Climate Week NYC continues in New York and Rachel Kyte, World Bank's Vice President of Sustainable Development, just posted a blog outlining the main themes surrounding all the action in the Big Apple. With so many high level dignitaries decending on one city to discuss the world's sustainable future, it is not hard to guess that there are complex array of themes to address:

Tuesday, hosted by Bloomberg L.P., I was in conversation with Commissioner Connie Hedegaard and Cristiana Figueres. The discussion covered the role of the UNFCCC past, present and future in what has happened and needs to happen to arrest climate change. From the need to change the narrative, accounting systems, risk appetites and ambition, to whether the convention is an umbrella for action, or should encourage actions outside its framework, to where will the funding come from for adaptation and resilience as climate change bears its teeth, it was a great conversation showing sensible hope.

Maximizing the agility of the private sector as key partners in the fight against climate change seemed to be an underlying theme of the conference. The marriage of policy, public funding and private sector "smart" investments could prove to be a game-changing climate strategy. We are also thrilled to see London-based Climate Group, a Connect4Climate partner, get a mention for their campaign efforts.

Unlocking private sector investment is key.

Smart companies, many of them in the room at Climate Week, are not waiting for an international agreement. We can see market leaders in almost all sectors storming ahead in the way in which they think about operating in a world where we need more mitigation action, but also increasingly thinking through the risks of adaptation to their business models in every sector of the economy

Going forward, it’s important that we find the best examples of regulation and legislation that really support risk taking and innovation in the private sector, celebrate it, and reward it, in real time, here and now, with access to long term affordable capital.

This is where I believe the ideas and alliances formed by the Climate Group’s Clean Revolution campaign can really help.

The whole blog post is worth a read. Check it out here on the World Bank Blog.

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.

COP 21, in December 2015, will be a unique opportunity to bring climate change to the main stage. Driven by EcoAct, one of the global leaders in climate change economy, Cap COP21 is an open and proactive initiative for the climate.

Cap COP21 aims at fostering the emergence of concrete, innovative and collaborative solutions for climate by implementing:

1. Professional and collaborative events to imagine realistic actions for the XXI century

2. A Europe-wide Survey on the perception of climate change issues among European citizens

Relive the launch of Cap COP21 here and discover all the videos available so far on our YouTube Channel!

Willing to join us and contribute concretely to COP21? Book in for our next event, June 23rd in Paris:

Climate Innovation Day: Tuesday, June, 23rd 2015 - 9 am to 6 pm at the Pan Piper (Paris)

Attend the Climate Talks to discover innovations for the climate and take part in the Workshops to reflect on practical solutions!

Climate Talks will bring researchers, innovators and project leaders to the main stage, and give evidence of present and future innovations for the climate. Dynamic, creative and hopeful, these Climate Talks will offer an opportunity to discover and discuss pioneering approaches which disrupt climate status quo.

To discover each speaker’s intervention, register to attend the event (registration is free but mandatory)!

Afternoon Workshops will gather attendees together in various working groups, in which they will draft practical solutions for the climate. Around a table, participants will work as a team on a precise topic, and intend to bring forth realistic answers to face climate challenges. These conclusions will contribute to a Proposals Document, which will be revealed at the Grand Palais during COP21. You too, experience what innovation can offer for the climate!

The topics will address main contemporary issues, such as Energy Transition, Climate Risk orBusiness-Local government cooperation, as well as tools to fight climate change, such as domestic offsets, green investments or carbon market.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Where? At the PAN PIPER (2-4 Impasse Lamier - 75011 PARIS)
More info: www.cap-cop21.com | communication@cap-cop21.com | + 33 (0) 6 09 72 53 44

Recognised as one of the world’s leading experts in this area, EcoAct provides consulting services and support to climate change economy pioneers to reinforce their competitiveness. EcoAct works with multinationals, small and medium businesses, and local governments with setting up carbon strategies, CSR policies and eco-innovation approaches.

There are 26 million homes in the United Kingdom. Together they contribute 27% of the UK's carbon emissions, making the housing sector a vital part of the goverment's committment to an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

Since 2007, the award-winning SuperHomes network has promoted the benefits of eco refurbishment using free Open Days. Pioneering owners of some of the UK’s most energy efficient homes host free tours and Q&A’s each September. SuperHomes are older homes that have been refurbished for greater comfort, lower bills and at least 60% fewer carbon emissions.

