Tuesday 10 November 2015

Kenya Climate Concert in words…


Hello there!! It has been a while since I posted, and I have to admit I have been so busy… however a lot has been going on in the environmental scene. So much to keep up with on the ‘Road to Paris’ and the expected El nino. By the way, do you think the downpour yesterday in most parts of the country (Kenya) could be the grand entrance of the el nino? Oh well, I got drenched, and have been thinking much about these rains and the weather, however that is a post for another day. Otherwise I hope you are all well and still have the environment in mind, remember every little effort counts! Another by the way, big shout out to all candidates tackling KCPE this week… and I sure do hope that soon we shall have environmental studies in the primary school syllabus as well as in secondary school as a subject not only a topic. Join me in that prayer!
Before I go on, thank you Tess for taking down notes at the Kenya Climate Concert, as I said, you will make a good P.A. So, the Kenya Climate Concert took place at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi on 25th September 2015. It was a beautiful Friday that had been long awaited especially by the event organizers, the 350 Kenya team which I am part of. As we had prepared for the event with the theme ‘We Fight Climate Change’ through arts, music, poetry and dance, I got to the venue with my ‘PA’ at about noon. There was still some setting up going on, as artists prepared and people streamed in. In a short while all was set up and ready to start! The introduction was made, in his words- ‘tell your neighbor the globe is warming!’ With this statement and some giggles from within the crowd, the crowd warmed up and were curious to hear what next. As part of the introduction, it was made clear that #WeFightClimateChange and that the 350 Regional Week of Action had just begun, not only in Kenya but other countries where 350.org is set up such as in South Africa and Jordan.
The first presentation was a mix of song, dance and poetry. The poem was on pollution and clearing of forests and the declining of water levels, and it was clear as they said ‘this generation has made an error’. Other than that, the performance also touched on social issues like marriage, which make up part of the social environment.
The second presentation was by the eloquent David ‘Reakt’ Wainaina, who was also part of the panelists who discussed the role of an artist in the environment. He also mentioned about the similar concerts on going in sub-Saharan Africa and the 3000 gathered petitions on climate change.
Third came in Christabel Atieno, with African drums beating in the background- I sure did enjoy her performance- on a narrative about the environment and a man named Obiero, who was spotted by Auma and Otieno in Gembe village cutting down trees for firewood and burning of grass. This narrative brought out the aspect of alternative sources of energy, and how harmful others are to our environment leading to the dangerous climate change. From this narrative we learned that through sharing of information and identifying problems we can help to reduce and eradicate harmful practices in our communities.
Next on line was a piece on spoken word, which touched on various issues in the environment such as extinction, ozone layer depletion, pollution and waste management leading to environmental degradation. Also, ‘…environment has become an orphan without Wangari Maathai’ was a notable statement, which left many challenged to take up the late Wangari’s mantle.
After the spoken word piece, was a duet from the percussion discussion team, which also talked briefly on ‘colored waters’ to mean sewage and its negative effects to public health. The performers then challenged the crowd on the destination of their waste, with an example of plastic papers. After this, two puppets cheered the crowd with their ‘Welcome to the 21st Century: Everything is Becoming Less’ poem. According to me, the most memorable ones were ‘attitude-careless, youth-jobless, government-clueless… however our hopes are endless!’ Do you agree?
Fred Nyaga was next with a talk on planting ideas and read a poem on ‘Our Environment Our Liberation’ after which he invited the current Miss Environment who shared on how the beauty pageant creates more awareness on environmental issues. The percussion discussion followed again, with songs to entertain the crowd. Vidze Kaladze performed a Giriama folk song and tried to engage the crowd to join him. After that other music artists entertained the crowd with their own songs, then Belinda from AYICC took the mic and talked about personal awareness on environmental conservation. After her talk was the song performance ‘collective duty’ which highlighted on conservation of the environment.
Teardrop then dropped his crowd jolting spoken word piece, whereby he talked about the 7 Billion Dreams and 7 Billion heartbeats per second was related to this year’s World Environment Day Theme: ‘Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume With Care.’ Other than that, one of his notable statements was “me nikiona dumpsite me hushindwa niwapi tulitupa sight” meaning he sees dumpsites and wonders where we lost our sight…
Finally I got to speak briefly on what 350.org is, a global climate movement, and why the number 350 is so significant to us- because its means climate safety, of 350 parts per million (ppm) or less of CO2 in the atmosphere. Currently the amount of CO2 is at 400ppm, which is dangerous leading to global warming and finally climate change. After that I taught the crowd a short dance move, which is basically the Kenyan ‘chini kwa chini’ which I had choreographed in April during the 350.org climate workshop held in Nairobi, which symbolized the gradual reduction of CO2 levels in the atmosphere and maintaining safe levels. From this point I was interviewed by some of the major media houses in Kenya, such as NTV and gave my opinion on what climate change is, how it is affecting us and what I would like the President of Kenya to address about climate change! I must say I was honoured… As the interview was going on, fellow colleagues took their turns to talk on the issue and also to network!
#WeFightClimateChange

