PULL QUOTE: There is a need to explain climate change in a way that bridges the gap between scientific language and general understanding, in the same way that the discussion about HIV/AIDS in Africa had to be broadenedThis past spring, Cape Town residents were hit with a harsh climate reality check when the government limited their per capita water consumption to 100 litres a day. The measure came as the country’s Western Cape province was experiencing its most severe drought since 1904; suddenly, a lot fewer people were dismissing climate change as some old wives tale. Of all the continents, Africa is set to be the hardest hit by climate change. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that by 2020, between 75-million and 250-million Africans will experience increased water stress, and that agricultural production of rain-fed crops could drop by as much as 50%. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) states that expected global warming of 2°C would place more than 50%...
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