Flickr Creative Commons by greenpeace.italia

Last week, Greenpeace announced that it has opened its first office in Johannesburg, South Africa. Greenpeace hopes to convince the South African government to take the lead on changing energy use in Africa. Africa does very little to help combat the effects of climate change but experts believe they will be one of the continents effected the most. By the end of the century, an estimated 180-million people plus in sub-Saharan Africa could die as a result of climate change.

 According to Greenpeace's statement :

A second office will be opened on 24 November in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo followed by a third in Dakar, Senegal, next year. These areas are central to tackling climate change, deforestation and overfishing.

While the environmental threats facing Africans are urgent and critical, Africa is in a position to leapfrog dirty development and become a leader in helping to avert catastrophic climate change and protect the natural environment. While Africa contributes very little to global warming, the region will be one of the hardest hit by its effects. Over 180 million people in sub-Saharan Africa could die as a result of climate change by the end of the century. Unpredictable rainfall, lower crop yields and dwindling resources are causing mass migration, increased tension and conflict.