When Connect 4Climate asked me to speak at the Alcantara Dialogues during Milan Design Week, I jumped at the chance. After all, this was likely to be an audience made up of highly creative people, not the usual crowd of hard-core environmentalists and policy wonks that often participate in such discussions. Several years ago, my dear friend Dragan Klaic – a leading figure in the European theater and culture community who passed away in 2011 – gave me some very good advice. He said that the arguments of environmentalists would not be enough to generate the kind of public mandate needed to address climate change. It’s the culture community, he said – musicians, performers, artists – that will reach people at an emotional level, and help them ’feel’ what climate change is all about.

The call is on the youths. What's being done to limit the impact of human activities upon the earth? Is there going to be left a habitable place for posterity and generations to come? Will they have a better quality of life or do our activities threaten this idea?

Turn Down the Heat, a report by the World Bank examined some of these issues. It emphasized how human activities and the resultant global warming and climate change could impact adversely on nations. Beaming its spotlight on sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South East Asia, the bank examined varying scenarios of what could become of these regions should world temperatures increase by 2 – 4 degrees. A synopsis; extreme flood, heat, and drought. These have enormous ripple effects such as population displacement and increased conflicts to name a few.

According to IEA, carbon emissions globally hit record highs in 2012, rising by 1.4 percent to 31.6 billion tons. In addition, developing countries are said to account for 60 percent of global emissions from energy as against 45 percent in the year 2000.

Is history going to repeat the same heated cycle? What is being done to stem the tide of a warming planet? There have been calls for an end to the use of fossil fuels, excessive deforestation, un-checked industrialization and much more.

The time has come for us to heed the call of knowledgeable diplomats and world leaders; United States President Barack Obama has called for reevaluations of current operating standards in order to safe guard the future from climate change.

The youths are a part of this conversation. As the leaders of tomorrow and the voters of today, they can catalyze positive action in their homes, schools and communities on habits that result in warming climates. Armed with appropriate facts on this issue, they can help make a world of difference. The World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated that, "To deliver bold solutions on climate change, we need to listen to and engage broader and more diverse audiences. We need to hear the voices of young people."

The Connect4Climate global coalition, led by Lucia Grenna, threw its weight behind this idea, building global awareness and conversations on climate change. C4C took numerous steps to focus on encouraging youths to make their message heard. The youths have been a large part of coalition efforts, illuminating how climate change impacts their future in the recently concluded iChange competition.

In the United States, a poll conducted for the League of Conservation Voters revealed that young voters want there to be more action in slowing climate change. According to Tree Hugger.com, "young voters will not tolerate denying science or opposing action to slow climate change."

In addition, AllAfrica.com presents how the youths currently focus on grassroots action in a bid to help their communities adapt to climate change. They believe that there's an urgency to develop resilience measures and coping strategies since adaptation funds were not trickling down to those in desperate need.

What more needs to be said? Let these steps taken so far be transformed into leaps and bounds of progress, through positive and profound actions and policies that will reverse the heat.
The World Bank in its fight to end poverty attempts to balance varying activities that alleviate poverty with those that protect the environment. According to Reuters, the World Bank in is endeavoring to limit the financing of coal-fired power plants.

Other countries and cities around the world are snapping on to the efforts of limiting climate change. For instance, London has put together a city adaptation plan that includes surface water flood management, increasing vegetation about the city, and improving water and energy efficiency in homes. In Quito, Ecuador, official policies support mitigation and adaptation strategies that focus on five areas: ecosystems and biodiversity, drinking water supplies, public health, infrastructure and power production, and climate risk management.

New York City has developed a 19.5 billion dollar plan that will help the city adapt to climate change. A sort of reinforcement after the extensive damage wrought on the city by superstorm Sandy.
In Jamaica, collaboration by the University of West Indies, the Global Environment Facility, and United Nations Environment Program will see the construction of zero – energy buildings in the region in the next two to three years. These zero-energy / energy – plus buildings (ZEB / EB) work by combining energy-efficient designs with efficient sources of energy so that they produce their own energy, and then some.

Nigeria collaborates with ECOWAS member states to develop a West African Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (WACCAS), in addition to afforestation initiatives, the Green Wall Sahara Initiative, the construction of solar farms, and public awareness campaigns.

