The Impact of Involving Children in Taking Action Against Climate Change
by Shafiu Aminu
ACT 1: A boy and his uncle.
BOY:- Oh! Uncle why? you cut down the trees, you destroyed my swing and the shadow where we relax when the weather goes extremely hot in a daytime. Don't you know that you are exposing the environment to erosion, flood, leaching as well as contributing to Climate Change and Global warming by the destruction of trees?
UNCLE:- Oh Boy! who taught you all these?
BOY:- Uncle we were taught by one NGO called Climate Action Group. during their good environmental practice awareness campaign in our school. The theme of their campaign is "Catch Them Young". Uncle, we were really oriented and sensitized on the Causes of Climate Change and Global Warming. And one way of contributing to Climate Change and Global Warming is deforestation, and it's a very bad practice uncle.
UNCLE:- My boy if deforestation is contributing to Climate Change and Global Warming, so what are the ways of mitigating or controlling it?
BOY:- Uncle one way or measure of mitigating climate change and global warming is by tree planting.
UNCLE:- That's great my son, i'm not aware of all this my son, but you now alert me, and i will no more cut any tree again.
BOY:- Alright uncle but we need to replant two times of these trees that you cut and nurture as well till maturity to save our environment from the adverse effect of Climate Change and Global Warming.
UNCLE:- Okay my son, I'm ever ready to do so.
ACT 2: A girl and her uncle
DAUGHTER: Uncle, this is a really bad actION. Don’t you know that you are afflicting our environment, exposing our environment to flood, erosion, desert encroachment as well as contributing to Climate Change and Global Warming. It's not right cutting down trees indiscriminately uncle. I have to go and replant three seedlings to compensate for the single tree that you just cut now uncle.
UNCLE: Who told you that it's not right cutting down trees?
DAUGHTER: We were told that in our school.
UNCLE: In your school, and just recently…? For more than a decade years we have been doing it and nobody told us to stop it, likewise nothing happened with us here. But, who told you that in your school?
DAUGHTER: It was one NGO called (Climate Action Group Sokoto) that came to our school for a campaign on the good environment practice theme "Catch Them Young". They oriented use on good environmental Practice, they sensitized, mobilized and empowered us in taking positive actions for global climate justice. Uncle during that campaign they told us what climate change and global warming are all about, their causes and ways of mitigating them.
UNCLE: So, what do they tell you about the cause of climate change and global warming?
DAUGHTER: They said deforestation and indiscriminate cutting down of trees. And also one of the ways of mitigating them is by tree planting.
UNCLE: Okay, I'm getting you.
DAUGHTER: Uncle do you remember that you told me when you are a boy all this round is greenish and full of birds, domestic animals and wildlife? And, you also said the weather then was conducive, and you used to experience early rainfall?
UNCLE: Yes my daughter, I remember.
DAUGHTER: So, why did things change from the way they were when you were young, Uncle?
UNCLE: Daughter, things changed due to the crazy weather of nowadays.
DAUGHTER: Uncle things don't change due to “crazy weather”, in fact, there's no crazy weather, but rather it's you and people like you that caused the change.
UNCLE: People like me? How, my daughter?
DAUGHTER: Because of this bad practice of cutting down trees (deforestation). That's why now this place is no longer green, all the birds and the wildlife are no longer available because you destroyed their homes. The rainy season pattern changed, the heat is now intense, we are also having challenges of erosion, leaching, flooding and desert encroachment due to climate change and global warming. This is to say that if you and other people like you hadn’t been n cutting down trees things, we would have remained the way we were.
UNCLE: Really my daughter? I know understand you very well and I will not cut or allow any other person to cut a tree again. In fact, I will come with you to go and plant many trees as we can in order to make our environment green and greener again as it was before during my childhood.
DAUGHTER: Thank you, Uncle.
ACT 3: Difference Between Life Before and the Life at Current Time
LIFE BEFORE
Before, life was abundant and rich. There were many forest products and wildlife.
There were many crOps and fish and rivers run abundantly.
People lived together happily and herbal medicine treated diseases.
There was enough food and some to sell for profit and Livestock was strong and propagated.
CURRENT LIFE
Currently, the weather is changing a lot. I suspect our world is heating up, many things are changing in our lives and livelihoods.
Dry condition, little rain and it doesn't come seasonally.
Many diseases spread and we work hard.
Men must find work in other places, causing family problems.
There's less food security and more poverty.
WHY CHANGE BETWEEN LIFE BEFORE AND LIFE AT CURRENT.
It's due to our negligence, selfishness and inhuman action on the environment.
Like deforestation, indiscriminate cutting down of trees, and poor waste management, particularly plastic….
This led us to climate change, global warming, environmental and water pollution.
SOLUTIONS?
The solutions include the following
Emphasis needs to be given on raising awareness, sensitization, mobilization and empowering the general public more especially youth in taking action for global climate justice.
To RE-GREEN Our ENVIRONMENT by a massive tree plantation.
To avoid deforestation and indiscriminate cutting down of trees.
By adopting proper waste management. etc.
ACT 4. CLOSING
Oh! I remember when we were young, our environment was so green, forests were in abundance with so many species of wildlife, weather is good and conducive, regular seasonal rainfall, so many diseases did not emerge, there was nothing like Climate Change and Global Warming. In fact, we enjoyed our childhoods.
But, unfortunately, things have now changed. Due to our actions, numerous species of trees and wildlife become extinct due to deforestation for various purposes without subsequent afforestation or regeneration, which leads us to climate change and global warming.
These challenges of Climate Change and Global Warming are now leading to the emergence and spread of so many diseases, bringing changes in weather and climate, making our environment dry, harsh and unconducive…
Note, my dear brothers and sisters, ecological and nature conservation are the only solutions to the present global challenges.
Let's conserved nature, let’s goes green
Green is life and green is the answer.
About
My name is Shafiu Aminu, I’m an environmentalist, climate change campaigner, ambassador for climate change, agricultural advocate and a volunteer.