World Environment Day 2020: A cry for Nature

June 5^th is World Environment Day. This is a day internationally set to celebrate our environment and appreciate nature for our co-existence. For those who share in knowledge of the creation story in the book of Genesis in the bible, it is believed that in the beginning  the earth was formless and desolate, there was darkness and from there the creation story starts when God orders for light to be there. It is a beautiful story of how everything – flora and fauna, the water, the land that we till, and skies above where the birds and all other creatures that fly flap their wings. Everything seems to perfectly fall into place like a jigsaw. Thousands of years later, we are caught up in a world filled with calamities; temperatures are increasingly high, droughts and floods are frequently experienced in different parts of the globe, ice in the Alaska and other arctic zones is fast melting and with that sea levels are fast rising to a life threatening level. In short, life is no longer the beautiful, perfect creation story that we read and wish for. Nature has taken a toll on us, and while some of us are still looking but not seeing the reality of what the world has become, the clock keeps ticking. Before we know it, there may be no time at all to do anything about all the natural phenomena affecting us thanks to our own human-inflicted effect on nature.

But all hope is not lost. Jumping to the scientific theory and ancient mythologies within which economies are believed to have been built and continue to advance, we are presented with an opportunity to reverse the order. Some of the suggested solutions are enshrined within the new policy scenarios for development which require that we not only limit our net carbon emissions to zero but take individual actions to enable us to get there. For starters, World Environment Day which is a day to voice out concerns, showcase our actions and call for further action, and is by no chance a one day affair. Every day is an environment day because everyday we wake up to nature, live in it, invest within it, take from it without caring much about we give back to it in return.  Nature has grown tired of our ungrateful attitude; it is reminding us in the simplest of forms that is has endured our destructive bullets for far too long. It can no longer stand our ignorance, arrogance, and selfish attitudes. It is also reminding us that either we as the current generation, or our future generations who will pay the price for how terribly we have been treating it. 

As the world takes time today to focus on achievements made in the UN decade of biodiversity which ends in 2020, and paves way for launch of the next decade of ecosystem restoration (2021 to 2030) agenda, we are left to ponder on what biodiversity really means for each of us. For me, it means reflecting on the beautiful creation story, how things were and how we could regain some of those values. Many things which should be done have already been said including; retracing our roots back to organic agriculture and food production, healthy living, green transportation methods, efficient industrialization pathways, carbon capture and sequestering technologies, increment on forest cover, sustainable use of water resources, reduced poaching activity and care for life in all its forms. I will therefore not dwell on what needs to be done. Because our governments and leaders know what must be done. At individual level we may be aware of what we to do or know where to find the correct information on what we must do. The problem is that no one is willing to sacrifice comfort today for the sake of a future they know nothing about. Our selfish desires drive us and the nations we live in. We are more concerned about ‘cashing-in and making our lives easier’ than we are about the overall effect all these have on nature. 

Until when we will stop pretending and override our selfish ambitions, and instead put nature first. Until when we will start asking ourselves before each action, ‘does this help or kill nature?’ Until when we will provide the correct answer to this question and be true to ourselves in our interventions. I am afraid that our cries to nature before then are in-vain. Kick-back time is here!

 

World Environment Day 2018: Beat Plastic Pollution!

While I identify as an ‘environmentalist’ and some of my past actions echo the same, I feel that I have been a complete let down to the course. I think the battle to fight climate change and secure a sustainable planet is not weakened by the ignorant and/or anti-climate change campaign industrialists. I think our biggest let down is the decision by climate change experts and specialists to remain silent or allow themselves to be blinded by short term development agenda.

I frequently allude to the words of the late Professor Wangari Maathai, through the Green Belt Movement, which reminds humans that ‘it is the little things we do that make a difference’. That said, I want to do my little thing today in honor of the men and women who tirelessly fight for a green planet. I want to remind us of the little thing that we must do to “BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION” which is the 2018 theme of the World Environment Day. More information and updates about the official WED event hosted by the city of New Delhi in India, one of the world’s top 5 plastic polluters, can be accessed here. 

 

     Source: World Environment Day

According the UN, plastic waste is responsible for killing about 1 million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals annually. A recent study warns that 90% of today’s waste will last for another 500 years, and oceans will be home to more plastics than fish!  Two days ago, CNN reported that a pilot whale died in Thailand after swallowing more than 80 bags of plastic (about 17 pounds). It is also estimated that every day, at least a truck full of plastic waste finds its way in the oceans and that this will triple by 2050 if no action is taken today. Annually, the world produces about 500 billion plastic bags and has in the last decade produced more plastic than it did in the whole of the last century. These are a few of the shocking facts we have to deal with!

Nations such as Rwanda long set an example of a commitment to reduce plastic waste by banning plastic bags while others such as US and Germany have pioneered and implemented waste to energy power plants the past 3 decades. However, the climb remains very steep and a hard nut to crack across most jurisdictions simply because it takes more than policy and political gimmicks to drive change. There must be a simultaneous behavioral change in the mindset of the people; they must understand and embrace change and see the shared value in it.  But how long it would it take to educate the entire globe and have them see the shared value in eliminating plastic use? Perhaps another decade, half a century or never. We must however try or die trying! We owe at least that much to mother nature; let us keep talking about and act to beat plastic pollution. Let it become that annoying reminder we do not want to told about anymore. But most importantly, let us avoid plastic pollution in threefold steps: REDUCE-RECYCLE-REFUSE! Ever asked yourself why it is hard to find empty Coca Cola glass soda bottles in the trash bins?  Why can’t we do the same for plastic-bottled sodas and every other drink?  I think making plastic-bottled drinks relatively more expensive (in order to retrieve the packaging cost) instead of recycling them is one of our biggest sustainability failures. Globally, it is estimated that about 1 million plastic bottles are bought per minute which is extremely sad given the fact that most if not all of these will eventually end up in the oceans.  

As we join the rest of the world to mark WED, lets REDUCE, RECYCLE and/or REFUSE all forms of plastic waste at home or school or work place. If you have a minute to spare, visit EcoWatch website for more ideas on the simple yet fun things you can do to #BeatPlasticPollution! Join the global movement today!