Environment + Energy – Articles, Analysis, Comment – The Conversation

Fires, such as this one in eastern Sierra Leone, are an annual occurrence across Africa. Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly

The impact of savanna fires on Africa’s rainfall patterns

On the African continent, more fire for crops leads to less rainfall.

The debate on whether animals should be kept in captivity or not continues to rage on. Reuters/Muhammad Hamed

Carnivores in captivity: a question of motive and ethics

Dan Parker, Rhodes University

Some say that keeping wild animals in captivity is cruel. Others believe they promote conservation and give people a link to nature.

Secretary birds are identified by South Africa’s early warning system as being fast headed towards extinction. https://hdwallpapers.cat/secretary_bird_speaking_pretty_calling_hd-wallpaper-531535/

Early warning systems help track the weather and can do the same for species

Phoebe Barnard, University of Cape Town

Early warning systems are available for things like tsunamis and diseases. Why not for animals as well?

If genetics are not considered when translocating lions, their evolutionary line could be affected. Shutterstock

Why moving South African lions to Rwanda is not without problems

Laura Bertola, Leiden University

Genetics need to be considered when relocating lion populations because they a play a role in the animals’ evolutionary line.

People in the Ruaha landscape lose their livestock as a result of predator attacks. Amy Dickman

What’s behind the conflict between people and animals in Tanzania

Amy Dickman, University of Oxford

Human and wildlife conflict in Tanzania’s Ruaha region is extremely tense. There are many projects underway to alleviate this tension.

Myths and theories abound about how and why the zebra got its stripes. Reuters/Goran Tomasevic

The riddle behind zebra stripes

Brenda Larison, University of California, Berkeley

There are a number of reasons why zebra’s stripes are useful to a zebra. The key question is: could some of them benefit society?

Radioactively contaminated territory around the Mayak nuclear facility in Russia. Nikulina/Slapovskaya/Heinrich Boell Foundation Moscow

The risks attached to South Africa’s nuclear energy strategy

Vladimir Slivyak, Russian National Research University The Higher School of Economics

The nuclear deal South Africa signed with Russia is set to be massively expensive and comes with a fair amount of risks.

Millions of people in Africa don’t have access to adequate sanitation. Shutterstock

The quest to find affordable and sustainable sanitation solutions for Africa

Santiago Septien, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Despite improvements, there are still millions of people without adequate sanitation in Africa. Sustainable solutions that can be replicated elsewhere are being developed in South Africa.

Insects are key to holding the food chain together. Without them, much of what we eat today won’t exist. Pia Addison

Stop bugging the bugs: the world as we know it would fall apart without them

Pia Addison, Stellenbosch University

Without insects the food chain would diminish and we would have very little fruit and vegetables to eat.

Megamelus scutellaris insects fighting aquatic weeds. Philip Weyl

How Africa can grow its own solutions to the continent’s aquatic weed problems

Philip Weyl, Rhodes University

Biological control is the best way to combat aquatic weeds in African water.

The Kariba dam on the Zambezi River produces most of the electricity used in Zimbabwe and Zambia, supports extensive fishing and tourism industries and protects hundreds of thousands of people from floods. shutterstock

Why promoting green infrastructure in Africa may be bad for development

Mike Muller, University of the Witwatersrand

Green infrastructure may not be the best thing for Africa despite being environmentally friendly.

Banning hunting can have negative impacts on the conservation of animals. Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

Why a ban on hunting in Botswana isn’t the answer to challenges facing the country

Melville Saayman, North-West University

Botswanan communities, hunting operators and game farmers reacted badly to the country’s hunting ban. This is because it generates income, particularly in poor rural areas.

Major emitters of fossil fuels in South Africa are opposed to a carbon tax. Shutterstock

A carbon tax for South Africa: why a pragmatic approach makes sense

Saliem Fakir, Stellenbosch University

The general response to carbon tax is not a positive one, but it may be something South Africa will need to accept.

There are certain times and locations where people are more likely to encounter a shark. Morne Hardenberg

Shark safety tips: sorting out fact from fiction

Alison Kock, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

What lies behind shark safety methods.

South Africa’s tropical fish may be hardest hit with climate change. Val Fraser

Climate change is hitting South Africa’s coastal fish

Nicola James, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

Climate change will hit South Africa’s fish population.

A honeybee in the Cape region where the American Foulbrood disease is having devastating effects. EPA/Nic Bothma

American disease that’s wreaking havoc on the Cape’s honeybee population

Theresa C. Wossler, Stellenbosch University

American Foulbrood is causing serious damage to the bee population in the Western Cape.

There are a number of potentially valuable lessons to be learned from Cecil the lion’s death. From www.shutterstock.com

The debate over Cecil the lion should be about conservation, not hunting

Lochran Traill, University of the Witwatersrand and Norman Owen-Smith, University of the Witwatersrand

Now that Cecil the Lion is gone, what lessons can be taken from the controversial manner of his death?

Stuffed animals left by protesters block the doorway of River Bluff Dental clinic in Bloomington, Minnesota. Dentist Walter James Palmer, an American hunter, has been accused of killing the lion without a permit after paying $50,000 to two people who lured it out of Hwange National Park. Reuters/David Bailey

Cecil the lion was a victim of deep-rooted and persistent arrogance towards wildlife

Eric A. Jensen, University of Warwick

The fact that people are still travelling thousands of miles to kill exotic animals and bring back trophies shows deeply rooted cultural problems in Western societies.

The debate around whether fences aid or curb poaching continues while units try hunt poachers. John Hrusa/EPA

Poaching prompts a review of Africa’s transfrontier parks

Willem Daniel Lubbe, North-West University

Dropping fences can help the fight against poaching by inviting the people living in surrounding areas to take care of the animals.

Increasing human-wildlife interactions pose threats not only to public health, but also to conservation, and well-being. Ahmed Khan

Dealing with African epidemics needs more than just a health response

Ahmed Khan, Saint Mary’s University

Public health is not the only way to manage epidemic outbreaks like the Ebola virus.

South Africa needs to ensure that it is equipped to deal with bioterrorism attacks and possible laboratory outbreaks. Mariana Bazo/Reuters

Explainer: biosafety and biosecurity in South Africa

Iqbal Parker, University of Cape Town

In the science world, laboratories are essential but safety precautions should be taken to prevent any incidents like the Ebola outbreak or biochemical attacks.