Growing up, my dad would constantly remind us to save energy by switching off lights that were not in use, but my sister and I did not understand what the fuss was all about.
Then one day, he came home with these white-looking bulbs that emitted low light, which I thought were inadequate for reading.
Oblivious of their energy-saving component, I complained about them, but my father was adamant – this is what we were going to use going forward.
I’m my father’s child
Fast forward to 2021, and every day when I get to work, I walk through the offices switching off unnecessary lights and reminding my co-workers that they are responsible for conserving the environment.
Years back, I would have laughed off the idea of voluntarily doing what irritated me as a child and acting like my father.
But through the years, I have realised the urgency of reducing greenhouse gases, conserving energy, and in the process, saving our planet.
A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to, directly and indirectly, support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). Many people think that the only way to save the planet is by planting trees, but in our day-to-day activities, we produce greenhouse gases that are also harmful. For instance, when you drive a car, the engine burns fuel, which creates a certain amount of CO2 depending on its fuel consumption and driving distance.
Heating your house with oil, gas or coal, also generates CO2. Even when you heat your house with electricity, the electrical power generation may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2.
COP26 commitments
During the recent 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, United Kingdom, COP26 (Conference of the Parties) brought parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Every country agreed to work together to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees, and it’s been six years since the agreement. The commitments laid out in the Paris Agreement 2015 did not even come close to imitating global warming to 1.5 degrees, and if no action is taken in the next eight years, we are in for worse climate change-triggered conditions. It’s apparent that the world is now considering climate change as a “now or never” issue, and its effects are being felt across the board. Locally, people are complaining about sweltering nights and unbearable heat during the day.
We have also experienced rainfall variability and reduction of underground water. These are all effects of climate change, but most of us are yet to appreciate their impact on our lives. Extreme flood and drought situations are also estimated to reduce long-term growth in Kenya by about 2.4 per cent of GDP per annum. The time has come for the government, private sector, civil society and the general public to fight climate change to secure a sustainable future jointly.
At the just-concluded 7th and Devolution Conference 2021 held at Makueni County, President Kenyatta stated that Kenya had committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 32 per cent by 2030. From these figures, Kenya will seek to mobilise 13 per cent from domestic sources and expect to find a balance of 87 per cent from external sources. Kenya is also seeking to attract green investments and develop more strategies to tackle climate change.
County governments have also taken up the matter and are developing climate change action plans. An example is the Kiambu County Assembly that recently passed the Kiambu County Climate Change Bill, 2021. The bill seeks to establish a mechanism and framework that will enable the county to mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation actions in its planning, budgetary, development and management.
The fight against climate change is one we all need to play a part in.
As Prof Wangari Maathai said, mother nature is very generous but very unforgiving. BY DAILY NATION