In Durban, South Africa climate adaptation strategies started as early as 2004 and have been rolling out in stages. The program began by assessing local impacts of climate change as presented by hotter temperatures, rainfall intensity and coastal erosion. Specific adaptation plans were developed with hopes of harnessing these effects.

Rwanda is planting trees, preserving forests, and reforming agricultural practices to make them more environmentally friendly.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that 20 percent of cities around the globe have developed adaptation strategies. We all need to adopt activities that will help harness climate change and decrease escalating global temperatures.

A lot more needs to be done to decelerate the warming of the earth. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon added his voice to the call on the youths' increased involvement.

As President Obama said in his recent remarks on climate change, when "our children and our children's children …look us in the eye and ask us, did we do all that we could when we had the chance to deal with this problem and leave them a cleaner, safer, more stable world?" Let us be able to respond, "Yes, we did!"

Twenty years ago, at the Rio Earth Summit, 178 governments committed to a series of legally non-binding principles that were designed to commit governments to balance development and environment in a way that would bring a more sustainable future. Principle 10, the first international declaration that recognizes the rights of people to hold governments accountable for their policies regarding the environment, was one key result of the summit. It provides a means for people to engage in the decisions made by political leaders and government agencies about environmental issues that affect livelihoods and long term wellbeing.

“Environmental issues are best handled with participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level. At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available. Effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy, shall be provided.”

- Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration

Since 2011, key stakeholders have been submitting ideas for the Zero Draft of the Rio+20 outcome document, to be discussed at the Rio+20 Conference in June 2012.

Like Principle 10, the Zero Draft recognizes the need for broad public participation in decision making, linked to a strengthened right to access information and to better civil society capacity to exercise that right. It notes that technology can make it easier for governments “to share information with the public and for the public to hold decision makers accountable” and that it is critical to work towards universal access to information and communications technologies. (Clauses 17 and 18). A recent analysis showed that participation, accountability, transparency, Principle 10/access to information and social inclusion/ equity are among the terms that share an ‘excellent’ level of interest among governments, UN agencies, civil society groups and other stakeholders.

Along with public participation, the Zero Draft also calls for “increased aid effectiveness, taking into account the Paris Declaration, the Accra Action Agenda and the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation in ensuring that aid is effective, accountable and responsive to the needs and priorities of developing countries.” Greater coherence at international and national levels is urged, including “effective oversight of resources to ensure that developing countries have steady and predictable access to adequate financing, including by the private sector, to promote sustainable development.’

ICTs can play a role in supporting Principle 10 and Zero Draft, and pushing for appropriate mechanisms for response and redress.

Mass media campaigns and communication for development (C4D) approaches have long been used to disseminate information and encourage environmental awareness and behavior change. New media has improved access to information and allows multi-channel communication rather than one-way broadcasts. Greater access to mobile phones and to new media channels mean that a broader population than ever before can be engaged in and/or participate proactively in defining and acting on Rio+20 and its outcomes.

In addition to information sharing and behavior change, ICTs have the potential to play a strong role in helping civil society organize and push for greater transparency, openness and accountability around Rio+20. As Chantal Line Carpintier suggests, “Rio+20 should also agree on an effective accountability process for all actors  – governments, business and industry, local authorities, NGOs and other major groups and stakeholders.  Accountability and ownership by all actors would favour implementation. There is growing support, for instance, for public reporting on sustainability performance.  A registry of commitments is one of the tools that have been suggested to follow up on commitments made at Rio+20 and avoid previous lack of implementation.”

An effort similar to the open government partnership and the International Aid Transparency Initiative or integration of sustainable development goals and Rio+20 commitments into these two efforts could be something to consider, along with a mandate for corporations to also open their activities to public scrutiny.

On-line organizing combined with both online and offline actions (in places that have ready access to social media) can help the world prepare for Rio and also to push for its outcomes to be implemented.

Despite the great potential for ICTs in communication, change and accountability efforts, however; lack of access to ICTs and potentially low capacity to interpret data that might be presented on-line in such a registry is of concern in less accessible rural communities and among some marginalized groups.

Education levels, literacy, and other excluding factors such as poverty and gender discrimination can severely limit ICT and social media access for a large number of people.  In addition, information produced in dominant cultures or languages can exclude or override those with less power. As Angelica Ospina notes in her post Knowledge Brokers, ICTs, and Climate Change: Hybrid Approaches to Reach the Vulnerable, “There are many misconceptions about what ‘reaching out’ implies, as in practice it requires much more than making climate change information and knowledge publicly available through Internet-based tools such as Web portals and online databases.”

