SUCCESS STORIES

 Growing a Brighter Future with School Gardens

In the heart of rural Kenya, a quiet revolution is taking place—one seed at a time. Through a powerful partnership between The SOL Foundation and the Soil, Water & Environmental Conservation Foundation (SWECF), school gardens are flourishing, transforming not just landscapes but also lives. These gardens are about more than just food; they are about resilience, education, and empowerment.

Planting the Seeds of Change

The SOL Foundation’s mission to empower communities is exemplified through its collaboration with SWECF. Together, we’ve established thriving school gardens that tackle hunger, improve education, and teach sustainable farming.

These gardens provide fresh produce for school meals, ensuring children receive essential nutrition. Teachers have observed that well-fed students are more attentive, energized, and motivated to attend classes. The gardens also double as hands-on classrooms where students learn skills such as soil management, planting techniques, and water conservation. This practical knowledge is shared at home, helping families adapt sustainable farming practices and improve their own food security.

The project doesn’t stop at schools. It inspires whole communities by offering a hub for agricultural education and innovation. Farmers visit the gardens to learn modern techniques, and parents volunteer their time, strengthening community bonds.

Growing Impact Beyond the Gardens

With Kenya facing challenges like climate change and food insecurity, these gardens are a lifeline. They introduce sustainable practices like water conservation and climate-resilient crops, ensuring long-term benefits even in harsh conditions. The gardens foster a culture of self-sufficiency, where communities are equipped with the tools to overcome adversity.

The ripple effects of this initiative are profound. Improved nutrition boosts academic performance, knowledge-sharing uplifts entire families, and community collaboration strengthens social ties. Moreover, the economic benefits of selling surplus produce help schools fund educational resources, ensuring the gardens contribute to a brighter future in multiple ways.

A Partner for Sustainable Change

Partnering with The SOL Foundation offers unique benefits to communities and organizations alike. By working together, partners gain access to proven strategies for community empowerment, sustainable solutions, and a global network of supporters. From providing clean water and education to combating hunger through initiatives like school gardens, The SOL Foundation focuses on creating lasting, scalable change.

For communities like those in Kenya, partnerships with The SOL Foundation have unlocked new opportunities, instilling hope and self-reliance. To learn more about these impactful projects, visit the SWECF partnership page.

Join Us in Cultivating Change

The SOL Foundation and SWECF’s school gardens show how collaboration can transform lives. These vibrant spaces are more than fields of crops; they are symbols of resilience, community, and progress.

Want to get involved? Explore our blog at The SOL Foundation Blog, or partner with us to make a difference. Together, we can continue planting the seeds of hope and growing a brighter tomorrow. 🌱

......................................................................................................................................................

Website: https://www.the-sol-foundation.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesol_foundation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesolfoundationorg/

X: https://x.com/the_solf_org

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesolfoundation

Blog: https://the-sol-foundation.blogspot.com/

Email: coordinator@the-sol-foundation.org

SIMPLE WAYS TO APPLY 3Rs IN YOUR DAILY LIFE

In our previous chapters we saw the importance of Recycling, Reusing and Reducing waste. In this chapter let us take a look at how we can apply the 3Rs in our daily life and protect the environment. 

Ways to reduce the amount of waste you create

1. Only buy what you need, and use what you buy

2. Buy loose fruit and vegetables and avoid items that are heavily packaged

3. Sign up to paperless billing or banking

4. Buy products with refillable packaging

5. If you are able, try home composting your food waste

6. Use refillable water bottles and coffee cups

7. Buy second hand clothing and consider hiring clothing

8. Have a go at replacing buttons and mending faulty zips or fallen hems rather than buying new clothing

9. Buy items that will have a longer life than disposable items, such as rechargeable batteries and use real crockery and cutlery for your parties instead of disposable ones

10. Avoid the use of disposable goods, such as lighters, paper cups and plastics

11. Purchase products made from recycled materials

12. Adopt the use of recycled paper for copier paper, letterhead and newsletters

Ways to reuse

1. Donate items that are still in a good, usable condition to charities or charity shops

2. Repurpose glass, plastic and cardboard containers to give them another life

3. Carry a re-usable shopping bag. Use cloth bags when buying groceries. 

4. Re-use wrapping paper or gift bags

5. Convert old clothing, towels or sheets into cleaning rags/cloths

6. Instead of using plastic wraps, use resalable containers

7. Use dishcloths instead of using paper towels

Let us now take a look at what some of the ways our social media families apply the 3Rs in their lives:

Instagram: 

@aisha_bagha -

" 1. Reusing scrap paper for writing notes. 

2. Buy loose fresh food as per our needs rather than pre-packaged. "

@rewireyourmindsetstrategy -

"Try to reuse stuff as much as possible"

@motivated_mamaof3 -

"Go Digital!"

Facebook:

Mary Jean Ernst -

" I no longer buy laundry detergent in plastic jugs. I use the dry laundry sheets, instead & have for past 3 years. I've tried about every brand and they all seem to work. I'm currently using Clearalif...bought on Amazon. However, I've used Earth Breeze & other well advertised brands. They are all good, but some seem to be more powerful on really dirty greasy boys & men's jeans.....Clearalif for one! "

1. REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE

‘Reduce, reuse and recycle’ targets waste and ultimately avoids making it in the first place. The three R's of sustainability—reduce, reuse, and recycle—are critical because they not only reduce the environmental impact of human activity but also conserve natural resources and protect the environment for future generations.

REDUCE :  How can I reduce the amount of waste I produce?

Waste prevention reduces the generation of waste in the first place, so it is the most preferred method of waste management and goes a long way toward protecting the environment. You can reduce waste by:

• Purchasing durable, long-lasting goods.
• Seeking products and packaging that are as toxic free.
• Redesigning products to use less raw material in production, have a longer life, or be used again after its original use.
• Only buy what you need
• Buy in bulk
• Look for items that you can re-use

REUSE : How can I reuse what I have?

This looks at how you can use certain items again before replacing them. Here are some ideas:

• Refill a water bottle with water from home instead of buying a new one
• Update your computer rather than throwing it out and getting a replacement
• Ditch plastic bags and choose reusable, environmentally-friendly bags instead
• Use durable coffee mugs.
• Reuse boxes.
• Purchase refillable pens and pencils.
• Participate in a paint collection and reuse program.
• Use cloth napkins or towels.
• Donate old magazines or surplus equipment.
• Turn empty jars into containers for leftover food.

As well as helping the environment, you could save money too!

RECYCLE : How can I recycle the products I use?

Before you throw something away, think about whether all or part of it could be recycled. Recycling prevents the emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants, and saves energy. Materials that can be recycled include: 

• Glass
• Cardboard
• Aluminum
• Lead batteries
• Paper
• Textile
• Wood

Sometimes, two more 'R's can be added to the three basic ones.

• Rethink can be added to the start of the list. It means we should think about the way our actions impact the environment.
• Recover is sometimes added to the end of the list. It refers to the act of putting waste products to use. For example, decomposing garbage produces methane gas, which can be recovered and burnt to produce energy.

