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Terrorism Tape

American Citizen Named As One Of The Most Wanted Terrorists In The World

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The name Jehad Serwan Mostafa may not be a name most Americans know – however, he has been named the “most wanted American terrorist in the world.”

In a recent statement, US Attorney Robert Brewer confirmed:

“Mostafa is believed to be the highest-ranking United States citizen fighting overseas for a terrorist organization. Al-Shabab’s reign of terror threatens U.S. national security, our international allies, and innocent civilians.”

Although Mostafa has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terror list for many years, an unsealed federal indictment has shown that he has recently been charged with extra crimes that relate to his alleged connections with Al Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab in East Africa.

After fleeing the United States in 2005, Mostafa was first indicted just five years later in 2010, however, this latest indictment also covers his previous charges and claims that during the period of March 2008 and around February 2017 Mostafa “conspired to provide material support, including himself as personnel to terrorists.”

The FBI has also stated that Mostafa has become a leader in Al-Shabab’s “explosives department,” undertaking vital positions throughout the soldier training and media sections of the group.

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It is thought Wisconsin-born Mostafa – also known as “Ahmed,” “Abu Anwar al-Muhajir,” “Ahmed Gurey,” and “Abu Abdullah al-Muhajir” – has been working on the improvement of the effectiveness of all IODs (improvised explosive devices) specifically created to attack US military bases and interests, according to government officials.

However sources have informed Fox News that Mostafa’s involvement is more sinister with an anonymous African intelligence official claiming:

“Currently, Jehad is in Somalia, and he is very close to the decision-making circles of Al-Shabab, especially their intelligence wing called ‘AMNIYAT’ and also an explosive brigade which is controlled by the powerful Al-Shabab leader, Mahad Warsame Qaley. Jehad is protected by Al-Shabab hardliners who are mainly connected to Al Qaeda. He directly gives advice to Al-Shabab’s leadership on issues related to strategies, international relations, smuggling explosive material and importation, media production, and its audience targeting.”

It is believed that 38 year old Mostafa has 16 children with his three wives, all of whom are receiving protection from Al-Shabab’s General Security, who are “in charge of overseas Counter-Intelligence and the presence of foreign fighters” in the group.

The source continued:

“The Middle Jubba region, which is under full control of Al-Shabab, is where intelligence agencies believe is his hideout. He is one of the most trusted foreign fighters within Al-Shabab, and gets more protection (than others) from the group.”

However the Mostafa that is around today is a surprise to those who knew him growing up, with many remembering him as sweet and subdued.

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Although born in Wisconsin, Mostafa was brought up in the Serra Mesa region of San Diego, California before heading to Mesa Community College. In 2005 he graduated with an economics degree from the University of California however it is alleged that he descended into the world of jihad only a few short months later at the age of 23. Heading to Yemen in 2005 it is thought he developed friendships with Muslims from other Western countries before heading to Somalia at the invitation of Al-Shabab.

While the terrorist group was establishing their hold in the war-torn country, Mostafa allegedly became affiliated within the group before they ordered future foreign fighters not to come due to the many arrests that were being carried out, with many trying to defeat the Somalian government finding themselves under arrest.

It is not just those that watched Mostafa grow up that have expressed their surprise at his radicalization. He often prayed at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Kearny Mesa and Imam Taha Hassane expressed his surprise at Mostafa’s extremist views in 2016:

“Jehad was often hanging around with the other young people. He used to play a lot of basketball outside. I was absolutely shocked to see his picture on the news connected to terrorism.”

Although his family have never responded to requests for comments – his father Halim Mostafa Gabori passed away from a heart issue in 2018 while his mother Sumaiyah is a school teacher, and he has an older brother who works as a software engineer – a family friend reported that the family were “deeply disappointed” and the family rarely mentions him any more.

One of the most deadly organizations in the world, Al-Shabab – Arabic for “The Youth” – became an insurgent faction based on their harsh interpretation of Islam in the late 1990s although they did not join Al Qaeda until 2012. The group peaked between 2009 and 2011 when they were in control of the majority of southern and central Somalia and although they were removed from the capital in 2011 they moved towards a “more covert form of guerrilla warfare.”

Will Hartley, a terrorism and security consultant, observes that the “concern that Al-Shabab was re-establishing itself prompted a renewed US focus on the group in the latter years of the Obama administration, and that has continued under Trump.”

