I think I’m behind the times.

A little thinking (I do that occassionally) today made me realise that most of what I know about Ethiopia is based on information gained a long time ago and experiences I’ve had. Old facts change and my experiences don’t cover everything that one can experience. In an attempt to update myself I went around trawling the web for information about Ethiopia (that isn’t political or about adoption) and I found a few interesting stories. I was aware of two of these, but the other two are new information to me (may not be to you). I hope you enjoy this.

Biofuel production in Ethiopia.

Castor oil plants, jatropha and palm oil plants are being developed over 500,000 hectares of arid and barren lands in different parts of the country so as to reduce land-locked Ethiopia’s dependency on imported oil.

I heard about this several months ago. It’s a great idea and if Ethiopia can develop this like Brazil has we could be looking at some cost reduction over the next few years. Read the whole Ethiopian biofuel story here.

A new sea developing?

In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia.

The advantages of living in the Rift Valley – a phenomenon that you usually see (or can’t see) at the bottom of the sea, you can now observe on dry land. This story isn’t new, but I only heard about it last week. I guess I’ve been living in a hole. Read about what may be the development of a new sea here.

The dreaded drought.

For centuries, pastoralist communities have moved through the Ethiopian lowlands effectively managing the potentially devastating impacts of severe drought, heavy rains and floods.

They have done so through a range of time-tested, culturally embedded strategies and techniques. But their climate is changing.

This is part of a short film by Care Australia. Living in Addis, we often forget or choose not to see what’s happening around the rest of the country. A lot of people need our prayers and help. Watch Zahra’s story here.

Ethiopian gold rush?

Ethiopia on Tuesday announced the discovery of a mine containing more than 40 tonnes of gold deposit…

Good news for everyone getting married. There’s enough gold in the country to make plenty of wedding rings .  Read the full press release here.