Currently there are over 180 registered SuperHomes in the UK and over 70,000 people have visited one. The aim is to inspire visitors to take action to green their own homes, by providing actionable ideas, such as improving insulation, installing alternative heating sources or producing their own renewable energy. The network hopes to register 500 SuperHomes by 2020 and attract 2 million visitors.

 

Visitors at a modern SuperHome in Birmingham

It is estimated that as many as 80% of all UK homes that will be in standing in 2050 have already been built. Of particular concern are the 7 million solid wall properties, most of which are difficult to heat. To meet its target of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, the UK should be refurbishing 600,000 homes a year. At the current rate of change it will take over 500 years to refurbish these homes.

Jurgen Huber, who recently joined the network says:

"My house is now 100% carbon neutral. Along with my wife and two children, we use and generate 3300 kWh of electricity. We have no gas connection so we cook with the most energy efficient induction cooker, we heat water with an electric instantaneous water heater, and we heat rooms with a highly air source heat pump and electric underfloor heating. This is only possible because we insulated the house to a very high standard."

Huber explains that the first phase of his home renovation was done on a budget of £4000. This paid for all insulation materials, the air source heat pump, an induction cooker, and LED lighting. The PV solar panels added afterwards cost £12,000 and were financed with a bank loan. In 8 years Huber may make a bit of money but that’s secondary. He wanted to prove that anyone can have a retrofitted energy neutral house on a tight budget.

"The result is that we’ve a very comfortable home that can be quickly heated or cooled at very little cost. At the same time we’ve maintained the 1920s period character of the property which is something we love."

Huber's testimonial is a good example of how the SuperHomes network harnesses the enthusiasm of pioneering households to demonstrate the benefits of switching to low energy living.

The network's open days help visitors gain the confidence to green their own homes. Free tours and Q&A sessions allow visitors to find out more about both the benefits and the challenges involved in refurbishing an older home.

Find out more about SuperHomes' September Open Days. 

SuperHomes is a National Energy Foundation (NEF) project. NEF is an independent charity working to improve the use of energy in buildings.

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

 

White Roofs is an Action4Climate documentary about another initiative to reduce household emissions, the White Roof Project in New York. Entered by Matt Dunne.

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/

Regular food shortages in Sub-Saharan Africa….shifting rain patterns in South Asia leaving some parts under water and others without enough water for power generation, irrigation, or drinking….degradation and loss of reefs in South East Asia resulting in reduced fish stocks and coastal communities and cities more vulnerable to increasingly violent storms….these are but a few of the likely impacts of a possible global temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius[1] in the next few decades that threatens to trap millions of people in poverty, according to a new scientific report released today by the World Bank Group.

 

Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience builds on a World Bank report released late last year, which concluded the world would warm by 4 degrees Celsius[2] (4°C or 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century if we did not take concerted action now. This new report looks at the likely impacts of present day, 2°C and 4°C warming on agricultural production, water resources, coastal ecosystems and cities across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South East Asia.

"This new report outlines an alarming scenario for the days and years ahead – what we could face in our lifetime," said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. "The scientists tell us that if the world warms by 2°C -- warming which may be reached in 20 to 30 years -- that will cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heat-waves, and more intense cyclones. In the near-term, climate change, which is already unfolding, could batter the slums even more and greatly harm the lives and the hopes of individuals and families who have had little hand in raising the Earth's temperature."

"These changes forecast for the tropics illustrate the level of hardships that will be inflicted on all regions eventually, it we fail to keep warming under control," Kim said. "Urgent action is needed to not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also to help countries prepare for a world of dramatic climate and weather extremes."

The report, prepared for the World Bank by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics, reveals how rising global temperatures are increasingly threatening the health and livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations, crucially magnifying problems each region is struggling with today.

Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience is an analysis of the latest climate science, as a means to better understand the risks of climate change to development. Key findings include:

In Sub-Saharan Africa, by the 2030s droughts and heat will leave 40 percent of the land now growing maize unable to support that crop, while rising temperatures could cause major loss of savanna grasslands threatening pastoral livelihoods. By the 2050s, depending on the sub-region, the proportion of the population undernourished is projected to increase by 25-90 percent compared to the present.

