KU Environmental Studies & Community Development Group

22/04/2020

Today- Wednesday 22nd April 2020- happens to be Earth Day. Earth Day’s theme this year focuses on Climate action and collectivism in regards to tackling climate change. These past few months that we’ve experienced this Lockdown have proven that the Earth is healing- going further to support the idea that we as humans are the major culprits in regards to the deteriorating health of nature/ Earth in general. In light of this, I want to urge each and everyone to be conscious of their carbon footprint.
What steps can you take to ensure this and reduce our pollution inspite of the lockdown?
1. Reduce, Reuse and recycle
2. Educate yourself & young ones around you on the impacts that pollution has towards the environment.
3. Shop wisely
4. Conserve water ..
You can also add more ideas and recommendations on the comment section.
Our correspondent took these pictures at the last Global March against climate change that took place on 20th Sept 2019, where the youth took to the streets from Uhuru Park to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, to champion for SDG 13. (Climate Action)
Creation of awareness is the first step to pushing the conservation envelope further to ensure sustainable development.

24/10/2019

Botswana is currently in a wildlife conservation dilemma, brought about by their current president who is supporting the motion of elephant hunting despite the declining number of elephants.On May 22-After a five-year suspension, the government of Botswana decided once again to allow sport hunters to kill elephants. Several conservationists have teamed up to run a campaign geared towards saving Botswana's Elephants in collaboration with a bunch of filmmakers In a move to hopefully defeat the political leader who lifted the elephant hunting ban. Elections will be happening next Wednesday.

21/09/2019

The Global March against climate change is a worldwide march where millions took to the streets in more than 130 countries, with support on this occasion from unions, churches, and local community groups, being reffered to as the biggest mass protest in the history of the climate crisis.
In Kenya, the march took place in Nairobi, Kenya on 20th September 2019, from Uhuru Park to The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, bringing together like minded environmentalists fighting against climate change and the use of fossil fuels

19/09/2019

If you are passionate about the environment and are willing to join the climate action to further create awareness on the rapid climate change then you should strive to show up for The Climate Strike March.
The march is a worldwide march where millions are expected to take to the streets in more than 130 countries, with support on this occasion from unions, churches, and local community groups. Some are calling it the biggest mass protest in the history of the climate crisis.
In Nairobi, Kenya, the march is slated to take place on 20th September 2019, from Uhuru Park to The Ministry of Environment and Forestry from 8.00 am to 1.00 Pm.
Come and show support by joining The Climate Strike and give climate change the seriousness it deserves!

28/06/2019

A big win for Kenyan Environmentalists. The cancellation of Lamu Coal Plant Licence and what it means for Kenya

On Wednesday 26th June 2019; The Kenya National Environment Tribunal (NET) The body that oversees environmental concerns in the country withdrew the licence that had been issued to Amu Power Company Ltd-a consortium of Gulf Energy and Centum Investment- for setting up a coal plant in Lamu; Kenya; an island that is a Unesco World Heritage site and a top tourist destination. The case had been filed by Katiba Institute on behalf of the Save Lamu lobby group, Lamu Youth Alliance and Lamu Marine Forum who were against the building of the Sh200 billion coal power plant citing environmental pollution in the area.

NET held a hearing earlier this week and concluded that the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) the body that issues licences for project commencement had issued the coal company an Environmental impact assessment licence without following all considerations of the law of Kenya for EIA license issuance.

In the court case, NET came to the conclusion that the proponents of the project had not undertaken public participation of the residents in the area which is a key process in the EIA licence issuance. Additionally, NET claims that the proponents failed to take a consideration of the Climate change Act which touches on the importance of environmental conservation against pollution of the environment. NET pointed fingers at NEMA; the environmental body for issuing a license which appears to be generic and not specific to the project at hand. The tribunal chaired by Mr. Mohamed Balala ordered Amu Power company and Nema to start a new EIA licensing process and ensure they comply with the law if they want to proceed with the project.