Therefore, there needs to be, “a more holistic understanding of the information cycle, including the creation, acquisition, assimilation, management, dissemination and ultimately the USE of climate change information, particularly within vulnerable contexts. Beyond the provision of climate change information, it’s necessary to consider if/how the information is being integrated -or not- into decision-making processes at the local, regional or national levels,” she says.

The Children in a Changing Climate project uses a variety of participatory development and media tools for children and adolescents to explore and document climate change in their communities, and to share their findings and suggestions to adults and other decision makers.

There is also a need “to identify, adapt and adopt innovative approaches for the effective delivery and the local appropriation of climate change messages, and most importantly, for the translation of information and knowledge -both new and traditional- into climate change practice.” This will require strong efforts as well as resources to create an inclusive environment that fosters greater participation, as mandated by Principle 10, and local ownership of sustainable practices.

“Working with knowledge brokers, also called “human infomediaries” who can help bring people together, identify local needs and transfer information and knowledge more effectively is one such approach to improve information and communication flows,” Ospina advises. “Human infomediaries support an active process that involves exchanges between people, facilitating the development of climate change strategies, adoption of adaptation and mitigation practices, and processes of local change and innovation.”

(More here on ICTs and the role of knowledge brokers).

Building on Ospina’s observations on how to bring information to the “last mile,” meaningful ways to bring community knowledge and information into higher level discussions need to be found. Local communities have vast knowledge on resilience, climate patterns, local environments and local situations and histories that can be documented and shared using ICTs both to benefit themselves and to share at broader levels, improving South-South cooperation and innovation. Multi-media curricula such as the Children in a Changing Climate website bring together young people’s voices and opinions around climate change and environment.

Post Rio+20, digital tools are one of many information and communication mechanisms that local communities and their citizens can use to confirm, validate, contest and dispute information related to compliance with commitments being put forward by those responsible for upholding them. Participatory media approaches can be effective in bringing community members as well as duty bearers at local, district, national and global levels into discussions about climate change and sustainable development.

Why are you killing me? Girls in Kenya use poetry to engage adults in discussion on climate change.

In summary, ICTs can play a strong role in education, participation and accountability processes if their integration is well thought through, appropriate to the context, and taking into consideration good participatory practices. Hybrid approaches that use a variety of online and offline tools can be effective for reaching populations and decisions-makers at different levels of responsibility, for ensuring that ICTs are not widening existing information and participation gaps and for upholding the goals set forth in Principle 10. Children and youth can and should play an instrumental role in bringing about awareness and accountability, especially since they will be the ones who reap the long-term results of the agreements sown at Rio+20.

The Notes on ICTs, Climate Change and Development blog provides a wide range of research, commentary, and research on these areas.

It might seem tautological to say that the story of man and forest is as old as, well, man and forest. But considering that we spend so much time and energy cutting down trees and generally disregarding their importance to our survival, it seems like we have forgotten that our existence is largely sustained by forests.

From the World Bank’s Forests and Forestry Page

Forests contain twice as much carbon as exists in the Earth’s atmosphere, and absorb about 15 percent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, destruction of forests through deforestation and forest degradation now contribute about 18% of the planet's greenhouse gases, a principal cause of climate change. 

Based on the comments on our Facebook wall, many of you understand the importance of protecting forests as an effective method of protecting the environment. Your comments remind us that this is a conversation that needs to be shared around the world.

As individuals we might not be able to sit at the negotiating table in Durban or Rio+20, but planting trees or educating our neighbors on the importance of forests, is well within our capability. Forests provide mankind a very rich existence. For some communities that have been living in harmony with forests, this is common knowledge. Asimenyekyala Nthakomwa noted this on our Facebook wall:

“communities harvest lots of non timber forest products... fruits, mushrooms, firewood, thatching grass, edible insects and a lot more therefore their protection ensures continued benefits to the communities, let me mention that the communities (especially those who dwell closer to the forests) should be involved in the protection of these forests so that they should feel that they own them and its for their benefit otherwise illegal harvesting cases will be the order of the day and they will be used unsustainably!”

