It seems a tiny figure. But at the moment it is an insurmountable
obstacle.
Environmentalists say that a new treaty being hammered out by world
leaders in Copenhagen should aim to keep global mean temperature changes below
2°C.
But irrespective of what happens in Copenhagen, halting the
effects of global warming will not be achieved if ordinary citizens continue to
believe that it is a “white” issue.
Or that it is a problem that government
must solve.
The negotiations for a legally binding treaty in Denmark seem too
distant from our everyday reality.
Who cares about polar bears dying or ice
caps melting? Those are other people’s problems. But we should care – the
effects of climate change on Africa have already been catastrophic.
Our ocean currents are already getting warmer, changing the
breeding habits of fish species. Vegetation is changing, affecting crop
production. All this affects food security.
Rainfall patterns have also changed, resulting in either severe
flooding or drought.
Dams are running dry. Right here in South Africa people don’t have
water to drink.
It will get worse – much worse. But every one of us can determine
just how bad it is going to be by the length to which we go to be more
environmentally conscious.