NATIONAL YOUTH CLIMATE CHANGE SEMINAR -
Understanding Climate Change and What Youth Can Do.
Organised by WORLD BANK INSTITUTE on the 23rd of November, 2009 @ New Chelsea Hotel, 123 Cadastral Zone, Central Business District Abuja.
MINUTES
Introductions:
“Today, climate change is no longer a theory or a meteorological model that interests only a few people. In view of this reality, ensuring the participation of the greatest possible swath of the population – women, men, young people, boys and girls – in developed and less developed countries alike is not only a matter of social justice and respect for human rights in the present, but also one of great significance for future generations”
The National Youth Climate Change Seminar which kicked off on a spirited note focused on enhancing practical knowledge of climate change (CC) its relevance, actions and reactions to Nigeria as a developing country, skills that were needed for youths to take reasonable and responsible mitigative and adaptive measures to better manage the effects of climate change, reduce GHG emissions and move towards sustainable development.
The one-day seminar brought together knowledge and experience from other parts of the world and from various youths from varying ethnic backgrounds, organisational framework, intellectual exposures and political frontiers. Through interactive sessions, the seasoned facilitators encouraged participants to build on their knowledge, explore their innovative minds and discuss ways they can move forward on climate action within their own communities and organisations.
Sessions:
The following topics were considered during the seminar: Climate Change – Building on Participants Knowledge; Effective Skills for Action on Climate Change: PART ONE - Communications, Use of Social Media and Innovations for Climate Action; Effective Skills for Action on Climate Change: PART TWO – Community Based Action, development and Climate Change; Concluding Session – way forward, feedback and concluding comments.
Comments:
“…to meet the challenges of the changing climate, we need to ACT NOW, ACT TOGETHER and ACT DIFFERENTLY”
Youths have a major role to play in all three ways stated above. Climate Change is not just a scientific issue…although it is a scientifically proven phenomenon which arises as a result of natural variability or human activity.
Well thought out awareness programs and aggressive climate change advocacy and campaign should be embarked on.
Grass root knowledge impartation could be characterized under the following headings: effects of climate change, evidences of climate change and examples relevant to situations in the community in order to make it more applicable and attractive to the “common mind”.
Our present and future organisational projects, goals, aspirations, visions, missions must be environment friendly, less – energy consuming.
In order to fight climate change as effectively as possible, considerations must be given to the gender – specific effects of climate change.
Today, climate change is no longer a theory or a meteorological model that interests only a few people. In view of this reality, ensuring the participation of the greatest possible swath of the population – women, men, young people, boys and girls – in developed and less developed countries alike is not only a matter of social justice and respect for human rights in the present, but also one of great significance for future generations.
Development and environment conservation strategies to deal with climate change have been suggested in two areas: adaptation to extreme climate events and mitigation of the causes of climate change.
Adaptation strategies for climate change will be more effective if made with a participatory decision – making process. Adaptation refers to changes in processes, practices, and structure to moderate potential damages to or benefit from opportunities with climate change.
In the context of climate change, mitigation is “an anthropogenic intervention to reduce the sources of greenhouse gases or enhance their sinks.
Conclusion and Recommendations:
Although climate change was initially conceived as a scientific and technical issue, expanding bases of knowledge have made it clear that the impacts are much broader; climate change is, in actuality, a socioeconomic problem. Thus, in order to fully understand and deal with climate change, it is imperative to consider the related social, economic and political aspects. Poverty and development, and the associated gender implications, for example, must be taken into account when determining appropriate responses.
WHAT WE CAN DO and SHOULD DO…
Improve understanding and analysis of gender and climate change.
Gather, produce and document information.
Invest in effective communication, capacity building and development.
Influence international and national policies
Plan and develop gender- responsive policies and strategies
Strengthen National and Local Capacities
To Summarize:
Climate Change poses potentially unprecedented threats to human development and well being. Much of that threat consists inter alia in changes to hydrological cycles and rain regimes, in the effect of temperature increases on evaporation, and in the worsening severity of extreme climate events. Therefore, measures have been adopted on sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity conservation, the combat against desertification, and risk reduction, among others.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Climate Change and Lagos.
