Boeing is partnering with Equatic, a Los Angeles-based startup that removes carbon from the ocean, in a first-of-its-kind deal to buy a massive amount of carbon credits and green hydrogen that’s likely worth at least $50 million.



Under the five-year arrangement, Equatic will remove 62,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide for the aerospace giant and supply it with 2,100 metric tons of “green” hydrogen generated as a byproduct of its technology. Equatic declined to provide a value for the agreement, though it’s more than double the size of a 25,000-ton CO2 elimination contract competitor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jpmorganchase.com/news-stories/jpmorgan-chase-seeks-to-scale-investment-in-emerging-carbon-removal-technologies" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climeworks just announced with JP Morgan Chase</a>. Climeworks values that deal—which doesn’t include hydrogen fuel—at more than $20 million. (The financial company is also contracting with startup Charm Industrial to put captured carbon underground as “bio-oil” made with agricultural scraps.)



The deal arose from plans for a technology partnership between the companies related to large-scale CO2 removal facilities Equatic is developing, said Lorenzo Corsini, the startup’s principal advisor, who declined to discuss specific details.



“This catalyzes the development of the technology and it&#8217;s a leap of faith by Boeing,” Corsini told&nbsp;Forbes. Boeing is “serious about removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and knows that they need to invest upfront to do this.”



Equatic recently spun out of UCLA’s Institute for Carbon Management and is part of a new wave of companies with a mission to slow the buildup of climate-warming CO2 by pulling it out of the atmosphere. Unlike the approach of rivals such as Climeworks, Charm and CarbFix, which absorb CO2 from the ambient air and store it, Equatic’s focus is using electrolysis to remove CO2 from seawater and convert the carbon into seashell-like material that it believes won’t harm the aquatic environment. Hydrogen, which is increasingly seen as a promising clean fuel for industrial applications and transportation, is also a byproduct.



“Reaching aviation’s sustainability goals will require a multi-faceted approach and Boeing sees immense value in Equatic’s technology,” Sheila Remes, Boeing&#8217;s vice president of environmental sustainability, said in an emailed statement. “We are excited to partner with Equatic on both green hydrogen feedstock and carbon dioxide removal.”



Equatic focuses on oceans as they’re Earth’s largest CO2 reservoir. Founder Gaurav Sant, director of the UCLA initiative, believes its approach amplifies natural processes and is the cheapest, most energy-efficient way to achieve gigaton-level CO2 removal and produce hydrogen from nonpolluting sources. The amount of CO2 removed is also measurable “down to the gram,” the company said.



(For more on Equatic see&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2023/04/12/equatic-startup-co2-green-hydrogen/?sh=6a2da83a426a">An L.A. Startup Aims To Turn The Oceans Into A CO2 Sponge And ‘Green’ Hydrogen Machine</a>)



That’s important because of growing skepticism around carbon offsets, such as those sold by Verra, the biggest certifier of carbon credits. David Antonioli, the non-profit’s CEO, stepped down this month after acknowledging that a significant portion of credits it’s approved is not based on reality, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/23/ceo-of-worlds-biggest-carbon-credit-provider-says-he-is-resigning" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report by&nbsp;The Guardian</a>.



Equatic began operating pilots in Los Angeles and Singapore in April to demonstrate the technology. A larger “sub-commercial” facility is set to open as soon as late next year in Singapore, integrated within an existing desalination plant. It will be able to remove 3,500 metric tons of CO2 annually. Equatic then wants to have its first commercial plant running in about three years with the capacity to remove 100,000 metric tons of CO2 and generate 3,500 tons of hydrogen annually. That’s about three times the size of Climeworks’ Mammoth plant under construction in Iceland, which will be able to capture and store 36,000 tons of CO2 annually when fully operational.



The company is in the process of raising $100 million for research and plant construction costs. It’s already taken in $30 million from backers including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, National Science Foundation, Singapore’s Temasek Foundation, PUB: Singapore’s National Water Agency and the Energy Department.



Corsini estimates Boeing’s purchase agreement is the fifth-largest CO2 elimination deal that’s been announced. Equatic had previously announced that financial services company Stripe is buying CO2 offset credits from its small pilot facilities. Boeing will get credits from the Singapore plant that is to open by early 2025 and Equatic’s first commercial facility, the location of which hasn’t been announced.



“Because we’re still engineering and building those plants, we haven&#8217;t started really reaching out more systematically to clients to fill the pipeline,” Corsini said. In addition to Boeing, “we also have a number of other partners. Expect some more announcements soon on that,” he said, declining to elaborate.

6437f7f632fff1391b8db551_0x0

Boeing Bets On Startup Equatic With Massive CO2 Removal, Hydrogen Deal

By Godfrey Mutizwa



The World Bank says the climate change fight demands a focus on long-neglected structural challenges that are worsening the impact of natural disasters in Africa and other developing countries.



“Some of those structural challenges span from years of environmental degradation,’’ Anna Bjerde, the bank’s Managing Director for Operations told CNBC Africa last week after seeing villages devastated by Cyclone Freddy in Malawi in February and March.



The World Meteorological Organization says the cyclone may have been the longest in history. Over five weeks, it destroyed roads and other vital infrastructure in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique. Officials estimate about two million people were displaced while more than a thousand died.



According to the United Nations, changing rainfall patterns and more extreme weather threaten Africans’ food, water and socio economic development and more needs to be done to help the continent cope better.



Bjerde, back in the region for the first time since taking up the operations role last month, says she was enthused by the energy of the Malawian people and the government’s response in helping rebuild communities.



“I saw an incredibly resilient population where a lot of people want to make a change, and a lot of innovation around sustainable solutions like renewable energy, like more climate-smart solutions in agriculture and solutions for the most vulnerable and poor to have access to clean water,” she said.



But countries like Malawi will need more help from the World Bank and other development institutions to help build climate resistant economies by improving their infrastructure, Bjerde said.



The bank has a twin approach to this, she said, outlining short-term measures such as providing extra resources to governments, and identifying long-term priority projects to build inclusive economies.



“The broader development community’s role is to continue to support with technical solutions, with financing, with building capacity and perhaps most importantly making sure that these solutions are really inclusive.’’



Developing countries also need to involve their private sectors, she said, addressing challenges such as access to markets and finance, providing basic infrastructure and rebuilding value chains as part of an overall effort to improve business environments, especially given rising public debt levels.



“I am very worried by the increased level of debt that we are seeing and actually… we are seeing right now that about of 60 percent of low income countries in the world either at risk of debt distress or already at debt distress levels,” she added.



The bank was playing its part in its new operating model which was discussed at this year’s Spring meetings in Washington DC. The model among other things seeks to boost the bank’s capital and address borderless global challenges at the country level.

Hurricane Along Coastline

Natural Disasters In Africa: World Bank Says Climate Change Fight Must Address Structural Deficits

The East African country of Rwanda is deepening its economic and investment ties with the UAE, its leading trade partner that it has now signed five new deals with.



Anyone who has visited both Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) long enough will be able to testify to the striking similarities between the two countries – pro-progress leadership, a readiness for innovation, an enabling investment environment, the important status accorded to women in nation-building, and the safety, stability and security they offer investors, citizens and tourists.



The two nations may be over 4,000km apart, but all of these common nuances and traits converged at the Rwanda-UAE Business Forum that toured the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Dubai in February.



The delegation from Rwanda’s private sector, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Rwandan Embassy in the UAE held roadshows to explore investment and trade opportunities between the Middle Eastern hub and the surging East African nation, known as “the land of a thousand hills”.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Emmanuel-Hategeka-the-the-Ambassador-of-Rwanda-to-the-UAE-pic-supplied-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-57916" width="461" height="308" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Emmanuel-Hategeka-the-the-Ambassador-of-Rwanda-to-the-UAE-pic-supplied-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Emmanuel-Hategeka-the-the-Ambassador-of-Rwanda-to-the-UAE-pic-supplied-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Emmanuel-Hategeka-the-the-Ambassador-of-Rwanda-to-the-UAE-pic-supplied-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Emmanuel-Hategeka-the-the-Ambassador-of-Rwanda-to-the-UAE-pic-supplied-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Emmanuel-Hategeka-the-the-Ambassador-of-Rwanda-to-the-UAE-pic-supplied-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Emmanuel Hategeka, the the Ambassador of Rwanda to the UAE, photo supplied</figcaption></figure></div>


“The UAE is currently Rwanda’s leading trade partner,” said RDB CEO Clare Akamanzi in her opening address in Sharjah on February 22 (interview on next page).



