In Africa’s Sahel region people are trying to push back the frontiers of the Sahara desert – or at least halt its continuing expansion into what used to be arable lands. Deforestation and ensuing soil erosion are a major cause for desertification. Replanting trees may stem the trend – and help local inhabitants earn their living. One example is this project initiated by the Food & Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO):

Sometimes it's easier to understand a complicated issue if you can play with it. Take climate change as an example. To garner support for climate action a video game is released today. The game is called Fate of the World that and it is based on state-of-the-art climate models, the developers say. Red Redemption from Oxford have created that strategy game in cooperation with the global TckTckTck campaign. People who are downloading the game are literaly ‘players’ in the climate change debate and can contribute towards real-life changes. In the game users must find a way to deal with Earth’s resources and the climate crisis. At the same time the needs of the growing world population need to be minded, such as more food, energy, and living space. TckTckTck and Red Redemption seek to increase the understanding and awareness of climate change by providing gamers with the opportunity to learn and explore the subject. More informations you will find here: http://tcktcktck.org/fotwgame/

Twice a year in Hoima, a town in the northwest of Uganda, they have a parade that goes through the streets and collects plastic garbage from the ground. The town is full of plastic bottles and other things. The problem is: it is totally dry. And when it is raining, the water just flows away and doesn´t reach the roots of the trees. This problem has been well known for years. But because of the extreme dry season the problem is getting bigger and bigger. The government tried to solve the problem. But now the bishop of the Kampala region found a way to make the people more responsible. The religious leaders in the country have a huge impact on the Ugandans. The bishop for example encourages couples to plant a tree before they get married. And guess what – it is working.

Markus Bruggaier is a man on a mission. As a horn player with Berlin's Staatskapelle, one of Europe's great orchestras, he makes a living from catering for the refined tastes of others. In concerts every other night of the week. Like all art, it comes at a price. But particularly in music it's more than just the cost of a ticket. The makers of musical instruments require hard woods, much of which still come from sources that are at best  questionable, he says.

"In Madagascar dozens of hectares of rosewood trees are logged every day. Much of it goes to China but also the US and other countries – e.g. to produce guitars. Some 10 million are made every year."

In addition, while the issue of climate change in general has started to inform a lot of the activities of artists in other areas, classical musicians in particular have remained a little too aloof from it, in Bruggaier's view. An unacceptable state of affairs, thought Bruggaier and a handful of colleagues of the Staatskapelle. In autumn of 2009 they decided to put the issue on the agenda of their orchestra and convinced most of their fellow musicians of the need to do something. The result is the Orchester des Wandels – the Orchestra of Change.

Last Sunday they played their first concert in 2011 with all proceeds pledged to go to WWF forest conservation projects in India's Himalayan Northern states of  Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. All musicians put in their free time to play the concert – including world renowned conductor Zubin Mehta. Hailing from India himself, the maestro said, he was moved to tears, when the orchestra first approached him about playing the concert.

The orchestra welcome donations for their efforts and invite other musicians and orchestras to join.

Watch their kick-off concert last year. A truly elevating experience – literally, just watch to the end:

Read more about the Orchester des Wandels here.

You have played our new WebDocumentary about Guyana?

Well, then it's up to you to show us what you have learned!

Go to our website…

@ http://bit.ly/guyana_quiz_01

…and answer the first of five questions. 

Until friday we will ask you one question a day. Answering each question gives you five letters. Put them in the right order and you will get a solution word. Send us the word on friday and you will have pretty high chance to win one of the flash drives.

If you have not played the WebDocumentary yet, here's your chance (again): http://bit.ly/WebDoc_Guyana

The whole GLOBAL IDEAS team wishes you the best of luck. And don't forget, there will be ten winners. Take your chance!

(ke)