10 Most beautiful places on earth we must conserve

Here is a list of 10 most beautiful places on earth that you should visit.

10. Bamboo Forest, Japan

9. Geiranger Fjord, Norway

8. Nairobi National Park

7. Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brasil

6. Moraine Lake, Canada

5. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

4. Victorial Falls Zimbabwe/Zambia

3. Tianzi Mountains, China

2. Maasai Mara National Researve

1. Rice Terrace Fields in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam

Abuse on Environment is abuse on women

Abusing the environment is like abusing the African woman just as striping a woman is gender abuse. There is more to gender abuse than we are aware of. Some of this gender abuses have passed on like normal activities to us and we never realize a specific gender is being abused by them. Believe it or not degradation of the environment and the effects of climate change largely affect the women in our society.

In a UN meeting held in New York Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka the Executive Director of the United Nations Agency dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women said “women are on the frontlines, bearing the brunt of climate change”. She noted that women and children are 14 times more vulnerable than men in climate change related natural disasters, such as floods and droughts. 

According to researcher’s women are the ones who will be affected mostly by climate change in different parts of their life cycle especially during child bearing from the fetus to the growing of the child. The survival of women and children mainly depend on the natural resources that are available.

“In Kenya women are the first victims of environmental degradation, because they are the ones who walk for hours looking for water, who fetch firewood, who provide food for their families.”Wangari Maathai .

Most the time in Kenya men leave their women in their rural homes to go and work in urban areas .These women left at home have to go to their farms every morning and take care of our their livestock .
The current climate changes has led to unpredicted weather patterns, floods and drought .Our women are left to deal this effects. They are the ones who have to wake up early in the morning to walk for miles to look for water and firewood. While we pollute our rivers our women have the responsibility to wash clothes, cook food and bathe their children. They are the ones who mostly go to these rivers to fetch water. They are the ones who will be directly affected by the chemicals in this water .While trees are being cut deforestation is taking place leading to drying up of rivers and scarcity of firewood .
Our women are the ones after all this who have to walk for miles looking for this necessities .These women are our mothers, sisters, daughters and wives. Despite their daily efforts to ensure our children are clean, well fed and in school things we do largely affect them and go unnoticed. Women bring us up and ensure we get the best they can afford, they spend nine months of their lives carrying each child, the rest of their lives are spent raising us but we never appreciate these efforts. For each tree that is being cut a woman has to walk further for firewood, as we pollute our rivers our women have to walk further to find different sources of water. As we sit in our comfort zones enjoying money from selling timber a woman out there is walking for miles looking for a river that is not dried up.

Author: Angela Keter (The author is a communication and advocacy officer at Scope Intervention)

Email: kangela@scopeintervention.org

5 simple reasons why we should take care of our trees

At the very beginning of our human experience, trees were considered sacred and honorable: oaks were worshiped by the European Druids, redwoods a part of American Indian ritual, baobabs a part of African tribal life, to the Chinese the ginkgo link and monkey puzzles to the Chilean Pehuenche. Romans and scholars during the middle Ages venerated trees in their literature.

The trees around us are extremely important and have always been necessary for improving the human condition - both during its life and after harvest. It is not a stretch to believe that without trees we humans would not exist on this beautiful planet. In fact, some claim can be made that our mother's and father's ancestors climbed trees - another debate for another site.

The modern human community has other, more practical reasons to admire and honor trees. Here are some of the reasons why trees are necessary for improving our worldly condition. The list might not be exhaustive but the message will remain, trees are important.

          1.   Trees are food

We all gather our nutritional products from trees including fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves, bark and even sap. Tree products have been an important part of diets for thousands of years, from early humans gathering fruits and nuts to the first cultivation of plants and animals.

2.           Trees Produce Oxygen

We all need this to live. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. What we also don't realize is that trees that clean the air we breathe.

3.           Trees Clean the Soil

Trees filter sewage and farm chemicals, reduce the effects of animal wastes, clean roadside spills and clean water runoff into streams. Trees absorb dangerous chemicals and other pollutants that may have entered the soil. Trees can either store harmful pollutants or actually change the pollutant into less harmful forms.

4.           Trees Stores Carbon “Sinks”

To produce its food, a tree absorbs and locks away carbon dioxide in the wood, roots and leaves. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gasses causing global warming. A forest is a carbon storage area or a "sink" that can lock up as much carbon as it produces. This locking-up process "stores" carbon as wood and not as an available "greenhouse" gas.

5.            Trees are medicine

An estimated 50,000 plant species are used medicinally.  Medicine from trees, extracted from the wood, bark, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits or seeds is fundamental to the well-being of millions of people. Where access to modern pharmaceuticals is limited, trees offer living pharmacies open to anyone with traditional knowledge on their medicinal properties.