Let us look at some of the comments we received from our Instagram family: 

@its_winnie_cheche -

" Recycling, Repurposing & Reusing"

@aisha_bagha -

" Prevents emission of greenhouse gasses and water pollutants, and saves energy."

@rewireyourmindsetstrategy -

" Less waste in the environment"

@zainab_akadir -

"Conserve natural resources" 

ZERO HUNGER

What is Zero Hunger? 

Zero Hunger is the second in line of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hoping to be met by the year 2030. 

Hunger is not caused by food shortage alone, but by a combination of natural, social, and political forces. 

Climate change is contributing to the degradation of precious resources, as severe weather events, like droughts, become more common and affect harvests, leading to less food for human consumption. 

Poverty and inequality are also two drivers of hunger, affecting who can buy food, as well as what kind of food, and how much, is available. 

Hunger is also a product of war and conflict. During periods of unrest, a country's economy and infrastructure can become severely damaged. This negatively affects civilian access to food by either driving up food prices, interfering with food production, or forcing people from their homes. 

Right now, there are around 815 million people who are hungry. This number is only expected to increase as the years go on; the UN estimates that two billion more people will be undernourished by 2050. The Zero Hunger SDG focuses on finding sustainable solutions to stop world hunger.

The goals of the Zero Hunger initiative are to end hunger and make sure that enough nutritious foods are available to people by 2030. Other aspects of the goal include ending all forms of malnutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture which we will focus on in our coming articles. 

Here are some of the definition of Zero Hunger by our social media family: 

Annakarima Sanders (Facebook) -

" EQUALITY FOR ALL ON THIS PLANET. 

As been shown, it can be if western countries could not collect 'the debts' of the poorer countries, we can begin equality. 

After Europe and other western countries robbed the now poor countries dry....they....should be more lenient on the poor countries" 

(Instagram)

@voiceoftheafricanyouth -

"Ability to sustain one's or a family's daily meals."

@dafinabread - 

"A 2030 goal to end hunger and provide nutritious food"

@zainab_akadir - 

"To end hunger and to make sure there is enough nutrition available"

@aisha_bagha -

" End hunger, achieve food security, promote sustainable agriculture." 

@mentor_quresha - 

" One of the SDG's put in place to eradicate hunger (people should be able to get basic food) "

@its_winnie_cheche -

" A state where everyone has access to sufficient and nutritious food." 

@_real_rizwana -

" To me that term means everyone has access to food w/out worrying about $$$" 

REFERENCES : https://www.nationalgeographic.org/

HOW CAN CHILDREN HELP PREVENT GLOBAL WARMING

We have looked at simple steps we can take at home to combat climate change. So how can children help? There is an increasing importance of teaching our future generations on how to take care of our delicate planet after all they are going to be living in it! So why not start now. 

So here are a few ways in which children can actively take part in fighting climate change: 

1. Conserve energy 

• Turn off the lights.
• Close doors immediately so heat does not escape.
• Take short showers.
• Walk or bike if you can (instead of having your parents drive you).
• Turn off your computer when not in use.

2. Convince people around you to save energy 

Ignorance has been one of the main roots of global warming . So share what you have learnt through words and actions. 

• Replace incandescent with fluorescent lights. (This saves a lot of money!)
• Ask your parents or adults around you not to leave the car running needlessly. 
• Recycle  (this saves energy in manufacturing).
• Run the dishwasher and other appliances on energy saver mode.
• Keep the house at 68°F or less. And make sure the heat goes off at night and when everyone is away.
• Start a conservation club at school to raise awareness. Get your fellow students and teachers on board to have the school reduce energy consumption.

3. Keep learning 

As much as we try to conserve and use sustainable methods and products in our day to day, finding and implementing sources of energy is also crucial. 

Kids are the future of our planet and they are the ones who will be finding better ways to conserve and save it, therefore education is the key to becoming a responsible Earth citizen and continue making good decisions for our planet in helping to find scientific, technological, economic and/or political solutions. 

Let us as parents, educators, siblings and guardians help us guide our young ones to a sustainable and greener future! 

Thank you to members of our social media family for your contributions: 

@real_rizwana (Instgram) -

"Teaching children of nature is extremely crucial for tomorrows world" 

@_sustainable_solutions (Instagram) -

"Not litter and taught to love the world, after all it's our home."

@counselor.hijabi (Instagram) - 

"Use public transport or carpool" 

@Linus Paul (Facebook) -

"Planting trees" 

SIMPLE ACTIONS TO COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING

 Everyone can help limit climate change. From the way we travel, to the electricity we use and the food we eat, we can make a difference. 

“Change only happens when individuals take action,” Aliya Haq, deputy director of NRDC’s Clean Power Plan initiative, says. “There’s no other way, if it doesn’t start with people.”

The goal is simple. Carbon dioxide is the climate’s worst enemy. It’s released when oil, coal, and other fossil fuels are burned for energy—the energy we use to power our homes, cars, and smartphones. By using less of it, we can curb our own contribution to climate change while also saving money. Here are a some easy, effective ways each one of us can make a difference:

1. Save energy at home/workplace 

• Most of our electricity and heat is powered by coal, oil and gas. 
• Use less energy by lowering your heating and cooling, switching to LED light bulbs and energy-efficient electric appliances, washing your laundry with cold water or hanging things to dry instead of using a dryer.
• Power your home/workplace with renewable energy like wind/solar energy. 
• Invest in energy efficient appliances making sure also to save water.
• Conserve energy by better insulating our homes and buildings, and by replacing old, failing appliances with more energy-efficient models.
• Call a home energy audit company and get an audit done for the home that will help you to identify areas that consume a lot of energy and are not energy efficient at all.

2. Walk, cycle or use public transport

• Walking or riding a bike instead of driving will reduce greenhouse gas emissions – and help your health and fitness. For longer distances, consider taking a train or bus. And carpool whenever possible.
• Gas-smart cars, such as hybrids and fully electric vehicles, save fuel and money
• Choosing to live in walkable smart-growth cities and towns with quality public transportation leads to less driving, less money spent on fuel, and less pollution in the air.
• Less frequent flying can make a big difference, too.
• Avoid rapid acceleration and braking, and turn on cruise control on longer trips
• Not only is bike riding healthy, but it also reduces the amount of CO2 released into the air. Walking is another easy way to reduce global warming.
• Working a few days each month from home means one less commuter on the road contributing to greenhouse gases.

3. Eat more vegetables 

• Eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and less meat and dairy, can significantly lower your environmental impact. 
• Producing plant-based foods generally results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy, land and water.
• Besides carbon dioxide, methane introduced into the air contributes to global warming. With meat consumed by the seconds, the number of cows breathing out methane is a huge contributor.

4. Avoid throwing food 

• When you throw food away, you're also wasting the resources and energy that were used to grow, produce, package and transport it. And when food rots in a landfill, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. So use what you buy and compost any leftovers.