In South Asia, the potential change in the regularity and impact of the all-important monsoon could precipitate a major crisis in the region. Events like the devastating Pakistan floods of 2010, which affected more than 20 million people, could become common place. More extreme droughts in large parts of India could lead to widespread food shortages and hardship.

Across South East Asia, rural livelihoods are faced with mounting pressures as sea levels rise, tropical cyclones increase in intensity, and important marine ecosystem services are lost as warming approaches 4°C.

And across all the regions, the likely movement of impacted communities into urban areas could lead to ever higher numbers of people in informal settlements being exposed to heat waves, flooding, and diseases.

The report says impacts across its study regions are potentially devastating. And, if warming goes from 2ºC to 4°C, multiple threats of increasing extreme heat waves, sea–level rise, more severe storms, droughts and floods would have severe negative implications for the poorest and most vulnerable. It notes, however, that many of the worst consequences could still be avoided by holding warming below 2ºC.

"I do not believe the poor are condemned to the future scientists envision in this report. In fact, I am convinced we can reduce poverty even in a world severely challenged by climate change," President Kim continued. "We can help cities grow clean and climate resilient, develop climate smart agriculture practices, and find innovative ways to improve both energy efficiency and the performance of renewable energies. We can work with countries to roll back harmful fossil fuel subsidies and help put the policies in place that will eventually lead to a stable price on carbon."

 

See the full infographic from the World Bank.

"We are determined to work with countries to find solutions," Kim said. "But, the science is clear. There can be no substitute for aggressive national mitigation targets, and the burden of emissions reductions lies with a few large economies."

The report says sea level rise has been occurring more rapidly than previously projected and a rise of as much as 50 cm by the 2050s may already be unavoidable as a result of past emissions. In some cases, impacts could be felt much earlier. For example, without adaptation measures, sea level rise of 15 cm, coupled with more intense cyclones, threatens to inundate much of Bangkok by the 2030s.

The burgeoning cities of the developing world are identified as some of the places on the planet most at risk from climate change. Describing urban areas as "new clusters of vulnerability," the report says urban dwellers, particularly the urban poor, face significant vulnerability to climate change.

Informal settlements in places like Metro Manila in the Philippines and Kolkata in India concentrate large populations and often lack basic services, such as electricity, sanitation, health, infastructure, and durable housing. In such areas, people are highly exposed to extremen weather events, such as storms and flooding. Extreme heat is also felt more acutely in cities.

Partly in response to the findings of the two Turn Down the Heat reports, the World Bank Group is stepping up its mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk management work, and will increasingly look at all its business through a "climate lens."

Today, the Bank is helping 130 countries take action on climate change. Last year, it doubled its financial lending that contributes to adaptation. Increasingly, the Bank is supporting action on the ground to finance the kind of projects that help the poor grow their way out of poverty, increase their resilience to climate change, and achieve emission reductions.

[1] 2 degrees Celsius = 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit

[2] 4 degrees Celsius = 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit

You can download the full report here.

South Africa-based Greenpop, a social enterprise that runs urban greening and reforestation projects in sub-Saharan Africa, is on a mission to plant 5000 trees in Zambia. According to their web site, Zambia has the 2nd largest rate of deforestation in the world. This is the second phase of an earlier initiative that saw over 1000 tree planted in one month in the city of Livingstone. The effort is being promoted on the Indiegogo crowd-funding platform where we found Kenya's enterprising wind energy initiative.

The project is seeking $7,500 in funding to make the initiative a reality. Every $15 donated pays for one tree and all associated costs. For those unable to donate financially, and are physically located near Livingstone, Zambia, sign up and donate your time to make this a reality.

Obviously, flying to Zambia is not advised as both the money spent and carbon footprint would far out outweigh any assistance you could give. Consider just donating your entire trip cost to the initiative. Better yet, plant a tree right where you are. After all, the WORLD needs more trees. A study by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) concluded that “to make up for the world’s loss of trees in the past decade, we need to plant about 14 billion trees every year for 10 years in a row.”

Have you planted a tree today?

http://www.indiegogo.com/Trees-for-Zambia