My name is Kenfrey Kipchumba Katui and I am the Founder and the Executive Director of Scope Intervention.  Write to me via director@scopeintervention.org

It's my duty, it's your duty

 Every person in Kenya is entitled to a clean and healthy environment and has the duty to safeguard and enhance the environment. I often see on TV residents in certain areas complaining of dumpsites being close to their homes, sewage burst obviously caused by blockage from probably plastics which have been disposed by the residents themselves and many other environmental hazards that they offload to the government.

We Kenyans tend to point fingers at others while we are the same people responsible for what has happened,   when it comes to thieves all Kenyans are the first to stone the culprit because they feel the loss of their property even though it’s not the same thief that probably stole it. A politician clears a forest that should be there and the residents are first to cheer. You are being mind played by politicians so that they can grab the resources to enrich themselves at the expense of your environment. We just sit and let them do it and does nothing History has taught us that failure to understand and appreciate the value of the nature has led to the downfall of civilization. We are here trying to fight for our rights and the main right here the core right here is our environment.  Why aren’t we fighting to preserve it? Everybody wants more, but what happens when you get more and floods hit and you lose all? What happens when you get more and the air is too toxic and water is contaminated that the more won’t help you at all? Have you sat down and thought of what the future holds when we have finished all our forests, we are drowning in garbage and the air is to toxic for use to breathe????

When you have done your part and contributed to environment conservation, look for more, because then you have a place to enjoy your more. Plant a tree, dump your waste properly and where you can try not to contribute to any kind of pollution because as I stated it is our environment not just my environment. Professor Wangari Mathai had her hair ripped of her head and she was whipped because she wanted me, you and our children to have clean air, good water and a sustainable place to live in. She did that for you and yet she doesn’t know you on a personal level. So it’s not about what’s going to help you alone, its for the betterment of humanity. This is my plea to all of you.

Author: Gladys Cheruiyot (Communication and Advocacy Officer-Scope Intervention)

Email: cheruiyotg@scopeintervention.org  

The real Social and Environmental Injustice

Yesterday, Angela wrote something that kept me thinking in her blog. Her last paragraph read, “Our land will be used to plant trees for damage control; to absorb waste from our big brothers and sisters and not for other development activities. Really??? That’s Environmental and social injustice to me!”

She was referring to the idea behind REDD+ but what came into my mind was beyond the current standoff in balancing economic development and conserving our planet. The saying, ‘we did not inherit earth from our parents but we borrowed it from our children’ came into my mind.

Which is the bigger evil? Which one is the ‘real’ injustice? The developed world paying us to keep trees in our farms so that we can absorb the excess waste from their industries in the expense of our other economic activities or us (the current generation) depleting, defecating and destroying land which rightfully belongs to our children?

Our fathers thought about us when they planted a tree. They knew we would need a shade. They thought about us when they conserved a river. They knew we would get thirsty and need some clean water to quench the craving. The late Prof. Wangare Maathai thought about us when she fought against erecting a sixty story skyscraper worth $200 million in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park. She knew a city philosopher would need grass and shade to sit under in the middle of his busy schedule inside the concrete.  She urged us to do something little that can make a difference. The little things she did were planting trees. Prof knew her daughter would grow up and she would need some firewood to cook for her family.

 Another great African woman Graca Machel asked, “Can we genuinely say we are going to preserve their lives, and ensure their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren inherit a planet which is safe and sustainable?

Our fathers and mothers thought about us, but are we really thinking about ourselves? Are we thinking about our children? How about our grandchildren? President Obama once said that we cannot condemn our children and their children to a future that is beyond their capacity to repair. He said that they will look at us straight in the eye and ask if we did all that we could when we could to leave them a safe and sustainable world.

As a 90s kid, I had the privilege of drinking water straight from the river. Less than two decades later, I cannot recommend my son to drink treated water straight from the tap. My generation has defined the fate of my children and generations to come. We are already bottling water because river and tap water is unsafe. Half a liter of water is more expensive than a plate of fries.  We are raising our children inside a concrete wall. Our progeny know nothing about the shade their grandpa and grandma left them; we converted it into some few coins and boasted our economic prosperity. 

Those whom the world has entrusted with leadership have been talking and pledging during the day but killing carbon tax and destroying renewable energy sector at night. They carry on about not hurting their economies.

 Despite our ability to innovate and take technology to a new level, we still can’t figure out which is the safest and more sustainable source of energy. Let’s just say investing in wind and solar is more expensive than investing in petroleum. We would rather keep the status quo that destroys the only life supporting system available to mankind.

