Prince Charles, Prince of Wales has appealed to members of the African Advisory Council of the Prince's Rainforest Project (PRP) to be more proactive to protect rainforests to reduce the rate of climate change.
Addressing the opening session of a Council meeting in London, Prince Charles said " As important and concerning as the global financial crisis is, its challenges and consequences would pale into insignificance when compared with the scale and extent of human misery and suffering, social and economic actions to tackle climate change are too little or too late or both."
A statement issued from the office of Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin on Monday said Prince Charles told the meeting that" Listening to the advice of scientists and other experts, I, like many others have come to the conclusion that the first and essential step in the battle against climate change is to help rainforest nations curb tropical rainforest destruction."
He gave the assurance that "Stopping deforestation is the most readily achievable and cost-effective action we can take in the short-term. It is the low-hanging fruit which we must grasp as soon as possible."
Osagyefuo Ofori Panin, challenged African leaders to participate fully in the on-going Green Revolution which was intended to save the world for future generations.
He said" We cannot afford to miss the opportunity to be part of the drive to save this planet through carbon sequestration to combat climate change. Africa cannot be guilty bystanders while we watch our ecosystems being degraded and destroyed at an unparalleled rate as a result of reckless activities on natural resources."
The statement said Osagyefuo Ofori Panin reiterated that one rule that must govern all and sundry was the rule of nature- to live in harmony with one's environment and not dominate or destroy it.
He said one of the ways to reduce climate related risks was to improve the living conditions of women in accessing new skills, education and knowledge and raising their income levels as well as emphasising how research showed that the more educated a woman was, the fewer children she had and the healthier and better lives those children lived.
The statement said plans were underway for the opening of University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies at Bunso in the Eastern Region, this year.