Chimpanzees

Jane Goodall: Discovering the Hidden Complexity of Primate Life

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Too few of us know the story of Goodall’s journey from a child in London to world-renowned primatologist, and many of us are not aware of her ongoing contributions to environmentalism and conservation to this day.

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Solar Panel

Africa’s First Solar Powered Village To Be Used As A Blueprint For Renewable Cities

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Id Mjahdi is a small community located near Morocco’s Atlantic coast. What was previously thought of as just a small town in a sunny place is now making headlines as Africa’s first fully solar powered village. As of this month, the entire village became completely dependent on solar energy as its power source. Not one city in the entire continent of Africa has ever taken advantage of solar technology to this degree before. 

Currently, less than 1% of the solar power being used globally today comes from Africa. Even more astounding, Africa has the highest potential to use solar power exclusively as a power source, due to its positioning in relation to the equator and sun exposure. However, the continent overall lacks the ability to support all the infrastructure that goes into using solar power, but Id Mjahdi is changing that. 

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Morocco in general gets 35% of its electricity and power from renewable energy sources, and by 2030 that percentage will increase to 50%, according to IRENA. The country also is already known for housing the world’s largest solar powered farm, the Noor-Ouarzazate complex. Id Mjahdi is now further contributing to Morocco’s renewable energy use and is being used as the “blueprint” for other villages in the continent that can use solar power over standard electricity. 

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Cleanergy is the solar power company that was behind powering the entire village. The company had a goal of creating a sustainable model for bringing complete solar power to remote and underdeveloped communities. When they created the plan, they looked for a village in which electricity could greatly improve the community members ways of life without completely industrializing the village. When they came upon Id Mjahdi, they knew it would be the perfect place to implement the first version of their solar power model; before the solar panels were installed, villagers would use candle light to work, and tree bark for heat and cooking purposes. They didn’t even have a close clean water source. 

“The first step in the $188,000 project was to build a water tower for the community. The next stage was to install a power station with 32 solar photovoltaic panels, which generate 8.32 kilowatts of electricity for distribution via a mini-grid. The power station is connected to around 20 homes in the village, serving more than 50 people,” according to Mohamed Lasry, Cleanergy’s founder. 

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In addition, Lasry stated that each home was provided with a fridge, a water heater, television, oven, and outlets for charging. The network of solar panels throughout the village have a battery that can give up to five hours of electricity post-daylight hours (once the sun goes down). Now, the village is truly thriving. Previously, girls had to miss school to stay home and travel far to get clean water for their families, now, with the help of Cleanergy, they have the resources to give women and children a proper education. Cleanergy also helped the village create workshops for valuable life skills such as learning to read and write, train for scholarships, and learn traditional values. 

Lasry states that the model that was used for Id Mjahdi can be replicated and used for villages of 100 to 1,000 people. Currently there are 800 other Moroccan villages that are without electricity, and the World Bank estimates that worldwide over 840 million people don’t have access to electricity. However, the World Bank also estimates that using the mini-grid renewable energy systems, such as the one Cleanergy created, could give electricity to 500 million of those 840 million individuals by 2030. 

“Our plan is to show [Id Mjahdi] as an example. People change — they have more time, they can have money, they can go to the market, they can buy what they need. For deprived communities seeking economic stability that won’t hurt the environment, this solar village shines bright,” says Lasry.

Cactus

Conservationists Find New Ways To Prevent Kenya’s ‘Devil’s Cactus’ From Spreading

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Opuntia is the official name for the species of cacti that is now taking over parts of Africa. More commonly known as “prickly pear,” this cactus was originally introduced to Kenya, Africa in the 1940s by British colonists who brought the plant to the country as a means of creating “natural fences” around different properties to prevent wildlife from invading those spaces and eating any agriculture. Within the past few years, however, the plant has been spreading at a rapid rate, and is growing in areas where wildlife, such as elephants and baboons, find their food typically. This means that these animals are now eating the prickly pear plant, and the sharp spikes covering the entire surface of it. This can be extremely dangerous, as these spikes are known to lodge themselves in animals’ mouths, stomach linings, and other intestines when they’re digested. This can cause painful abscesses and internal injuries, and also indirectly further spreads the cactus’s seeds, thus contributing to its rapid growth.  

