Yesterday, Sunday
April 22, the world celebrated the 42nd annual
Earth Day, a global event meant to celebrate the Earth and raise awareness for
environmental causes. April 22 is observed as Earth Day every year, as a tool to
raise ecological awareness; bringing attention to climate change and
pollution, and also highlighting ways to save energy. According to the U.N., International Mother Earth
Day is celebrated to acknowledge our reliance on the Earth and its ecosystem
for life and sustenance and to promote a collective responsibility in achieving
harmony with nature.
Earth
Day can be traced to April 22, 1970, when Gaylord Nelson,
a US Senator, headed an environmental teach-in
with over 20 million participants. “…Groups that had been fighting against oil
spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps,
pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife
suddenly realized they shared common values...”
“…As
the millennium approached…another campaign, this time focused on global warming
and a push for clean energy…Earth Day 2000 sent world leaders the loud and
clear message that citizens around the world wanted quick and decisive action
on clean energy…” Now in its 42nd year, this year's Earth
Day theme is "Mobilize the Earth",
actively encouraging world leaders to put us on the path to sustainability and
take the green economy seriously.
To mark the
International Earth Day in Nigeria, there were public
awareness campaigns, essay competitions, art exhibitions etc. I must applaud these efforts and say kudos to those who organized these activities. But, I know I am not the only one who thinks these activities
are barely enough for a country such as Nigeria, where issues that were being
thrashed out as far back as 1970 in the US are still very much prevalent in our country. What then do we
say about global warming and clean energy, which were taken up in year 2000?
Keep in mind that, countries with much better greener attitudes such as the US
and Honduras, had volunteers
gather for a fifth-annual tree planting event under an initiative known as “MillionTreesNYC” and participate in a
reforestation program at the Rosy Walter Zoo in central Honduras; the program a
part of a series of environmental initiatives across Central America, respectively.
For a while now, last
month especially, it’s being quite hot in Lagos, Nigeria – a friend joked that
Lagos had relocated to hells’ backyard. Statistics show that the warmest average max/ high
temperature for Lagos is 33 °C (91 °F) in February & March and the
coolest average min/ low temperature is 21 °C (70 °F) in August, the
average temperature for last month was 91
°F high, 75 °F low, according to The Weather Channel. Hence,
while the warmest average stayed within what was expected, the coolest average
went higher by 5 °F. This, amongst other numerous
issues, should be a source of concern as something is definitely wrong.
Also, it is raining across parts of
Lagos, Nigeria (a day out of at least two hundred and thirty four (234) days of
rainfall expected this year, unfortunately, I have not being able to lay my
hands yet on confirmed data for comparison purposes yet, 234 days of heavy
downpour is quite extraordinary) as I write this, prompting memories of last
years’ flood. This has got me thinking and I can’t help but conclude that
somehow, Nigeria and our leaders, are paying only a passing attention at Earth
Day Networks’ and other similar organizations such as the U.N, activities in
relation to matters such as climate change, the environment etc.
Clearly, with this kind of ‘dynamic’ weather here in Lagos, coupled with the gas
flaring and oil spills in the Niger Delta, desertification in the North etc. a
lot more needs to be done and here I am, only stating the problems and pointing
accusing fingers at our leaders. Nevertheless, I have made a first step in the
right direction, for it is only when an individual is fully aware of and
understands a problem, can he/she then go about solving it. Furthermore, an
adage says “when you point an accusing finger, remember the remaining directed
back at you”. This simply means we all have our roles to play and in the great
words of John F. Kennedy, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what
you can do for your country”. This is what organizations such as the Community
Conservation and Development Initiatives (CCDI), Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS)
Foundation and individuals such as Doyinsola Ogunye of Kids Clean Club and I,
are doing.
Sources
1.
www.earthday.net/www.earthday.org
2.
www.climatetemp.info
4.
www.time.com