 Join us in the battle!
ps: You can watch a brief clip of the Concert summarized on the below link, thanks to Visionaries Aloud team for making it possible!! And also a few pictures from the event...

https://youtu.be/iDDT_LIs5Bs



Sunday 20 September 2015

Climate Change Will Not Discriminate: What Next After Paris?



In just two months, the 21st Conference of Parties (COP) will take place in Paris from 30th November to 11th December 2015, with the objective focusing on a legally binding and universal agreement on climate and the goal to reduce emissions. Climate change has no boundaries, affecting regions globally in different ways. Kenya is not exempted and being located in sub-Saharan Africa which is highly vulnerable to climate change, the country is already experiencing harsh impacts leading to environmental degradation and socio-economic losses because the natural resources are climate sensitive. This in turn affects agricultural activity and water availability among others.
With the ongoing climate change negotiations, Kenya has not been left out and developed the Kenya Intended Nationally Determined contribution (INDC) on 23rd July 2015 as a response to decisions adopted at the 19th and 20th COP to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Kenya’s INDC focuses on multi-stakeholder engagement and cross-sectoral consultative processes in the formation of climate change response strategies and action plans at national and county levels.
According to the Kenya INDC,the country’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are relatively low, standing at 73 MtCO2eq in 2010, out of which 75% are from the land use, with land-use change, forestry and agriculture sectors suspected to be due to the reliance on wood fuel by a large proportion of the population alongside the increasing demand for agricultural land and urban development.  Significant emissions are also recorded from the energy and transport sectors. Agriculture is the backbone of the Kenyan economy, and is also climate sensitive since it is mainly rain-fed. Other sectors affected include water, health, energy and tourism.
Recently, droughts and floods have hit various parts of the country leading to damage and losses including fatalities. Fear and worry have also engulfed the country after the alert on the El-Nino rains expected in October this year. According to the world's leading climate scientists, we can limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and secure a climate safe future if we reduce our emissions to zero by 2050. This will only work if there is a joint and collective effort by all the countries to commit to zero emissions. Kenya could contribute to this transformation by investing in renewable energy hence focusing on long-term reforms and development in production processes. This will reduce the burden on hydro power which is a climate vulnerable resource.
Kenya should also factor in the increasing population growth rate which will also increase the rate of emissions. Short term plans in reducing emissions will include encouraging a renewable energy mix from the grass root level such as energy saving bulbs, solar energy and biogas, which will also promote energy efficiency. Other than that, creating awareness on climate change and its impacts is crucial.
Citizens need to understand the phenomenon and vulnerability and how to mitigate and adapt to it. Research, discussions and findings on climate change should be available publicly for all to understand why battling climate change is urgent and calls for the attention of all governments. If we do not fight climate change we interfere with securing a sustainable future!
The world needs to brace itself even after Paris because climate change will not discriminate against any nation neither will it come to an end immediately after the negotiations!

Friday 14 August 2015

Renewable Energy: A Tool in Combating Climate Change.