“Over the last ten years, trade has grown ten-fold to reach $1.09 billion in 2022 from $100.4 million in 2012. In 2022, exports accounted for 53% and investments have equally grown at a tune of $248 million and more are in the pipeline.”



What is in the pipeline for the hilly East African country with a population of 13 million (about 65% under the age of 30) and as the sixth fastest-growing economy on the continent, is a vision to transform itself into a globally-competitive knowledge-based economy. The UAE is a strategic market. Emmanuel Hategeka, the Ambassador of Rwanda to the UAE, tells FORBES AFRICA the objective of the forum was to provide “a match-making platform” for business partnerships between Rwandan and UAE business executives in various sectors.



The key areas of investment, business and trade between the two regions include agriculture, mineral processing, hospitality, logistics, financial services as well as energy.



As for commodities, major exported goods and merchandise from Rwanda include precious or semi-precious stones and precious metals through Dubai as a hub, horticulture products, and products of the milling industry. Rwanda imports from the UAE mainly include petroleum oils, motor vehicles including used cars, machines, wires, telephone sets, recording machines, furniture and other equipment.



The February forum witnessed the signing of five key MoUs including the establishment of the UAE-Rwanda Joint Business Council and a collaboration between the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Private Sector Federation – Rwanda (PSF).



“The value of such MoUs is beyond mathematical calculation… These MoUs are significant instruments that have created a conducive business environment for the two countries,” says Hategeka. The five-day event culminated on February 25 with a tourismdriven golf tournament connecting both communities socially.



There are over a 1,000 Rwandans resident in the UAE, mainly in the global trade hub of Dubai. Attracting high-end tourists from the UAE to Rwanda is also a top priority.



“In 2022, RwandAir operated its maiden cargo flight to UAE and currently operates two flights weekly carrying mainly fresh produce inbound and electronics on the outbound leg. DP World’s (the Emirati logistics company) inland port in Kigali and the regular RwandAir Kigali-Dubai flights provide flexible maritime and air transport means.



“The daily Kigali-Dubai flights by RwandAir provide a convenient mode of transport for travelers from the UAE and GCC,” adds Hategeka.



Reuben Mbonye, the airline’s Country Manager in the UAE, concurs: “We are now looking at upgrading the route with wide-body aircraft and also increasing the cargo flights out of the UAE… The airline plays a very central role, there is no way you can discuss development without it.”



The road ahead also includes collaboration in new areas including sustainability, space, the fourth industrial revolution and artificial intelligence.



This is something the UAE, home to more than 200 nationalities and one of the safest and most investor-friendly countries in the world, is equally looking forward to. Abdul Aziz Shattaf, the Assistant Director-General for the Communications and Business Sector at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, affirms to FORBES AFRICA: “We are very excited and hope our bilateral trade will increase!”



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-shared-ambition-and-vision">‘Shared Ambition And Vision’</h2>



WHERE DO YOU SEE BILATERAL TRADE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS?



It will be accelerated by working together. I think with these kind of meetings, people come and we hope to do even better. And as I said, if we could do 10 times growth over the last 10 years, why not have the ambition to do 10 times more in the next 10 years?


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RDB-CEO-Clare-Akamanzi-pic-supplied-1-985x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-57915" width="362" height="376" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RDB-CEO-Clare-Akamanzi-pic-supplied-1-985x1024.png 985w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RDB-CEO-Clare-Akamanzi-pic-supplied-1-288x300.png 288w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RDB-CEO-Clare-Akamanzi-pic-supplied-1-768x799.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RDB-CEO-Clare-Akamanzi-pic-supplied-1-1477x1536.png 1477w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RDB-CEO-Clare-Akamanzi-pic-supplied-1-1969x2048.png 1969w" sizes="(max-width: 362px) 100vw, 362px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">RDB CEO Clare Akamanzi, pic supplied </figcaption></figure></div>


THE OTHER COMMONALITY YOU HAVE IS THE GENDER AGENDA. PSF RWANDA AND THE EMIRATES BUSINESSWOMEN COUNCIL HAVE SIGNED A PACT. DO ELABORATE.



There&#8217;s no way you can prosper without fully including 52% of the population that women constitute in Rwanda. For us, that has been the logic of bringing them to the forefront, and politically, we have done so well in terms of number of women in Parliament (61.4%) and cabinet (52%). 



Businesses are also catching up. The more women do business, the more inclusive society becomes and the more prosperous because they have a lot to contribute.



WHAT ARE THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES THE SIGNING OF THESE DEALS WILL ACTUALLY BRING FOR BOTH REGIONS?



I am very pleased that the Private Sector Federation Rwanda and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce are going to collaborate even more. It&#8217;s really important for us because Dubai and the UAE in general are important partners… Every country grows because of trade and being able to source products from reliable markets, but also to sell products is really what helps countries prosper. Dubai has a lot of experience; it trades in billions and billions of dollars, is one of the top five export markets in the world… But we want them to do more than trading. We also want them to invest… We share a lot in common, values really, the first is clean governance and clean processes. And I think the second is this whole concept of ambition, vision, excellence and the commitment to those things. The third is the commitment to innovate, and do things in new ways. And also digital infrastructure supporting businesses. So I think innovation, excellence, ambition, vision, as well as governance are what make it easy for businesses to do what they do here in the UAE, but also in Rwanda. Put all that together and we&#8217;re committed to making our people more prosperous, and making businesses thrive. Let&#8217;s work together because we share those values… we&#8217;re investing a lot of resources to build relations with the Middle East.



WHAT’S YOUR MOST FAVORITE PART OF THE UAE?



You know, that&#8217;s a very tough question. I just enjoy seeing the real estate and housing. The innovation and digitalization here are out of this world. And also the entertainment and the restaurants.

The Kigali Convention Centre adorns the night in Rwanda; image by Renuka Methil

From The Land Of A Thousand Ideas To A Global Trading Hub: New Rwanda-UAE Ties

By Tshilidzi Marwala



As the twentyseventh session of the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) unfolded in Egypt in November 2022, it became a signifier of Africa taking climate change into its own hands. The continent has often been placed on the back burner of other nations.



Yet, it is no secret that climate change has impacted Africa the most, even though its contribution to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions is less than 5%. As the African Development Bank states, this is because of the continent’s relatively low adaptive capability, caused by financial and technological weaknesses, and an over-dependence on rain-fed agriculture.



In fact, in September 2022, the State of the Climate in Africa 2021 UN report revealed the convergence of climate shocks that plague Africa. For example, 2021 Africa experienced at least the fourth warmest year on record. It is expected that by 2030, between 108-116 million people in Africa will be threatened by rising sea levels.



Furthermore, the drought in East Africa is worsening, whereas North Africa is experiencing extreme heat. In the past 50 years, drought has claimed the lives of over half a million people and this resulted in $70 billion economic losses. Furthermore, there has been a 34% reduction in agricultural productivity growth since 1961 as a result of increased temperatures. Therefore, climate change is a significant driver of displacement on the African continent and currently, only 40% of people are covered by MultiHazard Early Warning Systems. Resounding cries from young activists that the future was being stripped from Africa were heard beyond the doors of COP27 – a necessary and powerful call to action as the conference began. The first ‘African COP’ since 2016 represented a rewriting of the continent’s narrative as African nations made a case for climate justice.



As Absa’s Group Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer Punki Modise phrased it: “COP27 marked a necessary – and overdue – concession to pragmatism and the recognition that if we are to effectively mitigate the impact of climate change at a global scale we need to slowly reframe climate issues, especially in the context of human dignity.” The impact of this shift was tangible.



Towards the end of November, the conference closed with a breakthrough agreement to reframe and create new funding avenues for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters. New funding arrangements will be established alongside a dedicated “loss and damage” fund to assist developing countries. Additionally, a transitional committee was established to make recommendations on how to roll out funding, with the first meeting expected in March this year. 



The Santiago Network will accompany funding for Loss and Damage deployment to offer technical assistance to these nations.



Of course, as history has demonstrated, the implementation and fulfilment of pledges always fall short of what is needed for the world to deal decisively with climate change. It remains to be seen whether the money will flow – and whether this will be accompanied by necessary commitments from developed nations to phase out fossil fuels and curb the damage it has inflicted over the years.



In reframing the African narrative on climate change, however, there has also been a shift away from solely relying on the Global North to fulfil its commitments. The launch of the African Climate Risk Facility created by 85 insurers in the continent to protect against droughts, floods and tropical cyclones by providing climate risk insurance, represents Africa taking climate action into its own hands. The facility is a $14 billion local market-based funding tool to help African countries increase the resilience of their vulnerable communities.