The problem has become so prominent in Kenya’s farming culture that farmers are calling the pear plant the “devils cactus” which has now invaded over 100 square miles in just one Kenyan county alone! This issue isn’t just detrimental to wildlife populations in the area, but the overgrowth of pest plants such as this cause the Earth’s natural nutrients to be sucked out of the surface, leading to the death of other plant species that farmers purposefully plant as well as other food sources that are actually beneficial to wildlife species. 

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According to the Center for Agriculture and Bio-science International (CABI), 70% of Kenya’s natural agriculture would be lost to invasive species such as the devil’s cactus if it weren’t for outsourced plant management. This plant in particular is extremely hard to control, as when it’s uprooted and removed, if any part of the plant is left behind, no matter how small, it can take root and continue to grow if left unattended. 

“It’s got these horrible spines which make control of it exceptionally difficult. If you are removing the plant and you might drop a flower or a fruit, they will start growing. The cactus is further spread by birds and animals, such as elephants and baboons, who eat the fruit and disperse the seeds. Where the cactus is dense, it can prevent people’s access to their homes and livestock’s access to food,” said Arne Witt, CABI’s Regional Coordinator in Kenya.

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Studies have shown that this overgrowth is causing a major economic decline for the country. So scientists, researchers for CABI, and farmers alike are trying any and all new technology to better manage this infestation. So far, CABI has emphasized the use of bio-control to control the spreading. Bio-control involves bringing certain species of insects to the area that feed on the cactus. The insects are a great option because they kill the plant in its entirety without further spreading its seeds. 

In the early 20th century, Australia experienced its own prickly pear epidemic, and they used bio-control/bugs to control and minimize the problem, and they did so successfully. In addition to using insects as a natural means of management, conservationists are also finding ways of repurposing the plant to use for their own advantage. 

“Part of the mechanical removal is we are installing a biodigester that will create bio-gas. The bio-gas will be used to cook food in a kitchen for the conservancy’s anti-poaching patrols. That will consume up to 600 kilos of Opuntia plant a day and cook for between 20 and 30 men every day,” said Tom Silvester, CEO of Loisaba Conservancy, a wildlife conservancy and ranch located in Northern Laikipia.

So in addition to fully destroying the plant, conservatories are using bio-digestores to convert it into something useful for themselves, which only further helps their conservation efforts by ridding the land of this plant that’s killing a majority of Kenya’s wildlife.

Eifel Tower

2019’s Most Popular Travel Destinations

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2019 was a huge year for international travel. UK based market research company Euromonitor International recently measured and listed the top 100 travel destinations people visited within the past year, and some of the results may surprise you. While Hong Kong has been making major world news headlines due to its political unrest and civilian protests, it remained the number one travel destination for 2019. So much so that Euromonitor reports that by the time the month is up the city will have been visited by 26 million travelers this year alone. The protests have led to an 8.7% decline compared to last year’s stats; however, that didn’t stop the metropolitan city from being at the top of the list.

The decrease in travel isn’t isolated to just Hong Kong. Over-tourism and tourist misconduct has become a growing issue, and has already lead to a lot of restrictive travel policies, especially in Europe. Europe and Asia are the two continents that typically take over Euromonitor’s list every year. However, this year due to a combination of the stricter tourism policies in Europe and an increase in Chinese tourists travelling to other countries within the continent, Asia has dominated the entirety of the list, but Europe and some spots in America are also mixed in there. 

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Hong Kong

Euromonitor reports that Asia had the fastest growth in international traveler arrivals. This is also most likely due to the extreme size of Asia and the many different cultures and countries available for travel lovers to go to. Bangkok and London took the second and third spot on the list; Euromonitor is able to measure all of this information by pulling airline data and marking the parts that show international travelers who spend over 24 hours in their destination. This year, they measured travelers who went to over 400 different cities. 

Since the company uses airline data, international travel via cruise ship or any other possible mode of transportation is not taken into account. The reports for 2019 indicated that Asia was the most popular destination for tourists this year, followed by Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. The reports also predict that European travel is on a relatively steady decline, and Singapore, which took spot number 5 on the list, is the travel destination that will likely gain the most popularity in 2020. Singapore offers a very authentic and engaging tourism market that allows travelers to fully engulf themselves in their culture and beautiful landscapes, which is why it increased in popularity by almost 6% this year. 

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Bangkok, Thailand

Euromonitor also reports that in general, tourism is down, and a lot of it has to do with travelers wanting a more “localized” experience. 

