Remembering Gal Costa

This issue includes climate change effects in Africa, most specifically for animals in Kenya and the death of one of the most famous artists in Brazil. Plus, Algeria and East Timor taking things to next levels, Lebanon's fight against its most recent cholera outbreak, really, really good news from the sciences and arts world.

Hundreds of animals have died across Kenya because it's too dry

Hundreds of elephants, wildebeests, and zebras have died across Kenya in the past nine months as a consequence of the lack of rain. The country is experiencing its longest drought in many, many years. (Africanews)

Why this matters:
Africa is the world's lowest carbon emitter. However, the continent is still suffering disproportionately from the effects of climate change.

Tell me more:
"The Kenya Wildlife Service Rangers, Community Scouts, and Research Teams counted the deaths of 205 elephants, 512 wildebeests, 381 common zebras, 51 buffalos, 49 Grevy's zebras, and 12 giraffes in the past nine months," a report released Friday by the country's Ministry of Tourism said. Plus, rivers have dried up, grasslands destroyed. It's been really, really bad for Kenya's most-visited national parks.

• Did you know that climate change now kills 20 times as many elephants as poaching? That's what Kenya's former cabinet secretary for wildlife and tourism Najib Balala said in an interview with the BBC in July. According to the ministry, Kenya had just 36,000 elephants left last year.
• Good to know: Kenyans were recently mourning the loss of their African elephant queen, Dida, who was believed to be the continent's largest female tusker, just look.

People are affected, too, right?
Of course. These past four (!) rainy seasons haven't been very 'rainy', so to speak. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said the drought is the region's longest in four (!) decades. It has affected the lives of some 18 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, according to reports from the World Food Programme.

What now?
Kenya's Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Peninah Malonza said steps were being taken to save the lives of animals -- including digging boreholes and transporting water to dried-up water pans and dams. But, to zoom out here, there is a debate happening on damage compensation for losses from climate-related disasters for Africa (since it is the world's lowest carbon emitter) at COP27. (Al Jazeera) Dig deeper into this policy debate with this London School of Economics explainer that draws on 'Addressing the impacts of climate change through an effective Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage' by Rebecca Byrnes and Swenja Surminski, published by the Grantham Research Institute in 2019.

You want to help?
Check out Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Their Twitter bio explains why: "Pioneers in the rescue, rehabilitation & release of orphaned baby elephants, we actively work to conserve all wildlife and wilderness areas in Kenya."

Zoom out:
The effects of climate change are no better in the south on the continent. Rememberwhen Cyclone Idai hit southern Africa three years ago? 341 people died, dozens went missing. People are still feeling the effect to this very day, as Cyril Zenda reports for Fair Planet.

Gal Costa, one of the most influential artists in Brazil, died last week

Gal Costa died last Wednesday. She was 77 years old. (g1, Portuguese)

Why this matters:
GalCosta was one of the most influential artists in Brazil's Tropicalia movement in the 1960s. Her career spanned 57 years.

Tell me more about Costa:
Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos was born in the city of Salvador, in the state of Bahia, on September 26, 1945, and is considered as one of the most distinctive voices in Brazil's Tropicalia movement. Costa has been a major influence among younger singers and in 2011 was awarded a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

How did she die?
Her death was confirmed by her press team to CNN Brasil. Gal Costa's official Instagram account also published a short statement Wednesday morning along with a black and white photo of the singer. She had taken a break from concerts after undergoing surgery to remove a...