This speaks to the argument made in the aftermath of COP26 in 2021 for localized solutions and inherently reframes the continent’s ability to respond when disaster hits in response to the often unfulfilled commitments of the Global North.



COP27 has been a valuable exercise in reaffirming developed nations’ commitments to vulnerable and less developed nations – a vital tool for tackling climate change and reframing the continent’s position. The messaging is clear: the Global North must continue acknowledging its role and providing funding and support, but Africa should no longer plead but take matters into its own hands.

Protest during the UN climate summit in Egypt

Climate Change Action Is A Necessity Africa Cannot Ignore, Anymore

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Societal inequities and politicians’ differing responses were among the reasons why the Covid-19 pandemic played out in different ways across the U.S., according to a new state-by-state&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00461-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a>&nbsp;examining the driving forces behind variations in health, education and economic performance during the pandemic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Despite the U.S. having the highest number of recorded Covid deaths and one of the highest fatality rates from Covid per capita globally, researchers found individual states had vastly different Covid experiences, with Hawaii and New Hampshire seeing the lowest cumulative Covid death rates and Arizona and Washington D.C. seeing the highest, according to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00461-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>, published Thursday in the&nbsp;Lancet.



Researchers used state-level data from January 2020 to July 2022 to compare government policy responses and population behaviors like vaccination and mask use, to evaluate states’ efforts to limit Covid infections and deaths.



The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00461-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;found that Covid exacerbated existing inequities: States with less access to quality health care, higher poverty rates and lower rates of educational attainment saw disproportionately high rates of Covid infections and death.



Rates of Covid infection and death were not impacted by how much money a state spent on public health or how many public health personnel a state had per capita, according to the research.



Among the state-imposed protective mandates—mask use, vaccines and mobility restrictions—researchers found only vaccine coverage was strongly associated with a state’s variation of Covid deaths.



Overall, local economies across the U.S. were neither “hindered nor helped” by different politices aimed at slowing the spread of the virus or cutting death rates, the study found—though higher employment rates did correlate with higher rates of Covid.



Restaurants were one exception: Researchers found mandatory restaurant closures and mask requirements were associated with larger falls in states’ employment rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



Researchers also examined how political orientation impacted infection and death rates, and found that the share of the state that voted Republican in the 2020 presidential election was a key predictor of Covid infections and deaths. The research echoed findings from a 2022 study, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/06/06/people-living-in-pro-trump-counties-more-likely-to-die-from-covid-study-finds/?sh=60e2c55142bd">found</a>&nbsp;people living in U.S. counties that voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020 were more likely to die from Covid than people who lived in counties that voted Democrat in the 2020 presidential election. However, Thursday’s study found there was no association between the political affiliation of states’ governors and Covid death rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



In recent months the federal government and most state governments have significantly rolled back Covid restrictions initially instituted to reduce infection and death rates. None of 569 U.S. counties that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus/masking#TX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">provide</a>&nbsp;information about masking requirements to the U.S. Labor Department currently have a mask mandate in place. While Covid infections continue to plague the U.S.—an average of 20,771 new cases per day were reported in the week ending Thursday, according to the&nbsp;New York Times—test positivity and hospitalizations have fallen in the past few weeks, and infections and deaths are well below peak levels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/06/06/people-living-in-pro-trump-counties-more-likely-to-die-from-covid-study-finds/?sh=60e2c55142bd">People Living In Pro-Trump Counties More Likely To Die From Covid, Study Finds</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/01/20/covid-still-killing-hundreds-of-americans-every-day-as-pandemic-enters-fourth-year/?sh=d85fa8d3c5f5">Covid Still Killing Hundreds Of Americans Every Day As Pandemic Enters Fourth Year</a> (Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/"></a>



By Ana Faguy, Forbes Staff

Shanghai Lockdown Continues as First Covid Deaths Reported

Covid Rates Hit States Differently Based On Political And Social Inequities, Study Finds

Monitoring populations of the great ape in the thick equatorial rain forests of Gabon, one of the most carbon-positive countries in the world. 



By Ramdas Iyer 



Walking behind four machete-wielding villagers in the thick of equatorial rain forest in Gabon, I was participating in the unusual experience of preparing for a western lowland gorilla habituation project. Here we were creating multiple transect lines running over four kilometers through the forest; a well-established scientific methodology for estimating ape population size. 



“Monitoring populations of gorillas is a necessary protocol prior to establishing a habituation program. Camera traps and GPS locators along the transects will eventually give us an idea of the group density in the area,” says Antonio Anoro of Gabon Untouched, a conservation and eco-tourism organization, who, alongside researchers from the Research Institute for Tropical Ecology (IRET), is spearheading the habituation of wild lowland gorillas in the buffer zone next to the Moukalaba-Doudou National Park which covers an area of 1,700 square miles.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Large expanses of tropical rainforest in western Africa have been cleared, logged, and overhunted in recent decades. In contrast, extensive forest in Gabon has survived in an intact condition because the country has a sparse population and substantial petroleum and mineral deposits that have reduced the economic pressure on forests.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Gabonese government is eager to consider alternative strategies to augment economic development, including promotion of an ecotourism industry. This commitment is evidenced by the government&#8217;s designation of 13 national parks that comprise over a tenth of the country&#8217;s land area. Gabonese forests have among the highest levels of species diversity and endemism in tropical Africa and are likely to play a critical future role in biodiversity conservation.&nbsp;



Gabon Untouched supports sustainable tourism by bringing eco-tourists into deep jungle to observe first-hand, lowland gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorillas were first habituated for human observation and scientific research by Kyoto University scientists 20 years ago at Moukalaba-Doudou National Park.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The steady influx of tourist funds has helped economically sustain the local village of Doussala and gorilla research activities. By habituating a second group of gorillas, we not only protect the forest, home for great apes, but also provide a sustainable livelihood for the locals,” says Anoro, who has worked tirelessly for eight years in Gabon for conservation efforts.&nbsp;



This month, in March, Gabon hosted the ‘One Forest’ Summit attended by Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, French President Emmanuel Macron and other heads of state, to highlight the environmental role and value of rain forests.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Forests potentially represent 20-30 percent of the solution to climate change,&#8221; Gabon&#8217;s Minister of Water and Forestry and conservationist Lee White, said in opening remarks. The host nation, Gabon, became the first African nation to be recompensed through carbon credits for protecting its forests.&nbsp;



Gabon &#8220;absorbs around 100 million tons of CO2 per year&#8230;three tons every second,&#8221; White told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting. &#8220;We are well on the way to becoming a sustainable economy.&#8221;&nbsp;

Gorilla conservation in Gabon; photo by Ramdas Iyer

Gorillas, Conservation And Climate Change In Gabon

Startups are aiming to solve big problems for agriculture, including labor and water shortages, climate-driven headaches and declining bee populations, by deploying artificial intelligence, autonomous driving technology and robotics.



f the vast farms of the Midwest are America’s breadbasket, California is its produce department. But the country’s biggest producer of fresh fruits and vegetables is in trouble, threatened by shortages of farm labor and water and rising temperatures due to climate change.



To combat these challenges—if a growing number of startups have their way—California’s fields and orchards will soon be staffed by autonomous flying drones that pluck fruit and nuts from trees, electric self-driving tractors that monitor each row for weeds and crop health and pollinating bees that make their homes on the farm in robotic hives. These futuristic-sounding technologies aren’t decades away —they’re deployed in the field right now.



“That’s the only commercially available electric autonomous vehicle you can buy today,” says Praveen Penmetsa, CEO and cofounder of Monarch, pointing to one of his MK-V tractors as it does test loops through a faux orchard for onlookers at World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, last month. His Livermore, California-based startup, which has raised about $110 million and counts wine scion Carlos Mondavi as a cofounder, started selling its $89,000 self-driving tractors last year, which are outfitted with sensors to monitor crop health.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/6401141f3e8031931c058201/robot-farm-tech/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&amp;width=960" alt="robot_farm_tech" width="-216" height="-216"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Monarch Tractor&#8217;s electric, autonomous MK-V is equipped with technology found on self-driving cars.ZUMAPRESS/NEWSCOM</figcaption></figure></div>


“Whether it&#8217;s labor or water, or even fertilizers and pesticides, those are all resources that are very expensive. With our tractor, with the data we&#8217;re collecting, (farmers) can be more efficient with all those resources,” Penmetsa told&nbsp;Forbes. “Instead of one driver sitting on a tractor going up and down a row, that same driver can manage three or four tractors at a time and finish the operation faster.”



