Call for enactment of laws on plastic, fossil fuel to reduce choking in Lake Victoria

  

 Members of Fridays for Future,an environmental outfit during the campaigns to end plastics and fossil fuels in Lake Victoria-Photo Courtesy

By Sarah Otiende

 

May 15, 2024

 

Call for enactment of laws on plastic, fossil fuel to reduce choking in Lake Victoria

 

Amidst the shimmering waters of Lake Victoria which is the world’s Second largest fresh water Lake, a hidden menace lurks beneath the surface.

 

The proliferation of plastic waste and fossil fuels poses an imminent threat, not only to the vibrant ecosystem of the Lake but also to the very lives of those dependent upon it.

 

As the Lake's once-pristine shores become choked with plastic, the delicate balance between human livelihoods and aquatic habitats hangs in the balance.

 

In a bid to help curb this, environmental activities under the campaign “Fridays for future” a global movement of youths fighting for climate change, have been actively involved in a campaign dubbed “Climate Strike” and called on the national government to put into place policies and measures that would help in mitigating the climatic harm caused by plastics and fossil fuel.

 

George Bush, a member of Fridays for Future,an environmental champion and a convenor of the campaign says the climate strike is a world wide event with special focus on plastic waste and fossil fuel plorification.

 

“Away from the Sustainable Waste management Act, Climate Act,the National Climate Change Act, Kenya does not have any of sustainability legislation that governs plastic waste management and plorifalation of fossil fuels, reason why we as grassroot actors have taken a step in clean up around the Lake but we still feel this is not enough as the rate of emmissions is still high. We call upon the government to come up with sustainable innovations to help curb this menace”he says.

 

The champions calls for a just and equitable funds disbursement with considerations on climate justice to people who adversely affected.

 

The campaign gave focus on the Plastic treaty and the fossil fuel treaty currently being discussed at the global level calling on the national and County governments to take to task plastic producers as well as fossil fuel producers to task on the current adverse climate change being witnessed.

 

The plastic treaty aims at ending plastic pollution by 2040 through a circular economy where all plastics are responsibly managed during production, use, and end-of-life, enabling a climate-neutral plastics industry.

 

Kenya hosted a momentous gathering in March 2022—the UN Environmental Assembly in Nairobi—to confront the pressing global issue of plastic pollution. Representatives from 175 nations converged with a shared purpose: to tackle the crisis head-on. In a historic turn of events, these nations united to adopt a groundbreaking treaty aimed at combating plastic pollution worldwide. Their commitment was resolute, setting an ambitious timeline to implement the treaty by 2025, signaling a new era of global cooperation and environmental stewardship.

“In 2017, the Kenyan government implemented a nationwide ban on plastic bags, demonstrating a strong commitment to reducing plastic waste and safeguarding the environment. Though Kenya boasts one of the most stringent plastic bag prohibitions globally, plastic circulation and dumping is still on the rise.” George Lamented

They called for a shift in finance from fossil fuel production projects to sustainable climate smart energy producers.

 

13 year old Shirley Akinyi Achieng, from the Fridays For Futures says the blue economy has been adversely affected from plastic bottles and fossil fuels spillages.

 

“ People around the lake depends on its water for domestic use as well as economically through fishing.Plastic bottles have chocked the lake leading to death of fish. Fishermen no who are bread winners in their homes longer have enough fish to sell.” She says.

 

Women too were called upon to be part of climate change agents since they largely interact with waste and energy.

 

Ruth Atieno an environmentalist  urged women to use alternative sources of energy for cooking to help in combating green carbon emmissions.

 

According to John Recha, a scientist,climate smart agriculture and policy at International Livestock Research Institute, enhanced greenhouse effects emanates from burning fossil fuels to produce electricity which contribute -32.6 per cent of the total emissions,Stationary energy including manufacturing, mining, residential and commercial fuel use and Industrial processes and fugitive emissions

(unintentional leaks or escapes of gases and vapours) -39.3 per cent,Transport - 21 per cent ,Agriculture - 18 per cent,Waste - 2.9 per cent

 

Furthermore,  Recha emphasizes that extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, floods, cyclones, and storms are projected to become more frequent and intense due to climate change.

He says the impact on ecosystems will be profound, disrupting plant and animal life and posing risks to food security, water resources, and human health. These changes highlight the urgent need for action to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

The activists demands for the government to fully endorse the fossil fuels non- prolification treaty and the legally binding plastic treaty to save lake Victoria.

 

This is a clear indication that the Government needs to move with speed to work on alternative adaptable measures that will help in mitigating climate change.