“They are proving popular as travelers seek newer, more localized experiences and less crowded locations. The popularity and increased number of low-cost carriers to these destinations has also favored the growth of previously less explored destinations,” says Euromonitor. 

This is mostly in regards to European travelers, and their desire to branch out more within their own continent. Travelling from country to country is a lot easier in Europe, as there are many forms of public transportation that go all over the continent. It’s for this reason that a majority of European tourists are mainly remaining in Europe, or going “across the pond” to scratch their traveler’s itch. Below is the top 20 list of top travel destinations based on collective data from 2018 and 2019, according to CNN. 

Euromonitor’s Top 20 Cities:

1. Hong Kong
2. Bangkok, Thailand
3. London, England
4. Macau
5. Singapore
6. Paris, France
7. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
8. New York City, USA
9. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
10. Istanbul, Turkey
11. Delhi, India
12. Antalya, Turkey
13. Shenzhen, China
14. Mumbai, India
15. Phuket, Thailand
16. Rome, Italy
17. Tokyo, Japan
18. Pattaya, Thailand
19. Taipei, Taiwan
20. Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Passenger Vessel

Expedition Cruising Predicted To Reach All Time High

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Demand for expedition cruises is set to reach an all time high, as reports reveal that 28 new expedition ships will be launched by the end of 2022.

Gone are the days where cruises consistent of retired, older passengers looking for opportunities to socialize with others and enjoy their later years. Cruising has now become the preferred travel experience by passengers of all ages, including solo travellers, families and those looking for extreme explorations.

Despite many associating cruising with the summertime, winter cruises continue to be extremely popular, with certain destinations lending themselves well to the temperatures at this time of year.

Tapping into the growing demand for winter destinations, expedition cruise company Exclusive Expeditions recently released a list of the best winter expedition cruise destinations. Here are their top three:

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Indian Ocean:

The Indian Ocean is surrounded by Asia to the North, Africa to the West, and Australia to the East, and is home to the idyllic settings of tropical paradise islands, animals and adventure that many travelers dream of, boasting sunshine all year round and still obtaining desirable temperatures compared to the winter months in the UK. The beautiful islands of the Seychelles will offer temperatures from between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius in the month of December and combined with golden sands and warm crystal waters make for the perfect escape from the grey skies back home. The island of Mauritius has always been a favorite of many travelers, with the opportunity to explore the archipelago of 16 islands, and offering the chance to experience some of the world’s most beautiful wildlife and plants first hand at the Black River Gorges National Park. Also just off the coasts of Africa, the island of Madagascar boasts 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites to visit, national parks, picturesque landscapes for hiking, endless wildlife and forests. You can also take time to relax on their white sandy beaches and venture to the capital of Antananarivo offering shopping and dining aplenty.

The warmer temperatures of the Indian Ocean are home to several species of sharks, dolphins and porpoises and will be great for spotting from the decks of your cabin. Moving further across the ocean, the luxury islands of the Maldives are never set to disappoint. Sri Lanka also has a lot to offer with beautiful hiking trails and waterfalls as well as glorious beaches providing the perfect waves for all levels of surfing. With 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Sri Lanka is rich in history and culture.

African plains:

If you are looking to escape the cold and dull setting of winter, Africa will not disappoint. The South West of Africa on the banks of the Indian Ocean are set to bring warm temperatures all year round and an array of settings to explore the African cultures and animals. The Serengeti, also home to the Serengeti National Park where you will find an abundance of some of the most magnificent animal’s people dream to see in real life including Lions, elephants, rhinos and giraffes. Kruger National Park features various Game Reserve, safari and lodges and camping facilities to fulfill your safari experience. Cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg will bring an abundance of culture and entertainment.

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The Arctic Circle/Polar regions:

Whilst many wish to jet off to find some winter sun, for many people adventure can be found in the snowy terrains. With the scale of the arctic circle incomprehensible for some, combining 8 different sovereign states there will be a full itinerary for keen explorers. Follow in the footsteps in the route of many famous travelers through the northwest passage through Canada’s archipelago and locations such as North Cape, the northernmost point in Europe is always a tourist point.

Arctic cruises provide the ability to showcase the brilliance of the arctic circle. Photographic opportunities aplenty, the mountainous and icy blue waters are the perfect environment to wrap up and spot native wildlife including whales, polar bears and walrus. And of course why not designate a stop to the North Pole making sure to visit Lapland over Christmas.