The urgency to solve long-term challenges for food production coincides with AI-enabled tech advances — the same underlying tech that has automated factories and wowed millions with its ability to generate fanciful text and images (as well as promises to make robotaxis and self-driving semis a reality in the years ahead). And while venture funding has cooled for many emerging technologies, AG tech remains a money magnet, vacuuming up $10.6 billion from investors in 988 deals last year, according to PitchBook.



California, led by its highly productive San Joaquin Valley farms, last year generated more than $51 billion of revenue from grapes, almonds, peaches, lettuce, carrots and other high-value crops, or 12% of total U.S. agricultural production by value, according to the <a href="https://data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?ID=17844#P32c32cdfed1241fb81d9443323da4aac_28_251iT0R0x29" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USDA</a>. That’s far ahead of states synonymous with farming like Iowa and Nebraska. But finding enough people to work the fields grows harder year after year, particularly with the drop in migrant farm labor resulting from stricter border controls. The problem was glaringly apparent at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when ripe crops were<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2020/04/06/lettuce-left-to-die-in-california-fields-as-produce-demand-withers-under-covid-19/?sh=2742e5286428"> left to fallow</a> in the field because there weren’t enough workers to harvest them, triggering shortages of some products at supermarkets.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“Pretty much every year our members have been concerned about not being able to get enough people to do what they need to do or would like to be able to do.”
<cite>C. Bryan Little, director of labor affairs, California Farm Bureau Federation</cite></blockquote>



“The lack of products on grocery store shelves was not because farmers stopped growing crops and raising livestock to provide a food source for the country,” the American Farm Bureau Federation said in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/focus-on-agriculture/labor-shortages-continue-to-impact-farmers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blog</a>. “It was because every step of the supply chain lacked the labor needed to keep up with the demand.”



The problem is acute for California growers, who produce crops that are more labor-intense to harvest than the vast wheat and corn fields of the Midwest. “Pretty much every year our members have been concerned about not being able to get enough people to do what they need to do or would like to be able to do,” said C. Bryan Little, director of labor affairs for the California Farm Bureau Federation. That’s also made them receptive to labor-saving technology, like the use of machines that shake almond and pistachio trees starting about 20 years ago.



“California is the world&#8217;s primary producer of almonds now, and it used to be if you&#8217;re growing almonds you needed a crew of like 30 people with long sticks and bags to walk through the orchard and knock the almonds off the trees and then pick them up off the ground now,” Little said. “Now two or three people can do the work of 30.”



Monarch’s tractor, which has been working in Mondavi-owned vineyards since 2020, costs about twice as much as a similar-size diesel tractor. Penmetsa says savings on fuel and labor mean it pays for itself in about two years—and in California, it even qualifies for incentives for non-polluting ag equipment of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/2021-profiles-1/2021/4/27/farmer-heavy-duty-off-road-tractor-trade-up-projects-san-joaquin-valley" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">as much as 80%</a>. Its cameras and software allow for precise watering and use of fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in further cost savings for growers, he said.



Backed by $110 million in funding from farm equipment maker CNH Industrial and VCs, including Trimble Ventures, At One Ventures, Tri-Valley Ventures and Western Technology Investment, the company is also moving fast to get them into widespread use. It’s licensed the technology to CNH and has a deal with Foxconn to rapidly boost production of MK-Vs at its Lordstown, Ohio, plant.



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While Monarch and other makers of robotic tractors, including industry heavyweight John Deere, are focused on crop maintenance and monitoring, Tevel Aerobotics Technologies is using autonomous technology to help with the harvest. The Israeli startup, which recently opened U.S. operations in the San Joaquin Valley, offers small flying, autonomous robots equipped with camera vision and algorithms to identify ripe fruit, pick it with a high-suction arm and gently deposit it into a conveyor.



In a demonstration at the expo, eight of the company’s “Alphabots” are tethered to the automated conveyor, picking and depositing one piece of fruit (including apples, peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines) every 2.5 seconds. The speed isn’t remarkable, but the system is designed to be precise and work round the clock, in light or darkness, something humans can’t do.



“Especially in California, with the labor laws, you can’t have pickers work more than eight hours a day,” said Ittai Marom, general manager of Tevel’s U.S. operations, as he watched the buzzy bots plucking apples that were attached with magnets to faux trees under a tent at the expo. “Working 24/7 is a game-changer to the entire chain.”



The first unit went into operation last year at HMC Farms, a large-scale fruit grower in Kingsburg, California, and Tevel’s flying harvesters are also headed for orchards in Italy and Washington. The cost of the unit, which is still being modified, will be “less than $200,000,” Marom said.



It’s also not intended to replace human labor but “fills in when a grower doesn&#8217;t have enough workers on a certain day or when two different plots are ripe for picking, and he doesn&#8217;t have enough people working at night or working overtime,” he said.



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human labor isn’t the only shortage for farmers. The dwindling bee population essential for pollination is becoming an even more fundamental crisis, especially for California’s fruit and nut farms. The problem of colony collapse disorder, where worker bees abandon their hive and queen, is linked to harm from pesticides, loss of habitat, threats from other species and poor nutrition, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/colony-collapse-disorder#why%20it%20is%20happening" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. EPA</a>.



“We&#8217;re losing the bees on the planet, about 35% of the bee colonies every year,” said Saar Safra, CEO and cofounder of Beewise, which has raised $120 million to build robotic hives that grow bees in a safe, climate-controlled environment. “Considering the fact that bees pollinate 75% of all the fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts on the planet, losing 35% a year puts us in a bind.”



His startup, with operations split between Oakland and Oshrat, Israel, has so far deployed 1,000 of its robotic hives, powered by integrated solar panels. The metallic boxes, containing 10 individual bee colonies (which can each have up to 100,000 bees), are equipped with cameras and AI-enabled software to monitor their needs and health and precision robotics to provide food, water and eliminate pests that threaten the bees.



“Basically it does 97% of what a beekeeper would do in the field for the bees the robot does automatically,” Safra said. “We put these in the field and the bees do their thing. They pollinate, collect pollen, they produce honey. And when they come back home, we make sure they don&#8217;t collapse. It&#8217;s not too warm. It&#8217;s not too cold. It’s a five-star hotel for bees.”



In fact, the company estimates that it’s reduced the annual colony collapse rate to just 8% from that 35% average.



Beewise’s robot hives are rented out to growers during pollination season for specific crops, and rotated to other farms as growing seasons progress. Safra declined to discuss financials but plans to expand production to 10,000 hives annually from 1,000 a year currently and sees potential to create a “multibillion-dollar business.”



“The bees are strategic for us. If we continue losing bees at a 35% rate in 20 years we&#8217;ll buy a tomato for $100 and eat it for Friday dinner and all celebrate around that tomato. That&#8217;s where we&#8217;re headed.”

Shortage Of Fruit Pickers Could Lead To Food Waste On British Farms

With Labor And Climate Challenges, Farmers Turn To Robot Beehives, Tractors And Fruit Pickers

Ghana is fast fashion’s dumping ground, and unwanted apparel is throwing up on the beaches leading to an environmental crisis.



At Oxford Circus in the heart of London, Rebecca Mossop, a store manager for George at ASDA, is getting ready to deliver October’s haul of clothing – that didn’t quite meet the exacting standards of the British consumer – to a delivery truck parked behind the store.



“The clothes are manufactured in China and sometimes some items fail quality control and that is where the store’s management decided on the idea of donating items of clothing they didn’t need to some of the poorest nations in Africa,” says Mossop.



The truck will make various stops on London’s high street retail stores before returning to its base in Lewisham, an area of southeast London. There, Michael Ofori, the Managing Director of A To Z Shippers, will ensure that the thousands of used and unused clothing piles are assembled and shipped to Tema, the largest port in Ghana, where his local team will transport it to the markets.



“We are providing a service to thousands of [informal female entrepreneurs] all over Ghana who rely on these items for their livelihoods,” says Ofori.



“But things have changed quite a bit from when we started this about 20 years ago. Back then, there was no fast fashion so the items that we had were of quality. Today, we have so many fast fashion brands and not to mention those individuals who can just set up their own stores online. The market is flooded and unfortunately it’s affecting the quality of stuff we send [off],” says Ofori.



Once loaded, the clothes get on shipping containers and are sent to the ports from where, after a month at sea, they reach the shores of Ghana.



According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), in 2020, the top exporters of Used Clothing (worn clothing and articles) were the US, China, UK, Germany and South Korea, while the top importer of Used Clothing was Ghana. With a population of over 31 million, Ghana took in over $180 million of Used Clothing, with Ukraine, Pakistan and Nigeria following suit.