5. Reduce, Reuse, Repair & Recycle 

• Electronics, clothes and other items we buy cause carbon emissions at each point in production, from the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing and transporting goods to market. 
• To protect our climate, buy fewer things, shop second-hand, repair what you can and recycle.
• Landfills already contain more than 2 million tons of plastic bottles. It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture water bottles every year, and those bottles take more than 1,000 years to biodegrade. Have one reusable water bottle to make a big difference.
• Reuse towels. Hang towels to dry, instead of popping them back in the wash after a few uses.

6. Change your source of energy 

• See if you can switch to renewable sources such as wind or solar. Or install solar panels on your roof to generate energy for your home.
• LED lightbulbs use up to 80 percent less energy than conventional incandescents. They’re also cheaper in the long run.
• You can offset the carbon you produce by purchasing carbon offsets, which represent clean power that you can add to the nation’s energy grid in place of power from fossil fuels. But not all carbon offset companies are alike. Do your homework to find the best supplier.

7. Speak up!

• By voicing your concerns you send a message that you care about the warming world.
• Always try your best to educate people about global warming and its causes and after-effects. Tell them how they can contribute their part by saving energy that will be good for the environment. Gather opportunities and establish programs that will help you to share information with friends, relatives, and neighbors.

8. Reduce water waste 

• Saving water reduces carbon pollution, too. That's because it takes a lot of energy to pump, heat, and treat your water. So take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, and switch to WaterSense-labeled fixtures and appliances. 

9. Pull the plug(s) 

• Don't leave fully charged devices plugged into your home's outlets, unplug rarely used devices or plug them into power strips and timers, and adjust your computers and monitors to automatically power down to the lowest power mode when not in use.

10. Plant trees

• Reforestation is the most cost-effective way to prevent global warming. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, so planting more trees can help reduce the amount of carbon in our atmosphere. In fact, we could remove roughly two-thirds of human-made carbon just by letting all forests regrow. 
• Protect what remains of our existing tropical forests .

11. Educate 

• Give to a charity that makes school more affordable and accessible for those in need in low- and lower-middle-income countries. 
• Always try your best to educate people about global warming and its causes and after-effects. Tell them how they can contribute their part by saving energy that will be good for the environment. Gather opportunities and establish programs that will help you to share information with friends, relatives, and neighbors.

12. Avoid products with a lot of packaging

• Just don’t buy products with a lot of packaging. When you buy such products, you will end up throwing the waste material in the garbage, which then will help in filling landfill sites and pollute the environment. Also, discourage others from buying such products.

13. Celebrate Arbor Day & Earth Day 

• Although most of us hear about these days in passing, see what the buzz is all about. Plant a tree, pick up trash, or join a forum.

14. Become aware of your contribution 

• With technology within your fingertips, finding information about protecting the environment is everywhere. To help emit less CO2, the first step is being aware of how much you can contribute.

Preventing global warming is more important than ever. We're the last generation that can change the course of climate change, and will be the first to face it's consequences if we don't act now. 

Here are some of the suggestions from our Instagram family:

@breathenmoments -

" Gratitude for what we already have. As we all have much abundance in our day to day lives we don't see."

"More awareness when using our resources. Try less first before using more."

@sabri_farouq -

"Tree planting" 

@blue_earth_organization -

"Planting lots of trees, Zero waste, Switch to reusables."

@real_rizwana -

"Make sure your surroundings are clean and taken care of." 

@legacy_mall -

"Plant trees (all species)"

@its_winnie_cheche -

"Grow indigenous trees, shrubs and other vegetation cover."

@mentor_quresha -

"Planting more trees"

@aisha_bagha -

"Save energy at home."

"Plant more trees" 

@ahmed.sheikh.589 -

"Plant trees & harvest water." 

@_nussy_ -

"Help to protect & conserve green spaces like local parks and community gardens." 

@sumaiyaharunany -

"So manyyy ; Plant a tree. Reuse, reduce, recycle."

"Segregate waste. Unplug devices at night . Ditch single use plastic."

REFERENCES:

• https://www.un.org/actnow
• https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/

EFFECTS ON URBAN HEAT ON HEALTH

 Health is an important motivator in discussions of climate change. Exposure to high temperatures increase risks for many health conditions, some of them being: 

• Heat cramps
• Heat exhaustion 
• Heat stroke 
• Cardiovascular disease
• Kidney disease
• Respiratory disease
• Poor reproductive outcomes
• Behavioral and mental health conditions

On average, heat is associated with more fatalities than other weather-related events. Death and illness directly attributable to heat are only a portion of total health impacts.

Populations particularly vulnerable to heat related illness and death include: 

• Elderly 
• Those with chronic conditions 
• Pregnant women
• Low income population

Here are some views from our Instagram family members about the impact of temperature rise on health: 

@sabri_farouq:

"yes..like stroke"

@sumaiyaharunany :

"Heat strokes, heat exhaustion (profuse sweating) " 

@_nussy_ :

"It worsens air quality which can lead to asthma attacks & other respiratory health effects"

@zainab_akadir :

"Dehydration and heat stroke"

@legacy.consulting :

"In both extreme hot & cold it becomes hard to breath"

@_real_rizwana :

"Animals die easily, especially those who are not made for extreme hot/cold "

 

TEMPERATURE RISE

 Introduction

Over the last 50 years, human activities – particularly the burning of fossil fuels – have released sufficient quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to trap additional heat in the lower atmosphere and affect the global climate.

In the last 130 years, the world has warmed by approximately 0.85oC. Each of the last 3 decades has been successively warmer than any preceding decade since 1850

 The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole.  And the impacts of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some far-flung future–the effects of global warming are appearing right now. The heat is melting glaciers and sea ice, shifting precipitation patterns, and setting animals on the move. Sea levels are rising, glaciers are melting and precipitation patterns are changing. Extreme weather events are becoming more intense and frequent.

The Past & The Future

The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 2005, and 7 of the 10 have occurred just since 2014. Looking back to 1988, a pattern emerges: except for 2011, as each new year is added to the historical record, it becomes one of the top 10 warmest on record at that time, but it is ultimately replaced as the “top ten” window shifts forward in time.

By 2020, models project that global surface temperature will be more than 0.5°C (0.9°F) warmer than the 1986-2005 average, regardless of which carbon dioxide emissions pathway the world follows. This similarity in temperatures regardless of total emissions is a short-term phenomenon: it reflects the tremendous inertia of Earth's vast oceans. The high heat capacity of water means that ocean temperature doesn't react instantly to the increased heat being trapped by greenhouse gases. By 2030, however, the heating imbalance caused by greenhouse gases begins to overcome the oceans' thermal inertia, and projected temperature pathways begin to diverge, with unchecked carbon dioxide emissions likely leading to several additional degrees of warming by the end of the century.

" 2019 among the three warmest years on record" 

Many characteristics of climate change directly depend on the level of global warming, but what people experience is often very different to the global average. For example, warming over land is larger than the global average, and it is more than twice as high in the Arctic.