Set to embark on an expedition lit by 24-hour sunshine, known as the midnight sun and the polar nights of the winter with the sun not rising, this time of year is a true sensation. The Northern Lights more commonly known as the Aurora Borealis can be spotted through August to April due to the nights having darkness in them, in the northern polar latitudes of Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Siberia. A cruise of the Arctic Circle enables a taster of all the countries and archipelagos making up this region, seeing their beauty from the water.

Baobab Trees

One Third Of All Tropical Plant Life In Africa Is Now Under The Threat Of Extinction

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According to a new study, a third of tropical plant species in Africa are currently under the threat of extinction due to climate change occurrences. With so much focus on the many animal species that are under the same threat, plant endangerment is often overlooked. However, these plants especially are essential for up-keeping a multitude of the planet’s ecosystems, as they are a constant source of oxygen and food. Plants are also the base for a lot of medicines and materials used in our everyday lives that we often take for granted. 

The Guardian reports that studies show 86% of mammals are on the Red List of critical endangerment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Comparatively, only 8% of all of Earth’s plant species are on the same list, however, when it comes to ecosystem maintenance, that percentage is already to high. Logging, mining, and extensively unnecessary agricultural industrialization is leading the cause. 

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The IUCN states that since the Industrial Revolution took over the planet, almost 600 species of plants have been wiped out completely, and that number is growing more rapidly everyday. Plants are often overlooked and not discussed when it comes to the climate action debate, generally, deforestation is the main issue at hand. While deforestation is one of the leading causes of the deterioration of our planet, plant endangerment poses and equal threat, it just doesn’t seem like it would. 

In order for any sort of species to end up on the IUCN’s Red List, two main things need to be analyzed. They focus on population reduction, and habitat reduction for where the species is located/indigenous to. The IUCN has used those two factors to create an online computer algorithm to calculate and classify conservation status’ of certain species. This algorithm is what lead teams of conservationists to their conclusions about the massive amount of species endangered in Africa currently.  Using this algorithm, researchers inputted over 20,000 plant species indigenous to Africa, and found that almost 7,000 of those species are under the threat of complete extinction.

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“These species are falling into categories ranging from vulnerable to critically endangered. That means almost a third of the plant species examined might be threatened by extinction, a proportion expected to hold even if all tropical African species are considered. There is an extra 38% of species which we assess are geographically restricted, so they are rare, but for which no obvious threats for the moment are identified. If the human pressure increases, which is very likely in most parts of tropical Africa, they will be likely threatened in the very near future,” The Guardian reports. 

Basically, there’s still a whole slew of plant species that aren’t accounted for when using this algorithm due to the fact that they’re so rare that they’re inaccessible to include in the data. However, it can easily be assumed that these species are under the same threatening level, especially since they’re already considered to be “rare” which is just a fancier word for endangered. 

The data is suggesting that these species are in critical endangerment and the IUCN is collecting new data everyday in an attempt to determine which species are under the biggest threat and what regions need the highest level of conservation efforts. However, even when that data becomes conclusive, it’s important to note that real systematic climate action is the one true solution to reverse the extensive damage that has already been done.

Zebras in Nairobi

How Nairobi Became One Of The Fastest Growing Cities In The World

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Nairobi is the capital of Kenya, and in regards to cities, it’s relatively new. The city has only been officially recognized since 1954 (CNN) but ever since its initial development it has turned itself into one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the world. Kenya itself is around two times the size of the state of Nevada, making it one of the most diverse countries in regard to landscape. In Nairobi specifically, residents living in the city are still in close proximity to wildlife, as the city is positioned in between Eastern African cities Somalia and Tanzania, two safari saturated areas. Residents can literally go outside and feel like they’re living in a safari forest urban hybrid, which is one of the reasons it’s becoming one of the fastest cities in the world. 

“Despite its youth, Nairobi’s growth rate has been one of the highest of any African city, with major real estate projects and skyscrapers regularly popping up on the skyline. There’s a lot of entrepreneurship going on here. Everybody is busy creating a life. I come from Mombasa. When I come to Nairobi, I find myself in a different landscape. Here people are moving fast, and people want to get things done. Also, the vibrancy of the city, wharf and business and tourism and hospitality, every part of Nairobi is fast,”  says Najib Balala, Kenya’s minister of tourism.