City Profile 4 - Lagos
In the past two decades Lagos has been one of fastest growing cities in the world, rising from a population of two million inhabitants in the mid-1770s to some 15 million today. Lagos is the economic hub of west Africa, but the rapid growth in the size of the city has occurred largely in the absence of an associated infrastructure development.
Today the city in many ways epitomizes the problems faced by developing world mega-cities. The traffic problems in the city mean that it can sometimes take 8-hours to cross the city by car and commuters regularly need to set out at 4.30am to reach their offices. One of the first sights that greets the visitor arriving in Lagos after dark is that of fumes and smoke swirling around the headlights of grid locked traffic on the miles-long Third Mainland Bridge. The acrid smell of exhaust fumes stings the nose and mingles with the overpowering smells from the city’s largest slum town, consisting of rudimentary shacks built on stilts above the water. The slum area is situated next to a modern urban development of skyscrapers and high-walled fortified compounds in the richer neighbourhoods.
In the past a combination of official neglect and corruption, extreme poverty and rapid population growth through migration and immigration has made Lagos one of the world’s fastest growing and most disturbing examples of urbanisation. The basic problem is that the influx of new residents is largely uncontrolled and is completely exceeding the capacity of existing infrastructures.
Climate change will exacerbate the problems of especially the most vulnerable citizens. Increasing temperatures will confound the problems associated with local air pollution in the city and increase the risk of heat stress related deaths. Water supplies may be disrupted in the city and the impacts of climate change on rural areas may further increase the pressures causing the rural poor to migrate to the cities.
Some projects are now underway to tackle the infrastructure challenges of Lagos. For example, a new project initiated in 2007 by the Lagos Metropolitan Transport is aiming to put in place an improved transport infrastructure. The five billion US dollar project, supported by the World Bank, is aiming to radically improve the transport infrastructure through seven linked transport channels including, hundreds of new buses, new rail links and a radical expansion of the water taxi (or water bus) services.
The future challenge will be to continue to improve the transport system while also addressing carbon emissions and developing responses to increasingly high oil costs. Cities such as Lagos may eventually be able to benefit from using renewable energy technologies being developed in the western countries, for example solar photovoltaics and electric vehicles. The success of mobile phones in Africa suggests that decentralized solutions that do not have huge infrastructure costs may be especially suitable, but they need to be both economically and culturally attractive to consumers. International agreements on climate change in the future increasingly need to provide financial and technical assistance to enable cities such as Lagos to achieve a cleaner development.
The 21st century will increasingly witness the phenomena of the developing-world mega-city. Rural poverty is one of the main drivers of a rapid expansion of Africa’s large cities, which the United Nations says are undergoing a process of “over-urbanisation” in which they are unable to support their growing populations. A shortage of jobs and infrastructure investments means that they cannot meet even people’s most minimal needs. Climate change will need to be framed in the context of achieving a sustainable development pathway that combines economic growth, poverty reductio
In the past two decades Lagos has been one of fastest growing cities in the world, rising from a population of two million inhabitants in the mid-1770s to some 15 million today. Lagos is the economic hub of west Africa, but the rapid growth in the size of the city has occurred largely in the absence of an associated infrastructure development.
Today the city in many ways epitomizes the problems faced by developing world mega-cities. The traffic problems in the city mean that it can sometimes take 8-hours to cross the city by car and commuters regularly need to set out at 4.30am to reach their offices. One of the first sights that greets the visitor arriving in Lagos after dark is that of fumes and smoke swirling around the headlights of grid locked traffic on the miles-long Third Mainland Bridge. The acrid smell of exhaust fumes stings the nose and mingles with the overpowering smells from the city’s largest slum town, consisting of rudimentary shacks built on stilts above the water. The slum area is situated next to a modern urban development of skyscrapers and high-walled fortified compounds in the richer neighbourhoods.
In the past a combination of official neglect and corruption, extreme poverty and rapid population growth through migration and immigration has made Lagos one of the world’s fastest growing and most disturbing examples of urbanisation. The basic problem is that the influx of new residents is largely uncontrolled and is completely exceeding the capacity of existing infrastructures.