Kenya aims to transform into a newly industrializing middle income country providing a high quality of life to its citizens by the year 2030. The Kenya Vision 2030 has outlined considerations in meeting goals for medium term plans as well as meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the year 2015, however this has not come into fruition.
The energy sector is one of the main drivers listed in the development plan of the Vision 2030 to focus on reforms and development in the social, economic and political strategies for the country. The energy sector remains to be a challenge in securing a clean and secure environment. Security can simply be described as being free from danger and fear. Food and environmental security in Kenya and also globally are crucial among others for human well-being to be achieved with both insecurities posing serious danger. Security is a key dimension which is largely affected by external factors such as the supply, efficiency and consumption of energy. Energy is a driver of all processes of production, therefore its demand is far and wide. The main sources of energy in Kenya have been highlighted as a pre-dominant mix of biomass, petroleum and hydro-power according to a report on a market study of the Kenyan energy sector in October 2014 by Triple E Consulting, in Netherlands. The Draft Energy Policy by the Government of Kenya highlights that traditional biomass accounts for 70%, while petroleum and hydro-power electricity account for 21% and 9%. Hydro-power is a climate vulnerable source, meaning that it depends on climatic factors such as rainfall patterns for constant supply and efficiency, explaining why the country is prone to power shortages which in turn affects functioning of industrial and manufacturing processes in the long run impacting the economy. Petroleum on the other hand is considered as an expensive and dirty source as well as a major contributor to emissions in the atmosphere as a result of combustion of the fuel. Biomass has been observed to be very common in both rural and urban settings in Kenya, as source of energy either in form of firewood, charcoal and agricultural wastes. The Energy Regulatory Commission states that biomass-based energy sources account for 90% of total rural house hold energy suspected to be due to high average generation cost of current energy sources. Compared to other countries such as Tanzania and Ethiopia, Kenya has high energy tariffs which is not adequate and affordable to all citizens resulting in application of alternative sources of energy which are not necessarily sustainable. In a study reported by the Africa ECO NEWS in March 2015, Kenya loses 5.6 million trees daily. Illegal deforestation in search of firewood is common in many parts of the country. Studies done by the World Bank show that clearing of forests for wood fuel contributes in the depletion of tree stocks as much as clearing them for other land use activities such as agriculture.

There is a growing concern on climate change, which results from emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon into the atmosphere from various sources including the use of charcoal and burning of petroleum in industrial processes, leading to the destruction of the ozone layer which causes the global warming effect. Other than that, change in land use activities such as clearing of forests for resettlement and agricultural activities for example in the Mau, has reduced the tree cover and hence increased levels of carbon (IV) oxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Kenya is already experiencing the harsh effects of global climate change such as the recent floods and droughts and also unpredictable weather patterns affecting normal day to day activities such as farming- which is a major source of livelihoods for several families. The effects are grappling, with food insecurity being heightened as well as environmental degradation taking place. Citizens are becoming more concerned and aware, as the harsh reality of climate change hits them.
According to The Kenya Population Data Sheet of 2011, the population of Kenyans during the census in 2009 increased to 38.6 million from 28.7 million during the 1999 census. Projections estimate further increase in population and economic growth due to factors such as urbanization. Due to this increase, Kenya’s contribution to global greenhouse emissions will also increase significantly with the largest emissions resulting from energy and transport sector. Kenya also has the largest economy in the East African community market, and is therefore a major attraction to foreign investors in various sectors resulting in various business ventures increasing production and also the demand for energy.
Exploring options in renewable energy is crucial in ensuring sustainable development. The Kenya Vision 2030 aims at building a strong regulatory framework, encouraging more private generators of power, separating generation from distribution and promoting new sources of energy especially renewables such as solar, wind, geothermal and biogas. Therefore it can be concluded that the Vision 2030 requires a big transformation to a renewable energy mix. Considerations have identified low-carbon options for electricity generation set to be realized by The Energy Act of 2006 and being backed up by regulations such as The Solar Energy Photovoltaic Regulation, 2012 and The Solar Water Heating Regulations, 2012. The introduction of solar PV, wind power and geothermal energy are being regulated by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Renewable energy will support sustainable generation, exploitation, production, distribution and utilization of energy. Energy efficiency requires both industrial and household energy audits to be performed periodically. Household energy audits could also be a measure towards knowledge management to the local communities, by increasing awareness on energy and its link to climate change hence educating inspiring and moving masses to climate change action. Science technology and innovation is mentioned in the Kenya Vision 2030 as a driver towards prosperity and posterity. Scientific cooperation should be enhanced to test for new technology in the market as well as to fill the gap between knowledge and practice. Also, increasing awareness on multilateral development programmes on climate and energy such as the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) will attract investing in funds allocated towards climate projects therefore promoting sustainable development. The Government of Kenya intends to support exploration in renewable energy through existing legal, regulatory and institutional framework. The Government should also build the capacity of institutions to increase support and implement energy policies especially in diversification of renewable energy mix. However, the battle cannot be left only through reforms in the energy sector by the Government in creating adaptation and mitigation measures towards climate change and its effects. Climate change is a global phenomenon making every single person vulnerable to it. Maximum benefits in the fight against climate change are expected if everyone takes action through individual actions which when combined make a big impact epitomizing sustainable development and environmental resources conservation- a gift to future generations!


