Mail & Guardian Africa: "Unburnable Carbon" - Africa Has Hit Big Oil and Gas Recently But, Alas, It May Have to Remain in the Ground

US President Barack Obama’s announcement a week ago of a far-reaching plan to limit carbon pollution from US power plants has been hailed as the clearest step to the commitment to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

This is the temperature point beyond which irreversible damage to the earth becomes inevitable – think super droughts, massive floods and mass extinctions.

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Africa might be seen as a small-time contributor to the carbon crisis, and really just an unfortunate victim in this whole debate – after all, the continent accounts for just 3-4% of global carbon emissions, but will be hit hardest by extreme weather events and a changing climate.

But if you think that gives the continent a free pass in burning up all the oil and gas we can get our greasy hands on – outgoing president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Donald Kaberuka recently said that it is “hypocritical” for western governments to have funded their development using fossil fuels, and now turn around and say to Africa cannot do the same – think again.

Read the full article HERE.