But it is not just about temperature. Climate change is bringing multiple different changes in different regions – which will all increase with further warming. These include changes to wetness and dryness, to winds, snow and ice, coastal areas and oceans. For example:

• Climate change is intensifying the water cycle. This brings more intense rainfall and associated flooding, as well as more intense drought in many regions.
• Climate change is affecting rainfall patterns. In high latitudes, precipitation is likely to increase, while it is projected to decrease over large parts of the subtropics. Changes to monsoon precipitation are expected, which will vary by region.
• Coastal areas will see continued sea level rise throughout the 21st century, contributing to more frequent and severe coastal flooding in low-lying areas and coastal erosion. Extreme sea level events that previously occurred once in 100 years could happen every year by the end of this century.
• Further warming will amplify permafrost thawing, and the loss of seasonal snow cover, melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and loss of summer Arctic sea ice.
• Changes to the ocean, including warming, more frequent marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, and reduced oxygen levels have been clearly linked to human influence. These changes affect both ocean ecosystems and the people that rely on them, and they will continue throughout at least the rest of this century.
• For cities, some aspects of climate change may be amplified, including heat (since urban areas are usually warmer than their surroundings), flooding from heavy precipitation events and sea level rise in coastal cities.

Impact of Temperature Rise 

• Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice. In Montana's Glacier National Park the number of glaciers has declined to fewer than 30 from more than 150 in 1910.
• Much of this melting ice contributes to sea-level rise. Global sea levels are rising 0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters) a year, and the rise is occurring at a faster rate in recent years.
• Rising temperatures are affecting wildlife and their habitats. Vanishing ice has challenged species such as the Adélie penguin in Antarctica, where some populations on the western peninsula have collapsed by 90 percent or more.
• As temperatures change, many species are on the move. Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have migrated farther north or to higher, cooler areas.
• Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average. Yet some regions are experiencing more severe drought, increasing the risk of wildfires, lost crops, and drinking water shortages.
• Some species—including mosquitoes, ticks, jellyfish, and crop pests—are thriving. Booming populations of bark beetles that feed on spruce and pine trees, for example, have devastated millions of forested acres in the U.S.

Other effects could take place later this century, if warming continues. These include:

• Sea levels are expected to rise between 10 and 32 inches (26 and 82 centimeters) or higher by the end of the century.
• Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. Floods and droughts will become more common. Large parts of the U.S., for example, face a higher risk of decades-long "megadroughts" by 2100.
• Less freshwater will be available, since glaciers store about three-quarters of the world's freshwater.
• Some diseases will spread, such as mosquito-borne malaria (and the 2016 resurgence of the Zika virus).
• Ecosystems will continue to change: Some species will move farther north or become more successful; others, such as polar bears, won’t be able to adapt and could become extinct.

REFERENCES: 

• USGCRP, 2017: Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume I [Wuebbles, D.J., D.W. Fahey, K.A. Hibbard, D.J. Dokken, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 470 pp., doi: 10.7930/J0J964J6.
• NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Global Climate Report for Annual 2020, online January 2021, retrieved on March 15, 2021 from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/202013.
•  IPCC, 2014: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change.
• who.int/
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
• https://www.ipcc.ch/

EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

 In this chapter we will look at how to know the effects of climate change. How do we know that the climate is changing. We shall just browse through some of the scientific evidence. 

Direct observations made on and above Earth’s surface show the planet’s climate is significantly changing. Human activities are the primary driver of those changes.

Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization.

1. GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RISE 

The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit (1.18 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and other human activities. Most of the warming occurred in the past 40 years, with the seven most recent years being the warmest. The years 2016 and 2020 are tied for the warmest year on record.

2. WARMING OCEAN 

The ocean has absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 100 meters (about 328 feet) of ocean showing warming of more than 0.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.33 degrees Celsius) since 1969. Earth stores 90% of the extra energy in the ocean.

3. SHRINKING ICE SHEETS 

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment show Greenland lost an average of 279 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2019, while Antarctica lost about 148 billion tons of ice per year.

4. GLACIAL RETREAT 

Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world — including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska, and Africa.

5. DECREASED SNOW COVER 

Satellite observations reveal that the amount of spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has decreased over the past five decades and the snow is melting earlier.

6. SEA LEVEL RISE 

Global sea level rose about 8 inches (20 centimeters) in the last century. The rate in the last two decades, however, is nearly double that of the last century and accelerating slightly every year.

7. DECLINING ARCTIC SEA ICE 

Both the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice has declined rapidly over the last several decades.

8. EXTREME NATURAL EVENTS 

Increase in natural disasters each year.

9. OCEAN ACIDIFICATION 

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30%. This increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and hence more being absorbed into the ocean. The ocean has absorbed between 20% and 30% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions in recent decades (7.2 to 10.8 billion metric tons per year).

The evidence of climate change is overwhelming, urging us to climate action. Here are some of the opinions from our Instagram & Facebook family: 

FACEBOOK

Sprut Krankle  - 

"The Sahara going green."

Prachi Jain  -

" 16% above expected levels, forest wildfires, rains."

INSTAGRAM 

@_real_rizwana - 

"Unpredictable weather."

@_nussy_ -

"Global temperatures rise, warming ocean, decreased snow cover, glacial retreat & ocean acidification."

@sumaiyaharunani - 

" So many!!! Wildfires, drought, typhoons, ice on Kilimajaro is almost over. Heat waves, intense drought, rise of sea levels, melting glaciers, extreme weather conditions. "

@its_winnie_cheche - 

"Floods and droughts."

@breathenmoments -

"Increased erratic weather."

@blue_earth_organization -

"Rise in sea levels, abrupt change in weather patterns."

@dafina_bread -

"No rain. Prolonged drought. "

@zainab_akadir -

"Temperature fluctuation and melting of ice peaks."

REFERENCES:

• https://climate.nasa.gov/
• Vostok ice core data; NOAA Mauna Loa CO2 record
• Gaffney, O.; Steffen, W. (2017). "The Anthropocene equation," The Anthropocene Review (Volume 4, Issue 1, April 2017), 53-61.
• https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/indicators.php
• https://crudata.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/temperature/​
• http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp
• https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/OC5/3M_HEAT_CONTENT/index3.html
• National Snow and Ice Data Center
• World Glacier Monitoring Service
• National Snow and Ice Data Center
• R. S. Nerem, B. D. Beckley, J. T. Fasullo, B. D. Hamlington, D. Masters and G. T. Mitchum. "Climate-change–driven accelerated sea-level rise detected in the altimeter era." PNAS, 2018 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717312115
• http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment.

The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible on the timescale of people alive today, and will worsen in the decades to come.

As climate change transforms global ecosystems, it affects everything from the places we live to the water we drink to the air we breathe.

