ACTIVE CITIZENS OF A GLOBAL COMMUNITY

On the 3rd of March 217, the honour was bestowed on me to co-facilitate an active citizenship day celebration by VSO/ICS with Rebecca Tyler at Sigri in the Upper west region of Ghana, on the topic CLIMATE CHANGE (GLOBAL WARMING), and this was done before an audience of both Ghanaian and UK citizenship.

To introduce the topic, we began by staging a sketch to demonstrate the necessity for each individual especially those seen by society as role models to lead the fore in addressing climate change. Rebecca introduced the topic by stressing on the need for all young people across the globe to get involved in making the targets set out in the 17 SDG?s a reality, She further quoted a statement from the UN Secretary general? report ??Young people are the torch bearers of the SDG?s, young people around the world participated enthusiastically to help shape the SDG?s and young people like you must equally be involved in deciding how the SDG?s should be implemented in your own country and community??. She again stated that the SDG?s have been described as an ??action plan for people, planet and prosperity?? with three major ambitions

End extreme poverty (Economic growth).

Fight inequality and injustice (Social progress).

Fix climate change (Environmental protection).

Rebecca explained climate change using the bathtub scenario. She stated that our emissions which are increased by the burning of fossil fuel, gasses, deforestation among others, can only be negated when our net removals (trees, oceans, soils etc.) are enough to offset all these emissions, without this happening, the carbon concentration in the atmosphere will keep increasing, destroying the ozone and utterly increasing global warming and its dire consequences on humanity and our environment in general. To make the facilitation more interactive, she requested of participants to list what in their view would help us to reduce our carbon footprint, and they had the following to say: 

By walking or cycling where possible.

Conserving energy.

Patronising renewables energy resources.

Using less plastics.

Patronising unpackaged local food.

To desist from using micro beads, especially at the sea shore.

Afforestation.

After making their contributions, I joined in to explain  these points as stated, for the benefit of those who were hearing these for the first time, or might have heard but without understanding. I again added some points to the earlier contributions on how we could reduce our carbon footprint

Joining public transportation to work, instead of every single person using their own cars every day to work.

Plant new, or cater for dying trees.

Encourage or support green technology discussions and initiatives.

Print wisely!

I further explained ??Carbon sink?? as a term for any material that takes away (conserve) carbon from the atmosphere. I went on to tell them that TREES are by far the only tangible carbon sink we could rely on, and to increase this sink means planting more trees and reducing the level of deforestation by finding alternatives to timber. The importance of increasing this sink is to aid in offsetting the ever increasing carbon in our atmosphere.

In the next session, I solicited from participants their view on the effects climate change have on humanity or the environment in general, and the following were their concerns?

Climate change has a consequential effect on water availability.

Food scarcity, mainly as a result of the interspersed and unpredictable nature of our rainfall patterns.

Some researchers have indicated that the next world war may arise from issues concerning water.

Flooding and droughts as a result of increased sea levels and high temperatures respectively.

High temperatures making life unbearable for some dryer regions of the world.  

Rebecca immediately, came in with the scientific fact that, cattle (meat and dairy) releases a gas called methane which has a proportion of 1 molecule methane = 3 molecules of carbon dioxide, a very scary revelation according to her, she further recommended to participants to reduce their beef consumption by finding alternatives in other meat or dairy sources to save the world.

In the final session of the engagement, we divided the participants into two different groups to discuss their take on the topics outlined below

CARBON TAX

ECO BAGS and whether banning some plastics may make any relevant impact on the environment.

RECYCLING.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY.

After five minutes of intense discussions, the two groups came out with very compelling arguments on all topics.

GROUP ONE (1)

Carbon Tax.

There should be tax on unnecessary carbon use.

The move to tax carbon consumption may be detrimental to the development of some developing nations e.g. India.

Enforce regulation for the payment of eco system services.

Eco bags.

Encourage use of own bags and placing taxes on plastic bag usage.

Going back to the original roots of shopping in Ghana where baskets were used.

Recycling

Employment opportunity

Pay for your rubbish, with no chance of littering.

GROUP TWO (2)

Carbon tax

It would make people conscious of their carbon emission.

It will help generate revenue to be put back into addressing climate change.

It will give room to people to try other alternatives.

People will use cars that emit less fumes.

Eco bags

It will reduce the litter around.

Less danger to animals, who may ingest them

Employment opportunity for makers of eco bags

Recycling

Employment opportunity for the youth.

Would help reduce the mess in our environment.