At the weekend, I watched one of a series of programmes called "Explore..." They have a small group of reporters doing little reports on various aspects of a particular country each week. Areas off the beaten track. So far, they've been absolutely fascinating. This week it was a small group of countries in Africa.
One of the reports was about a tribe who are actually living with the consequences of the fact that the climate in their part of the world has changed drastically in the last few years.
What was once a fertile region is rapidly becoming desert. A group of emaciated men sat in a despondent circle and spoke of how soon they may have to give up their way of life because they are finding it harder and harder to survive.
They now all carry machine-guns. To protect their small herd of cattle from other, raiding tribes. The tribes used to co-exist peacefully, but as the climate has changed, resources have become a source of conflict. Raids on their cattle are frequent; gun battles to protect them occur almost daily. This week, one man said, they killed 6 raiders, lost three of their own. But they saved their cattle. This time.
A charity paid to have a large man-made reservoir of water built - but as it's now the only source of fresh water in the area, it's also become a focus for conflict and war among the tribes as they fight for control of it.
Watching and listening to these people it made me ashamed that here in the West we have the luxury to talk about and debate climate change as an abstract theory.
Some in the world aren't so fortunate.
LabRat
