Doha climate conference diary: youth activists bring energy and urgency

When the US university student Anjali Appadurai lambasted diplomats from 194 countries for their lack of action and ambition at last year's climate talks in Durban, she shocked the UN and galvanised the meeting. She told them:

"I speak for half the world. We are the silent majority. You've given us a seat in this hall, but our interests are not on the table. What does it take to get a stake in this game? Lobbyists? Corporate influence? Money? You've been negotiating all my life. In that time, you've failed to meet pledges, you've missed targets, and you've broken promises, but you've heard this all before."

Young People To World Leaders at COP18: Your Climate Legacy Shapes The World We Inherit.

On Monday morning, negotiators from around the world poured into the Qatar National Conference Center for the first day of the COP18 United Nations Climate Talks, prepared for a long day of speeches on the technical details of multilateral environmental diplomacy. However, as they travelled down the moving walkway between security and the plenary hall they were confronted with the human face of climate change.’

Young people from around the world had flanked the walkway holding signs in multiple languages that reminded negotiators of the terrifying consequences that runaway greenhouse gas emissions have already begun imposing on people and the planet; droughts, hurricanes, wildfires, desertification, rising seas, biodiversity loss, and more.  At the bottom of each sign the youth posed the question “Will This Be Your #ClimateLegacy?”

Counting Costs of Climate Change. By Stanley Ijeoma

CLIMATE change has finally come home; yes our lives have been invaded by floods of fury and other freak weather events that we currently grapple with.  From Lokoja to Onitsha, down to Yenogoa and moving north of the Niger to Makurdi, Adamawa and Taraba; it has been tales of woe, sorrow, anger and disappointment.  Confusion and utter bewilderment were clearly written on the faces of the governors of these states–I do not know of any state governor or minister in Nigeria today, including the Federal Capital Territory, that has appointed a cabinet level Adviser or Special Assistant on Climate Change –strictly climate change, specifically! Climate change deserves to be unbundled from the environment portfolio –at least at advisory levels -because of its cross cutting nature that requires specialized multi-sectoral knowledge.

Globalisation of floods: The start of hundred years of change in Nigeria. By Dele Sobowale

“Climate change is more threatening than people realize”- Dr Kim, CNN, October 12, 2012.

Another climatologist has gone further by stating that climate change and the advent of perennial floods are already reshaping civilization as we know it and very few countries will emerge intact from the impact of climate change. Nigeria is no exception. Countries with long coastal regions and many rivers, which hitherto had benefited from water provided by rivers, seas and oceans will be the hardest hit.

It was in the 1980s that globalisation of markets became the mantra of the leading thinkers in management studies. “In today’s market you don’t have to go abroad to experience international competition. Sooner or later, the world comes to you”. “Harvard Business Review, March-April, 2002”. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p75). That explains why no sooner than a new product is released in America, Japan, China, etc, and it is available in Nigerian  markets.

Go Green or Die! By Mukosha Funga

Imagine the world 50 years from now if people do not take an active role in fighting climate change.

IMAGINE the year is 2060 and you have finally managed to get enough money to visit the 7th wonder of the world; the Victoria falls. As the guide leads you to your destination, you have high expectations.

Before you realise it, you ground to a halt and hear the guide saying 'this is it'. You discover you are standing at a deep narrow steep-sided valley; a ravine. It is a lifeless place.

No water cascading over masses of rocks. No lush greenery on the banks. Coarse dried up grass and grey-brown rocks are all that meet the eye.

#NGFloods: THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE SOUTH-EAST RESPONSE. BY Akachukwu Okafor

The floods are finally here, no doubts about that.  It has come with its full rage totally submerging communities, farmlands, destroying lives and property along its path, with thousands rendered homeless, now taking shelter as Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) and over 25 million predicted to be affected. No thanks to the increase in annual rainfall this year that caused excess water at Lagdo dam in Cameroun, Kainji, Shiroro, Jebba, Warama, Kiri dams in Niger, Kwara Kano, and Adamawa states respectively to be released. This resulted to over flow of the River Niger and River Benue in the form of flash and massive flood into communities along its plains and tributaries. Affected states includes: Niger, Kogi, Benue, Delta, Anambra, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bauchi, Katisna, Imo, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, Rivers, Cross River, Ondo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos. The magnitude of the devastation can only be expressed by calculating the total land mass of affected area, number of persons killed and displaced, impact on affected population, worth of property destroyed, impact on local and national economy and post flood recovery costs.