Let us list a few of these effects as seen in our world today: 

• Global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities.
• Extreme Weather; As the earth’s atmosphere heats up, it collects, retains, and drops more water, changing weather patterns and making wet areas wetter and dry areas drier. 
• Air pollution and climate change are inextricably linked, with one exacerbating the other. 
• According to the World Health Organization, “climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year” between 2030 and 2050. As air pollution worsens, so does respiratory health—particularly for the 300 million people living with asthma worldwide; there’s more airborne pollen and mold to torment hay fever and allergy sufferers, too. Extreme weather events, such as severe storms and flooding, can lead to injury, drinking water contamination, and storm damage that may compromise basic infrastructure or lead to community displacement.
• Rising Seas. The Arctic is heating twice as fast as any other place on the planet.
• The earth’s oceans absorb between one-quarter and one-third of our fossil fuel emissions and are now 30 percent more acidic than they were in preindustrial times. This acidification poses a serious threat to underwater life, particularly creatures with calcified shells or skeletons like oysters, clams, and coral. It can have a devastating impact on shellfisheries, as well as the fish, birds, and mammals that depend on shellfish for sustenance.
• Climate change is increasing pressure on wildlife to adapt to changing habitats—and fast. Many species are seeking out cooler climates and higher altitudes, altering seasonal behaviors, and adjusting traditional migration patterns. These shifts can fundamentally transform entire ecosystems and the intricate webs of life that depend on them. As a result, according to a 2014 IPCC climate change report, many species now face “increased extinction risk due to climate change.” And one 2015 study showed that mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and other vertebrate species are disappearing 114 times faster than they should be, a phenomenon that has been linked to climate change, pollution, and deforestation—all interconnected threats. 

So what are the effects of climate change in the future? Let's browse through some of them. 

• Global climate is projected to continue to change over this century and beyond. The magnitude of climate change beyond the next few decades depends primarily on the amount of heat-trapping gases emitted globally, and how sensitive the Earth’s climate is to those emissions.
• Temperatures will continue to rise
• Frost- free season (and growing season) will lengthen 
• More droughts and heat waves
• Hurricanes will become stronger and more intense 
• Sea levels will rise drastically 
• The Arctic likely to become ice free! 

We asked the same questions on our social media and here are some of the answers we received from our Instagram family: 

baus_taka_enterprise: 

"Drought, icebergs melting, fires, global warming, landslides, floods." 

sumaiyaharunany: 

"Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, heatwaves, frequent and intense droughts, storms."

phoenix_marketing_solutions:

"Temperature rises, sea level rises, drought." 

zainab_akadir:

"Global Warming."

_real_rizwana: 

"Temperatures and natural caused disasters."

REFRENCES: 

1. https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Geological records show that there have been a number of large variations in the Earth’s climate. These have been caused by many natural factors, including changes in the sun, emissions from volcanoes, variations in Earth’s orbit and levels of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Global climate change has typically occurred very slowly, over thousands or millions of years. However, research shows that the current climate is changing more rapidly than shown in geological records.

The mechanics of the earth’s climate system are simple. When energy from the sun is reflected off the earth and back into space (mostly by clouds and ice), or when the earth’s atmosphere releases energy, the planet cools. When the earth absorbs the sun’s energy, or when atmospheric gases prevent heat released by the earth from radiating into space (the greenhouse effect), the planet warms.

 A variety of factors, both natural and human, can influence the earth’s climate system.

The main driver of climate change is the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.

Some gases in the Earth's atmosphere act a bit like the glass in a greenhouse, trapping the sun's heat and stopping it from leaking back into space and causing global warming.

Many of these greenhouse gases occur naturally, but human activity is increasing the concentrations of some of them in the atmosphere, in particular:

• carbon dioxide (CO2)
• methane
• nitrous oxide
• fluorinated gases

NATURAL CAUSES

• Sun's Intensity
• Volcanic Eruptions 
• Changes in Earth's Orbit, Axial Tilt & Precession 
• Quality of Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere
• Ocean Currents 
• Changes in Land Cover
• Meteorites Impact

CAUSES FOR RISING EMISSIONS ( HUMAN INDUCED) 

• Burning coal, oil and gas produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.
• Cutting down forests (deforestation). Trees help to regulate the climate by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. When they are cut down, that beneficial effect is lost and the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect.
• Increasing livestock farming. Cows and sheep produce large amounts of methane when they digest their food.
• Fertilizers containing nitrogen produce nitrous oxide emissions.
• Fluorinated gases are emitted from equipment and products that use these gases. Such emissions have a very strong warming effect, up to 23 000 times greater than CO2.

Thank you to all those who responded to our question on our social media platforms. Here are some of the answers we got as being causes of climate change: 

eaglewingorganization (Instagram)-

"Human activities are the leading causes of climate change...from deforestation to make a living, improper use of fertilisers especially those containing nitrogen, burning coal and use of gas emitting devices."

earthlab (Instagram) -

"Climate change is a combination of natural factors and human activities."

Amina Shah (Whatsapp)- 

"Our own actions. We burn the forest and we don't plant back, we create a lot of plastic items, we manufacture harsh chemicals which in turn affect the lands and the oceans, the list is endless." 

https://linktr.ee/theseedoflifefoundation

CLIMATE CHANGE / TEMPERATURE RISES

 INTRODUCTION

This new Blog Series takes a look at climate change with the emphasis on the recent global temperature rises. We touch through definitions of climate change, causes of climate change focusing on temperature rises and look at what actions we can take to lessen the effects and save our planet. 

CLIMATE CHANGE 

Climate change is the global phenomenon of climate transformation characterized by the changes in the usual climate of the planet (regarding temperature, precipitation, and wind) that are especially caused by human activities. As a result of unbalancing the weather of Earth, the sustainability of the planet’s ecosystems is under threat, as well as the future of humankind and the stability of the global economy.

NASA scientists have observed Earth’s surface is warming, and many of the warmest years on record have happened in the past 20 years.

NASA’s definition of climate change says it is “a broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add heat-trapping gases to Earth’s atmosphere. These phenomena include the increased temperature trends described by global warming, but also encompass changes such as sea-level rise; ice mass loss in Greenland, Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain glaciers worldwide; shifts in flower/plant blooming; and extreme weather events.”

WEATHER vs CLIMATE CHANGE

Weather describes the conditions outside right now in a specific place. For example, if you see that it’s raining outside right now, that’s a way to describe today’s weather. Rain, snow, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes — these are all weather events.

Climate, on the other hand, is more than just one or two rainy days. Climate describes the weather conditions that are expected in a region at a particular time of year.

CLIMATE CHANGE vs GLOBAL WARMING

According to the US Geological Survey, global warming is just one aspect of climate change. In fact, they say that global warming refers to the rise in global temperatures due mainly to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. 

On the other hand, climate change refers to the increasing changes in the measures of climate over a long period of time – including precipitation, temperature, and wind patterns.

"Climate Change is something deeper than justice, it's about solidarity. Human solidarity." 

- BILL MCKIBBEN

HUMAN INDUCED CAUSES OF EXTINCTION

Current rates of human-induced extinctions are estimated to be about 1,000 times greater than past natural (background) rates of extinction, leading some scientists to call modern times the sixth mass extinction.

 This high extinction rate is largely due to the exponential growth in human numbers: growing from about 1 billion in 1850, the world’s population reached 2 billion in 1930 and more than 7.8 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach about 10 billion by 2050. As a result of increasing human populations, habitat loss is the greatest factor in current levels of extinction. 

Here we take a look at some of the human-induced causes of extinction: 

1. Over harvesting 

Humans use thousands of the world’s species in their daily lives for food, shelter, and medicine. But these natural resources are limited. People can take only so many fish from the sea or cut down so many acres of forests without permanently damaging ecosystems and threatening species. For many species, this “overharvesting” may mean total extinction.