Many of you made valid observations today about forests and their role in fighting climate change. You commented that forests are important to you because they house animals, provide oxygen, sequester carbon, prevent desertification, provide shade and beauty, protect biodiversity and water resources, balance micro-climates, and are part of our heritage and legacy.

A few weeks ago, forests featured heavily during our week of African Voices on Climate Change (AVCC). AVCC was our invitation to African and Diaspora bloggers to contribute their stories on climate change. Over the next few weeks we’ll feature those voices as part of our weekly discussions. One of those contributors, Professor Wolfgang H. Thome, from Rwanda wrote about Nyungwe National Forest Park in Rwanda and how the country is looking at sustainable methods of including forests as part of the national attraction. This is a great example of positive use of forests. We don’t necessarily need to destroy forests in order to create tourist attractions, forests ARE the attraction:

The establishment of the Nyungwe Forest National Park a few years ago widened Rwanda’s tourism attractions and the success of this park – including its unique treetop walk – has fueled rumours that another forest national park may be in the making to provide more choices of itineraries and fulfill the country’s tourism vision to attract quality tourists who are staying longer and spend more money, making the ‘industry’ succeed in the long run for generations to come.

Given all your input into the discussion on forests, one could conclude that nearly all of the 80,000 fans on our Facebook page joined because they understand the causes of climate change and are passionate about finding solutions. 80,000 of you understanding how critical a role forests play in the fight against climate change might not seem like much against a population of 7 billion. But 80,000 is a lot when you are started at zero. There’s a lot to say and to understand about our relationship with nature. Our journey to being more knowledgeable might perhaps answer critical questions about our dysfunctional relationship with our environment. Like for example,  what allows us to ignore the destructive nature of our behaviors, in full light of evidence?

From UNEP:
Forests cover one third of the earth's land mass, performing vital functions around the world. In fact, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. They play a key role in our battle against climate change. Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities, including New York, Jakarta and Caracas. They help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms and floods.

Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. Forests also provide shelter, jobs and security for forest-dependent populations.

Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, we are destroying the very forests we need to survive. Global deforestation continues at an alarming rate -- 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually, equal to the size of Portugal.

One thing is clear, we are all responsible. But at the same time, we are fully capable of being the solution. So please continue to share your stories about the ways forests benefit you. If you don’t think forests impact your everyday life, please make it a point to join the discussion and hear the stories of others. Somewhere along the way, we hope you will come to understand that others’ stories about forests are reflections of all humankind’s interactions with forests. We are all connected, and we all rely on forests. Next week, we’ll look at how one person’s story of a forest is relevant to all of us.

Solomon W. Jagwe is a Ugandan animator with over 15 years experience in the digital arts. He has spent the last couple of years working on an animated film that tells the story of a Mountain Gorilla on a quest to survive. With production of the film still in progress, C4C caught up with Mr. Jagwe over Skype to gain a little more information on his very personal project of using film to engage youth in Uganda and on the continent about the importance of conservation.

[video:https://youtu.be/hY3DkqGWHX8]

 

Why did you choose to use film as a medium to get your message across?

I chose to use film to deliver the story of Galiwango, because when I was growing up as a kid back in Uganda, the only way that I heard folk tales about wildlife, was through kerosene lamp-lit evenings in the village, with my grandmother. When my grandmother passed away, I realized that, those stories of Wango (leopard), Wakayima (Hare), and Waguludene (Elephant) had most certainly gone to the grave with her, except for what I had in my memory. I figured that the surest way to save that rich heritage of oral tradition, was to carry on the torch and use a medium that was rapidly being accessed all over the world through the web and in movie theaters.

And considering the fact that we the youth are the future consumers and leaders of tomorrow, I had to find a method that would appeal to that demographic. That's why I chose the 3D animated approach. I have been working in this industry since 1998. I have worked for the US defense industry for over 12 years as an animator, and 3D artist, created content for video games, military simulations, cinematics and scenario based training.

Having worked within military circles for that length of time, I developed a soft spot for men and women who lay down their lives to protect and preserve freedom. That experience shaped the way I look at Park Rangers. I see them as the front-line, unsung heroes in the global effort to protect endangered wildlife and the conservation of the habitats they live in. In the Galiwango film, I show the tremendous responsibility the rangers have in fending off Illegal charcoal traders and poachers. There is a war being waged against the forests in Africa (and in South America) where the forests in the Congo Basin and Amazon Basin are threatened by logging and deforestation that is feeding the illegal charcoal trade, especially in the Congo.