Shippers like Ofori’s initially were seen as providing a vital lifeline for women in Ghana’s informal markets – until the advent of fast fashion. Today, the reality is different.



A fairly new concept, fast fashion has been popularized by high-street brands selling in-vogue trends at record speeds for affordable prices. These items are made cheaply in bulk due to their ready-to-wear, prêt-à-porter nature to cater to the frequent purchasing habits of middle-class consumers with disposable incomes.



The impact of fast fashion on the environment is dire. According to statistics published by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry is the second-most-polluting industry after the oil industry.



Where fast fashion is creating a tidy profit for Western manufacturers, in Africa, it is stifling the garments sector.



“We have seen most ladies buy the same items multiple times simply because once they wash the items, most of them lose their quality. This is no longer an issue as some of these items only cost about $5 and so the idea is once it’s worn out, a consumer will discard it and buy more items,” says Mossop.



In Ghana, Sarah Bonsu, a trader in the country’s largest market at Kantamanto, is a regular customer of A To Z Shippers from where she frequently sources various items to sell in the market.



Kantamanto is home to over 30,000 traders with millions of items bought and sold each week. Bonsu has been making a living here for the past 10 years. She usually spends an equivalent of $150 on goods she cannot inspect until they are delivered at her stall in the market.



“There is no point inspecting these clothes. It is literally by luck. If you get quality in one batch, the next batch could be completely rubbish. That is just the way things work,” says Bonsu.



Once at her shop, Bonsu laboriously sifts through the new items and picks what she calls “the first selection”.



“First selection is for the fresh clothes that go quickly. Usually these are not worn yet or do not have any stains etc. The second selection comprises the ones that we know customers will not want and will be difficult to sell,” says Bonsu.



Heaps of unwanted clothing have now resulted in an environmental crisis in Ghana. In 2019, over 65 million tons of used clothing was sent to Ghana and of that figure, about 40% was not sold and was discarded, as per a report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.



These items notoriously end up in landfills or worse – in the sea.



“Most people abroad go to bed thinking they have done something good for Africans by discarding their unwanted clothing but the truth is it is actually harming our economy. Local manufacturers cannot compete with the cheap prices and most of the clothing sent is not wanted by Africans. They end up as waste in landfills like this all over the country,” says Ernest Ijawan, a manager of the Kpone landfill in Ghana.



The negative effects are being felt in other sectors of the economy as well.



In Labadi beach, Accra, Kofi Sarpong and his team of fishermen have set sail in the hopes of netting enough fish to sell at the local market in Osu, a large township in the heart of Accra. Along the shores of the beach are groups of young boys and some of the female hawkers waiting for a signal from Sarpong and his men, who have carefully laid fishing nets from the shoreline to the open sea.



On their signal, all 20 hands on the beach begin the tedious ordeal of pulling on the fishing nets that take almost two hours to finally haul on to the beach. For their hard work, they are rewarded with one huge barracuda and entwined in the nets, heaps of clothing that have been discarded in the sea.



“This has been the trend for us for the past couple of years. We lose our nets because they get tangled up with clothing from the local markets and we don’t even get the fish that we used to. We cannot survive on just one fish,” rues Sarpong.



The Or Foundation, a human rights and environmental NGO from the United States, estimates that it takes about 200 years to decompose textile waste. When such waste makes its way to the sea, they invariably destroy marine life as well as the livelihoods of people like Sarpong.



“This means that when these clothes are not burned, they can be found everywhere because there are simply not enough landfills to deal with the waste. They go on the beach and form what we call



clothing tentacles and these trap fish and stop their growth. Fishermen all over Accra are struggling to make ends meet,” says Samuel Oteng, a volunteer at Or Foundation.



Ghana’s second-hand clothing market is second only to Pakistan with a global market share of 5.1% according to the Tony Blair Institute of Global Change. The country is in a Catch 22 situation when it comes to this issue. On the one hand, there is little it can do by way of a complete ban due to the number of consumers on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum who rely on these textiles for their livelihood. On the other hand, the inflow of textiles is exacerbating an already difficult environmental crisis ultimately killing local economies like manufacturing and fishing.



There are those who believe that maybe a partial ban might go a long way in curtailing this crisis. Others opine that this presents a great opportunity for the recycling sector in Ghana. But whichever way the country decides to go, the one thing everyone agrees on is that, something needs be done sooner than later to limit the damage of the growing textile dump in a deteriorating economic climate.

Garments factory waste dumping sites

Rags, Not Riches: Why Ghana Is Fast Fashion’s Dumping Ground

When will the lights come back? South Africa experienced 2,409 cumulative hours of power cuts by November this year, forcing many small businesses to use generators, or eventually close. 



LOAD SHEDDING, UNSURPRISINGLY, IS THE 2022 South African ‘word of the year’ announced by the Pan South African Language Board in collaboration with Focal Points, a media research company.



Load shedding, a term for rolling blackouts, has been a regular feature of South African life since 2015, and the latest statutory assessment of the power system showed that South Africa’s embattled state-owned utility, Eskom, will be unable to meet the electricity needs of the country for the next five years.



South Africa has experienced 2,409 cumulative hours of load shedding by November, according to data from 



EskomSePush, a load shedding app in the country. September broke the record for scheduled outages in a month, amounting to 570 hours.



In the Melville and Westdene suburbs of Johannesburg, the hustle and bustle of the city is a permanent soundscape. But in the background, another sound reigns supreme – the throaty roar of generators. It’s ubiquitous in the secondary business districts of Johannesburg, where electricity cuts are constant, and water delivery is spotty.



“It’s affected everything,” rues Rui Miranda, owner of Old Charlie’s Tobacconist. “People feel lost when there’s no power.” At the time that he spoke to FORBES AFRICA, Vodacom services were down, with his MTN-based speed point on two bars of service.



“If the towers are down, it’s another problem,” he says. He can’t order using EFTs during load shedding. Cell tower service differs, with the majority of towers using battery or generator back- up power. When the back-up goes offline, so too does connectivity.



Roland Gregorio, a franchise owner of an electronic store, Matrix Warehouse Melville, says it costs R300 ($17) a day to put petrol in the generator. “There’s no choice, we just have to use it,” Gregorio says. “Without it, we don’t have lights, we can’t operate the computers, we just have no option but to have it.”



He questions why Eskom as a key point is insecure, as it affects everyone, and thinks State Owned Enterprise money should be put primarily into the electricity provider.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/3The-Barbers-Chop-Shop-Melville-keeps-the-lights-on-with-a-generator-and-carries-20l-of-water-in-multiple-containers-to-keep-up-with-water-cuts-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-57014" width="714" height="476" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/3The-Barbers-Chop-Shop-Melville-keeps-the-lights-on-with-a-generator-and-carries-20l-of-water-in-multiple-containers-to-keep-up-with-water-cuts-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/3The-Barbers-Chop-Shop-Melville-keeps-the-lights-on-with-a-generator-and-carries-20l-of-water-in-multiple-containers-to-keep-up-with-water-cuts-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/3The-Barbers-Chop-Shop-Melville-keeps-the-lights-on-with-a-generator-and-carries-20l-of-water-in-multiple-containers-to-keep-up-with-water-cuts-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/3The-Barbers-Chop-Shop-Melville-keeps-the-lights-on-with-a-generator-and-carries-20l-of-water-in-multiple-containers-to-keep-up-with-water-cuts-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/3The-Barbers-Chop-Shop-Melville-keeps-the-lights-on-with-a-generator-and-carries-20l-of-water-in-multiple-containers-to-keep-up-with-water-cuts-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px" /><figcaption>The-Barbers-Chop Shop Melville-keeps the lights on with a generator.</figcaption></figure></div>


Eskom has said it will start buying power from private producers to boost the national grid. Additionally, it has reportedly signed lease agreements for the use of land parcels with four independent power producer investors, worth R40 billion ($2.3 billion) in investments, contributing at least 2,000MW to the national electricity grid. The plan is to lift licencing requirements for private power producers and to allow solar-powered homes to sell excess electricity back to Eskom.



Sam Matthys, a barber from The Barbers Chop Shop Melville, a small business that opened in September in a chic and colorful suburb in Johannesburg, says they also spend about R300 ($17) a day on running the generator.



“We have to keep an eye on the generator because of the area we are in,” Matthys says.



“It’s possible people can try and steal the generator. There’s no security in the area. That’s why you’ll always find us here, in front of the shop.”



He says it’s hard to focus or keep a cool head with the noise pollution caused by the generators.



