During the just concluded climate change conference held in Glasgow dubbed COP 26, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley made a speech laden with emotion and urgency on the need for world leaders to act promptly to forestall a global catastrophe befalling mankind due to global warming. She emphasized the need for the world's wealthiest nations to make the necessary committments towards curbing the global carbon footprint. She cautioned that although presently the less developed or poorer nations are the ones currently bearing most of the brunt of the warming globe, it was only the beginning as no one or nation would be spared of the consequences of the planet warming up eventually.
She cited the global pandemic as an example of what would eventually happen if the needful is not done now while a narrow window of opportunity still exists to stem the tide of getting warmer. Just as the pandemic did not spare any location no matter how developed or secured it was, so also would a warmer earth spare no one when mother nature unleashes her wrath.
The facial expressions on the faces of world leaders present as well as their body language indicated that they agreed with the message in the Prime Minister's speech. Sadly days after the conference ended it remains to be seen if action will be promptly taken to avoid the colossal environmental crisis that may soon overwhelm the entire planet. In an ideal world where reason is given preference over interests the world stage should have been abuzz with actions or initiatives to forestall any further warming of the planet. But alas the situation in the world today is anything but ideal, in fact it is the furthest it has even been from ideal.
Nationalistic interests are given preference virtually in all situations even when such interests may be detrimental to a vast majority of the inhabitants of the planet. Even in the face of the looming crisis some nations watch comfortably as mother nature unleashes its vengeance on other less endowed nations due to the collective wrongs of mankind which is hurting the planet. Some others adopt a laissez-faire attitude to the problem probably because they haven't been visited by mother nature which will surely happen. It is only a matter of time.
Decades ago someone remarked that mankind will be quick to put aside their personal differences in the face of an extra- terrestial threat but would not do same to combat an enemy from within. That enemy with us today is global warming and how true his words have turned out to be. Some of the nations who seem not to care about what is happening to others may have drawn up a detailed plan to combat the enemy when it arrives at their doorstep with all the resources at their disposal. But they forget no matter how good a plan might be, more often than not it does not survive first contact with the enemy.
In my country of residence, we are living with the reality of climate change as a result of global warming with almost no clear distinctions anymore between the dry and wet seasons. It almost rains all year round as against the six months of dry and wet periods which was obtainable decades ago. Who would have ever imagined that we would still be having heavy rainstorms in the last month of the year.
This was unthinkable when I was a young boy and the thoughts of it ever occuring would have been inconceivable back then. However this is the reality of today. This disruption is hurting agricultural activities with a negative impact on food security. Perhaps in some of the countries that don't seem to care about the issue of global warming their climate has not been altered significantly hence they are decieved that all is still Uhuru.
The fight against climate change occasioned by global warming is one that cannot be won if fought in isolation by the countries of the world. There needs to be a united front to confront this challenge head on else when the consequences of our inactions today begin to fully manifest themselves, the battle would have been lost and mankind may face an environmental catastrophe, the likes of which have never been witnessed.
The ship of humanity is sinking metaphorically speaking because some passengers in the lower decks have decide to take a fast route to get water from the ocean by boring a hole in the hull of the ship without having to disturb those in the upper deck each time they need water. Some passengers on the upper decks are raising alarms as to the consequences of such actions to the integrity of the ship while others who are in a bette position to take action look on , unconcerned as to what will eventually happen. It is only a matter of time before the lower decks get flooded due to the breach in the hull. Eventually all the decks in the ship will be flooded and the vessel will sink.
With the alarm bells ringing globally with bizarre environmental disasters on the increase and the powerful nations of the world seemingly turning a blind eye with little or no political will to act, one is forced to ask the million dollar question:
Who will save the planet from this ticking time bomb?
Shukran
Danke
Merci
Gracias
ขอบคุณ
ধন্যবাদ
Спасибо
for reading.
