The world's first Africa Climate Summit

In this issue, I am preparing you for this week's Africa's Climate Summit and all the big concerns/demands of the continent in regard to climate change, a huge legal win for transgender rights by a trans student in India and the complicated relationship status between the Panama Canal (I finally understand how it works) and global trade. Plus, a Moroccan podcast by a queer activist on masculinity, the trailers to Netflix's first African animation series and a Yemeni movie about abortion, what Gabon has to do with Michael Jackson and James Brown, a lot of good news, and so much more.

All eyes on Africa's Climate Summit in Kenya this week

What's happening:
This week, African and global leaders will attend the African Climate Summit from September 4 to 6 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Why this matters:
Africa produces the smallest amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases worldwide and has lots of clean energy potential. However, despite this, Africa is experiencing the worst effects of climate change; think droughts, rising temperatures, and rivers and lakes drying up. Plus, 600 million people in Africa don't have access to clean, modern energy.

Tell me more:
This summit, led by President Ruto, aims to deal with the growing impact of climate change, especially in Africa. It's a chance for African countries to come together and make plans before the big global climate meeting, COP28, in December. African governments are expected to sign a "Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change" with commitments for renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and forest conservation, as per official website.

Good to know:
The president of COP28, Sultan Al Jaber, will attend, even though he's in charge of a big oil and gas company (ADNOC) in the United Arab Emirates. People are watching him to see if he can balance his job with taking action on climate change. Last month, the company said that it's now targeting net-zero by 2045 compared with 2050 earlier.

What are some of the biggest concerns in Africa?
There are many. Africa needs more money to adapt to climate change, but it's not getting enough, many Africans lack access to electricity, the continent's cities are growing fast, but they need to be eco-friendly, Africa has valuable minerals needed for clean energy, and keeping these resources in Africa and using them responsibly is one big concern, plus there are lots of talks about the need for protecting biodiversity and landscapes.

Dig deeper:
"Pushing for fossil fuels will continue to allow Global North countries to exploit our continent's resources and threaten our future," write Aneesa Khan, Salome Nduta and Samuel Mondlane in an opinion article for Al Jazeera.

Why Kenya?
Kenya is a "pioneer in climate and renewable energy", as per Germanwatch. The country already generates more than 90 percent of its electricity from green sources. 'In 2030, we'll hit 100 percent, promise. And everyone in Kenya will have access to energy. Just follow our lead.' Last Thursday, leading electric motorcycle manufacturers also set up bases in the country, like Uber's Electric Boda taxi service in Nairobi and pan-African EV startup Spiro deploying electric motorcycles and installing thousands of battery charging and swapping stations.

Zoom out:
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) last week was like, 'yeah, this summit is not just important for climate change. Without efficient and sustained climate action, up to 105 million people could become internal migrants by 2023 in Africa alone.'

A trans student in India won their legal case against the country's 'best law school' after being denied admission

What happened:
33-year-old Mugil Anbu Vasantha, a trans student in India, has won their legal case against the National Law School of India University, also known as NLSIU or 'India's best law school.'

Why this matters:
For over 4,000 years, India has acknowledged individuals who do not identify strictly as male or female, referring to them as 'hijras.' According to the 2011 census data, nearly half a million Indians identified as hijras. In India, despite legal progress and visibility in the country's pop culture, transgender people still face debates. Even though the law recognizes them as a 'third gender,' they still deal with rejection and discrimination.

Tell me more:
India's constitution has a rule that sets aside (reserves) spots in things like schools and jobs for minority groups who might struggle to get these opportunities. In 2014, the Supreme Court in India recognized transgender people as a minority and said they should also get these special spots. In the case of Vasantha, NLSIU said no to their admission because there wasn't a special quota for transgender students and argued that they were just following what other similar schools did. 'Meh, wrong. They were discriminated against based on their gender,' said the state of Karnataka's High Court.

Zoom out:
India is currently debating a new penal code with not-so-supportive sections of LGBTQ+ rights.

Related:
Diwash Gahatraj for Fair Planet met Ziya and Zahad, a transgender couple in India who are making waves in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. They wanted to change their child's birth certificate to have 'parent' instead of 'father' or 'mother'. But the officials said no. So, they took the matter to court. This is a first-of-its-kind case in the country, and can set a strong precedent for other future parents. The next hearing in their case is scheduled for September of this year.

Climate change is disrupting the rhythms of global shipping at the Panama Canal

What happened:
The Panama Canal is facing a big problem. The canal is an 80-kilometer artificial waterway across the Isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for up to 14,000 ships each year.

Why this matters:
The Panama Canal is like a lifeline for global trade. It sees hundreds of billions worth of stuff pass through it every year. If it continues to struggle because of climate change (which is very likely; check the El Niño forecasts for 2024), it could have a big impact on how goods get around the world. This is yet another test for global supply chains.

Tell me more:
The Panama Canal relies on a loooot of fresh water from nearby lakes like Lago Gatún to move ships up and down. But this year, there's not enough rain, and the lakes have less water as they are drying up because the region's...