Are people concerned about the changing climate? Our actions say we are not
By Patience Asanga Image Source: Climate change platform I t is 2050 in Nigeria. Nigerians needed more land for agriculture and industrialization so they deforested Edo, Taraba, Bayelsa and Ondo States. As industries increased in number, so did the volume of wastes generated. These industries channelled their wastes into nearby rivers and streams in the country, mostly untreated. The pollution of water bodies by industrial wastes became a norm. It persisted for years, choking our water systems and denying them the space to self-purify. Consequently, many aquatic organisms went into extinction. Also, the world failed to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. All these happened because people incessantly destroyed the natural elements that zapped greenhouse gasses from the environment while doing very little to cut down emissions. At the pace we are running, the IPCC is afraid this nightmare would become a reality. Even with the drastic changes, we are e...