Before now, global arguments about climate change were generally viewed as elitist, neo-colonial intrusions into our poor lives. Still grappling with rudimental developmental and political issues, African leaders and their citizens have paid less than cursory attention to the global climate change challenge.However, within the past decade, the consequences of climate change have been hitting home through droughts, flooding, depleting forest and animal resources, poor harvests and assorted diseases.This has changed the climate change narrative and altered our natural humanity within our space on the global map.

In Nigeria, for instance, global warming ‘red lines’ are obvious from the disappearance of the Lake Chad, the submerging of the Savanna belt by the southward advancing Sahara desert; and the concomitant internal displacement and loss of livelihoods of ancestral communities that depended on the natural environment for centuries. The unfortunate outcome is the sharp increase in internal migration as affected individuals and sometimes, entire communities search for “Greener Pastures”, precipitating conflicts with host communities, and threatening to snap up the tenuous bond that supports Nigeria’s citizenship.

Environmental experts have proved that climate change is caused by human activity, and in some cases, inactivity. From a global perspective, carbon emissions from highly industrialized societies like The USA, Germany, China, Japan, The United Kingdom and their peers have been shown to emit most of global toxic carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, the very nature and principle of globalization, makes it possible for these nations to enjoy the benefits of industrialization within their geographical boundaries, whilespewing the toxic impacts into the borderless atmosphere. These could spread as far as the Arctic and Antarctica, largely unchallenged by increasing ambivalence of world powers who focus more on the next election, than the grim reality of climate change.

Given that past global climate change summits in Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun, Rio, Durban and Doha are yet to reach concrete, measurable and enforceable national commitments towards taming the scourge, the least we can do in Nigeria is to ‘Regreen’ our habits – at individual and governmental levels. Additionally, budgetary constraints make adaptation policies more prudent at our present stage of national development as we await a comprehensive global action on climate change.

At the individual level, some ‘Green’ introspection of our daily habits vis-à-vis our immediate environment might help: How do we dispose of our refuse so as we don’t clog our drainages? How ‘Green’ is the energy we use to power our homes and comfort? What ‘Green’ latitudes are available for farming our lands, even at its present subsistence level? Is it possible to reserve a little space for a tree as we build our homes? Imagine a situation where 20million Nigerians plant a tree each in the next one year. That would add 20million trees to the existing flora stock, which will facilitate the absorption of our national carbon dioxide stock and release more oxygen to the immediate atmosphere through simple photosynthesis.

In the same vein, what are the ‘green’ components of government development plans, from annual budgets, through medium term, to long term development plans? Are there credible initiatives to ‘Regreen’ our chaotic cities and make them more habitable?How efficient are the government institutions responsible for planning and sustaining order in our cities?

Are there enforceable sanctions for environmental infractions by unscrupulous individuals, no matter their net worth or social status? What safety nets are available for vulnerable residents, who are unfairly exposed to the negative externalities of environmental indiscretion? Are the responsible State Governors constructing legal windows, where residents of noisy cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha, Kano, and Aba can seek legal redress from deafening noises from power generators, music vendors, and church/mosque loudspeakers?

The current global economic order demands that nations and their citizens make the ‘Green’ choices needed to mitigate the negative effects of climate change within their borders. It has therefore become imperative that green considerations dominate our choices of food, occupation, habitation and governance. This calls for the installation of imaginary ‘Green alarm clocks’ in our individual, corporate as well as governmental minds in order to check this common enemy.

As we attempt to breed our way through our numerous problems as a nation, there is a compelling need to start taking climate change issues seriously. With a fast growing population (particularly young population), poor institutions, a huge infrastructural deficit, a mono product economy (oil), decrepit educational system, widespread corruption, volatile democratic arrangement, violent ethno-religious conflicts; survival opportunities are progressively decreasing at the margin. As politicians fight over allocation of oil revenue, the only true legacy we can leave for future generations is a sustainable ‘Green’ consciousness.

Abandoning our children to the ravaging whims of the elements is the height of irresponsibility. That would be tantamount to asking our future citizen to walking about with oxygen masks in virtually empty stomachs, clutching air conditioned umbrellas. Considering the impracticality of such a policy option, our national“REGREEN” efforts must begin now!

Author: Ugo Ihejirika