To me, I will follow what my mentor Prof. Wangare Maathai did. I will play my part and do the little things that can make a difference. I will plant a tree; I will motivate my son and wife to plant a tree each.  We may not grow a forest, but my grandchildren will say, “At least daddy and granny saved us from the worst social and environmental injustice to humanity”.

Author: Kenfrey Kipchumba Katui (Founder and the Execute Director of Scope Intervention)

Email: director@scopeintervention.org

 www.scopeintervention.org

Environmental and Social Injustice

As we continue developing we contribute to the amount of carbon already in the atmosphere, but as we develop there are countries that have already developed and are majorly contributing to the increase of carbon dioxide in the air .Various laws and have been set to try to control this pollution. According to the Kyoto protocol each country must submit its total annual emissions. In 2010 the world total emission was 33615389 tones.

COUNTRY	EMISSION PER CAPITA (t)	ANNUAL CO2 EMISSION S (kt)	%  OF WORLDS TOTAL
China	6.195	8286892	24.65%
United states	17.564	5433057	16.16%
Kenya	0.304	12427	0.04%
Rwanda	0.055	594	0%
Nigeria	0.0494	78910	0.23%
Somali	0.063	609	0%

United States and china are the major contributors of emission in the world .In 2010 only china and the United States contributed to 40.81% of the world’s total emission whereas countries like Rwanda and Somali contributed almost zero percent of the world’s total emission .In the table above Rwanda was the least contributor to the world’s total emissions whereas china was the major contributor. In 2010 Rwanda was experiencing  the impact of climate change in their economic development .It  experienced heavy rains which led to loss lives, destruction of infrastructure like roads and erosion of farms .In the same year 3,934 houses were demolished mostly by heavy rains , floods and landslides. Over 2,201 hectares of land were also devastated by the same disasters. This was due to the unpredicted weather patterns leading to unexpected weather changes. In the same year china recorded a 10.3% increase in the growth of their economy coming mainly from the manufacturing industries that emit this green house. 

Though china signed the Kyoto protocol, it is ratified and is a non annex I country which is not required to limit greenhouse gas emission under the terms of an agreement. China can emit as gasses to the atmosphere without limit but the gasses won’t stand above china but it will settle in the atmosphere and affect every country whether you contribute 0% or 20% we will both face the consequences of this emission .So far developing countries like those in Africa are being urged to plant trees and maintain the forest through a UN REDD+ concept (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). This ensures the reduction of emission of greenhouse gases by through enhanced forest management in developing countries. This means developed countries pay developing countries to plant trees as they continue emitting these gases. In this, Africa is a mitigating site for climate change. Despite this it’s not really fair for African countries to suffer the consequences of developed countries .As they continue developing as Africa we continue facing floods, landslides, unpredictated weather patterns and drought .

Our land will be used to plant trees for damage control; to absorb waste from our big brothers and sisters and not for other development activities. Really??? That’s Environmental and social injustice to me!

Author: Angela Keter (The author is a communication and advocacy officer at Scope Intervention)

Email: kangela@scopeintervention.org

What next after we steal from our Mother Nature?

Natural resources are gifts that we get from the environment. We depend on them for our survival like water, land, soil, fossils, fuels, energy, minerals and  biodiversity. But majority of these resources are available to us for a price. In urban areas we pay water bills, electrical bills and buy fuels for our vehicles. Resources that are far from us are brought closer to us to ease access .We enjoy this resources without caring much about where it came from, for example we buy fuel at a petrol station but we have no idea where it comes from, is it from Nigeria? The Middle East?.It doesn’t usually bother us but when the fuel prices go up it becomes our concern, it’s the same with water and electricity. When we face shortages of natural resources we complain but our actions are leading to this. Currently the government of Kenya has opted for green energy that will reduce the prices of electricity in the country. Before we were dependent on hydro power but the current climate change led to decrease in water levels which led to increase in energy prices and rationing in the country. When deforestation was taking place and pollution we enjoyed the money from selling that timber but we complained about high electricity. To enjoy this natural resources we should conserve what we already have around us. Like the forest, land, water because if we don’t we will feel its effects either directly or indirectly. Whether these resources are far or closer to us we should take an individual step to conserve what is around us. Take for example water in Uasin Gishu county comes from as far Chebara in Marakwet, Elgeyo Marakwet county .The majority of the people in Uasin Gishu county who consume this water have never been to chebara dam and maybe they don’t even know where it is located .Lets say the residents around Chebara dam decide the charcoal business will benefit them and they embark on cutting down trees for sale. The tree cover will reduce in the area and the water level will reduce in chebara dam and the residence of Uasin Gishu will suffer water shortages or rationing and in a worst case scenario they will we have to opt for other sources like buying from water vendors. Water from a vendor is approximately   one hundred Kenya shillings a day for a regular household for daily chaos without washing clothes which is almost seven hundred shillings a week unlike the usual water bill which is almost six hundred per month for regular Kenyan. The residents of Uasin Gishu will pay the price of the actions of residents in Chebara, whereas residents around Chebara will face the adverse effects of climate change. They will face drought and unpredicted weather patterns .The effects will be the consequence of their actions, but people of county will suffer for the actions they did not contribute to. Residents of Chebara will suffer but will the county of Uasin Gishu be of help?? Will they help in combating these effects? Though the water is supplied to Uasin Gishu should they take part in conserving the resources around Chebara dam like Embobut forest? Destroying the environment affect us all whether we contributed directly to its destruction .Adverse effects of climate change are not discriminatory. It does not matter if you are the one contributing to the destruction of nature or you are the victim but we all have collective responsibility to safeguard environment or we and innocent animals and plants perish