Karim, a cashier at a convenience store, Melville Cash and Carry, agrees it is expensive to run a generator, at R250/R300 ($14-$17) a day, and he can’t sell airtime during black outs.



“Customers are struggling, and can’t hear anything when they come inside,” he adds.



David Brimson, the owner of Evermore Photography, runs his studio in Weltevredenpark, Roodepoort, Johannesburg. The area was nicknamed ‘Weltevreden Dark’, after rolling black outs caused the JG Strydom switching substation to burn down in March, leading to loss of power for three days.



Brimson shoots his images tethered to his computer so clients can immediately see the pictures.



The computer uses too much power for an uninterrupted power source (UPS) or inverter.



“Then there is the added stress of power spikes when electricity is turned back on. I have already replaced my entire PC even though I run surge protectors. I can cope with all of that, but it’s the depression that sinks in during the load shedding and the fact that we don’t get any real answers as to when this issue will be solved,” Brimson laments.



Rand Water, the South African water utility, implemented Stage 2 water restrictions in August, lifting them in November.



It attributed water shortages to an unexpected power outage at a purification plant, as well as to a decline in reservoir storage from 52% to 38%.



In November, Rand Water reported reservoirs were at 60%. The Department of Water and Sanitation says dams in Gauteng are at 96.3% capacity; R326 million ($19 million) water infrastructure upgrades will commence in 2023.



FORBES AFRICA also spoke to the co-owners of the popular Hell’s Kitchen restaurant and bar in Melville, Jonathan Kirby and Rachel Steen-Stenersen. Hell’s Kitchen has been fortunate to receive borehole water for flushing toilets. They have to purchase water for cleaning at R200 ($11) daily, as well as ice, costing R400 ($22) a day. The ice machine has broken due to intermittent power, with ice costing R800 ($44) a day on weekends.



Power surges have broken lights and equipment such as speakers, Steen-Stenersen explains, adding to costs. Like everyone else, their generator too costs around R250 ($14)tobefilledup.



Steen-Stenersen says they bought string lights for the establishment’s exterior three times in 2022, costing R3,400 ($190) each time. She believes that in the dead of the night when the power goes off, the lights are stolen.



Kirby says the sustainability of business is a tricky question; if you have a big enough generator, everything can be powered, and customers work out quickly which places are fully-functional, leading to more business.



When the power goes, Hell’s Kitchen resumes core functions in three minutes. Cooking at the restaurant is wood-fired, but if the extractor fan is not on, the chef has to move operations outside which can impede service delivery if it has to be done three times a day.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1Rui-Miranda-sits-in-Old-Charlies-Tobacconist-with-the-power-off-1-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-57016" width="660" height="440" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1Rui-Miranda-sits-in-Old-Charlies-Tobacconist-with-the-power-off-1-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1Rui-Miranda-sits-in-Old-Charlies-Tobacconist-with-the-power-off-1-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1Rui-Miranda-sits-in-Old-Charlies-Tobacconist-with-the-power-off-1-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1Rui-Miranda-sits-in-Old-Charlies-Tobacconist-with-the-power-off-1-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1Rui-Miranda-sits-in-Old-Charlies-Tobacconist-with-the-power-off-1-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px" /><figcaption>Rui Miranda sits in Old Charlies Tobacconist with the power off</figcaption></figure></div>


Steen-Stenerson says that luckily, the locals are understanding of the patchy electricity and water situation. “Where our frustration comes is we never know whether this is going to be our future, so do we invest money into creating systems, or getting a bigger generator, or getting a Jojo tank that is running our water?” she questions. “We need to know whether this is how we’re living the rest of our days, or is this just temporary, and we don’t get much clarification on that – which would also just help us plan money-wise.”



The overall happiness of South Africans dropped significantly when Eskom announced heightened Stage 6 rolling blackouts, according to data released by the University of Johannesburg. The Gross National Happiness Index recorded that the happiness of South Africans dropped below the average of 6.85 to 6.44 when Eskom introduced Stage 6 load shedding in September. Will the darkness lift?

SAMSUNG CSC

A Country At Its Watt’s End: The Effect Of South Africa’s Power Woes On Small Business

By Paula Slier



The battle over Africa’s future energy infrastructure emerged as one of the key issues at the COP 27 United Nations climate summit recently held at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. Among the 35,000 attendees from 200 countries were government officials, campaign groups, scientists, business representatives and climate activists. The circumstances in which delegates met were very different to last year’s negotiations. The war in Ukraine, acceleration of renewable energy amid a clean energy transition and the impacts of climate change such as rising sea level, loss of arable land, groundwater salinity and biodiversity formed part of the discussions.&nbsp;



In welcoming delegates, Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi highlighted the impact of Covid-19 on the global economy, stressing that countries without a strong economy were among the worst affected.  &nbsp;



Many of the African representatives felt that most of the promises made at COP 26 had remained largely unfulfilled and expressed hope that this year countries would finally agree to pay for the loss and damage already caused by climate change.&nbsp;



South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, urged developed economies to honor their commitments, criticizing international funders for making it difficult for poorer nations to access aid to fight climate change. &nbsp;



Critics of the conference complained the showcase event was just another platform for the first-world West and Global North to dictate the politics and economics of climate change. The words most commonly uttered by most delegates from Africa were “loss and damage, just energy and climate justice”.&nbsp;



Almost every session dealt with the statistic that developed nations contributed more than 90% to global warming – and continued to do so by using coal and fossil fuels when it suited them.&nbsp;



Senegalese President, Macky Sall, lambasted the West for advising African countries to go green while they themselves did not, and pushed global leaders to help reduce the number of millions of people who are still without electricity. &nbsp;



&#8220;We are in favor of a just and fair green transition, instead of decisions that harm our development process,&#8221; he told some 100 world leaders at the conference.&nbsp;



&#8220;We have 600 million people in Africa who don&#8217;t have access to electricity at all. We have over 900 million people in Africa who do not have access to modern forms of energy for cooking or domestic heating… No progress can be made in any society without energy.&#8221;&nbsp;



The topic of economic entrapment was also raised – the fact that Africa boasted valuable minerals that could drive the manufacturing of clean energy projects, like batteries, solar and wind but these were controlled by global multinationals from Europe and the US.&nbsp;



On the positive side, delegates expressed the belief that Africa could reach its goal of going green if a means for a balanced change for a Green Economy and a much lower carbon footprint came to play. African delegates urged richer nations to set up a mechanism for providing financial support instead of granting loans to help curb climate change challenges. Negotiations, however, have proven tough with some of the richest countries united in pushing against the idea of setting up a new fund.&nbsp;

COP27 Climate Conference: Opening Ceremony And High-Level Summit

Africa’s COP: ‘Reduce The Number Of Millions Still Without Electricity’

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Austrian climate activists poured a dark, oily liquid all over the “Death and Life” painting by famed artist Gustav Klimt Monday morning at a Vienna museum, the latest a series of vandalism that activists hope will bring attention to climate change—although their tactics have generated condemnation from the art world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



Activists from the climate protest group Letzte Generation poured what they described as oil all over Klimt’s painting at the Leopold Museum, saying in a statement the move was meant to show how “new oil and gas wells are&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/letztegenAT/status/1592461949719437312?cxt=HHwWgIDT9Zftx5ksAAAA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a death sentence</a>&nbsp;for humanity” (the museum said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Leopold_Museum" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;that neither the painting or the original frame was damaged thanks to a layer of glass protecting the work).



Spanish climate activists from the group <a href="https://twitter.com/FuturoVegetal/status/1591774504535347201?s=20&amp;t=RWXnn1R2T1Uyn0iI9llkYg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Futuro Vegetal</a> poured red and brown slime—which they said represented blood and oil—from plastic Coca-Cola bottles onto the case of a replica mummy at the Egyptian Museum in Barcelona over the weekend, holding a banner that read “COPca-Cola,” meant to argue the COP27 climate summit in Egypt is hypocritical for accepting a sponsorship from the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2019/10/29/coca-cola-named-the-worlds-most-polluting-brand-in-plastic-waste-audit/?sh=438cae9174e0">world’s leading plastics polluter</a> (the museum <a href="https://twitter.com/Museu_Egipci/status/1592177806628519940?s=20&amp;t=AFAplHeMI6qv-Y2GR0N5iw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strongly condemned</a> the act).