Without the forest cover, the endangered wildlife is stripped bare of its protective habitat and source of food and accommodation. This also opens up the habitats to squatters as communities build closer and closer to the habitat shared by the mountain gorillas and other endangered wildlife. [ Some photos of my mountain gorilla tracking trip to Bwindi to see the Nshongi mountain gorilla group, and to gather reference material for the Galiwango Film ] 

After the tracking, I sat down with 4 rangers and interviewed them about their experience of protecting the Bwindi forest and the mountain gorillas, plus all the other  endangered wildlife. It was an eye opening experience. I met a ranger called Sgt Major. Benjamin Bayenda, an old man who has been serving as a ranger for 24 years. His dedication to the conservation effort inspired me greatly. I promised him that I would share his story and do my best to let the world know about the challenges and triumphs of the rangers. 

Statistics show that 78% of Uganda's population is 30 years and below, and 51% are 15 and below, which means that future Rangers are going to have to come from that demographic. Rangers like Sgt. Major Benjamin are going to have to retire at some point, and its going to be us the youth to carry on that noble torch.  So the way I see it, is that the sooner we educate the youth to develop an endearment to the plight of the endangered wildlife and future of our environment, the better prepared they will be when that calling takes root in their hearts.  I have made it a personal crusade to educate the youth for as long as I have breath.

 

You have decided to make this a very personal project, it is very unusual given your background to switch to environmental education? What drives you?

My drive to this effort didn't start yesterday, I have been a wildlife advocate since I was a kid. The subject matter is drawn from my longstanding fascination with nature and wild life as a whole. I have always loved studying wild animals, birds and fish. I remember how I used to skip lunch, while in boarding school, and spend that time reading Encarta encyclopedias filled with beautiful images of creatures from all over the world.

Mountain gorillas captured my imagination not only because of their immense size and grace but also by the alarming rate at which they were disappearing from the face of the planet. It was quite sobering and rather saddening to think that these awesome creatures might not be around for future generations to appreciate.

Like my late grandmother, I wanted to tell stories about the struggles and triumphs of these endangered great apes, and shed a light on the struggles and triumphs of the men and women working had to protect them. I tell the story from a captured gorilla’s point of view. I weave into the tale a human element of  redemption, interaction with technology, war and humor.

Do you think Uganda's youth and Africa's youth in general are capable of rising to the occasion and putting the environment and the causes of climate change as central issues critical to their future?

I am an ardent optimistic and believer, that there are others like me out there. Young women and men who have a heart for the conservation and preservation of our environment. Through social media, I have been able to reach out and share this message, and I see the numbers rising on the Mountain Gorilla conservationCause Group and the Galiwango Film Facebook page I created with a combined total of 7,218 members/fans. That's why I can answer yes, I do believe the youth are capable of rising to the occasion.

Ever since I shared the Galiwango film project with the public, I have received a number of inquiries from youth in Uganda and Congo on how they can get involved and how they contribute to groups like the Batwa tribe, a forest people that were displaced from Bwindi, a habitat they shared with the mountain gorillas. I am also reaching out to other young leaders like Rica Rwigambwa, who is the head of the tourism and wildlife in Rwanda. She is a young lady who is dedicated to the evironmental protection effort and the conservation of endangered wildlife.

How will you measure impact of the film when it is done? What's next for you after the film?

The impact of the film will be measured in the number of schools I will be able to visit, and the number of workshops I will do as a continued effort to spread the word. My goal is to take it to as many schools as possible to sow that same seed that was sown in my life. Investment in education is a priceless effort and the impact is often made manifest when those children grow up.

Tangible impact will be in the continued contribution to a Ranger Fund, which can already be seen by the donations people are making through the Galiwango Cause Group I set up and the Comic Book based on the film that I wrote and illustrated. That money goes to providing a rehabilitation center for gorillas rescued from poachers, through the Dr. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. They also fund ranger patrols that help disable traps in the forests, fend off poachers and illegal charcoal producers.  I donate $5 dollars from every comic book purchased to the conservation effort.

I also believe that there will be an increase in contribution of youth to the effort to help disadvantaged forest people like the Batwa, and raising awareness to the cultural heritage projects like the Batwa Experience Trailin Bwindi, where the natives share the value of protecting a Forest habitat they shared with the mountain gorillas.

