The
planet’s carbon dioxide (Co2) levels are now the highest in human history. Yet,
there is no sign of slowdown in greenhouse gas levels, despite verbal
commitments by countries.
After
greenhouse gases are emitted, they interact with our land, sea and air. The
ocean absorbs around a quarter of all Co2 and what’s left behind in the
atmosphere is known as ‘greenhouse gas concentrations’.
Scientists
say the gap between climate targets and reality is glaring and growing, and the
warming strength of greenhouse gases is 43% higher than 30 years ago.
The
Scientists are so worried because as we limit emissions in the future, Co2
remains in the atmosphere for centuries, sentencing future generations into a
hotter planet, higher sea levels and more extreme weather.
The
most vulnerable to the extreme weather is the African continent.
The
Climate, Livelihoods & Agriculture Platform (CLAP Gh) is therefore constituted
to build synergy along the Science, Environment and Agriculture nexus to drive
a common goal of addressing climate change for sustainable development.
CLAP
Gh mobilizes young professionals to become part of the momentum created by the
Paris Agreement on Climate Change to partner all interest groups to share knowledge
and take action.
“You
may doubt the science, but the reality lives with you; climate change is real,”
says Environmentalist Kofi Adu Domfeh, who is convener of CLAP Gh. “The interest
of our Platform is not really to be caught in the debate of the realities of
climate change but to be part of the solution for climate mitigation and
adaptation”.
He
said this during the launch of CLAP Gh and its flagship event, Climate Café in
Kumasi.
Climate Café mobilizes
people and communities for action
The
Climate Café is a live talk event on critical subjects to generate interest and
mobilize action to chart a path for sustainable development.
This
is in line with its Vision to ‘Create space for exchange of knowledge and seek
solutions to advance Global Green Development pathway’.
The
maiden Climate Café held at the Rattray Park in Kumasi had Dr. Isaac Tetteh of
the Department of Environmental Science at the KNUST talking “Action-Oriented
Initiatives to Combat Climate Change”.
He
revealed that due to the continuous release of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) into the atmosphere,
45 percent of the Co2 will always remain in the air.
The
Ocean absorbs 25 percent and the rest absorbed by the land base systems like
trees.
“So
if you want to combat or mitigate climate change or greenhouse gases, the land-based
systems must be broadened to capture more of the Co2,” Dr Isaac Tetteh said.
“We
must grow trees and Bast Fiber Plants like Kenaf, group of plants used for
sacks or jute. When we grow these fibres on our lawns, they trap huge amounts
of CO2 and capture them and so we use them as a means to control climate change”.
Launch of CLAP Gh
CLAP
Gh prioritizes greening the local economy, especially tree planting, as viable
adaptation mechanism.
Urban
forests help absorb Co2 and pollution from the atmosphere, produce oxygen for
us to breathe and could help reduce city air temperatures by up to 8oC,
cutting air conditioning costs by 40 percent and saving energy.
The
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has stated that the pace of
urbanisation in Africa and Asia is contributing to climate change and planting
trees could improve air quality, cut the risk of floods and heatwaves and halt
land degradation.
The
UN therefore wants to plant half a million hectares of urban forests – about 4
times the size of Hong Kong – to fight climate change. The forest will be
spread across 90 cities in the two continents that are expanding fast but don’t
have enough trees, leaving them less able to cope with heatwaves and flooding.
CLAP
Gh wants to be part of this momentum as urban forests will strengthen cities’ defences
to climate change.
“We
know that a lot of people may not believe or even understand the climate change
phenomenon. However, we know everyone will want to breathe cleaner air.
Everyone will want to eat well. Everyone will want to live well. This is the conviction
of CLAP Gh in all we do,” said Domfeh.