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Que els <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/museus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#museus</a> s&#39;estiguin convertint en el focus de part del moviment ecologista no és una bona notícia. La defensa del medi ambient i l&#39;activisme han de ser compatibles amb la preservació de la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cultura?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cultura</a> i el <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/patrimoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#patrimoni</a>. Obrim fil 👇 <a href="https://t.co/SgvE40ORh9">pic.twitter.com/SgvE40ORh9</a>&mdash; Coordinadora Catalana de Fundacions (@CCFundacions) <a href="https://twitter.com/CCFundacions/status/1592178950423597058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Four days later, three activists were arrested at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, in the Netherlands, when a man wearing a “Just Stop Oil” T-t-shirt attempted to glue his hand to 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s iconic “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/10/27/climate-activist-arrested-after-gluing-his-head-to-girl-with-a-pearl-earring-painting/?sh=2bb014ed282e">Girl With A Pearl Earring</a>” while another poured tomato soup on the painting.



Earlier in November, four activists with the group Ultima Generazione threw pea soup at van Gogh’s 1888 painting “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/11/04/pea-soup-thrown-at-another-van-gogh-painting-as-climate-activists-target-famous-art/?sh=441fc4e65fc4">The Sower</a>” at the Palazzo Bonaparte museum in Rome, and while museum officials said the painting’s glass screen protected it from any damages, Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano condemned it, saying culture shouldn’t be “used as a megaphone for other forms of protest.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Activists have argued the devastating effects scientists predict climate change will have outweighs the damage a priceless painting might incur in the protests. Phoebe Plummer, one of the activists who threw soup on Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” asked in a&nbsp;<a href="https://juststopoil.org/2022/10/14/just-stop-oil-supporters-throw-soup-over-van-goghs-sunflowers-to-demand-no-new-oil-and-gas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>, “is art worth more than life? More than food? More than justice?” adding “we will look back and mourn all we have lost unless we act immediately.” For years, scientists have warned unchecked climate change caused by increased fossil fuel emissions will have a catastrophic effect on the planet. Last month, a U.N.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/10/26/greenhouse-gas-emissions-will-rise-10-when-they-urgently-need-to-drop-un-warns/?sh=638aebb77ebd">report</a>&nbsp;warned that under current conditions the world’s temperature will increase as much as 2.9 degrees Celsius by the end of the century—almost double the targeted 1.5 degree rise in the Paris Climate Agreement. “Everything that we would have the right to see in our present and our future is being obscured by a real and imminent catastrophe, just as this pea puree has covered,” activists with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/climate-activists-hurl-pea-soup-at-van-gogh-in-rome-01667571306" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Last Generation</a>&nbsp;said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONTRA</h2>



Museum officials and art world experts have questioned how targeting artwork held in public museums will help combat climate change. Last week, the International Council of Museums released a statement&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/museum-leaders-decry-stop-oil-protests-targeting-art-1234646235/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">condemning the attacks</a>. The museum group said the protestors “<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/museum-leaders-decry-stop-oil-protests-targeting-art-1234646235/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">severely underestimate the fragility</a>” of the artwork they’re targeting. High-profile museum leaders that signed the letter include the Louvre’s director Laurence des Cars, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Max Hollein, the Guggenheim’s Richard Armstrong and the British Museum’s Hartwig Fischer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/10/27/climate-activist-arrested-after-gluing-his-head-to-girl-with-a-pearl-earring-painting/?sh=2bb014ed282e">Climate Activist Arrested After Gluing His Head To ‘Girl With A Pearl Earring’ Painting</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/11/04/pea-soup-thrown-at-another-van-gogh-painting-as-climate-activists-target-famous-art/?sh=441fc4e65fc4">Pea Soup Thrown At Another Van Gogh Painting As Climate Activists Target Famous Art </a>(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/10/23/german-climate-activists-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-110-million-monet-painting/?sh=1340272a5453">German Climate Activists Throw Mashed Potatoes At $110 Million Monet Painting</a> (Forbes)



By Brian Bushard and Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

Death and Life.

Climate Activists Throw Black ‘Oil’ At Gustav Klimt’s ‘Death And Life’—Here Are All The Recent Protests Targeting Museums

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



As hundreds of world leaders descend on Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, officials are calling on rich nations to do more to stop climate change, issuing strong warnings from the first day of the summit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



During the opening of the climate summit on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told world leaders that the Earth is on “a highway to climate hell with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/07/cop27-climate-summit-un-secretary-general-antonio-guterres" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our foot on the accelerator</a>.”



Guterres said the world is “in the fight of our lives, and we are losing,” adding that the Earth is fast approaching tipping points that “will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/07/cop27-climate-summit-un-secretary-general-antonio-guterres" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">make climate chaos irreversible</a>.”



During a Monday speech, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore said world leaders have “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/global-leaders-have-climate-credibility-problem-former-us-vice-president-al-gore-2022-11-07/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a credibility problem</a>” when it comes to addressing climate change, saying “We’re talking and we’re starting to act, but we’re not doing enough.”



Gore slammed wealthy nations where leaders say sustainability is important while they attempt to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/global-leaders-have-climate-credibility-problem-former-us-vice-president-al-gore-2022-11-07/'" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">take advantage of</a>&nbsp;gas resources in Africa, saying, “We have to move beyond the era of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/global-leaders-have-climate-credibility-problem-former-us-vice-president-al-gore-2022-11-07/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fossil fuel colonialism</a>.”



French President Emmanuel Macron called on wealthy countries outside of Europe—like the U.S. and China—to<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cop27-latest-germany-scholz-accused-112150105.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;“step up” and pay “their share”</a>&nbsp;to help poorer nations of the world deal with climate change, he told reporters Monday, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cop27-latest-germany-scholz-accused-112150105.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



At this year’s summit, one of the most contentious issues up for debate is the implementation of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/07/1132796190/faq-whats-at-stake-at-the-cop27-global-climate-negotiations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a “loss and damage” fund</a>&nbsp;to help poorer countries recover from catastrophic effects of climate change, like typhoons and droughts. Developing countries argue that, despite putting out fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other countries, they are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/07/loss-and-damage-issue-keeps-us-cop27-negotiators-wrangling-late-into-the-night" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more vulnerable</a>to the effects of climate change and should be compensated. Wealthy countries have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/07/1132796190/faq-whats-at-stake-at-the-cop27-global-climate-negotiations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discuss the proposition</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



A study released by Oxfam on the opening day of the summit found that billionaires release&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/07/world/billionaires-greenhouse-gases-climate-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a million times more greenhouse</a>&nbsp;gases than the average person. The study, based on 125 of the wealthiest billionaires, found that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/07/world/billionaires-greenhouse-gases-climate-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">70%</a>&nbsp;of those emissions are tied to the billionaires’ investment portfolios.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



COP27 began November 6, 2022, and will last until November 18, 2022. During the 2015 meeting, countries signed the Paris Agreement and agreed to slash emissions in order to keep catastrophic effects of climate change at bay. However, the majority of nations have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/10/26/greenhouse-gas-emissions-will-rise-10-when-they-urgently-need-to-drop-un-warns/?sh=4383b7057ebd">fallen far behind</a>their promises.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/07/cop27-climate-summit-un-secretary-general-antonio-guterres" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World is on ‘highway to climate hell’, UN chief warns at Cop27 summit</a>(The Guardian)



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/global-leaders-have-climate-credibility-problem-former-us-vice-president-al-gore-2022-11-07/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global leaders have a climate credibility problem &#8211; former U.S. Vice President Al Gore</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)



<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cop27-latest-germany-scholz-accused-112150105.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COP27 Latest: Germany’s Scholz Accused of ‘Energy Colonialism’</a>(Bloomberg)



<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/07/world/billionaires-greenhouse-gases-climate-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Billionaires emit a million times more greenhouse gases than the average person, study finds</a>&nbsp;(CNN)



By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

‘Highway To Climate Hell’: Officials Issue Stern Warnings At COP27 Summit

Rwanda’s approach to handling human-animal conflict through inclusivity and investment has changed the way the nation protects its wildlife. The southern white rhinos are proof as FORBES AFRICA found on a recent visit to the Akagera National Park.



BY RIDHIMA SHUKLA



WILD GRASS WITH GOLDEN TIPS SWAY under the blistering Rwandan sun. Below, the wet earth, is a carpet of green. Black leather boots crush the flora, as tourists on safari drives follow the rangers with bated breath, anticipating a chance sighting of the rare, near threatened white rhino.



Vulnerable to the scourge of trade in illegal animal parts or as victims of rhino horn poachers, they are found in protected areas and private game reserves.&nbsp;



In Rwanda though, they have a new lease of life as the country introduced them to the Akagera National Park (ANP), home to the Big 5 (lion, rhino, leopard, African buffalo and elephant) and Central Africa’s largest protected wetland and last remaining refuge for savannah-adapted species in the country. This is true wilderness for them.