2. Habitat Loss 

When people cut down forests, build cities, or make roads, they destroy habitats–the places where plants, animals, and other organisms live.

3. Pollution 

Acid rain destroys forests. Oil spills kill coastal plants and animals. Poisons wash into waterways. Plastic trash entangles wildlife. It’s easy to see how pollution is a big problem for biodiversity.

Thank you Ted Decker from our Facebook Family for your input: 

"The mere fact that today we are surrounded by all animals, prove they have survived climate change for 4 million years. I don't think we have to worry. The problem is that man's garbage is contributing to the escalation of the process, not causing it." 

REFERENCE: 

John L. Gittleman

Dean of the graduate faculty at the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology. Editor of Carnivore Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution; co-editor of Carnivore Conservation.

REASONS / CAUSES OF EXTINCTION

 In this chapter we shall brush through some of the causes or reasons of extinction. In our next chapter however, we shall look at the human induced causes in depth. 

1. Habitat Loss 

The most common cause of endangerment is habitat loss. Plants and animals need space to live and energy provided by food, just as humans do. As human population and consumption increase, wildlife habitat is converted to houses and highways. Forests are cut down for building materials, fuel, and paper.

Even if habitat is not completely destroyed, it can be fragmented or degraded so much that it can no longer support the species it once did.

Many species, particularly large mammals, need large areas of habitat to survive and reproduce. Patches of forest or grassland surrounded by farms or cities, or divided by roads, will not support these species. 

2. Changes in the Atmosphere 

We know little about how changes in our atmosphere, such as global warming or ozone depletion, is affecting other life forms. However it is becoming more apparent every day that climate change is, and will have a significant impact on the planets species.

3. Diseases 

Disease and insect infestations, which are natural and nonthreatening phenomena in many ecosystems, can deal a death blow to populations weakened or depleted by other pressures.

4. Climatic Heating and Cooling

Climate Change is caused by a number of things. The effect that climate has on extinction is very big. The biodiverse Earth can't keep up with the rapid changes in temperature and climate. The species are not used to severe weather conditions and long seasons, or a changing chemical make-up of their surroundings. As more species die, it is only making it more difficult for the survivors to find food. The warmer climates we are used to present-day are perfect for diseases and epidemics to thrive.

5. Changes in the Sea levels of Currents 

The changes in sea levels and currents is a result, in part, of the melting freshwater. The denser, saltier water sinks and forms the currents that marine life depends on. Ocean floor spreading and rising also affects sea level. A small rise in the ocean floor can displace a lot of water onto land that is all ready occupied. The gases from the volcanic activity can also be absorbed by the water, thus changing the chemical composition, making it unsuitable for some life.

6. Asteroids/ Cosmic Radiation 

Asteroids hit the earth with extreme force. The reverberations can be felt around the world. The impact site is completely destroyed.

Cosmic Radiation is radiation being emitted from outer space and the Sun. It is hypothesized that being exposed to too much cosmic radiation can mutate genes, which can potentially weaken a species' genepool in the future. Since the radiation comes from space and the Sun, it is extremely difficult to avoid the radiation. Supernova remnants is one source of cosmic radiation.

7. Acid Rain 

Acid rain forms when sulfur dioxide and/or nitrogen oxides are put out into the atmosphere. The chemicals get absorbed by water droplets in the clouds, and eventually fall to the earth as acid precipitation. Acid rain increases the acidity of the soil which affects plant life. It can also disturb rivers and lakes to a possibly lethal level.

RANKS OF EXTINCTION

 Since we have now defined what extinction is, in this chapter we shall look briefly into the ranks of extinction. 

Rates of extinction vary widely. 

During the last 100,000 years of the Pleistocene Epoch (about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago), some 40 percent of the existing genera of large mammals in Africa and more than 70 percent in North America, South America, and Australia went extinct. 

Ecologists estimate that the present-day extinction rate is 1,000 to 10,000 times the background extinction rate (between one and five species per year) because of deforestation, habitat loss, overhunting, pollution, climate change, and other human activities—the sum total of which will likely result in the loss of between 30 and 50 percent of extant species by the middle of the 21st century.

Although extinction is an ongoing feature of Earth’s flora and fauna (the vast majority of species ever to have lived are extinct), the fossil record reveals five unusually large extinctions, each involving the demise of vast numbers of species. These conspicuous declines in diversity are referred to as mass extinctions; they are distinguished from the majority of extinctions, which occur continually and are referred to as background extinction. 

Ranked in descending order of severity, they are: 

1. Permian extinction (about 265.1 million to about 251.9 million years ago), the most dramatic die-off, eliminating about half of all families, some 95 percent of marine species (nearly wiping out brachiopods and corals), and about 70 percent of land species (including plants, insects, and vertebrates).
2. Ordovician-Silurian extinction (about 443.8 million years ago), which included about 25 percent of marine families and 85 percent of marine species, with brachiopods, conodonts, bryozoans, and trilobites suffering greatly.
3. Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T), or Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg), extinction (about 66.0 million years ago), involving about 80 percent of all animal species, including the dinosaurs and many species of plants. Although many scientists contend that this event was caused by one or more large comets or asteroids striking Earth, others maintain that it was caused by climatic changes associated with the substantial volcanic activity of the time.
4. End-Triassic extinction (about 201.3 million years ago), possibly caused by rapid climate change or by an asteroid striking Earth. This mass extinction event caused about 20 percent of marine families and some 76 percent of all extant species to die out, possibly within a span of about 10,000 years, thus opening up numerous ecological niches into which the dinosaurs evolved.
5. Devonian extinctions (407.6 million to about 358.9 million years ago), which included 15–20 percent of marine families and 70–80 percent of all animal species. Roughly 86 percent of marine brachiopod species perished, along with many corals, conodonts, and trilobites.

https://www.the-sol-foundation.org/

REFERENCES:

John L. Gittleman

Dean of the graduate faculty at the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology. Editor of Carnivore Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution; co-editor of Carnivore Conservation.

INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE

 In this chapter we shall look at some inspirational people around the globe who have been and are strong warriors in the fight of climate change and a sustainable environment. We can learn a lot from their lives and follow their research, teachings, methods into a better world for our future. 

GRETA THUNBERG, SWEDEN

In August 2018, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, 15, spent her school days outside the Swedish parliament calling for stronger action on climate change by holding up a sign reading "Skolstrejk för klimatet" (school strike for climate). Her image went viral and later that year, she addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which sparked multiple school protests around the world. 

Her global influence has been dubbed the "Greta Effect" and she was named Time magazine's person of the year in 2019. She has received widespread recognition for her straight-talking manner, both in public and to political leaders around the world.

She is an inspiration to many, her age and elder. And those younger look up to her to follow her footsteps in taking climate action. 

THE LATE WANGARI MAATHAI; ENVIRONMENTALIST, NOBEL PRIZE WINNER. KENYA

The late Wangari Maathai had great persuasive powers working as Kenya’s assistant minister for the environment. Wangari single-handedly talked the Mexican army, French celebrities, Japanese geishas and thousands of schools to plant trees. She spent most of her life planting saplings. She was the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an initiative through which billions of trees have been planted and millions of more others pledged.

