Xie,+Carol

=Destruction of Kenya's forest feeds deadly drought= A drought has rushed over the Mau forest of Kenya, & now most of Ole Saloli's cows have died. What will he do for his children's inheritance & for his safety net when he becomes old?

This is just one example, & one story found from the drought that came over Kenya. Imagine the impact it had on other people. This 80 year old man has said to have seen many, many droughts throughout his lifetime, but he says they get worse as they come, ever since the devastation of the Mau Forest caused by former president Daniel arap Moi, who cut down much of the forest for himself & his political supporters over two decades ago. He says, "//Mau Forest was created by God to make it rain and now people are destroying it.//"

The United Nations Enviorment Program estimates that over 10 million Kenyans depend on rivers that flow out of that forest to irrigate their crops, provide electricity through hydroelectric dams, and supply waters for their animals. As time goes by, charcoal burners, loggers & farmers are cutting the forest's trees, with only 25% of it remaining. It is estimated that over 9% of Africa's forests have been lost, meaning that a lot of ecosystems were lost, also. But think of this, the Mau's water doesn't only supply Kenya, it also supplies many other places, which means that the drought harmed other places, such as Tanzania & Egypt.

People are trying hard to save the forest and Kenya. For example, Mr. Odinga, the prime minister, spoke at the United Nations; asking for donations of $400 (£250) to get back Kenya's water supply. Africa will face civil conflicts over land & water if changes aren't made soon. Hopefully, they will solve this problem, because it's going to affect many people, animals, & possibly the future of Africa.

Seattle Times; http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010094306_apafkenyafightingfortheforest.html BBC News; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8057316.stm
 * SOURCES**

Seattle Times mainly talked about how it affected, and how it will affect, the people & animals of Kenya, & how the Mau Forest is important for irrigation. Evidence of this that was found in the article includes the quotes, "//The United Nations Environment Program estimates 10 million Kenyans depend on the rivers that flow out of the Mau Forest to irrigate their crops, provide electricity through hydroelectric dams, or supply water for the wild animals that draw hundreds of thousands of cash-flush tourists//," and "//As the lake has receded, it has become too salty for the animals to drink. Those weakened by hunger, like the buffalo, become mired in the mud as they try to quench their thirst, eventually dying of exhaustion//."
 * COMPARING THE TWO SOURCES**

BBC News was more in depth of this situation. It talked about how the drought affected families and the future, what people were going to do about this, and many other topics. Evidence of this that was found in the article includes the quotes, "//If he does not act, he foresees a struggle for water and land which could escalate into a bloody civil conflict//," and "//The prime minister was speaking at the United Nations - appealing for donations of $400m (£250m) to "rehabilitate" Kenya's water suppl//y."

Personally, I think that if a student were to read and find information on this topic, they should read the Seattle Times article over the BBC one, because that one wasn't as complicated and overflowing with information, and it seems to be legible and understandable, because it relates the disaster to families, and ties each opinion on the event together.
 * OPINION**

As for BBC, I find this articlel complicated because it had a lot of information, and was very time consuming, and confusing. Although it was more in depth and allowed you to know more about the situation, a lot of information was very repetitive. BBC kept repeating the fact that it has harmed many people and animals in almost every paragraph. This is only my opinion. What do you think?