Climate change will exacerbate the problems of especially the most vulnerable citizens. Increasing temperatures will confound the problems associated with local air pollution in the city and increase the risk of heat stress related deaths. Water supplies may be disrupted in the city and the impacts of climate change on rural areas may further increase the pressures causing the rural poor to migrate to the cities.
Some projects are now underway to tackle the infrastructure challenges of Lagos. For example, a new project initiated in 2007 by the Lagos Metropolitan Transport is aiming to put in place an improved transport infrastructure. The five billion US dollar project, supported by the World Bank, is aiming to radically improve the transport infrastructure through seven linked transport channels including, hundreds of new buses, new rail links and a radical expansion of the water taxi (or water bus) services.
The future challenge will be to continue to improve the transport system while also addressing carbon emissions and developing responses to increasingly high oil costs. Cities such as Lagos may eventually be able to benefit from using renewable energy technologies being developed in the western countries, for example solar photovoltaics and electric vehicles. The success of mobile phones in Africa suggests that decentralized solutions that do not have huge infrastructure costs may be especially suitable, but they need to be both economically and culturally attractive to consumers. International agreements on climate change in the future increasingly need to provide financial and technical assistance to enable cities such as Lagos to achieve a cleaner development.
The 21st century will increasingly witness the phenomena of the developing-world mega-city. Rural poverty is one of the main drivers of a rapid expansion of Africa’s large cities, which the United Nations says are undergoing a process of “over-urbanisation” in which they are unable to support their growing populations. A shortage of jobs and infrastructure investments means that they cannot meet even people’s most minimal needs. Climate change will need to be framed in the context of achieving a sustainable development pathway that combines economic growth, poverty reductio
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
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Latest News (213 stories)
Micro Loans Bring Light To Rural Poor
Photo: Amit Dave
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: INDIA
Author: Rina Chandran
AHMEDABAD - When night falls in remote parts of Africa and the Indian subcontinent, hundreds of millions of people without access to electricity turn to candles or flammable and polluting kerosene lamps for illumination.
SeaEnergy And TGC To Develop Windfarms In Taiwan
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: UK
Author: Sharon Lindores
LONDON - British renewable energy company SeaEnergy said on Tuesday it will build offshore windfarm projects in Taiwan with the Taiwan Generations Corporation (TGC), an energy project development company.
Australia Needs National Plan For Rising Seas
Photo: Daniel Munoz
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: AUSTRALIA
Author: Michael Perry
SYDNEY - Australia needs to adopt a national policy to combat rising sea levels, which may see people forced to abandon coastal homes and banned from building beachside homes, said a parliamentary climate change committee.
With Smelter Shut, Peru Mulls Zero Tariff On Lead
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: PERU
Author: Dana Ford
LIMA - Peru's government is weighing whether to eliminate the import tariff on lead as the country's only smelter that processes the metal is shut, squeezing local supplies, an industry group said on Tuesday.
EU Carbon Closes At Key Support Level
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: UK
Author: Nina Chestney and Michael Szabo
LONDON - European carbon emissions prices closed at a key support level on Tuesday, slightly down from the previous session due to weaker German power, traders said.
FACTBOX: Deciphering The Jargon In The Climate Debate
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Jasmin Melvin
WASHINGTON - A new bill introduced by Democrats in the U.S. Senate is not the only thing the climate change debate has brought to Washington. Politicians, pundits and lobbyists alike are now speaking a new jargon as they try to tackle global warming.
E.ON Renewable Investment Storming Ahead
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: UK
Author: Angeline Ong
LONDON - E.ON, one of Europe's largest utilities, has continued heavy investment in renewable energy, such as wind, through the global economic downturn, the head of its European Climate & Renewables arm said on Tuesday.
Sharp Sees Start Of Solar Recovery In 2010
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Laura Isensee
NAHEIM, California - The solar power industry will start to recover in 2010, an executive with Sharp Corp told Reuters on Tuesday, saying U.S. stimulus funds, work on government projects and new financing would help the industry.
