#ShareYourStripes

Have you interacted with this hashtag on social media? #ShareYourStripes is an initiative by the University of Reading, led by Ed Hawkins.

What is it all about?

It’s an initiative that shows how temperatures have been changing over time through colors.

The increasing temperatures are thanks to human activities, the burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation. Sadly, we are busy living in business as usual.

Climate change affects everyone, although in different ways. But the important part being, we all get affected at some point. And it will get worst with time.

How is Kenya trending in the #ShareYourStripes?

🤔Not safe at all. We are heading to dangerous times. Especially now that we still heavily rely on traditional agriculture for both food and livelihood.

Droughts and floods continue to be our norm. While rains remain unpredictable. More people with fewer resources are shying away from farming, and this will affect our food security which is already threatened by climate change.

We have already witnessed farmers changing to other activities that contribute more to emissions of greenhouse gases. In pursuit to provide for their families.

There has been a rise of oppressing laws towards agriculture/farming, which are acting as the final nail on the coffin when it comes to small-scale farming.

By the way, logging may be back in Kenyan forests soon. That’s another bad news, we shall explore that later.

As you can already tell, we are not doing well from almost all angles.

What needs to be done

We need to start the recovery mission from where we are. Individually, as corporate, government, and other stakeholders.

As we push for full participation at the global level and secure the financial support needed. We should not neglect the small steps.

Our laws and bills should be pro solutions, making it possible for all of us to embrace both climate change mitigation and adaptation practices.

We should really mean it, while in these activities. So when you are pushing for greening Kenya, don’t use the other door to allow heavy commercial charcoal burning and uncontrolled logging. Or even ignoring the ocean pollutants. We need to be strict with what we have that helps in the fight against climate change.

It’s time to invest in the true green projects that are struggling, yet offering the best solutions that will help lower the rising temperatures.