To learn more about the film visit the website. http://www.galiwango.com/

The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report firmly centered on the reality of human-driven climate change. If we don’t take immediate and tangible steps to reduce the consequences of these actions, we will face an environmental crisis that will have a major impact on mankind’s existence. Here in Tokyo, we are extremely concerned about this danger, as it poses a huge threat to our goal of becoming a sustainable and environmentally-friendly city.

In the year 2030, it is estimated that the number of people living in urban areas will exceed 60 percent of the world’s population, and measures at the city level are now crucial. The effects of climate change are already becoming apparent in a range of forms, and Tokyo is no exception. Tokyo has undertaken several measures to mitigate these effects, including launching the world’s first urban cap-and-trade program. In addition, Tokyo is implementing a number of pioneering initiatives, such as measures to counteract storm surges and floods, as well as major earthquakes, and advancing urban planning to realize a more resilient city.

The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report firmly centered on the reality of human-driven climate change. If we don’t take immediate and tangible steps to reduce the consequences of these actions, we will face an environmental crisis that will have a major impact on mankind’s existence. Here in Tokyo, we are extremely concerned about this danger, as it poses a huge threat to our goal of becoming a sustainable and environmentally-friendly city.

In the year 2030, it is estimated that the number of people living in urban areas will exceed 60 percent of the world’s population, and measures at the city level are now crucial. The effects of climate change are already becoming apparent in a range of forms, and Tokyo is no exception. Tokyo has undertaken several measures to mitigate these effects, including launching the world’s first urban cap-and-trade program. In addition, Tokyo is implementing a number of pioneering initiatives, such as measures to counteract storm surges and floods, as well as major earthquakes, and advancing urban planning to realize a more resilient city.

At the same time, Tokyo is working with cities all over the world and engaging in a variety of international activities. In this way, Tokyo’s achievements have been introduced to the world, and we are proud to have gained high recognition in reports issued by the World Bank. Of these initiatives, Tokyo’s cap-and-trade program has received especially high praise internationally. In the program’s first year, FY2010, a 13 percent reduction in total CO2 emissions from base-year figures was achieved.

Further reductions were achieved in FY2011 and FY2012, with a 22 percent reduction from base-year figures recorded for both periods. Achievements to date have far surpassed the mandatory 6 or 8 percent reduction rate, producing a significant effect. Tokyo Cap-and-Trade has introduced retrofitting projects backed by vast amounts of investment for energy-saving technologies. Practical examples of which include the installation of LED lights, more efficient heating equipment, and improved day-to-day operational efforts.

[video:https://vimeo.com/95527812]

 

We believe Tokyo’s success is highly reliant on a positive response from various stakeholders, including building owners, developers, tenants and related businesses following our initiatives. A lot of credit needs to go to the facilities under Tokyo Cap-and-Trade, including facility owners and related businesses that responded very positively to the program, resulting in its continued success.

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, Tokyo will continue to promote effective energy conservation and CO2 reduction measures in order to resolve climate change related issues and further strengthen energy policies, including greatly expanding the use of renewable energy, with a view to the global environment.

The World Bank’s “Putting a Price on Carbon” statement is very meaningful, as it will become a driving force behind the promotion of effective measures for climate change mitigation. If all of the world’s cities and nations cooperate to implement a variety of well-thought-out programs, promotion of measures for climate change issues will lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions, and even help avoid an eventual global environmental crisis.

As the Governor of Tokyo, a major city advancing innovative climate change mitigation measures, I endorse the World Bank’s “Putting a Price on Carbon” statement and express my full support. Firmly believing that this World Bank initiative will contribute to the sustainable development of the earth’s environment, Tokyo will call for other cities, nations, and companies that share in the same objectives to come together by endorsing this statement.

Today’s youth have been dealt a deadly hand when it comes to the environment and our aging Mother Earth. They must live in a world where the generations before them have polluted the ground they walk on, the oceans that surround them and the air they breath. While some still deny the reality of global warming, climate change is inevitable due to the tremendous increases in carbon dioxide emissions into our atmosphere.

The burning of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) have grown more rapidly between 2000 and 2010 then they have in previous decades. The time to act is long overdue and many are calling for a global consortium to address this growing, toxic concern.