National Climate Change Policy and Nigerian Floods.

Climate change, Floods and government responsibility.

Climate change is no longer an issue that is only discussed by a few elite groups in Nigeria. An ordinary Nigerian is currently facing the impacts, making life harder than it already was and governments keep saying that they are doings something about it. Well yes there are.

On Climate Justice We Stand. By Friday Nathaniel Efik

Can Kyoto Protocol Be Doha Protocol or Doha Accord?

There’s no gainsaying the fact that some developed countries are plotting the death of the Kyoto Protocol; to say the obvious, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark also known as the 15th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP15), would have indeed laid a foundation of a new treaty to either replace the Kyoto Protocol or become a Post-Kyoto agreement; Perhaps the ‘Copenhagen Accord’ which was the outcome of COP15 would have completely become a ‘sealed deal’ as it was originally proposed, but unfortunately, the truth came as no surprise as Article 3.9 of the Kyoto Protocol (with emphasis added) which provides that: “Commitments for subsequent periods for Parties included to Annex 1 shall be established in amendments to Annex B to the Protocol, which shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions of Article 21, paragraph 7” was used as a political tool in the hands of some ‘senior’ Annex 1 Part(ies).

Traditional Stoves Detrimental to Heath, Environment in Nigeria

After malaria and AIDS, Nigeria's number one cause of death is diseases associated with traditional cooking.  

Activists say nearly 100,000 people die yearly in Nigeria from what they call a "silent energy crisis."

Whatever you do, do it well – Olumide Idowu

Olumide’s story is associated with a student network (Aiesec) that has been in existence in Nigeria for over 50 years. This 25 years old graduate of Statistics from the University of Abuja is occupying several leadership positions and he is making a difference in Nigeria and overseas.

He tells Youthful Vibes in this interview about his enthusiasm for sustainable development and his interest in providing support and training for young people on several issues not limited to Environmental issues. Olumide is responsible for the Communications & Public Relations for AIESEC Nigeria.

Climate Change: Medical students want volunteer groups for rural communities

MEDICAL students in Nigeria have called for the engagement of young medical practitioners to volunteer in rural communities' on climate change awareness creation, the effects of global warming and green house effect.

The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the summit tagged 'Climate Change; A Global Menace That Can Be Halted Locally; organized by the Nigerian Medical Student Association in Abuja.

A statement from the association signed by Ubong Anyang, National Director, and Etuk Eno-Abasi Etim, National Secretary, said the summit which held between September 6-7, was organised with support from NESREA, NIMET, WEP, ICEED & CEASEI.

Enhancing Nigeria’s response to the environment

Lawal

Youthful Abuja-based Information Technology analyst and advocate for change, Hamzat Lawal, makes a case for the National Climate Change Commission, urging the Presidency to give the proposal a second look.

Over the last four years, I’ve poured my energy into helping design and enact Africa’s first national climate change legislation for my country, Nigeria. While this enormously important task isn’t yet complete, I want to share how things have gone so far and where we need go from here and need for young people around the world to take actions most especially in Africa to tackle our climatic threats.

A case for youth participation in climate change policy process.

Unico

By Unico Iregbu Kalu

Climate change is fast introducing an alternative pathway to both national and global development. Twenty years ago, an average young man would engage on any available practice to eke out a living, without giving a thought to the impacts of his actions on both the environment and the climate. The effects of climate change are already here with us and it is the young people who will bear the greater brunt of the effects. As such, lifestyles and attitudes are gradually moving towards reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. Globally, young people are becoming aware of their roles in the fight against climate change and possible effects of their actions and inactions. Their contributions range from advocacy, public enlightenment, research, to actual demonstration of low carbon path through either engaging in recycling, planting trees or getting involved in the development of solar technologies.

Reps pass bill on climate change

The House of Representatives has passed the Bill for the establishment of the National Climate Change Commission. This is the second time the House is passing the Bill after the harmonised version that was sent to President Goodluck Jonathan was not assented to before the expiration of the last Assembly.

ICT and climate change, an important linkage.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play major roles in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This is increasingly recognized within the climate change technology transfer negotiations. According to the World Development Report 2010, the use of ICT is predicted to reduce total greenhouse gases by 15% by 2020.