Addressing climate change the right way

So, the East African countries, Uganda and Tanzania plus European Union were at loggerheads just few weeks ago.

This time, the war of words between the threesome was not on Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) pact, but on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

And it was Climate change that was a buzzword for nearly everyone that dared to comment on the matter. Coincidentally, this reminded a dialogue that existed about three years ago.

In the year 2019, COP25, the biggest congregation was held in Madrid, Spain from December 9 to 13. This meeting followed the 2015 Paris meeting on climate change that set a goal of holding temperature rises to no more than 2 degrees centigrade, which up to now, it appears to be a tall order as emission has risen by 4% since that time. This gathering however ended with partial agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Greta Thunberg, a climate change activist from Sweden captured the world attention and emerged as an icon of campaign towards re-shaping the global environment. On the other side of the aisle, President Donald Trump who was known for uncharacteristic display of his feelings has been bashing efforts to reduce emissions since the time he was a candidate.

The two influential figures offered valid arguments worth noted by moderators; while Greta propagates undisputable scientific revelation that our planet earth is under fire because of human activities, Trump reminds the naysayers that it is because of same human inventions that men’s livelihood has improved, making our world much better than the one we inherited from the medieval epoch.

Well, that is the polarity that climate subject was facing right at that moment, the above-mentioned personalities are not alone, they represent mammoth rallies of people holding same schools of thoughts. Unfortunately, there is no one who is ready to stand in the middle and give an alternative which will ensure that externalities of human development activities are contained while at the same time innovations embedded in them are on the rise.

Climate changes usually bring a number of ramifications like severe drought, floods and higher temperatures.

Tanzania like many third world countries is on the receiving end of these changes. Much as our contribution to the problem is negligible, it is without doubt that the effects borne by it are evenly shared and because of our economic muscles, we are ill prepared to prevent ourselves from.

The current area under irrigation in Tanzania is now around current 727,280.6 hectares of land out of 29.4 million hectares. That means an entire sector is rain dependent, making it too vulnerable to any underperforming rainfall.

Needless to say that this has already started eating on our side in so many areas for some time now.

Now, you could expect that those effects to decimate our scale of production. They haven’t, as our agricultural production has always been on the positive trend. But it is certain that they have been offset by technological advancements that have been happening in different parts of the world.

Some of the factors may include, application of improved seeds and industrial fertilizers.

All these are produced by companies like Bayer, Monsanto and Syngenta. In the process of manufacturing them they do emit a number of gases that are dangerous to our planet. That means any stoppage on their side will result into low production and so make our world food insecure.

Who will go and assure the miners in Kentucky that they can make it in their lives even without depending on coal? Who can tell Minjingu Fertilizer Company in Manyara that the same fertilizers can be produced in huge quantity and better quality even without using technology that produce dangerous gasses to the ozone layer? And by the way, are we prepared to convince crown price Mohamed Bin Salman that by closing Saudi Aramco, Riyadh can be another Silicon Valley of the Middle East?

Thus any mitigation must take note of each side’s contribution.  Until then, each pole will continue raising their banners declaring freedom from interference, and before we come into full realization, an earth will either be on fire or stricken with hunger and malnutrition.

Greta Thunberg’s call to ‘’put our politicians against the wall’’ is correct but not enough, they must be helped to see the unseen grey matter, and that much as we able to arrest the speedy change on climate, still we can steer the wheel of economic advancement on the right direction.

But who is intelligent enough to tie a bell on this stubborn cat? Whoever might be, the Gretas and Trumps of our time must be brought on the same board and be made to agree with the existing realities.