New U.S. Finance Tool For Renewable Energy Launched
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Lisa Lambert
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Treasury on Tuesday authorized more than 800 governmental agencies and power companies to issue $2.2 billion of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, a financing tool included in the economic stimulus plan for developing alternative energy generation.
Former GM Plant To Make Fisker Hybrid Cars
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Chelsea Emery and John Crawley
NEW YORK - The bankrupt shell of carmaker General Motors Co is making its first major asset sale, selling a Delaware manufacturing plant to Fisker Automotive, which will make plug-in hybrid electric cars beginning in 2012.
GE Advanced Gas Turbine Cuts Fuel Use, Emissions
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Eileen O'Grady
HOUSTON - General Electric Co's Energy unit on Tuesday said its latest turbine design for natural gas-fired power plants will consume less fuel and emit less carbon dioxide than existing GE turbines.
Obama Announces $3.4 Billion In Grants For Smart Grid
Photo: Jim Young
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Steve Holland
ARCADIA, Florida - President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced $3.4 billion in grants to help build a "smart" electric grid meant to trim utility bills, reduce blackouts and carry power generated by solar and wind energy.
Shrimp's Eye Points Way To Better DVDs
Photo: Roy Caldwell
Date: 28-Oct-09
Country: UK
Author: Ben Hirschler
LONDON - The amazing eyes of a giant shrimp living on Australia's Great Barrier Reef could hold the key to developing a new type of super high-quality DVD player, British scientists said on Sunday.
What Can Software Do for Hybrid MPGs? Ford Aims to Find Out
Date: 27-Oct-09
Author: Josie Garthwaite - Earth2Tech
What can software do for hybrid fuel economy? Ford Motor and researchers at the University of Michigan plan to find out in a new project meant to speed development of more fuel-efficient hybrid systems. According to an announcement from Ford yesterday, the pair will run up to 175,000 computer design simulations of hybrid control systems, with the goal of eventually developing a software system that would allow drivers to select from several performance settings based on fuel efficiency and other driving preferences.
Senate Democrats Set Climate Bill Industry Permits
Photo: Lucas Jackson
Date: 27-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON - Democrats in the U.S. Senate will push climate change legislation that would grant, initially at no cost, pollution permits to an array of industries, similar to legislation passed by the House of Representatives last June.
EU Looks To Divert Budget Spending Towards Climate
Date: 27-Oct-09
Country: GERMANY
Author: Marcin Grajewski
BRUSSELS - The European Union should shift more of its spending to climate and energy security as part of a radical overhaul of the bloc's budget, according to a draft paper by the EU's executive arm
SMA Solar To Open New Plant In Colorado
Date: 27-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Laura Isensee
LOS ANGELES - SMA Solar Technology AG said on Monday it would open a factory in Colorado, putting about 15 million euros ($22 million) into the company's first production site outside Germany.
German Firm Plans 100 MW Wind Farm In Bulgaria
Date: 27-Oct-09
Country: GERMANY
Author: Irina Ivanova
SOFIA - Germany's privately-held N-Vision Energy plans to invest up to 140 million euros ($210.5 million) to build a 100 megawatt wind energy park in Bulgaria, its managing director said on Monday.
Poland To Sign CO2 Deal With Spain And Ireland
Date: 27-Oct-09
Country: POLAND/Japan
Author: Risa Maeda
TOKYO - Poland will soon sign a deal to sell a total 40 million euros ($60 million) of surplus greenhouse gas emission rights to Spain and Ireland, the country's first such government-to-government deal under the Kyoto Protocol, its environment minister said.
Italy Green Boom May Stutter Over Incentive Doubts
Date: 27-Oct-09
Country: ITALY
Author: Stephen Jewkes and Svetlana Kovalyova - Analysis
MILAN - Uncertainty over the future of generous incentive schemes is a major risk factor for the green energy sector in Italy, which has blossomed after rival Spain lost its allure by cutting down on sweeteners for investors.
Public Finance Can Scale Up Climate Investment
Photo: REUTERS
Date: 27-Oct-09
Country: UK
Author: Nina Chestney
LONDON - Public finance could help stimulate private investment in climate change solutions in developing countries, a report commissioned by the United Nations' Environment Program showed on Monday.