Wangari succeeded in putting deforestation high on the African agenda and made tree planting an act of change in which everyone must engage.

An inspiration many young environmental activists who continue her work in the country. 

CHRISTIANA FIGUERES, COSTA RICA

As head of the UN climate change convention, Christiana Figueres brought together the biggest voices in government, finance and technology, NGOs and activists to deliver the historic 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. She persuaded 195 countries to commit to keeping a global temperature rise this century below two degrees Celsius. 

She's also the founder of the Global Optimism group, a platform which works with organizations to make their systems more sustainable. Her new book, The Future We Choose: Surviving The Climate Crisis, focuses on changing people's consciousness towards climate change and offers 10 actions which include building gender equality. Her goal is to halve our emissions by 2030.

DR JANE GOODALL, UK

In the early 1960s, 26-year-old Jane Goodall travelled from England to what is now Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees. Equipped with only a notepad, binoculars and a passion for wildlife, Goodall opened the world's eyes to humankind's closest living relatives. 

Her incredible field research spans over 60 years and has redefined species conservation to include the needs of both local people and the environment, as well as showing the world how to protect chimpanzees from extinction. 

In 1977, Dr Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute, an international community that drives conservation. She's now an activist who speaks about the plight of wild chimpanzees and the environmental crisis, urging us all to take action.

ISATOU CEESAY, THE GAMBIA

Known in The Gambia as the "Queen of Plastic", Isatou Ceesay has been empowering women there to recycle plastic waste, the country's biggest pollutant, for 17 years. 

Along with four others, Ceesay initiated a recycling project called One Plastic Bag in 1998 near her native village, which aimed to educate communities on the necessity to reclaim waste and turn it into revenue. Every week, members of the Women Initiative The Gambia (WIG) produce craft wallets, bags and balls for children using the reclaimed plastic bags which they cut, knit and sew. The group has amassed more than 2,000 members in 40 different communities throughout the country with many communities now opting to use paper bags in local stores.

ELLEN MACARTHUR, UK

Having become the fastest solo sailor to circumnavigate the globe in 2005, Dame Ellen MacArthur saw firsthand the negative impact of marine waste. She launched the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2010, which aims to reinvent traditional methods of production and consumption and create sustainable alternatives. 

In 2018, the foundation launched its New Plastics Economy Global Commitment in collaboration with UN Environment to eliminate plastic waste which saw big-name companies such as H&M Group, L'Oréal and Unilever commit to limiting or eradicating their plastic packaging.

PAUL WATSON, CANADA 

Watson was an early member of Greenpeace International (founded in 1971). During his years with the organization, he often employed daring and innovative tactics to defend wildlife from hunters, such as positioning his inflatable Zodiac boat between a pod of sperm whales and the harpoon of a large Soviet whaling vessel or forcing sealing ships to a halt by standing on the ice in their path. He also was known to handcuff himself to a pile of seal pelts being hoisted up onto a sealing vessel. 

Watson shared his passion for animals and the environment through his involvement with numerous other organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Wolf, Fund for Animals, the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals, and the Sierra Club, of which he was director (2003–06).

WILLIAM (BILL) MCKIBBEN, AMERICA

Bill McKibben is an American environmentalist, author, and journalist who has written extensively on the impact of global warming. 

 Bill McKibben is also a Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College. In 2007, with six Middlebury College students, McKibben set up Step It Up 2007, which organized more than 1400 climate change demonstrations across the United States. He now leads a similar campaign on a global basis with the group 350.org, and in 2011 he led the fight to stop the Keystone Pipeline project.

ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR

Angela Merkel is quite vocal in matters of climate change and an advocate of green living on a global stage. She stands among the few with a grasp of what failed humanity means and an avid player remaining to hammer out the 1997 Kyoto global warming agreement. Under her leadership, Germany is spearheading climate change policies. The country wants 40% cuts within 13 years without resorting to nuclear power.

MARINA SILVA, BRAZIL

Marina, a Brazilian environmentalist, spent most of her childhood collecting rubber from the Amazon forest. She demonstrated against the destruction of wrought by illegal loggers. Under her watch deforestation has reduced by over 70% with millions of reserves given to traditional communities.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has." 

- Margaret Mead

IMPORTANCE OF GOING GREEN

Going green has huge effects on our body, mind, relationships, and the world around us in many ways. Our environment can either increase or reduce stress; hence impact the body. The things we see, experience or hear can change our mood and how our immune, endocrine, and nervous system function.

A stressful environment causes anxiety which in turn elevates blood pressure, muscle tension, and heart rate and going green reverses these impacts. A natural environment is a stress reliever, it heals and makes you feel better emotionally and contributes to your physical wellbeing. It helps us cope with pain. This is because trees, water, plants and other natural elements distract us from pain and discomfort.

A green environment also helps us to connect with others. People who have green space around their homes build more relationships and are concerned about supporting each other. Such also lowers aggression, violence, and street crime between people meaning a better capacity to cope with the daily demands. 

Going green creates a healthy living environment and also improves lifestyle. 

Reduce resources consumption and eliminate wastes.

Conserve natural resources and forests.

Maintain the natural ecological balance on earth so that all living things can survive and thrive in their natural habitat.

Use of fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas, and coal, and burning wood produce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and many harmful chemicals that pollute the air and have serious consequences on environment and people's health.

Such measures can save lives, because air pollution has become "a major environmental health risk," according to the World Health Organization (WHO), that has led to the premature death of 3 million people. Decreasing air pollutants would reduce water pollution by decreasing acid rain and eutrophication that can harm to wildlife especially in aquatic environments, and crops and trees report Massachusetts' Department of Environmental Protection.

Save Biodiversity and Human Livelihoods.

These are just some of the importance of going green, there are countless more economic, environmental and personal benefits of going green and living a sustainable life. 

THE 5Rs OF ZERO WASTE MANAGEMENT ( Part 3 )

5.Rot What’s Left

The ultimate step in the 5 R’s of zero waste living is to rot, in other words compost. You can do a lot with your food scraps rather than throw them in the waste bin. Compost them and you’ll be creating a nutrient rich fertilizer you can use in your garden. 

It’s estimated that 60% of landfills in the US are full of organic matter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have time to break down because landfills aren’t aerated. Instead, the organic matter releases methane into the atmosphere, thereby hastening climate related issues. Because the organic materials are mixed together with inorganic materials,  a perfect preserved atmosphere is created.

Indoor composting is what you need to be doing if you don’t have an outside space. Worm bins are the most common way to compost indoors. Make sure you keep a good mix of carbon (paper, cardboard, newspaper, dry leaves) and nitrogen (food scraps). Around 50/50 is best. Add to your compost bin some composting worms and you’re good to go. 

Another option is a Bokashi Bin. It’s a big bucket into which you put all your composting material. You mash it down and then add an activator mix full of microbes that speeds up the decomposition process. Compost can be created in as little as 4 weeks. 