“We can see they are happy here,” says Ladis Ndahiriwe, Manager of ANP, of the white rhinos.



Only 70kms northeast from the capital city of Kigali, the landscape drastically transforms from humid and dimly-lit verdant valleys and hill tops to the arid and stunning savannah of the park; the grazing ground of the second largest land mammal.



The transformation is stark as the difference between the two regions is not just evident in the scenery but the air itself, once close to&nbsp;the park.&nbsp;



Despite being gazetted as a protected area and national park in 1934 by the Belgian colonies, the park suffered land and biodiversity loss for years.&nbsp;This was followed by a greater tragedy in 1994 that further threatened the park and the natives that lived around it.&nbsp;



The horrid events of the genocide against the Tutsis led to the displacement of thousands of subsistence farmer families belonging to the surrounding communities. During these years, animals were reportedly poached for money and bush meat.



“During the genocide, people left Rwanda and escaped to neighboring nations. When they returned [after the events of] 1994, the government had to find a way to accommodate them and so a decision was made to further reduce the range of the park but also protect and conserve the national park,” says Karama Joseph, the Community Liaison Manager of ANP.



After years of revisions, the final change to Akagera’s geography has left it with just over a 1,000sqkm of fiercely-protected wilderness.



Strapped with military gear and trained in search-and-track tactics, the rangers of the park say they have immensely contributed to conservation in the last decade.



“We have a dog unit and active ranger units that patrol the park daily at different hours, we have caught about 20 poachers in the last year but have not lost even one animal to them,” says Washika Boaz of the Canine Unit at ANP.



Rwanda’s approach to handling human-animal conflict through inclusivity and investment has changed the way the nation protects its most vulnerable. As part of its national agenda, the tiny developing nation has made great strides in preserving its natural heritage.



“By working with the communities, we have turned poachers into protectors of the park,” says Joseph.



“It is our vision that we live together with nature, that nature when protected and utilized sustainably can give us benefits in return; investing in our communities has been a game changer!” says Ariella Kageruka, the Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board.



After years of loss of animal populations, two decades ago, the government, along with African Parks, began to repopulate the ANP.



“Once we knew we were able to protect the park from the outsiders, we brought in lions, the black rhinos and others,” says Ndahiriwe.



This image of Rwanda, backed with statistical evidence of thriving black rhino populations, led to the relocation of 30 white rhinos from South Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve to ANP in November 2021.



Akagera’s rolling highlands, vast plains, and swamp-fringed lakes contain incredible biodiversity and rare species like the white rhino now being rehabilitated into their new surroundings.



“It is important for conservation when you can expand the range of a species. The white rhinos are doing well, none have been lost to poaching and they are in good health,” says Drew Bantlin, a Conservation and Research Manager at ANP.



Otherwise called the square-lipped rhino, it can live to be up to 40-50 years old.



Adult white rhinos are particularly vulnerable to poaching because they are relatively unaggressive and live in herds. So, despite being surrounded by apex predators like lions, leopards and crocodiles, the biggest threat facing them, arguably, are humans.



As per reports, a pound of rhino horn sells at a higher rate than gold, diamonds and cocaine in the black market. The illegal wildlife trade economy is estimated to be one of the most lucrative illegal businesses in the world. In contrast to the southern rhino, which is currently thriving in six different nations of Africa, the fate of the northern white rhino appears to be bleak. After the death of the last male northern white rhino in 2015, only two are known to be living in the wild, both females thereby conclusively attributing to very little chance of population recovery.



Their existence crudely represents the status of biodiversity and is testament to all that has been lost.



In Akagera, the white rhinos roam freely in a vast enclosure for now, until they are ready to be one with the wild. When faced with a herd, they come across as endearingly docile. They barely make any sound and continue grazing in peace with one another. However, their sentience becomes more evident when they lift their stubby heads above the grass and stare deeply with beady eyes. Their curiosity and giant stature are overwhelming.



The 30 white rhinos in Agagera are male and female spread across varied age groups. While they are well-protected and fed, the success of their translocation will be truly measured by the birth of adorable baby white rhinos in the years to come, as expected by all those working with the rhinos at the park.



“They don’t have a mating season; they can reproduce through the year, and have a gestation period of up to 18 months,” says Bantlin.



The birth of a calf will mark a new age of white rhinos in Rwanda. The last black rhino of Rwanda was spotted in 2007 until they were re-introduced after more than a decade of absence.&nbsp;Although not native to the land, the southern white rhino&#8217;s&nbsp;introduction to the&nbsp;nation within the safety of Akagera’s green walls makes them a symbol of hope, change, and the future of wildlife in Rwanda.

White rhinos at Akagera National Park in Rwanda; image by Yves Irankunda

The Future Of Wildlife In Rwanda

In this photo illustration a Wattpad logo is seen on a

Sexual Predators Are Grooming Young Teens On Wattpad, A Storytelling App Beloved By Gen Z

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



The environmental cost of producing bitcoin places the digital asset alongside some of the world’s most environmentally unfriendly industries, according to a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-18686-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in&nbsp;Scientific Reports&nbsp;on Thursday, amid increasing scrutiny over the sector’s environmental footprint and debate over the sustainable future of cryptocurrencies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



The climate-related damages of each bitcoin generated—the asset is “mined” using an energy intensive computer process—in 2021 was more than $11,300, according to the researchers’ estimates, which were based on the economic costs of carbon dioxide emissions.



Between 2016 and 2021, the average climate damages of each bitcoin mined stood at 35% of its market value, the researchers estimated, rising to nearly 60% between 2020 and 2021.



The researchers said the numbers place bitcoin, which is often described as a “digital gold,” much closer to environmentally unfriendly industries like beef production (33%), producing gasoline from crude oil (41%) and using natural gas to generate electricity (46%).



From a climate damages perspective, the researchers said bitcoin is more of a “digital crude” than gold, which has climate costs of just 4% its value.



In total, the global climate damages of bitcoin between 2016 and 2021 are estimated at $12 billion, the researchers said, and the carbon emissions have increased 126 fold over that time.<img decoding="async" src="https://img.connatix.com/pid-546f0bce-b219-41ac-b691-07d0ec3e3fe1/e8869d3f-0f3e-474a-a43d-be85f87597b4/ff66cfa6-6839-4b4b-83e8-8eb8a5da856d.jpg?crop=445:323,smart&amp;width=445&amp;height=323&amp;format=jpeg&amp;quality=60&amp;fit=crop" alt="Los Angeles Chargers Roll The Dice With Rookie Jamaree Salyer At Left Tackle Against The Houston Texans">



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



The environmental costs of cryptocurrencies, of which bitcoin is by far the largest, has become a key point in plotting the sector’s future. In 2021, the researchers estimated bitcoin mining used more energy than countries like Austria or Portugal. Sustainability has become a target for regulators around the world and China, which previously dominated the sector, sent miners&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/10/13/us-claims-top-spot-for-bitcoin-mining-as-miners-flee-china-crackdown---here-are-the-worlds-biggest-mining-hubs/?sh=22c3a7576af7">scrambling</a>&nbsp;in 2021 when it cracked down on the industry, at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-ban-bitcoin-cryptocurrencies" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">partly</a>&nbsp;for environmental reasons. There are more efficient alternatives available to create and use cryptocurrencies out there. Ethereum, the blockchain underpinning vast swathes of the crypto ecosystem and ether, the second largest cryptocurrency, recently switched to this more sustainable system, a massive undertaking dubbed the “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/09/15/ethereum-merge-heres-what-to-know-about-the-hotly-anticipated-upgrade-turning-the-crypto-player-green/?sh=24d1189e5bf9">Merge</a>.” It’s possible the bitcoin ecosystem could undergo a similar shift in the future and others are trying to make the industry cleaner by using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2021/08/02/green-bitcoin-mining-the-big-profits-in-clean-crypto/?sh=22c46a1034ce">greener</a>&nbsp;energy to mine.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/09/15/ethereum-merge-heres-what-to-know-about-the-hotly-anticipated-upgrade-turning-the-crypto-player-green/?sh=24d1189e5bf9">Ethereum ‘Merge’: Here’s What To Know About The Hotly-Anticipated Upgrade Turning The Crypto Player Green</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2021/08/02/green-bitcoin-mining-the-big-profits-in-clean-crypto/?sh=22c46a1034ce">‘Green Bitcoin Mining’: The Big Profits In Clean Crypto</a> (Forbes)



By <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/"></a>Robert Hart, Forbes Staff

Category: Focus

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