The Climate Change conversation has gained a lot of attention so much such that there is no single activity one would do which does not have a connection to either carbon emissions, energy transition, clean air, etc.
Just last month leaders around the world assembled at COP 28 in Dubai and the major highlight was the adoption of a resolution to abandon the use of fossil fuel in order to focus attention on the clean energy generation resources.
In the middle of December, Bar Camp Accra happened at the Accra Technical University (ATU) which is a product of Ghana Think Foundation.
There was a session for speed mentoring, another part was the ‘Hot Seat’ interview, and there was a breakout session which was a focused group discussion one specific topics.
One of the topics was the Clean Air Fund group. This group had discussions on various ways people ought to be interested in the kind of air there is around us.
This discussion was not far away from employing ways which would contribute to a stable climate in order to enhance the health of many.
-The general understanding after the discussion on clean air was that cutting down of trees contributed to poor air quality.
-The wholesale dumping of rushing or domestic waste contributed to the generation of methane gas which is a bad element in the atmosphere.
– Burning of rubbish or materials which produces poisonous gases or chemicals into the atmosphere also is a contributor to the growing concerns affecting clean air.
Participants in the group made pledges to set example by cutting down on the use of single-use plastics, to this end one is encouraged to buy food in their own bowls from home; a lifestyle which will cut down the rubbish. Participants should also refuse taking single use polythene bags from shops and stores
Away from Bar Camp, the 2024 Wildaland Festival came off in the woods during the Christmas break. It was a jungle party which kicked off with a discussion on Climate Change.
The whole idea behind this was to encourage all to protect green environment whole there was party going on. Young experts in the Climate Change cycle were present from various organisations in Ghana.
If you were not present at the festival, these are the three (3) points you would take away with you.
1- Open Up the Climate Change Conversation: Some of the experts I have engaged during this period have raised concerns about the tiny circle which has been created to champion the Climate Change conversation. There is a clear need to bring more minds and people into the sphere. The Climate Change dialogues should not be for a selected few as there have been instances where projects have not seen success because the last person is not included in the planning and the large part of the execution.
2- Employ Local Vocabulary: To this end, following from the previous point, the Climate Change campaign must be domesticated or localised to appeal to the locals. It is a big struggle for most people to explain some of the terms and key points in the Climate Change conversation to those who haven’t had formal education. Not only is this a challenge specific to the Climate Change dialogue but to many other campaigns there are in Ghana and some parts of Africa. There must be a conscious and deliberate effort to make African languages scientific if we are looking for ways to speed up development.
3- Partnership: We all know by now how important partnerships are for every institution and industry. Same must be done for the Climate Change leaders and active players in this field. There must be room for various organisations to come together and pool resources for grand projects in this field. This point does not need to be stretched too much as it is something organisations should be focusing on.
The expectation and the goal for 2024 is to have the Clean Air and Climate Conversation in every corner of the earth and it is my hope Ghana leads the conversation.