What can you compost? You can compost plant materials like veggie scraps, non-citrus fruit peels and seeds, nut shells, as well as egg shells, coffee grinds, loose tea, brown paper, hair (non-chemically processed), nail clippings (unpolished) and fireplace ashes.

Regardless of your chosen compost method, watch your household waste output shrink before your very eyes! 

Taking a look at the above 5Rs of waste management we conclude how important it is to effectively utilize these methods in our journey to Zero Waste lifestyle. None of them are easy to apply but we can start small scaled with baby steps until it becomes a lifestyle passed on to our generations. 

Here is a take on the 5Rs of waste management by one of our Facebook family members: 

Kibet Ron -

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

THE 5 Rs OF ZERO WASTE MANAGEMENT ( Part 1)

Waste contributes to the pollution of our oceans and lakes, and it increases the greenhouse gas effect that causes global warming. It is no longer good enough to buy plastic and feel ok because you recycle it. It is time to refuse, reduce and reuse first.

The world uses half a million straws every day.

It is estimated that 4 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually. Only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling. All that waste can be eliminated by switching to reusable shopping bags. Plastic carrier bags are used on average for 12 minutes, it takes at least 500 years for those bags to degrade in landfill. Unfortunately, these bags don’t break down completely, instead they photo-degrade. This means that they become micro plastics that absorb and release toxins that continue to pollute the environment long after they have ‘degraded’.

In 2016 the worlds plastic production totaled around 335million metric tons, roughly half of this was destined for single use product.

Single use plastics often do not even make it to landfill, on average 30% of the 78million tons of plastic packaging produced annually is left to flow into our oceans – this is the equivalent to pouring 1 truck of plastic into the ocean every minute! This is expected to increase by 2 per minute by 2030 and 4 per minute in 2050. This means that by the year 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish!

500 billion disposable cups are consumed every year. Styrofoam cannot be completely recycled. Most of the Styrofoam disposed of today will still be present in landfills 500 years from now.

So how can you make a difference? There are 5 R’s of waste management that you can use to help cut down your carbon footprint and the negative impact on our planet.

1. Refuse – Learn How to Say No and Mean It

The first step of the 5 R process. And a difficult one. 

The best and most effective way of eliminating waste in your life is refusing to create it in the first place. It is about being conscious about what you consume and refusing what you don’t actually need. 

 Things like carrier bags, disposable coffee cups, cutlery and straws are the biggest culprits. They are a part of our daily lives and we often receive and use them without thinking about it but these products are mostly made from plastic and after one use most end up in landfill or, through improper disposal, our oceans. 

So start making smarter buying decisions be it personally or for business , and say no to plastic and non recyclable waste. Go for reusable containers or bags, metal/wooden straws and carry your refillable coffee mug or bottle.

Here are lots of other ways you can refuse by saying no:

- Flyers and business cards: If you’re offered one, take a picture of it using your phone, thereby negating the need for the physical item.

- Marketing freebies: We all like to receive things for free, but learn to say no if you don’t need them. Just because it’s free, don’t take that as a reason to accept it. Marketing freebies, such as pens and USB drives, are brilliant examples. If you know you won’t use them, leave them for someone who will. -

- Chemical cleaners and air fresheners: These might seem like essential items, but you can make them at home with things you’ve already got in your cupboard.

- Single-use plastics and disposables: Included in this section are straws, cutlery, and plastic bags.

Produce wrapped in plastic: Send a message to the supermarkets and only choose products that aren’t wrapped in plastic or netting. Shop for produce at your local farmer’s market, greengrocers, local food co-op, or direct from the farm. 

- Free bottles of water: When you attend a conference or are flying, say no to the free bottle of water and take your own reusable water bottle instead. 

- Junk mail: Stick a ‘no junk mail’ notice on your letter box to stop paper deliveries.

2. Reduce – Learn to Let Go

Reducing your consumption is all about the virtue of conservation and the notion of doing more with less. Reducing waste is the most important thing we can do. By reducing waste, we avoid the unnecessary use of resources such as materials, energy and water. It means there is less waste to manage.

“Reduce” in the context of zero waste might mean letting go of items in the house that you no longer need, and donating, selling or upcycling them. Then you can alleviate clutter and create space.

“Reducing” might also mean shopping with a purpose and focusing on necessary purchases as opposed to random splurges on things that you don’t really need.

So how can we reduce waste?

- Buy in bulk to reduce packaging

- Take a reusable shopping bag with you so you don't have to use a paper or plastic bag from the shop

- Say ‘no’ to a plastic shopping bag when you only have a couple of items

- Choose products that use less packaging 

- Buy reusable items rather than disposable ones

- Stick a "no junk mail" sign on your letter box

- Take your lunch to school in a reusable container.

ZERO WASTE MANAGEMENT PART 2

Waste management (or waste disposal) includes the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process.

Waste management deals with all types of waste, including industrial, biological and household. In some cases, waste can pose a threat to human health.

Waste is produced by human activity, for example, the extraction and processing of raw materials.]

Waste management is intended to reduce adverse effects of waste on human health, the environment or aesthetics.

Zero Waste is a whole system approach to resource management centered on reducing, reusing, and recycling. 

Zero waste management means the holistic concept of waste management which recognizes waste as a resource produced during the interim phase of the process of resource consumption. Zero waste strategies may be applied to companies, to communities, industrial sectors, to schools, and homes since they include many stakeholders, not only those of the environment, but also technological aspects. 

Proper management of waste is important for building sustainable and livable cities, but it remains a challenge for many developing countries and cities.

There are 5 types of wastes: 

1. Liquid Waste

- Liquid waste is commonly found both in households as well as in industries. This waste includes dirty water, organic liquids, wash water, waste detergents and even rainwater.

2. Solid Rubbish

- Solid rubbish can include a variety of items found in your household along with commercial and industrial locations. 

- These can be; Plastic waste which consists of bags, containers, jars, bottles and many other products that can be found in your household. Plastic is not biodegradable, but many types of plastic can be recycled. Plastic should not be mix in with your regular waste, it should be sorted and placed in your recycling bin.

- Paper/card waste which includes packaging materials, newspapers, cardboards and other products. Paper can easily be recycled and reused. 

- Tins and metals which can be found in various forms throughout your home. Most metals can be recycled. 

- Ceramics and glass which can easily be recycled. 

3. Organic Waste

- Organic waste is another common household. All food waste, garden waste, manure and rotten meat are classified as organic waste. Over time, organic waste is turned into manure by microorganisms. However, this does not mean that you can dispose them anywhere.

- Organic waste in landfills causes the production of methane, so it must never be simply discarded with general waste.

4. Recyclable Rubbish

- Recyclable rubbish includes all waste items that can be converted into products that can be used again. Solid items such as paper, metals, furniture and organic waste can all be recycled. 

- If you’re unsure whether an item is recyclable or not, look at the packaging or the diagrams on the lid of your yellow recycling bin. Most products will explicitly state whether they are recyclable or not.

5. Hazardous Waste

- Hazardous waste includes all types of rubbish that are flammable, toxic, corrosive and reactive.

-These items can harm you as well as the environment and must be disposed of correctly.