- The Star will dedicate a page daily from today to the climate adaptation and resilience stories
- We have also created a special page on our website and we will carry climate change-related stories across all our radio stations
I was born and bred in a village.
As children, we looked forward to April because we were sure it was going to rain heavily for days and we would “swim” in the rainwater let alone enjoy watching Safari Rally cars stumble through the mad.
We, also, were sure April would be the month we would have the first crop of maize planted in December, or early January, ready for roasting.
Today, the Safari Rally has been moved to Naivasha and most importantly, no one can predict if we will have long rains in April anymore.
In other words, our climate is changing, and with that, many changes are taking place, some posing a threat to our very existence.
The signs are everywhere, more extreme weather, more floods and landslides, more heat waves, droughts and wildfires.
Nearly all scientists agree that it is happening and is human-made. Those in denial are either mistaken or motivated by commercial or political incentives.
Because climate change poses an existential threat to mankind, the Star will dedicate a page every day from today to the climate adaptation and resilience stories as Nairobi hosts experts and world leaders for the Africa Climate Action Summit (September 4-6).
We have also created a special page on our website (the star-kenya.co.ke) and we will publish climate change-related articles across all our radio stations in addition to publishing pictures and podcasts.
Why are we doing this?
It is because we recognise the danger humanity is facing and we would like to rally all of us to act now.
President William Ruto has convened a summit in Nairobi to find real solutions to climate change challenges as a lead-up to a major summit in Dubai later in the year.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the planet is entering an "era of global boiling".
Scientists agree the extra heat is mainly linked to the use of fossil fuels.
US President Joe Biden has described climate change as an "existential threat" and that no one "can deny the impact of climate change anymore".
Some experts believe that July might well be the warmest month in the past 120,000 years.
The inaugural Africa Climate Action Summit aims to address the increasing exposure to climate change and its associated costs, both locally, regionally and globally.
With the expected increase in escalating climate crises in terms of intensity, urgent action is required to mitigate these challenges.
The summit will serve as a platform to inform, frame, and influence commitments, pledges and outcomes, ultimately leading to the development of the Nairobi Declaration.
Climate mitigation, or our ability to reverse climate change and undo its widespread and terrifying effects, hinges on the successful enactment of policies that yield deep cuts to carbon pollution, end dependence on dangerous fossil fuels and deadly air pollution, and prioritise the people and ecosystems on the front-lines.
These actions must be taken quickly in order to ensure a healthier safer future.
Importantly, every fraction of a degree of warming that we stave off future environmental catastrophes, and keep more of the planet’s natural ecosystem intact.
The good news is that a wide range of solutions exists to significantly reduce emissions, slow the pace of warming, and protect communities on the front-lines from the devastating effects of climate change.
Climate leaders the world over—those on major political stages as well as grassroots community activists due in Nairobi—are offering alternative models to systems that put people before profit.
We hope the Nairobi Summit will not be another talking shop. We call on all those coming to the city in the sun to make real, concrete and practical proposals to save our plate.