African Climes

T he Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last month released a new report, one of three special reports, the other being the land and climate report and the special report on 1.5 degrees as decided upon in 2016.   The report titled The Oceans And Cryosphere in a Changing Climate examines the effects of climate change on the world’s oceans and the cryosphere. The cryosphere is the frozen component of the earth i.e. mountaintop glaciers, polar ice caps, sea ice and icebergs as well as permafrost. An iceberg I t starts by noting that 71% of the Earth surface is covered by oceans which also hold 97% of all the water on the planet. Now, oceans have a huge role in supporting life on Earth. They regulate gases, regulate heat and regulate climate. They also support a huge number of species and biodiversity, a good number of which are still undiscovered. They provide food and water, support tourism, trade and culture among other myriad uses. A ccording to the auth