Saturday 7 December 2013

HOW CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS OUR LIVES

We've all heard of the words; global warming, green initiative, climate change e.t.c. But what exactly does it mean to us, to you and me as individuals? It's on the news almost everytime, the Antarctica melting, the ozone layer depleting, many floods, earthquakes, hurricanes e.t.c. Natural disasters hitting different regions of the earth and we all watch and pray. I'm not one who likes watching the news because I decided that CNN only gives bad news (true or not - that's my reason) and that the local news in Nigeria gives us half truths and whole lies. I really am strong at heart but I hate bad news. LOL. Anyway, during a discussion in our clinical meeting, a few weeks back, a question was posed at us. It went like this;

  • If you are the minister of health and there was a natural disaster in your country, what would be your line of action? 
This kind puts us right in the middle of the problem right? It makes us think, what if this happened to us, our country? Many countries especially African countries are spared the effects of these disasters. I remember one of my aunts saying "if we were ever to be hit by such a disaster, the entire country would be wiped out. Mostly because we aren't the least bit prepared to handle such problems. 



Remember the flooding incidents that took place in Nigeria last year? The initial ones from too many rains and poor drainage systems and the last from Cameroon opening their dams (for which the Nigerian government was warned before hand and did nothing to avert the problem). So, I guess they weren't exactly natural, but they were equally disastrous and people suffered.

The first of these many disasters I really followed was the Tsunami of the Indian ocean. It was among the first to really devastate the world. So many other countless disasters have hit the world since then affecting different regions. The number of hurricanes that have hit the United States of America and their various names are countless. The latest of these disasters is the typhoon Haiyan that struck the Philippines very recently. With a death toll of over 10000 and thousands of casualties, you begin to understand why we must act now.


HOW DISASTERS AFFECT LIVES:

  • The very first thing that happens is that there is loss of lives and people and animals (domestic and wild) being displaced from their homes.
  • Out of the ones that surprise the attack, Many sustain varying degrees of injuries, ranging from mild to life-threatening.
  • There comes the problems of food, shelter and clothing.
  • With no food and water contamination, other forms of diseases like malnutrition, typhoid fever, cholera e.t.c. begin to emerge. 
  • Because of the wild animals displaced from their homes, who are also in need of food and shelter, the humans may end up being attacked resulting in snakebites and deaths.
  • Lots of people clumped together in poor sanitary conditions lead to transmission of communicable diseases. Remember not everyone was in a good state of health before the disaster.
  • There is loss of job, disruption of education and no security for those who survive up to the long term.

WHAT WE MUST DO:

  • Since the ozone layer is being depleted by most of the gases emitted in our industries, and we can't stop them as we need them but the rate of toxic wastes can be reduced
  • Plant trees: these breathe in the carbondioxide emitted and breathe out oxygen which helps to protect the ozone layers
  • Trees also serve as wind breakers and also prevent flooding
  • Stop unnecessary bush burning.
  • Go GREEN!!! with methods of conserving energy.
  • Re-use and recycle products like papers, cans,bottles e.t.c. to reduce the rate at which they need to be burned.
Let us all come together and help save our planet. It's the only one we have now. Those stories of moving to mars, well..... I don't know. A bird in your hand is better than 2 in the forest. A stitch i  time saves nine.

Cheers.....

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