Need to reduce carbon emissions

Barati Mathambo
Correspondent | Friday November 25, 2011 00:00

According to the Botswana Environmental and Climate Change Analysis (2008), the welfare of people, the performance of the economy and the state of the environment are all closely linked to the climate.

The country is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its fragile ecosystems and semi-aridity. Because of this, climate change is likely to add to existing stresses, causing significant changes in prevalent vegetation and rangeland cover, affecting species types, composition and distribution, as well as those depending on them.

The most vulnerable sectors are identified as agriculture/livestock, woodlands/forests, water and health. 

Reminiscing about the old days, Ian Habana (41) says they used to burn grass to clear the land and then perform rituals to make it rain. 'We did all that without destroying the ozone layer,' he says.

Habana points out that industrialisation is mainly to blame for excessive carbon emissions. For instance, machines used in mines at Morupule, Jwaneng, Orapa, Letlhakane and Selibe-Phikwe emit carbons that are dangerous to the environment and human health.

'At the Botswana Meat Commission, they use a machine to burn animal fat, resulting in various gases being emitted into the air,' Habana says. 'This is causing concern because the climate is now unstable and we never know what temperatures to expect.'

He encourages people to take warnings of climate change seriously and to stop destroying trees and causing veldt fires.

Janet Jackson (52) agrees with Habana that carbon emissions should be reduced and calls on people to adopt new ways of taking care of the environment.

'People should stop burning their garbage,' Jackson says. 'They should also service their cars to stop them emitting carbon monoxide because these are the little things that add to the depletion of the ozone layer.'

Jackson has planted trees in her yard to enhance her environment. She urges other Batswana to do the same in order to increase oxygen supply in the air.

Climate change is a global threat, which means that only a united world has a chance to tackle it. The point is that temperatures will grow for as long as carbon emissions do not stop.