Global Warming is Choking the Life Out of Lake Tanganyika

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0814-05.htm






Lake Tanganyika in central Africa - where Henry Stanley delivered his immortal question, "Dr
Livingstone, I presume?" - is in ecological crisis as a result of global warming.

Studies by two independent teams of scientists have found local temperature rises and climate
change have dramatically altered the delicate nutrient balance of the lake, Africa's second largest
body of fresh water.

They have discovered that the
surface of the lake is getting warmer
and that has meant the mixing of
vital nutrients in the lake has
diminished and cut the lake's fish
population.

The effect has had a dramatic
impact on the local economy, with
fishing yields plummeting by a third
or more over the past 30 years and
further decreases predicted.

Lake Tanganyika has traditionally
supplied between 25 and 40 per
cent of the protein needs of the local
people, citizens of the four countries
bordering the lake, Burundi,
Tanzania, Zambia and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.

FOr those of you who don't know, Tanganyika is one of three major lakes in the East African Rift Valley lake system (the other two are Victoria and Malawi). The satalite image doesn't really do it justice. If an image of Lake Michigan at the same scale were to be put next to it, they would be the same length north to south (although Michigan is twice as wide east to west).

Rift valley Cichlids are famous to aquariists and biologists alike. Since the formation and filling with water of the lakes about a million years ago, there has been increadible species diversification to fill ecologicial niches in the three lakes, which have very different habitats, and there are now at least 30 different species of Cichlids in the EARV system.

This is akin to paving over the galapogos Islands...

I've crossed Lake Michigan every which way - that is one big lake.

Please don't give the Republicans any new ideas. I can hear them revving up their paving machines right now.

I had heard of a lake where thousands upon thousands of flamingoes used to gather each year but then one year they didn't return.


It is very much a tragedy
but I don't seriously expect any action to be taken. If there are places in the world you want to visit, the best plan is to enjoy them now. :-(

"My Lord has told me that there is no such thing as Global Warming"!


:puke:

When did he say that?

Ugh.