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As stated by Balala, Nairobi has become one of the most influential cities in Africa, it not only holds a slew of international headquarters for various companies and organizations, but also holds the most amount of retail locations/malls in Kenya as a whole, which to remind you is TWO TIMES the size of Nevada. That’s a lot of retail for one city. According to CNN Travel, the cities population has doubled within the past thirty years. It’s quick and timely growth as a metropolitan hub can be traced back to the arrival of railroads in Africa back in 1895, before the city was even officially recognized. 

According to the BBC, in 1895 the British were focused on building railroads from Mombasa, a city on Kenya’s coast, to Uganda for trading purposes. When they got to the area that is now Nairobi, the location was elevated so high above sea level that construction made it a stopover point on the track due to its vast availability of food and water resources. Once this stopover point was created, the entire area quickly developed to keep up with the high demand of trading and business. On the entirety of the railroad track, Nairobi became the first, and at the time only, place that was developing industrialized buildings, every other stop on the tracks was just landscapes of wildlife and forest land. 

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Fast forward to today, Nairobi’s head start at industrialized development has now resulted in the city becoming not only Kenya’s capital, but the safari capital of the entire continent of Africa. This title was given to the city based on the beautiful National park that exists there. According to CNN, the park is 52 square miles and home to over 400 different types of wild birds as well as other safari wildlife such as leopards, lions, tigers, rhinos, etc. The best part? While residents get to experience the beauty that is Africa’s natural wildlife, they also witness a beautiful city landscape as their background. The ability for Nairobi to maintain a healthy contrast of the city and the natural world, is what makes it such an advanced civilization overall. 

“The greenery and the ecosystem support Nairobi as a healthy city. Look at the freshness of this weather! We say that half the land of Nairobi is Nairobi National Park. The other land is Karura Forest. Nature is the heartbeat of Nairobi and its wildlife has helped to attract travelers to Kenya for many years,” Balala said to CNN Travel.

Africa

Gabon, Africa Receives $150 Million To Preserve Its Forests

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The country of Gabon, Africa is set to receive $150 million of international funding provided by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) in a greater effort to preserve Gabon’s massive forest population, and to reduce the overall threat of climate change. 

 “The 150 million US dollars agreement announced today between Gabon and Norway via the Central African forest initiative (CAFI) is historic in many ways.  For the first time, an African country will be rewarded in a 10-year deal for both reducing its greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and degradation, and absorption’s of carbon dioxide by natural forests. The partnership provides Gabon with a major incentive for cutting greenhouse gases by setting a carbon price floor at 10 US dollars per certified ton,” according to CAFI’s official statement regarding the deal. 

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The announcement was made at the United Nations Climate Action Summit held in New York this past week (September 23rd), in a discussion over how the world can help collectively reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Norway pledged to help the country Gabon specifically due to it being made up of 80% forest. CAFI as a whole is a collaborative organization which combines the efforts/uses the resources of the United Nations Development Program, six Central African countries, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Bank, and a coalition of donors including the United Kingdom, Norway and South Korea. This time around Norway stepped up to help. 

As the quote above stated this is a decade long deal, meaning the $150 million is distributed evenly throughout the next ten years to ensure that it’s spent wisely, and on a fixed scheduled budget with plans of what it will go towards. The budget also came about due to the efforts that Gabon has made throughout the past decade to reduce its carbon footprint without a major budget. 

“I am very pleased with this results-based partnership through CAFI, which includes a historic carbon floor price to further encourage Gabon to continue to preserve its rainforest. This is a major breakthrough for REDD+ in Africa,” Ola Elvestuen, Norway’s minister of climate and environment, said in an interview with CNN. 

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The overall goal is to preserve, maintain, and rebuild 98% of the forest in Gabon. Gabon is the number one country in Africa that has successfully preserved their forests and wildlife; at least as much as they could given the atmospheric conditions. The country and its forests alone hold 50% of Africa’s entire forest elephant population!

Although the country seems to be one of the few places on the planet successfully sustaining itself and its natural environment, they’ve still had their share of troubles. Illegal deforestation has been a huge epidemic for the country and due to the massive importance of the forests multiple ecosystems and dense wildlife population, it’s important for the entire planet that Gabon works hard to maintain and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions even further.