References:
Market Study to Strengthen Economic Cooperation in the Energy Sector: Final Report. Triple E Consulting – Energy, Environment & Economics, October 2014.

Study: Kenya loses 5.6 million trees daily. By AFRICA ECO NEWS, March 26, 2015 http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2015/03/study-kenya-loses-5-6-million-trees-daily/

The Kenyan Vision 2030.

Friday 17 July 2015

Of 'High Music Area' warnings...

High music area, wear protection....

I took the above picture in a matatu a few weeks ago on my way to work, and it kept me thinking... is this a joke, a sarcastic remark, a decoration or is it just as plain a warning as it clearly is? And as warned, the matatu was blaring with music, just when I needed some peace and quiet. Who loves noisy mornings anyway? So help me God that I get my own car and/or get me a job which has a company bus, both can do, Amen!! 
Nothing gets me more frustrated than a long ride in a noisy matatu, even a short one is almost unbearable! For those who do not know what a matatu is, it is the most common means of public transport in Kenya, which comprises of mini-buses and vans. So, as I was venting, I just do not get it! Is it cool or a trend, and I pray its a trend that passes by fast! So many things in my prayer requests I know...
I live in the Kenyan 'diaspora', so that tells you the number of hours I spend in traffic in a day. Mind you its both ways that I am in the traffic, and I use matatus daily. I have nothing much against 'mats/nganya/manyanga/mathree' whatever you call them; I mean they have been my mode of transport for most of my life, and I also tend to think it could be a good business venture. BUT please, most of the time the sound levels are too much for my delicate ears to handle. I am still young, I do not want a burst eardrum even before I have my own children... and if you are older, I bet you do not want to experience hypertension as a result of loud music. We all want to age gracefully with our senses still effective, don't we?
In my route, we have these 'pimped' mats, with all sorts of graffiti, and décor, its surely a booming business and also an investment, because it is said that it attracts more passengers faster, really? I once read about how "Music blasts from souped-up speakers, strobe lights flash on the inside walls and seat backs and the exhaust pipe is purposely pinched to rev like a motorcycle" as noted by one Gregory Warner of The Daily Life. But sadly what I am against these 'souped-up' matatus is mostly the large speakers and woofers, that even vibrate your whole body once the music is turned on. A few years back the music was not that loud in matatus, if there was any that is. However with time, technology keeps on improving and then all sorts of changes have been incorporated in order to attract more passengers who are mostly assumed to be the younger generation- who make up the larger percent of citizens in the country and thus large market- as so believed. I have even seen stickers in matatus quoted "if its too loud, you are too old" and if you ask the tout to do something about it, it could easily erupt into something else!

Matatus sometimes stress me, you have no idea! I have been carrying ear plugs in my bag and the day I forget them I feel doomed! The plugs do not do much anyway, I still hear the music, though I have the notion that they reduce the impact of the blaring sound to my ear drum. I am currently in the search for ear muffs, the type that look like large head phones, if you have any leads please let me know- I am that desperate! Other than my ears, I also tend to get headaches from the noise. Then you can imagine getting into a matatu at 5pm during rush hour and getting to 'diaspora' at 7pm. 2 hours of excruciatingly loud music, I normally feel like am in this survivor reality show, and sometimes I cannot take it, I alight, and get onto a slightly less louder one! Yes, it is that serious.
At times am not even in a matatu but when one passes near me I feel the same effect as if I was in it.
Many times I have wished the music player could jam in the jam as well, it rarely happens, but when it does I have a grin all the way.
My problem is not the music, it is the high sound levels. If played in moderation, safe levels to be specific, I am totally fine with it. I do not think its fair that we are subjected to such, I know many will say there are many other options like taking buses (of which I'll get to my destination the next day) or a personal car (which God will provide very soon for me, Amen!) but still if everyone understood how serious that extremely loud music is for them, this 'pump it up' non-sense would stop sooner than we think. Sounds that are not at safe levels can be harmful, even for a brief time, and even worse when they are both loud and long-lasting. Exposure to these loud sounds and when repetitive can cause hearing loss among other problems such as hypertension, head aches and increased stress levels. Other than that, noise is also a threat to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by upsetting wildlife.
I love myself, I love my sense of hearing and I do not want to go deaf soon!! Please keep it safe...

