What we do to keep the Planet Safe:
Climate Story
By Oladosu Adenike
The world was created with everything
needed within it. Yet, mankind remain the biggest threat to its destruction. My
name is Oladosu Adenike from Nigeria; an ecofeminist, climate justice activist
and agricultural economist. Being an activist in these portfolio has not been
smooth neither pleasurable. At some point, it looks frustrating because our
demands for climate justice seems to be the hardest action that needs everyone to
make a move forward creating a better place; invariably just have to start from
somewhere to make the movement inclusive. It might look like a distance goal to
get everyone involved in climate action despite the countless number of actions
that are being taken currently and many decades ago. We are not going to be
silenced because we are unstoppable.
Everyone is born to be an activist in his or her own
capacity but the ability to manifest it is one thing everyone needs to deal
with. It doesn’t matter whether you are old or young, black or white, female or
male, there is a point in life stages you need to fight for the planet that
houses you. My journey into the environmental movement started in school in
200Level while studying climate related courses: Agricultural Economics. Precisely in 2014, when the Chibok school
girls in Borno state of Nigeria was kidnapped by Boko Haram due to insecurity issues
arising from the shrinking Lake chad. This made me an Ecofeminist because I
have seen and heard about the effects of climate change in Nigeria; Niger-Delta
crises, farmer-herdsmen clashes and the various environment issues. At every
environment crises, women are always at the center of these crises. This has
made me fight for climate justice because environmental justice is equivalent
to women rights. Our environmental conditions have always make us take
backstage in attaining gender equality.
Thus, the effects of climate change
have been raging the whole world in one aspect but it is more evident in
African continent. Climate change now drives armed conflicts as seen in the
shrinking Lake chad or the western part of Africa. Closest to the shrinking Lake
chad is the northeastern part of Nigeria that is bee faced with deforestation,
dryness drought and desert encroachment. These have led to the migration of herdsmen
in this region to greener pasture where my school is located; generally known
as the food basket of the nation. In the process of searching for food to feed
the cattle, they intrude into the farmer’s land. This has led to loss of lives
& likelihoods. It wasn’t a good experience seeing these conflicts
contributing to an extra one year to the five years course I opt in for, it’s
was sad. At times, villages from neighborhoods migrate into our school compound
to seek for refuge in time like this. In some cases, students pandemic for fear
of the unknown outcome. The climate change driven crises is becoming visible as
years passes by.
One thing that climate change can do
Africa continent especially the western parts, is that it could birth poverty, in
returns lead to armed conflict due to fight for natural resources and can
develop into war. Some of these “symptoms” are fast forthcoming. Activism is
giving all it takes to get what you want. We aren’t fighting the invisible
forces, yet we see effects of climate change springing out; from flooding to
wildfire and intense heat. We have 10 years left for us to act according to
IPCC. It is time for us to lead climate before it leads us into total
destruction. IPCC gave a focal point of no return on climate action to be 2050;
it is subjected to exchanges it emissions keep rising.
All of these summed together gave me
boldness to start taking climate action on a weekly bases since November, 2018.
From public places, to schools, communities and social gathering just to
educate people about climate change and actions needed to back it up, so as to
derive sustainable solutions to the longest undefeated crises yet. Through this
personal funding commitments, we have been able to reach out to thousands of
people and in some cases, we engage them in tree planting activities. Any
action we join internationally, is localized because we need to start from the
grassroots. As we are taking one action, we are thinking of the next action to
take. With the current threats of coronavirus pandemic to deal amid the climate
crises happening everywhere have shown that these two crises are not just
defining issues of our lives but two sides of the same coin. That, needs to be
taken simultaneously in like manners that world leaders are unifying together
to stem the virus.
For six weeks now, I have been
campaigning for green recovery post covid-19, since we can’t do our normal
routine actions. Virtually going in making our demands a reality so as to reach
as many people as possible. This is not just only a pathway we can build better
and stronger economics but to strengthen commitments towards actualizing Paris
climate Agreement. This pandemic has given us clue to the vaccine needed in tackling
climate change from the pandemic: green recovery. The decision world leaders
take to boost their economies system will determine if we win the race against
climate change but we have no reason to loss the race. Thus, I have included
free production of face masks to my community members few weeks ago especially
to people that can’t afford the cost so as to stem the spread of the
coronavirus infections. We aren’t safe if one person in your community is
infected by the virus, it our responsibility to mask them up. Community transfer
of this virus can lead to second wave of this infection if not properly
addressed.
Nevertheless, everyone have a role to
play in complementing climate commitments of world leaders. It is important
that youth play a critical role in post – COVID-19 era. My life desire is to
close the gap between man and its nature. Like in the words of Martin Luther
King Jrn; “Our lives begin to end the day we become silence about things that
matter.” My life matters, so is my environment.
Oladosu
Adenike ([email protected]) is an ecofeminist,
Peace activist and climate justice activist. The founder of “lead climate”. African Youth Climate Hub
Ambassador.
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