisis: why plans to avert hunger aren’t realistic and what can be done By Joachim De Weerdt, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Jan Duchoslav, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Malawi is heading towards a severe food crisis later this year. Drought brought on by the El Niño weather pattern has affected the harvest of maize, the staple food grown by nine out of 10 farming households in the country. The government declared a state […] todayJune 3, 2024 27