[video:https://vimeo.com/7970557]

 

Spend a little bit of time browsing through the UN's newly launched website for Rio+20, and you begin to see what the future of development looks like. Not only that, you get a glimpse of how important creating a common platform that the world can use to imagine the future of humanity is. Global problems like climate change can be hard to communicate on such a vast scale. Distilling the science in a way that relates to both the learned academic and the casual browser is daunting to think about.

The entrance of telecommunication tools make the task of distilling and dissemination of information a much easier task to accomplish from a global perspective. By creating a common knowledge platform that is available to everyone, local communities are able to absorb, synthesize and localize the knowledge for themselves. Further more, they are able to upstream their local knowledge to a global audience. This experiential exchange of ideas is critical to solving global problems like climate change. True, not everything that works locally can be applied globally. Not all solutions easily bridge the "glocal" dilemma - meaning, local tacit knowledge doesn't always scale or replicate well.

But this is not neccessarily a problem. The key is not in replicating what the solution was for a local community, but rather, how that community approached a particular problem. Process is a central ingredient in successfully upstreaming and sharing of ideas. For example, look at some of the local efficient cook stove solutions that were submitted to our photo/video competition. Alphonse Karenzi's clean cook stove was engineered using locally made materials. His solution reduces the amount of firewood used by up to 85%. While this solution is innovatively applied, the process of getting to that solution is more important. By approaching the problem from a "what can I do here locally to contribute a solution to climate change?" he was able to utilize what was locally available to him. This approach is very much the same way someone in the city, who has access to energy, might use to conserve energy instead of wasting. Two different scenarios, unified by the desire to contribute to a global problem.

The spirit of collective doing is sometimes more effective than whatever solution you are using to solve a particular problem. This is why the UN's Future We Want platform of idea sharing is important to our future. While all the solutions might be different, unique, and varying in their degree of effectiveness, it is that unification of everyone's efforts into one global movement. Sharing is caring, as it were. We all dream about our futures, with grand ideas and visions of a Utopia far different from our present realities. But in order for us to realize those dreams, each of us has to contribute to the whole. What can you do locally to bring the "Future You Want" closer to reality?

I have always had the feeling that my life was lacking in a way. That I was not doing enough of something. Yet, I could not figure out what that something was. It was a void that needed to be filled.

I remember when climate change was only a word to me. I remember when recycling was only a chore to do.

I remember all this so well because it was only fours months ago that I started to care about what climate change actually meant.

My sociology professor, whom I now consider to be a friend, first formally introduced me to the concept of climate change. At first, I thought that climate change was just a part of my sociology class—something that we would be done with after a few classes. However, that was not the case.

After several weeks of discussing the topic, I realized that climate change was more than that to my professor. For him, it was a passion and he felt an obligation to make his students also feel passionate about it.

I come from a country that is considered one of the richest in the world. A country where temperatures rise high enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk. I was raised in Saudi Arabia.

Rachel Kyte with Suleiman Ahmad Allauddin Khan after the screening. Photo: Ivan Bruce

Climate change has never been a topic on the tongues of the students of Saudi Arabia. I cannot recall once ever hearing about climate change from my teachers, friends, classmates or family. This tells me that there is a huge population oblivious to what is happening around the world.

As a country that produces most of the fossil fuel distributed throughout the world, it is no surprise that climate change is never discussed in Saudi Arabia. That would be like admitting that the Saudi government has left a huge carbon footprint.

Since I only had a rudimentary understanding of climate change, I began researching more about it. I came across several talks on the topic by people I had never heard of before. One of them stood out to me. When talking about climate change, this person had a look on her face that I did not see on others. She had a look that was very familiar to me. In no time at all I remembered where I had seen that look before. It was the same look my professor had when he spoke about climate change. It was the look of passion.

This person’s name is Rachel Kyte, who is the World Bank’s principal advocate for raising global awareness of climate change. Ms. Kyte has given many talks about climate change over the years, and is helping inspire a social change in the world. Her speeches are inspirational. I remember thinking, how can I be like this person?

A week later, I was granted an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. Have you ever wished you had the chance to meet someone and were granted that chance? My professor gave me that chance. He had sent me an invitation to attend the Connect4Climate screening of Years of Living Dangerously at the World Bank. The film was a preview of a new television series on climate change.

