By Julius Sigei
The largest climate change convention takes place in Africa in November on the backdrop of an unprecedented threat to human survival. The 27th session of the annual Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is set for Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, offers another opportunity to the world to reverse or at least halt the Doomsday Clock now dangerously tick-tocking into midnight.
The Doomsday Clock—an assessment of the world’s vulnerability to nuclear and climate catastrophe—was in 2020 set at 100 seconds to midnight (point of annihilation) and recent indications are, we are hurtling ever faster to the point of no return. A metaphor for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technological advances, it has been maintained since 1947. Security and science monitors—who assess how close the world is from irrevocable harm—initially set it at seven minutes to midnight but have adjusted it forwards and backwards.
Heatwaves, floods, wildfires
The world is witnessing the deadliest and most frequent heatwaves, floods, wildfires and droughts brought about by the climate crisis than any other time as humanity’s carbon emissions reach disastrous extremes. Scientists and policymakers say humanity could be on the brink of an existential threat.
What to do? The world knows. One, we must stop using fossil fuels right now. Two, we must remove the carbon in the environment. Without slashing carbon emissions—by 50 per cent by 2030—the globe will keep expressing its stress with far worse extreme weather than is currently experienced.
Greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere by human activity (in agriculture, manufacturing, flying...name it) trap more of the sun’s heat, putting more energy into weather systems, worsening their impact.
Triggers chain reactions
Global warming triggers all manner of chain reactions, chief of which are scorching heatwaves and burning forests. Hotter air also holds more water vapour, leading to more intense downpours and greater floods. Moreover, the oceans absorb most of the planet’s trapped heat, which fuels deadly hurricanes and typhoons. Heated waters also expand, pushing storms further inland.
While neutral variability is partly to blame for this havoc, there is consensus among scientists that human activity is largely to blame. This apocalyptic picture makes the challenge seem insurmountable but the urgency with which the world now looks at the climate crisis offers hope that humanity might yet save itself from the effects of its own advancement.
The media’s role in arresting the world’s race to climatic disaster could not have been more urgent. Clearer awareness of the climate change crisis is needed to move both the policymakers and the masses to adopt measures that limit global warming.
Break down complex science
To transform abstract knowledge into concrete actions, journalists need break down the complex climate change science, explain the policies and highlight coping strategies that work on the ground. They should go beyond the jargon-laden press releases and humanise their stories through day-to-day relatable tales of resilience and mitigation.
As Dr Mike Shanahan, of International Institute for Environment and Development, said, the fight against climate change could be won or lost on the pages of newspapers, in television and radio broadcasts and on the internet and mobile phones.
The Media Council of Kenya will play a leading role in ensuring that the public gets quality and enough information on climate change to enable them to make the planet a better place to live in. It will do this through intensive and extensive training of journalists with the hope that climate change stories will move from inside secluded pages of our newspapers and TV segments to the mainstream of our news.
This is because no other subject is right at the heart of human survival—or extinction.
Senior Officer, Training Standards and Curriculum Development Mr Julius Sigei