THE CASE OF SOLAR ENERGY - MY PERSPECTIVE

When you mention solar energy, why do people only think you are talking about bulk infrastructure?

Solar is more than that. Solar is modern technology driven by local innovation.

In fact, the solar revolution in Africa today is driven by small solar lighting solutions wired to Pay As You Go (PAYG) software and hardware. It has less or 'nothing' to do with bulk infrastructure!!!

First and foremost, nobody pays for it, it’s just there and for the next ten billion years humans can and will be able to tap it. Interestingly, developing solar energy may seem like a no brainier but there are legitimate concerns when it comes to the capabilities of it and its implementation.

Photo Credit : Google

Over the years, there have been a lot of arguments concerning solar energy which ranges from the cost involved where the general notion is that it’s too high when adopted. But from further readings and research, it has been identified that, there are different ways for calculating costs and the alternative methods also doesn’t compare easily to each other.

There’s also been the case of how feasible it is to generate power when the sun shines on them. Other factors such as its storage, its accompanying environmental costs are all valid points in the argument for and against the case of solar energy but in my opinion, I believe the positives outweighs the negatives.

The Government of Ghana and for that matter most African governments in my opinion doesn't believe in solar energy, it is rather the citizens who do.

LOCS4Africa 2017: Water & Climate Congress

The Local Climate Solutions for Africa (LOCS4Africa) Congress series is Africa’s leading platform on local climate action for cities and other sub-national governments across the continent.

It connects business and industry, investors, scientists, technical experts, development partners, national governments and civil society with Africa’s cities and urban networks. LOCS4Africa offers opportunity for direct engagement and strategic discussions around current local solutions and emerging trends relating to urban resilience and low-carbon development in Africa.

It is a well-established pan-African bi-annual congress, each with a strategic theme critical to urban sustainable development, in line with emerging global trends. The congress places strong emphasis on local leadership and innovative approaches to sustainable development in Africa's urban context.

If you will want to be a part of this congress happening in South Africa from 20th March - 23 rd March of 2017, take a look at the attached document below to know who qualifies to be a part of this wonderful congress.

See you there in March !!

Njeri appointed as Greenpeace Africa Executive Director

PRESS RELEASE

Kenyan born Njeri Kabeberi, has been named as Executive Director for Greenpeace Africa after an extensive search for a combination of skills required to drive the organisation towards a people powered movement.

According to the Greenpeace Africa Board, Africans are hungry for a new story, one with a better take on nature, on humanity, their livelihoods, their future and their connection to the earth. “It was critical to find someone who embodies passion, activism and understands the context of environmental justice in Africa and we are confident that Njeri represents that” said Greenpeace Africa Board Chair Brian Kagoro.

Greenpeace currently runs campaigns on four key issues on the continent, to protect the Congo Basin from large scale deforestation, stop overfishing in West Africa, promote ecological farming in the horn of Africa as well as demand a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources in South Africa in order to reverse the impacts of climate change.

With a long history in human rights activism, Njeri will be leading Greenpeace Africa into a new wave of environmental justice for Africans by Africans.

“We will continue to work on our flagship campaigns but more so, we shall be working closely with communities to ensure that our campaigns speak to the local realities on the continent and can effect change in the day to day life of our people” said newly appointed Greenpeace Africa Executive Director Njeri Kabeberi.

“Africa has a major role to play in the global efforts to reverse climate change, protecting its vast natural forest and safeguarding its rich ocean resources is centre to the continent’s contribution in averting the catastrophic effects of climate change. It is important that the continent works together to push for an end to illegal logging, unsustainable fishing and a shift from industrial agriculture to ecological farming to ensure that our biodiversity is protected” added Njeri.

Njeri joins Greenpeace after serving as CEO of the Civil Society Reference Group and as the immediate former Executive Director of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy.  She is also a member of the board of advisors of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and chairs the board of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict.

  

Njeri is passionate about social justice and women’s rights, and in 2010, amongst others, received the ILO Wedge Award.  She also has extensive INGO leadership and management experience and was on the Board of the Kenya Human Rights Commission for many years.  

World Climate Event

They say opportunity comes but once and when it comes your way, you must grab it with both hands and that is what I did when the call came to be a part of the World Climate Simulation event. To know briefly what transpired and the role I played at the event, kindly read further.

The World Climate simulation event gives people a taste of what it is like to be a negotiator at the UN climate change negotiations. World Climate was developed by Climate Interactive, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) Climate change Initiative.

The event which was organized by Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) with support from Climate Interactive and the University of Mohammed VI Polytechnic in Morocco at the Kumasi Hive, Kentinkrono-Kumasi granted me the opportunity to be a part as an Activist/Journalist where my role was to set the minds of negotiators on the importance of the day. Seemingly I had to counter directives that were proposed to the fund seeking delegates to be circumspect of accepting any conditions looking at their countries resources and it's eventual effect on their environment.

I had the final say, by closing the event with my observations and remarks and one thing was obvious, the mindset to which some of our developing country's attend such negotiation events is sad.

Also I explained why the case of climate change research and activism was important for which negotiators should take note in their dealings with developed partners should another opportunity presented itself.

At the end of the two sections, the nation’s decisions were fed into C-ROADS software to calculate if the goal of groups to limit global warming to “well below 2˚C” compared to preindustrial levels was met.

The results from the computer showed the nations have only limited global warming to 2.3˚C which means more intensive actions have to take place to reach the 2˚C goal.

Grateful to the GAYO team for the opportunity they granted me to be a part of this event and I learnt a lot for which the experience gained is still very much valued.

See you soon at another climate related event. When you see me just give me a wave.

Act on Climate!!!

PHOTO CREDIT : Green Africa Youth Organisation

CANS OF FRESH AIR SOLD IN CHINA

More than 300 cans of fresh air from south China’s Hainan Province have been sold at the 2016 Hainan International Tourism Trade Expo.

Selling for 29 yuan (US$4.50), the cans of clean air have generated significant interest from businesses and tourists from smog-effected cities in the north and northeast China.

It was bottled in the seaside tourism resort of Bawangling, Changjiang County in southwest Hainan, where the forest coverage is up to 98 per cent.

Bawangling’s average negative oxygen ions per cubic centimetre are as high as 6,000, which is six times the standard of clean air stated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Liu Jin, deputy county chief of Changjiang at the Expo, said: “The first batch of 300 cans were all sold out, and it will start selling to the public in two months.”

Chinese firms are already in negotiation to research and develop larger sizes and different applications, according to Liu.

Source: Climate Action News