Kenya: Earth - A house without a chimney (Activity 2b)

Environment   Sep 30, 2017 by Melissa Joe

The general overview and explanation of climate change in the video; articles that have been read; as well as my personal knowledge seem to align. The video describes the earth as a house without a chimney - this is a hundred percent true. Due to all the carbon emissions made by us (human beings) we have created a sort of shell/layer of carbon dioxide around this house (earth), and the architects (mankind) didn't include a chimney while in the planning stages.

A result of the menace that is climate change which had never crossed my mind or come into my realization, is that it carries diseases. From the video I just learned that disease carrying insects and disease breeding plants do not adjust to the changing weather patterns because of the change in climate, but instead migrate and grow in environments that suit their living needs. This causes the spread of all kinds of alien-like diseases to different regions all over the world. The Bhutan Declaration On Climate Change And Mountain Indigenous People shares this concern too by declaring the increase in pests and diseases among indigenous groups living in mountain regions.

Towards the end of the video, the importance of indigenous women in terms of action against the enhancement of climate change; is highlighted. This greatly supports the acts of the Latina women who are speaking up about the issue according to https://popularresistance.org/indigenous-women-lead-fight-against-climate-change-in-latin-america/ .

Through the creation of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) and the UNDRIP (United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous people) as well as their adoption all over the globe, indigenous beings now have one of the largest voices when it comes to the mitigation of climate change. REDD+ has made it a requirement for indigenous communities to play a fully effective role in all of its activities. Governments who adopt REDD+ therefore have to involve these groups when it comes to matters concerning forest degradation as well as deforestation. They have the upper hand now when it comes to such issues.

I absolutely am in full support of this and the fact that it took twenty years to be accepted simply supports the saying - good things take time. These individuals are the ones who call the carbon storing forests home and are the ones who suffer the most from the effects of climate change. For them, their livelihoods and cultures are altered whenever a forest slowly disappears and the animals that they hunt follow suit. When a certain type of tree used for medication suddenly becomes non existent, they end up on the negative end of the consequences, even though they had very little contribution to them. Now it's their turn to call the shots. They have all the right to.

It's all very good exposure for the communities, and several nations will follow the procedure to the latter but for others; it certainly won't be a walk in the park. With dictators as rulers of nations, countries whereby corruption is the norm, and areas where the highest social class carries the day, these agreements may not thrive. Take Canada as an example. According to opencanada.org ; some Canadian Arctic regions may well be considered underdeveloped by southern standards. The regions are remote and the costs of food and housing, coupled with a legacy of colonialism, contribute to disproportionate levels of poverty. Arctic peoples may live within wealthy nations, but it does not mean they have access to adequate adaptation assistance. Through this, it is evident that even developed countries do not cater to the needs of their indigenous people. This would serve as a major barrier when it comes to fully implementing the requirements of REDD+ and UNDRIP, not only for Canada, but for the entire world.

 

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