Author: Angela Keter

Email: kangela@scopeintervention.org

The creeping death of humanity

It started as an agrarian revolution and those who came hundreds of years later said it was the beginning of human civilization. People see the evolution of man’s occupation from being a hunter and gatherer to a domesticator of plants and animals as advancement in humanity. Those who feel they could not have been strong enough to defend themselves from the harsh conditions in the jungle see it as a chance for them to be alive today. The revolution later shifted from the means of livelihood to modes of production; from the use of hand implements to the use of machines and the revolution is still going on even at 21^st century.

With an increase in human population, the competition for the scarce resources has taken us back to the mode of survival that existed in the wilderness before the start of human civilization. This is well explained by Darwin as ‘survival for the fittest’. Our women are now looking for that strong male who can give them the strongest progeny to survive harsh environmental conditions more aggressive that never. The difference in the 21^st century is the enemy which is no longer the harsh weather conditions and wild animals but harsh economic conditions and wild human beings.

Today, man is the main enemy of humanity and survival of other species on earth. One man is struggling to have the entire world for himself. Natural resources have become the motive for political struggle and a reason for man to oppress another. One wise man once said that nature has enough for everyone’s needs but not for everyone’s greed.

The worst part of the struggle is that men are fighting future generation as well. Natural capital does not increase with use like human capital. We are not only exhausting oil which can be replaced by solar and wind but we are also damaging the beauty of our land, the purity of our air, the fruitfulness of our soils and the freshness of our water.

Climate change is real. We are already experiencing unpredictable weather patterns and the rise in global temperate. The melting snow and the expanding of ocean water are already raising sea levels and more than fifty million people are soon risking being displaced from their homes.  Food productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa will be down by 50% in 2020.

I am not going to say that our children’s children will not see the elephants, lions and rhinos. I didn’t say there’s a likelihood they will walk around with bottled oxygen but I said something needs to be done now by me and you.

Kenfrey Kipchumba Katui. The author is the founder and the executive director of Scope Intervention.

Email: director@scopeintervention.org

Conserve or perish

In our generation, technology seems to be trending on high scale and of value in life. We always want to be updated to on the latest applications, the latest electronics in the market, what is currently trending on social media etc. Technology has become part of us. Try imagining when you can  no longer chat via whatsApp ,when you can’t post a picture on instagram , download movies or music,  post that tweet on twitter or even selling things on e-market  . Life becomes hard; we no longer have what we are used to. It becomes hard to carry out certain activities and to pass messages through various mediums.

Likewise in environment we have been enjoying its benefit over the years, fresh air, clean water and predictable weather patterns. Now imagine having none of this, no clean water, polluted air, how will we survive???. The little that we will have will not be able to cater for all of our needs.

Our daily activities determine whether or not we will live to enjoy good environment and whether or not our children and our children’s children will enjoy. It all comes down to us and what we do about current climate change and its effects.

As time passes by, and the existence of earth continue increasing in age so does the climate change effects .Change in climate has been gradual over the years but the effects are eventually catching up with us. The effects of climate change is on the rise and many organizations  and governments  have come up with projects to conserve what we already have and mitigate what has been affected but despite all these, conservation comes down to an individual.

“There is a strong credible body of evidence based on multiple lines of research, documenting that climate is changing and that these changes are in large part caused by human activities” America’s climate choice (advancing the science of climate 2010). Activities that we do like releasing of effluents to rivers and greenhouse gases to the atmosphere always seem like a solution to problems at the time but we don’t consider the long term effects of it. We view environmental organizations and policies trying to control or stop this as a cooperate nuisance but eventually our actions will come haunting us. We prioritize current economic prosperity over our future. We never consider what will happen when the last tree has been cut, the last river poisoned and when the last fish caught will we then eat money!??. Will money buy you a river, a forest, fish or fresh air??

Angela Keter: the author is a Communication and Advocacy Officer at Scope Intervention

kangela@scopeintervention.org