Climate Cooperation To Help Ties, Hu Tells Obama
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: CHINA
Author: Emma Graham-Harrison
BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao has told his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama that closer cooperation on fighting climate change could help improve overall ties between the world's top two greenhouse gas polluters.
Japan May Cut Emissions By Less Than 25 Percent
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: JAPAN
Author: Chisa Fujioka
TOKYO - Japan cautioned on Friday that it could water down planned 2020 cuts in greenhouse gas emissions if other rich nations fail to make deep reductions as part of a U.N. deal due in Copenhagen in December.
Test The Wind Speed Via iPhone And Mariah Power
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Katie Fehrenbacher - Earth2Tech
Apple's iPhone has apps for Car 2.0, for home energy management and for fuel efficiency. Now here's one for clean power that I wasn't expecting to see: a wind speed tester courtesy of small wind turbine maker Mariah Power. Todd Woody profiles the app in the New York Times' Green Inc. blog this morning, and says the application uses the iPhone's microphone to capture the sound of the wind and then utilizes an algorithm to tune out the surrounding noise and calculate the wind decibel speed.
Schlumberger CEO Sees New Gas Drilling Regulation
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Braden Reddall
SAN FRANCISCO - Schlumberger Ltd, the world's largest oilfield services company, expects new U.S. regulations for a key natural gas drilling process because of public fears about water pollution, its CEO said on Friday.
SK Energy To Supply Car Batteries For Daimler Unit
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: SOUTH KOREA
Author: Rhee So-eui
SEOUL - South Korea's SK Energy said on Sunday it has been chosen as a supplier of lithium-ion batteries for a hybrid electric vehicle project for Daimler unit Mitsubishi Fuso.
Obama Sees Consensus Growing On Climate Change Bill
Photo: Jason Reed
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: US
Author: Jeff Mason
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts - President Barack Obama said on Friday he saw consensus building in the U.S. Congress on climate change and energy legislation that is considered critical to international talks on a new global warming pact.
Solar Recovery To Start, But 2010 Outlook Dim
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: GERMANY
Author: Christoph Steitz
FRANKFURT - European solar equipment makers are slowly emerging from the crisis that has hit the sector, quarterly results will show, but the outlook beyond 2009 will be uncertain due to tight credit and oversupply.
Ireland Exiting Peat Power, Faces Hurdles
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: IRELAND
Author: Andras Gergely
DUBLIN - Ireland will stop using peat to produce electricity by about 2025 to 2030 as it moves toward renewable sources, although it faces infrastructure and financing hurdles, the state-owned peat energy company said.
Brazil Eyes Capping Emissions At 2005 Levels
Date: 26-Oct-09
Country: BRAZIL
Author: Raymond Colitt
BRASILIA - Brazil is considering capping its greenhouse gas emissions at 2005 levels as it finalizes its proposals ahead of December's global climate summit, Environment Minister Carlos Minc said on Tuesday.
Monday, October 26, 2009
A quote.
"I have always considered global warming to be a matter of utmost urgency. Now I believe we are on the verge of a catastrophe if we do not act." —UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his post on the End Poverty blog
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Environmental clean-up..
Surulere local Government area of Lagos State witnessed the turn out of a number of youth`s from different campuses in Nigeria to participate in the Voluntary Environmental clean -up. which was a programme organised by Hope Worldwide Nigeria in collaboration with International Campus Ministry Conference (ICMC 2009). The clean-up started with an orientation activities for the participants and the environmental service started by 11:00am which took about an hour to do.
Friday, October 16, 2009
D Green Ambassadors
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Green Club Green club is an initiative of British Council under its Green Africa project, designed to get young people engaged practically in environment sustainability in Nigeria. As a strong instrument of change in any society, young people, classified into two groups of 11-17 (Green Champions) and 18-35 (Green Ambassadors) will form different groups in selected school, colleges and higher education. They will be well equipped through group discussion, training, seminars and debates, so as to be able to get engaged on several green activities with BC in the country. Aims and objectives
Planned Activities
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