Thinking twice: Can South Africa serve as a model for a Green Africa?

South Africa just held its Climate Change Summit of 2009 (Check it out here)

The only other summit that has been held that looks like this was the UNEP summit in Nairobi, though it was of international magnitude.

Wangari Maathai spoke during my commencement in 2006 and I have always wondered what role she could be playing in looking at making Africa more sustainable as it builds up.

The reason is that South Africa is looking at 2012 being the year when most of the laws will be passed (2012 seems to carry a very special significance everywhere). But with vast resources and a huge mining and heavy industrial sector, I wonder if the steps that they are taking might be as a direct result of these very resources. But the major question is whether the rest of the African nations can mimic the nation.