Tuesday 2 June 2015

''Sirikal Saidia!'' - Floods of pain, water for gain?

A few years ago a woman from the western part of the country made headlines with the catchy phrase 'serikal saidia' literally meaning 'government help'. This was after a heavy downpour in the area which lead to the loss of her children and husband. It was very obvious that the woman was totally distraught, blaming the floods and the government for the bad omen that visited her home. Her accent made the phrase catchy, and most people instead of pitying her, laughed at her and the statement, making all sorts of jokes. Well to say the least, it was more of a national joke, with most of us having not experienced killer floods and not knowing that a wave floods would affect some of us in years to come.

It is only a month ago that Nairobi was surprised by days and nights of floods, which caught many unaware. Okay, not that Nairobi has not been experiencing heavy rains from before, but this time round it was not the usual rain. Roads and tunnels were flooded, and houses too were not spared. motorists came to a halt, squeezing into petrol stations and road sides to pave way for the raging waters. Others tried to drive through the water, and thus exposing their cars to other threats from the furious waters. Sadly, others lost their lives, being carried away to their deaths. Many were devastated, I mean everything else seemed to obey the waters, the traffic jams, the hiked 'matatu' prices and also the amount to pollutants driven right into the fronts of our houses. Others made money out the situation, like the mkokoteni carts that ferried several to work, making a killing from business unusual! The hashtag #NairobiFloods was trending, and I admit I too was a victim of the floods and posted about the day I got home at 2.30am from Nairobi CBD after taking seven hours on the road, and having experienced a road trip in areas I've never been to.
With the floods, many became aware of the weatherman and his predictions, anticipating any news on sun rays! Many admitted that some years back it never rained that much, and floods never killed as much. Others recalled the El Nino, I remember when I was younger I heard that name and it sounded fancy, not knowing the grave matters that the word carried. Anyway, with many now paying attention to the weather and thirst for more knowledge about climate, I thought it would be best to also do much more research on the issue. I watched several being interviewed on what they think about the floods. Many have blamed the 'government' as usual for the floods. Yes I mean the government calls the shots on how much it should rain and where it should flood, where the sun should shine and how intense the rays should be and all...okay, sarcasm alert, but I feel the government is partially to blame as well as we the citizens too. Corruption cases in this country are rather common, 'toa kitu kidogo' and there you go, build a complex on the drainage system! After all, who cares?? Even if In the areas that Kenya had a dense forests like in the Mau, large tracts of trees have been cut down for various purposes. This has left the land bare, and when such heavy downpour occurs, water flows downwards in high speeds also carrying away the loose top soil. Other than that, Nairobi city and other parts of Kenya are filthy dirty, I mean who has not seen huge piles of garbage and trash on the road sides? Where I live, most people with stone wall fences are unfortunate because most of wastes from the neighbouring areas are dumped at your fence at ungodly hours. I have also seen, 'waste collection trucks' and I put this in quotes because they do not serve the purpose they are intended for. Most are not roadworthy, stuck next to someone's fence, with the wastes open and emitting a foul stench; and being manned by gangs of 'chokoras' with huge sacks taking anything they find valuable to them. Also, littering has polluted and contributed so much to the blockage of drainage systems, hence not giving way to floods waters. Food waste is also a big crisis in this country I think, several markets are the source of tonnes of rotten vegetables and fruits, for example at the Muthurwa area, these rotten foods are dumped on the roadsides and in the tunnels that were placed for redirecting water and sewage. Isn't it funny how some parts of the country are experiencing severe droughts and famine with many cases reported as fatalities from starvation, and also with the loss of large herds of animals while in the other corner of the same country, food is going to waste daily? We also have seen how some milk companies pour out spoilt milk when the supply is much than the demand. Also, with the waters comes water-borne diseases such as the bout of cholera that has currently hit the city, take care my friends!! Even the Kenya Power had to switch off electricity supplies in some estates such as South 'C' (read sea) to avoid cases of electrocution caused by the interaction of water and electricity. In some other areas, houses have been toppled, such as in Mombasa, and landslides evident as well. All this as a result of blessings from above.
If our systems were efficient, I believe that all this flood waters could be channelled into rain water harvesting structures and from then utilized for different other purposes, after all, water is an extremely valuable resource.
So what next after the heavy rains? Are we experiencing floods of pain or water for gain? Depends on how well we assess the situation...

