No time to Warm Up: Why we need Climate Action Now!
From London to Kampala, from Wellington to Nairobi, people are uniting for a common cause. With chants and placards raised, the young, old, concerned politicians (as well as those trying to score political points) are in the streets striking against Climate Change. And the timing is perfect, the Climate Summit begins on 23 September 2019, three days after the global climate strikes.
So why is everyone talking about Climate Change?
Because it’s real, and it’s a problem. When the sun’s rays hit the earth’s surface, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide trap some of the sun’s heat on the earth, causing it to warm up. Over the years, industrialization and the burning of fuels have released more of these gases into the atmosphere, causing the earth’s temperatures to rise. The years 2014–2018 have been the warmest years recorded over the past 139 years.
The United Nation’s IPCC, environmental associations and concerned individuals have been raising awareness on this issue. Climate Change hasn’t been the first environmental issue to come up in international affairs, however it has been the most controversial. The Montreal protocol-was signed in 1987 to solve the Ozone crisis (they found a gaping hole in the ozone layer, imagine!). The Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997 to encourage countries to reduce greenhouse emissions and serve as a stepping stone for a bigger Climate agreement in later years, which takes us to the Paris agreement of 2015 which was geared at keeping global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius in this century. This was met with claps and cheers in 2015 when it was drafted, but 4 years after “Paris 2015” not much has changed. In fact, this agreement has not been ratified in the United States. It almost appears as if Climate Change is the one environmental issue that is almost impossible for world governments to come to a consensus on.
Why are we protesting?
Simple. Nothing is being done. Governments and other stakeholders in high carbon emitting industries have the power to effect this change, but are barely trying.
Reducing carbon emissions is hard work. Sacrifices must be made, yet stakeholders (governments, manufacturers) are unprepared to make them. There are financial sacrifices: people make money from activities that produce carbon emissions. Going renewable and eco-friendly is expensive (but the costs will be higher in future if we don’t correct these now).
Climate Change — in real time.
When you place an ice cube in the hot sun, it melts. As temperatures are rapidly increasing, ice caps- such as the Arctic are also melting and the increasing water levels are causing coastal areas to flood. The Arctic, for example, exists to create what we call an albedo effect. The albedo effect works like a white t-shirt. You would rather wear your white t-shirt on a sunny day than your black one. Why? The white one reflects the heat, whereas the black one absorbs it. The white ice caps in the Arctic help to also reflect the sun’s heat, instead of allowing the earth to absorb the heat- causing more heating. We need this albedo, but our Albedo is slowly disappearing because of global warming. The melting Arctic will also contribute to rising water levels, causing coastal towns and small islands to be completely submerged under water.
Agriculture is also suffering terribly. Farmland is drying up leading to crop failure and certain fish species are going extinct. Give it a few years, and our food security will be a major problem. Prices of food are most likely to hike and foodstuffs you consider basic needs become luxuries.
Average temperatures in my home country Ghana alone are about 26 degrees Celsius. Imagine if it got hotter? The trotro (mini-bus) rides to work, wedding receptions and funerals held under canopies would be unbearable. Then there’s the flooding due to rising sea levels (leading to displacement of people), crop failure- food security issues, increase in communicable diseases (plus, mosquitoes just love the heat). That’s not a world I would want to live in.
The City of Venice: A city built on water is slowly being submerged. Rising water levels has led to flooding which happens about 3–4 times every year. If something is not done quickly enough, the city will end up being completely submerged and possibly disappear altogether. Imagine walking through a city where water is almost reaching your knees. Yikes.
So, what can we do?
1. In our own small way: Take a cold shower- save energy on heating. Turn off the lights and electronic devices when you’re not using them. Short distance? Walk, ride a bike. Use Fluorescent light bulbs. Organizing an event? Don’t print fliers (people throw those away, anyway). Curbing Climate Change doesn’t mean we have to return to “stone-age living”.
2. Renewable Energy: Resorting to renewable energy sources. It’s very important that we look to solar, wind or hydro power.
3. Sustainable Agriculture: the relationship between agriculture and carbon emissions is tricky. Climate change affects agriculture which affects food security. However, the procedures involved in food production involve carbon emissions. Farmers can resort to sustainable agriculture. And governments must enact policies to make it easier.
4. Afforestation: Planting trees reduces carbon emissions on a global scale. Afforestation can also lower emissions. In fact, just last month, the Great Green Wall Project- An AU project funded by the World Bank, EU and the UN began in Senegal to plant a 4185 mile of trees geared at preventing the Sahara’s expansion. And absorb large amounts of Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
In our own small way, we can save our planet! In the words of teenage climate activist Greta Thurnberg- “… let’s unite behind the science”
