Climate change: Our duty to protect the planet

Climate change affects all of us, and it's our mandate to take prudent measures to ensure a healthy planet for the future generation. 

In the year 2015, 195 nations signed the Paris Agreement which targeted to hold global average temperature rise to 2°C of pre industrial-era, and pursue efforts to reach 1.5°C. It might not seem much, but it is essential for life on earth as we know it. In order to remain safe and minimize the adverse effects of Climate change, global temperatures would have to be limited to 2°C.

However, in the month of October, a very alarming report was released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report indicated a scary picture of Climate change consequences due to increased global temperature rise and stated the need to limit global temperatures to 1.5°C instead of the initial 2°C.

The report also explained that the current temperature rise is at 1°C globally above pre-industrial and it will take just 12 years to hit the new limit of 1.5°C if emissions continue at the current rate. This means, we have just 12 years for a disaster to strike.

The good news is that air quality across Europe has improved but remains an "invisible killer" that causes nearly a half million premature deaths each year. This was said in an annual report released on Monday October 29, 2018 by the European Environment Agency. The report further stated that air pollution continues to remain above EU and World Health Organization (WHO) limits in large parts of Europe. the data collected in 2016 from 2,500 measuring stations showed. 

Ghana has achieved a low middle income status and aspires to become a fully-fledged middle income country and the future. Even though commitments are being made by the government to put the nation’s oil and gas and other resources to prudent use while sustaining the economic growth and development of the nation and its people, the challenging relationship between the environment-development nexus is the growing threats of global warming, of which Ghana is no exception. Climate change in Ghana has become a serious threat to livelihoods.

According to (Atazona, 2013), drought and flooding in many parts of the Northern Region of entire Ghana has become a yearly worry to the entire nation. People along the Volta banks are constantly displaced as well. In the southern part of the country, indiscriminate human activities has also contributed to climate change, leading to a rise in sea level, which pollutes other water bodies, destroying aquatic life. This has reduced the economic activity of most inhabitants within these areas who primarily fish for a living. Mounds of not being able to find alternatives to raising their living standards would adversely affect their education, health and social well-being.

Again, in the northern region, temperatures recorded yearly usually exceeded previous years, leading to a decline in agricultural production since there is little or no access to irrigation facilities. Fluctuation in rainfall patterns and temperature has also led to an ecological imbalance, causing an influx of pests and diseases. Cerebrospinal meningitis is an alarming issue in the northern region due to relatively higher temperatures as a result of global warming.

Ever since the commencement of the industrial revolution, human activities have resulted in increasing global temperatures caused by emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases act as thermal blankets that trap the sun's radiation being reflected by the earth's surface, warming the earth in the process. Most common greenhouse gases (ghgs) include methane, carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons etc. Of all ghgs, Carbon dioxide is the most emitted by human activity.

Continuous warming as a result of trapping of reflected radiations has resulted in extreme weather changes (Climate change)  such as droughts, floods, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, decline in food security and influx of diseases and pests. These have often linked to migration and increasing poverty levels.

Humans emit Carbon dioxide mostly through burning of fossil fuels.Carbon dioxide stored underground for many years is now pumped up and spread to the atmosphere from usage of oil and coal.

To some point, nature is able to store some of the carbon emission. Trees capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When we cut down trees, or destroy more land, for whatever reasons, the gas is, however, emitted back into the atmosphere. Concrete production process is the 3rd ranking producer of man-made Carbon dioxide in the world after transport and coal burning for energy generation. All these anthropogenic activities have brought about the temperature rises as we see today.

There is, therefore, an urgent need for individuals and governments, as well as private agencies, to rise up and take actions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

Currently the largest emission is coming from combustion of fossil fuels for coal, petroleum and natural gas. There is the need to put an end to this and switch to more use of renewable energy sources (which are only 20% in use now). Even though it is technically feasible to reduce emissions, the major challenge lies with political will.

The consequences of overlooking this warning by the IPCC would be too grave to deal with especially for developing countries who will suffer most the adverse effects of Climate change, due to our heavy dependence on the Agricultural sector, and the lack of funding to deal with these Catastrophes.

We as individuals can start by moving away from plastic products. Plastic is made from oil, and when plastic waste is burned it releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We must also come together and raise our voice to make our policy makers accountable. It is soon budget time. It is about time Ghana shows its efforts to curb its carbon footprint in the budget for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

There is the need to collectively come together for Climate Action by practicing climate-smart agriculture, opting for clean transport systems, putting price on carbon prints and more importantly, eating locally grown food to reduce the energy required to produce and import large-scale foodstuffs.

Governments must especially rise up to make and implement strict policies to ensure reduction in carbon footprints and impose high taxes to that effect. We must act now and not wait until it’s too late. We only have one earth and we need to save her - that is what we and our nations have agreed to in the Paris agreement. It is our duty to protect the planet!

Source: Ghana| Charles Kwasi Marfo | Luv 99.5 FM/Nhyira 104.5 FM