Climate Change Matters : Reasons Why Every Teacher Should Start Blogging

By Fred Sagwe - TeachSDG Ambassador

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has." 

- Margaret Mead, Cultural Anthropologist
                                                         
Image Credit: unstats.un.org


Globally ,everyone  should be  conversant with climate change  terminologies and conventions like the  : Millennium Development Goals, Kyoto Protocol ,UN Climate Change Conference ,  Global CO2 Emissions  , and the Green economy .
Why  Climate Change is a Threat To Human Rights
Mary Robinson- former president of Ireland and UN Commission for Human Rights,on a  TED Talk : Why Climate Change is a Threat To Human Rights,talks about how :

" Climate change is unfair. While rich countries can fight against rising oceans and dying farm fields, poor people around the world are already having their lives upended -- and their human rights threatened -- by killer storms, starvation and the loss of their own lands. She  asks us to join the movement for worldwide climate justice."

Open Letter To Greta Thunberg and Teachers Everywhere

Greta Thunberg ,is a Swedish schoolgirl climate activist who has been described as a role model for worldwide student activism. She is famous for having initiated the school strike for climate movement that formed in November 2018 and surged globally after the COP24 conference in December the same year. Her personal activism began in August 2018, when her recurring and solitary ('School strike for the climate') protesting outside the Swedish parliament in Stockholm soon attracted media coverage. On 15 March 2019, an estimated number of 1.4 million students around the world joined her call in the striking and protesting.The next major climate strike to take place globally is scheduled on 24 May 2019.
On 13 March 2019, three members of the Norwegian parliament nominated Thunberg as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize later this year. Thunberg has already received various prizes and awards for her activism.

 Young people demonstrated against climate change show people can make a difference.



Teach SDGs

The Teach SDGs ,actively actively supports  and enhances  the work of the United Nations' efforts . Connects with the global educators dedicated to responding to a call to action within education to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.advance the work of the United Nations in relation to education through advocacy and outreach to inform high school and higher education stakeholders, defined as educators, students, parents, and community members. ​
They blogged  on an  open letter to greta thunberg and teachers everywhere ,encouraged the young people and the teacher to become climate change activists .And lead by example.


The Global Goals 
The   SDGs  were adopted by the United Nations in September 2015,and call for governments and organisations to achieve goals such as ending poverty ,eradicating hunger and ensuring everyone has access to clean ,affordable energy by 2030.And the goals are in tandem with the UN's 2030 agenda .

Climate Change in Kenya


Kenya National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP)


Climate change is adversely affecting Kenya through increased temperatures, erratic rainfall, and drought. With USAID support, Kenya is developing crucial climate change policies and legislation, such as the Climate Change Policy Frame Work, Climate Change Bill, and the National Climate Change Finance Policy and Budget Codes.

Kenya National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) on Wednesday, 27th March 2013. The plan was developed from 20 months of analysis and consultations; and addresses the options for a low-carbon climate resilient development pathway as Kenya adapts to climate impacts and mitigates growing emissions. The plan also addresses the enabling aspects of finance, policy and legislation, knowledge management, capacity development, technology requirements and monitoring and reporting. The comprehensive NCCAP document is supported by almost sixty technical reports developed by teams of international consultants guided by Kenya based thematic working groups and under the oversight of a multi-sectoral multi-stakeholder taskforce.
Motorcycle ( Boda boda Industry  )
Kenya’s reliance on motorcycles is hindering efforts to reduce carbon emissions, as manufacturers struggle to adapt to clean energy technology.
Source:
Kenya: Solar motorcycles take on Nairobi smog

Teacher Service Commision
The    Global Teacher Prize Top 50 Finalist 2019  of the year interview on the  CitizenTV: JKLive was categorical on importance of environment and conservation ; at the same time amplfying the theme on his tweet about the  United Nations Convention on The Rights of a Child   : 

That all the children have the right to life ,survival and development  ,while the Teacher Service Commission  on it's  letter of congratulations to  the  Global Teacher Prize 2019 winner Peter Tabichi  posted in its Facebook  page .

 Paraphrasing the TSC ,that  ".. he collaborated with parents,guardians and stakeholders  by training the local community on environmental conservation ,incoming generating projects and the need for peaceful co-existence "

Further Reading 

But how will climate change impact our children?

