A lot of hullabaloo has been raised on climate change , a matter many people at first especially in Africa considered as rubbish, until they started feeling the slight temperature and climate changes.
At first this seemed like another false alarm from over zealous environmentalists or "greenies" as they were known in the early days. But now being a "greenie" actually makes you somebody.
Back to climate change. As I pen this, the world is meeting over this crucial issues. emerging reports from IPPCC say that Africa will feel the effects of climate change more though its the least contributor of green house gases. You may ask why? Because we people in Africa live under very vulnerable conditions. Poverty has led to growth of slums with half of our population living in non-formal settlements thus are prone to flooding and pollution.
Our economic state also make use hugely dependent on the environment and for may of us survival comes before the environment. This is clearly shown by a recent remark by the Ugandan President who justified giving away a huge portion of forest cover for sugar plantation when he said "Environmental issues are a luxury that most Africans cannot afford".
You may ask "What to do now?"- Yes we need to survive, we need to eat but whats the point of filling our stomachs today and dying tomorrow from none. Sustainable development, a term coined in Stockholm in 1972 during a World Environment Meeting has never been more meaningful than it is now. We have to use the resources now in a way that does not jeopardize the future generations means of survival.
Africa has to stop and think. How valuable are our forest, lakes, wetlands, wildlife, minerals? What kind of leadership do we entrust with our natural resources. As Environmentalist and Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai says "Nature is very unforgiving", if we mess up with it now, we will pay in the future. Lets not invite to dinner a beast we cannot feed.
Africa wake up , climate change is here now!!!
Linda Ogwell
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
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