By Mwongyera Eustakio.
The threats of climate change on human life are not recent. Visionaries like Robert Swan had earlier observed that unless man changes his behavior towards degrading the environment he would soon put the planet on which he depends at risk.
In this case, who is to save Africa and the world at large? Who is to save Uganda? Is it donor countries like America, and China, among others?
While creating the world, God gave us vegetation as a gift of life support. We need to support vegetation if we are to remain healthy and alive. Unfortunately, the law of harmonious interdependence of man and his environment is not taken care of.
The man simply exploits natural resources without minding about what would happen to him if such resources that support life were all exhausted.
The wisdom and intelligence of man seem to be overshadowed by his venture into technological advancement. He forgets that climatic and environmental imbalance is catastrophic to all living things.
The degraded mother nature has several times retaliated in a language that man seems not to understand. The results are global warming, floods, landslides, extreme dry spells, and unpredictable weather conditions, to mention but a few.
Such are the ways and means in which nature expresses her anger to the hostile man who continues to destroy the environment.
The late Margaret Mead, one of the famous American cultural anthropologists, once said, “We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment. This means that every time we destroy nature, mainly green cover, we commit suicide.”
The report released by the Nature and Biodiversity Initiative of the World Economic Forum states, “Humanity has already wiped out 83% of world mammals and half of all plants.
The report published by the Guardian, a British newspaper (May 20, 2018) also says that humanity has severely altered three-quarters of the ice-free land and two-thirds of the marine environment.
All these facts confirm that man’s social and economic activity on nature is the main cause of climate change since climate and nature are inextricably interlinked.
Most of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals will not be achieved if current trends on biodiversity continue. The World Economic Forum 2020 Global Risks Report ranks Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as one of the top five threats humanity will face in the next ten years.
Nature will respond if this heavy oppression on it is not stopped. Soon, the oppressors who are you and I will receive our reward.
Having taken a keen study in all these environmental/man-risk relationships, my few friends and I decided to start an organization that would act as the mouthpiece of silent mother nature. The organization aims at influencing, mentoring, and orienting the mindset of the young generation towards passionate care of the environment they depend on.
Climate Shield Uganda is a registered CBO/NGO, with objectives, mission, and vision. It is determined to cause a positive thinking impact on the minds of young people to love and care for their environment.
The farmers, being the main players in handling natural resources as they do cultivating and grazing, have a special project designed to mitigate the effects of climate change as they carry out their role. The project is called Adoptive Conservational Agriculture. A student environmental attitude and mindset change program called ” Youth Friends Of Nature” has also been designed.
All these efforts are intended to save Mother Nature, mother planet, and people’s lives. As Climate Shield Uganda progresses, we expect a lot as far as environmental conservation and moral restoration are concerned.
By Mwongyera Eustakio.
An environmental and Climate Activist. Proprietor “Climate Shield Uganda” a nongovernmental organization.
Any good Samaritan willing to fund the organization from Uganda and outside Uganda is highly welcome.