According to the UN  CC : Learn, Medium blog : The 101 Ways in which climate change will hurt your children .
  • Spread infectious diseases
  • Rise of weather related disasters
  • Cyclones
  • Hurricanes 
  • Forced Migration


Mitigation Factors 
  • Save electricity by plugging appliances into a power strip and turning them off completely when not in use, including your computer.
  • Stop paper bank statements and pay your bills online or via mobile.
  • Share, don’t just like. If you see an interesting social media post about women’s rights or climate change, share it so folks in your network see it too.
  • Speak up! Ask your local and national authorities to engage in initiatives that don’t harm people or the planet. You can also voice your support for the Paris Agreement and ask your country to ratify it or sign it if it hasn’t yet.
  • Turn off the lights. Your TV or computer screen provides a cosy glow, so turn off other lights if you don’t need them.
  • Report online bullies. If you notice harassment on a message board or in a chat room, flag that person.
  • Stay informed. Follow your local news and stay in touch with the Global Goals online or on social media at @GlobalGoalsUN.
  • Tell us about your actions to achieve the global goals by using the hashtag #globalgoals on social networks.
  • In addition to the above, offset your remaining carbon emissions! You can calculate your carbon footprint and purchase climate credits from Climate Neutral Now. In this way, you help reduce global emissions faster!”

Things You  Can Do From Your Couch



  • Get educated on climate change issues.
  • Include children in the climate change discourse. Talk climate with our children at home.
  • Reduce our energy consumption and waste — as individuals, families, communities and societies.
  • Some of the mitigation factors to reduce emmisisons. By reducing the highway speed for vehicles to help curb harmful emissions ,and workout on the population growth.
  • Plant a tree.
  • Work to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas — and increase our use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
  • Create and strengthen systems that can help keep us safe from the effects of climate change, such as early warning systems for extreme weather, and k,ways to keep people safe during extreme weather and natural disasters.
  • Advocate for local, national and international policies that decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Blogging

Reflecting on the Kathleen Morris on blog on the best  : Ten Reasons Every Educator Should Start Blogging  , vblogging  and BAKE a Kenyan blogging solution .Powered with such SDGs empowering  initiatives to the educators like the  Worlds Largest Lesson Empatico Fellowship .Can allow teachers become techpreneurs for climate change.And make thier students awesome in blogging for a good common cause.
                                         Image Credit: edublogs
  • Home-School Connections
  • Literacy Skills
  • Classroom Community
  • Internet Safety
  • ICT Skills
  • Personal Development 
  • Global Connections
  • Lifelong Learning
  • Blogging is versatile … and free
Climate Change Bloggers

The teaching of climate change in schools has long been a hot – and sometimes controversial – topic among educationalists, teachers, parents and politicians. How and when it should be taught have sometimes run up against the fundamental question of should it even be taught.

Educators ,teachers and other climate change ,volunteers and activists .Should forever  champion the fight and create awareness on climate change.
In particular a commitment to stay below the 2 degree Celsius climate limit 


In the traditional classroom, the only audience for student work was the teacher and sometimes classmates and parents. Blogs provide a much larger audience for student work and an avenue for feedback and self-improvement through commenting. 


The process of blogging allows a lot of scope for personal development, for both students and teachers. Blogging offers reinforcement and feedback through comments beyond the immediate classroom community. This can drive self-esteem, personal reflection and growth, as well as confidence. Students and/or teachers may realize they have something important to say, and blogging may encourage individuals to speak their mind, reflect deeply and share their understandings.
Blogging is also a fantastic creative outlet. Whether it’s writing, designing your blog layout, or using photography, video, podcasts or other multimedia tools, blogs offer so much scope for creativity and fun. Blogs can also be used to showcase creative pursuits in art, music, sport, science or any other field. 


Climate Change Teacher of The Year Award ( cTOYA )


All levels of government ,from county to the national government ,can have a big effect on our ability to lower emissions,prepare and adapt to climate change and shift to a clean-energy economy.
Which is why we need to  act now  .Wondering what you can do to avoid this terrible situation? There’s so much that each and every one of us can do, starting today. We can:
"In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket."
David Suzuki

Resources:






Keywords : climate change , bloggers

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