In addition, the country has a goal of creating more jobs and boosting its economy through a more sustainable means of clearing forest space. Their goal is to have a more strict enforcement of the law in regard to illegal deforestation, and create a more conservative and sustainable exploitation of the forests resources to benefit the lives of the Gabonese population. The deal is meant to create a better country for its residents, while also successfully preserving the many ecosystems within the forests.

Lion King

Lions, Let’s Get In Formation! Everything We Learned From Beyoncé’s “Making The Gift” Documentary

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Okay Lions now let’s get in formation! ABC premiered the documentary special “Making The Gift” this Monday, showcasing how Beyoncé came to creating the beautiful tribute album to Africa. The Lion King, which Knowles-Carter starred in as the voice of Nala, was of course the main source of inspiration for the album. Throughout the work, audio clips from the movie work as interludes to the tracks, setting the scene/tone of whatever track is to follow. The purpose of this was to make the whole body of work cohesive, and have a clear beginning, middle, and end. 

Beyoncé and her team discussed how they didn’t want to “water down” any of the overarching themes and metaphors from the film, both original and remake, and wanted to remain as authentic as possible. They wanted the songs to emulate the same emotions that the characters in the film were emulating during different major plot points. In addition, Beyoncé wanted to make the tracks personal as well, and allow the listener to interpret the music however they wanted. 

“I wanted to put everyone on their own journey to link the story line. Each song was written to reflect the film’s storytelling that gives the listener a chance to imagine their own imagery while listening to a new contemporary interpretation. It was important that the music was not only performed by the most interesting and talented artists but also produced by the best African producers. Authenticity and heart were important to me,” said Knowles-Carter in the special. 

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Beyoncé at The Lion King’s European Premiere 

The ability to make an album that is both open for interpretation and meant to coincide with a specific fixed plot is no easy task, however, this is Beyoncé we’re talking about. The impact that this album had on the African American community when it first came out in 1994 was astounding, and the soundtrack had everything to do with that. The original soundtrack to the first animated film was intended to work the same exact way that The Gift did. As each track progresses into the next one, the tone of the music shifts to match the plot. Obviously, Beyoncé wanted to pay homage to the original soundtracks impact while also creating a body of work that completely and unapologetically praised African culture and tradition. 

This album was meant to be just as much of a tribute and “love letter” to Africa and its people as it is a movie soundtrack.  In order to make sure that they fully embodied Africa’s culture and music, Beyoncé and her team reached out to work with not only African American artists and producers, but also actual African musicians and producers from the continent, who have been raised in traditional African sound and culture.  The album as a whole includes artists like Pharrell, Jessie Reyez, Tekno, Yemi Alade, Mr. Eazi, Burna Boy, Salatiel, SAINt JHN, WizKid, Tiwa Savage, Shatta Wale, Tierra Whack, Busiswa, Moonchild Sanelly, and 070 Shake.

“This soundtrack is a love letter to Africa, and I wanted to make sure we found the best talent from Africa, and not just use some of the sounds and did my interpretation of it. We’ve kind of created our own genre, and I feel like the soundtrack, it becomes visual in your mind. It’s a soundscape. It’s more than just the music because each song tells the story of the film,” Beyoncé said during an interview with Good Morning America.

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Beyoncé and Blue Ivy at The Lion King’s US Premiere

Fans were also treated to plenty of footage of the entire Knowles-Carter family, including husband Jay-Z and twins Rumi and Sir Carter. The documentary special followed the family as they journeyed to parts of Africa, such as Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, in order to get inspiration for the album, and so the family could really connect to their ancestry. 

Of course, Blue Ivy, Beyoncé’s first born daughter, was also in the documentary and even had her own mini segment. Beyoncé’s children we’re a major inspiration for the album in general, since a general theme of the movie is remembering your roots (family and culture). Blue Ivy even recorded a sample chorus for the track “BROWN SKIN GIRL,” which has become one of the most popular songs on the album, as an empowering anthem about the importance of embracing Brown Skin, regardless of what society tells you.

The empowering message for all minorities is so clear and beautiful, Beyoncé truly topped herself yet again with this body of work. The documentary concluded with Beyoncé discussing the final track and music video on the album titled “SPIRIT”, the visual and lyrical metaphors being the strongest within this track. 

“The concept of the video is to show how God is the painter and natural beauty in nature needs no art direction. It’s the beauty of color, the beauty of melanin, the beauty of tradition. It was important that throughout this body of work we weren’t just inspired by Africa but that we actually included and learned from the motherland.”