Climate and Cultural Change in West Central Africa (Cameroon and Gabon) over the last 5,000 years - Dr. OSLISLY  Richard

The current distribution of tropical rain forest in Central Africa corresponds to a single point in a long history of climate change covering several millennia. Since 3,000 BC the region has been strongly influenced by humid and dry climatic phases and shifts in human demography (Bantu migrations) and technology. Through this period West Central Africa has seen three major climatic phases:

• A humid episode characterized by forest expansion from 9,000 to 1,500 BC

• A warm, dry episode from 1,500 BC to 600 AD during which the forest block was fragmented with important spaces opened of savanna
• The return of humid conditions since 600 AD resulting in a new phase of forest expansion
• During this period Stone Age hunter gatherers were replaced around 2,000 BC by sedentary Neolithic peoples who were, in turn, replaced by iron working peoples around 500 BC.

Furthermore, a population crash occurred in the 7th century AD lasting until around 1,000 AD when new Iron Age peoples arrived. Understanding the history of interactions between climate, man and vegetation allows us to better document the processes that drive these changes and to assess to what extent what we see today is a reflection of the past. It also enables us to better define conservation objectives and strategies.

The planet's future: Climate change 'will cause civilisation to collapse' - the millennium project

An effort on the scale of the Apollo mission that sent men to the Moon is needed if humanity is to have a fighting chance of surviving the ravages of climate change. The stakes are high, as, without sustainable growth, "billions of people will be condemned to poverty and much of civilisation will collapse".

This is the stark warning from the biggest single report to look at the future of the planet – obtained by The Independent on Sunday ahead of its official publication next month. Backed by a diverse range of leading organisations such as Unesco, the World Bank, the US army and the Rockefeller Foundation, the 2009 State of the Future report runs to 6,700 pages and draws on contributions from 2,700 experts around the globe. Its findings are described by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN, as providing "invaluable insights into the future for the United Nations, its member states, and civil society".

The impact of the global recession is a key theme, with researchers warning that global clean energy, food availability, poverty and the growth of democracy around the world are at "risk of getting worse due to the recession". The report adds: "Too many greedy and deceitful decisions led to a world recession and demonstrated the international interdependence of economics and ethics."

Original article in the independant.co.uk Website

Millennium Project