I could not believe how lucky I was. I immediately accepted the invitation and on the day of the screening I arrived at the World Bank a little bit ahead of time in the hope that I would be able to talk to Ms. Kyte. Unfortunately, I was not able to find her then. I was ushered to a seat in the auditorium, where I waited eagerly for the talk to begin. I sat straighter than I usually do and became stiff as a board.

While waiting I realized that there are a lot more people than I thought who are interested in the cause as of climate change. I realized that I was not fighting for lost cause. I felt supported.

The event started with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stating facts about how he and his organization are trying to deal with climate change. After his talk, he invited three people on stage for a discussion about the importance of climate change and what we might expect to happen to the world if nothing is done to combat it. Ms. Kyte was moderator of the discussion.

The film that followed was something that can only be described as a dream. I could not believe what I was watching. It portrayed the world we live in the today, and the catastrophes that are happening all around us because of climate change. The movie contained many famous people who are also interested in the battle against humans’ constant greed, which is killing the very planet we live on.

The movie screening ended with a round of applause from the audience. I on the other hand had a hard time looking up. I was extremely emotional. The movie had a lot of elements that would have made a stonehearted man break down in tears. I managed to compose myself. I was determined to get a word in with Ms. Kyte.

After wriggling myself between reporters, I finally managed to reach her only to be dumbstruck. I had a small speech prepared on how much she has inspired me but was only able to stutter a bit. Somehow, I managed to compose myself and was able to say a few words to her about that. I was also able to pluck up the courage to ask her if she would be photographed with me. She was happy to oblige.

After leaving the auditorium I had a funny feeling in my gut. Walking past a glass window I saw a smile on my face that looked a bit out of place. After a few minutes I was able to put on a more socially acceptable smile.

I made my way to the small feast our hosts had put together for us. I was greeted by my professor and one of my classmates. My professor was also surrounded by two of his former students. As soon as I was introduced to them I felt an instant connection form between us. We shared the same cause and had the same inspiration.

After leaving my professors side I was struck with a new realization. I realized that the people who had attended the screening with me were not only from the U.S. There were people from China, Poland, India, Italy, Ivory, Coast, South Africa and even a fellow Saudi Arabian.

To see that there were people at the event from all over the world helped encourage me to stand firm and pursue my cause for as long as I my bones and muscles will allow me. To see a fellow countryman at the event was evidence enough that these people managed to get the word across the world. More and more people were becoming aware of our cause.

Suddenly I knew what I could do to help. I knew that I had to spread the word, to inspire as many people as I can. I decided that I would take on my professor’s legacy and enlighten the minds of people about the dangers of climate change.

I left the World Bank a new person. I left with a new purpose in life. I left with a cause.

Suleiman Khan is a freshman student at Montgomery College Rockville. He is an international student from Saudi Arabia who is studying medicine. He aspires to be a doctor, more specifically a general surgeon who can help people in third world countries. He is planning to attend University of Maryland within the next year to continue his bachelors degree.

This post was originally shared on EcoWatch.

As the Connect4Climate team prepares to head to Durban to present the winners of our Connect4Climate photo/video competition, here is a great resource on climate change, Africa and the COP17 meetings. The Guardian's John Vidal embarked on a journey from Cairo to Durban, stopping in some of Africa's most vulnerable regions including South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and South Africa. 

Much as we do here, Vidal hones in on the climate change realities of now, not in the future. Events are happening right in from of our eyes and as the world sits down to discuss it's future, it is important that these events are front and center in the minds of the 195 parties and over 17000 delegates partaking in the negotiations. Climate change is happening now, not at some future date we all negotiating to avoid. Lives are being affected as we speak. As Vidal writes:

Climate change is happening "without a doubt", he says, but disentangling its impacts from everything else happening in Egypt is nigh on impossible. Not only is north Africa steadily sinking – or subducting – into the Mediterranean, he says, but also the great Nile water is barely getting to the coast in places because so much is taken off by farmers or evaporating before it reaches the sea. In addition, storms and sea surges are worsening and world record-scale temperatures are being recorded.

This is not our future, it our present. We've added Vidal's blog series to our climate change resources section. 

Make sure to follow our blog as we'll be live-blogging from Durban starting Tuesday. Also follow our Twitter stream and Facebook wall for live updates on our events and all the activities happening in Durban.