Thursday 14 May 2015

Dinka!



I have just been reading about the Dinka of Sudan, and viewing some beautiful pictures of this people.
Its amazing to see and visualize how people live in different parts of the globe, and how each one of us is adapted to our home. Back to the Dinka, so these people are a small tribe, a nilotic group, that reside in the southern part of Sudan and mostly grouped as one that may disappear with time. It is evident that temporal scales have affected and changed several things at spatial levels, that is, if we believe in the geographical theories that we read about. 
However, even with the emerging trends and shifts, it seems like some communities are barely affected by time or other external factors. Or maybe they just adapted to changes? That for sure I don't know, but I still remain perplexed that even with the several technological advances and this 'digital' world that we live in, some still remain unaffected- living life as they have always known it.
I have been staring at these Dinka pictures! The people seem at peace, with large herds of huge-horned cattle, pardon me, I don't know what the name of this  species of cattle is. Anyway, they are so comfortable in their dress code as well. They seem to fancy more of these colored beads and goat skin, and can not help but notice some have markings on their bodies. Also, do you know that they use cow dung as a mosquito repellant? And that cow urine could actually be of use? Well, life still goes on in this part of the world.
This however got me thinking, is "development" really a necessity? Because others seem to do well and adjust without it in extreme. Maybe it could be all about adapting to our surroundings, or as one famous slogan highlights "in harmony with nature". Maybe its about time that we actually accept that the world we live in is the only one we have got and we need to adjust to it- definitely by being conscious about it.
From the article I was reading about the Dinka, I have taken into consideration so much. Sometimes life is just simple, but we make it complex by trying to create solutions- of which these same solutions create a problem, forming a continuous loop.
So now as I end this post, think about it, would you like to be a Dinka? No, am not telling you to burn all your clothes and knock off your teeth- am simply telling you to live in harmony with nature!
PS: If you want to check out the article on the Dinka I was reading about, here is the link:
http://tekey.net/b/en/dinka-nilotic-ethnic-from-sudan/

Monday 27 April 2015

TLC






Many have asked me before, why TLC?  My response, yes that TLC you sing about in songs or that that you mention sometimes when you want your way but want to sugar coat the selfish words- my way!
What more do we want to know about TLC? To me, its simply expounding tenderness, loving generously and caring deeply. Another may ask, and what does all this have to do with the environment? Well, the environment is connected to everything and I just want to play my part in reminding you that nature is very unforgiving, that's why we need to pamper it! Yes, tender love and care for your environment before it becomes mean to you... this is not a threat from me dear reader, its just the fact as it is.

Where I live, I believe is in a bad state, in fact I mean worse status. And when I say where I live it is actually the Earth. I bet we all share a home, so we are in this same boat, where things have already gone to worse. Have we not heard of the floods and droughts? What about food insecurity, because of the poor yields due to lack of water or poor infertile soils. How about the thousands of people and livestock killed by wild animals, or even the migration of wild animals? Well, it is evident that conditions such as human wildlife conflict are on the rise. Other phenomenon includes climate change which has spiraled debates all over the world. Is climate change real, or is it just the worst hoax ever? Away from climate change, what about poaching- with illegal trade of trophies existing in some parts of the globe? Sad. We have all experienced some form of pollution I believe, be it exhaust fumes, dust and all sorts of things released into our environment.

Divestment has been a big word in 2015. All these activities linked to the environment. Its high time we thought critically about all these issues, and how they affect social and economic development. It is also high time that we learn about environmental issues, how we are affected and what we can do.
So yes, back to TLC, and why it feels like the earth is crying out for you to show some love!! There are several challenges that mother Earth faces, and only me and you can make a difference! I actually thought it would be a good idea to have a blog, to talk about various issues and how we are vulnerable to them and how we can adapt and mitigate negative impacts. Other than that, I felt I could contribute more towards creating awareness and hopefully a ripple effect through a blog, on matters of environmental conservation and sustainable development.

I therefore prepared this first post to introduce my ideas and perspectives and to create a channel where I can motivate and inspire others to join in the fight.
Also, a big shout out to my best friend Enid Nzisa, for encouraging me to start this blog, setting it up and most importantly supporting me in my endeavors in being a servant and voice for the Earth as well as being an environmentalist as well.
Happy reading as we start this journey, and remember to TLC4Environment!!