The proponents of the project: Amu Power CEO Cyrus Kirima said that the firm had taken note of the concerns raised in the ruling and was committed to working with stakeholders to ensure that all matters are addressed. Anti-coal activists have been pushing for the government to focus on setting up clean energy projects instead of coal to ensure suatainable development as well as championing for sdg13 that fights for Climate action to ensure a reduction in the carbon footprint of the country. Some 975 acres of land had already been set aside for the project which is expected to generate 1,050 megawatts however compromising the health of the residents.

Kenyan environmentalists have always been against the Construction of the 1,050 megawatt plant in the coastal town of Lamu since 2015, halting the project severally

Health effects of coal

As we all know, the burning of coal is not environmental friendly. This is because it produces harmful byproducts and gas emissions such as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide that causes pollution to the environment including acid rain. Moreover coal energy is a nonrenewable energy source. Air pollution from coal-fired power plants includes sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (PM), and heavy metals, leading to smog, acid rain, toxins in the environment, and numerous respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular effects.

The establishment of the project would also lead to the destruction of mangroves and breeding grounds for five endangered species of marine turtles, fish and other marine life polluting Lamu’s pristine air, 21 kilometres from plant, and pose health hazards on an island that is a Unesco World Heritage site and a top tourist destination

05/06/2019

World Environment Day 2019

Never in the history of mankind has there been an eminent need to protect the environment than there is at the moment. Due to this; The United Nations set aside a whole day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment which was agreed upon in 1974; culminating to what is currently referred to as World Environment Day, which is celebrated every year on June 5.

For the year 2019, the theme is ‘Air Pollution’. and will be hosted in China in Hangzhou, situated in the province of Zhejiang.

In a press release issued by the UN, Joyce Msuya, UN Environment Acting Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations was quoted as saying ''China will be a great global host of 2019’s World Environment Day celebrations. The country has demonstrated tremendous leadership in tackling air pollution domestically. It can now help spur the world to greater action. Air pollution is a global emergency affecting everyone. China will now be leading the push and stimulating global action to save millions of lives,”

In regards to statistics, approximately seven million people die prematurely due to air pollution annually. Around four million deaths occur in Asia-Pacific. Around 3.8 million premature deaths care caused by indoor air pollution each year. Additionally, air pollution emissions from transport have been linked to nearly 400,000 premature deaths.

World Environment day will bring together communities, individuals, government agencies, industries to explore various sources of renewable energy and green technologies, which in turn will help in improving air quality in cities and regions across the world.

India was the global host of 2018 World Environment Day which will took place on June 5, 2018. With the year's theme being “Beat Plastic Pollution” .Canada hosted WED 2017 and the theme was 'Connecting People and Nature'

How can we as individuals make a difference? Ways you can make a contribution to clean air:

Reduce your Carbon Footprint!

1. Use reusable shopping bags

2. Plant a vegetable garden or trees

3. Conserve energy by turning off lights

4. Walk, cycle, or carpool

5. Pick up trash and recycle

6. Support green business and shop local

You can also participate in the conversation by adding more points and suggestions on how to make a contribution to cleaner air

31/05/2019

Are you a student or young professional with an interest in international Sustainable Development and Cooperation? Enter the youth competition for a chance to win free tickets to .

You can win free tickets by completing one or more of the actions below. The more actions you complete, the higher the chances of winning!

15/04/2019

The 2019 Global March for Rhinos, Lions, Elephants and other endangered species took place on 13th April 2019 flagging off at the National Museums of Kenya with the end point being KWS headquarters in Langata. The march's mandate entailed the creation of awareness on the dwindling Wildlife populations through poaching and Anthropological activities.
Kenya was identified as the most implicated in elephant poaching and illegal ivory trafficking and trade among other countries considered as the Gang of 8 .Three of the countries are African where ivory is sourced: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Three are considered transit states: Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. In regards to this issue and the implementation of sdg #15, The WildlifeDirect, Stand Up Shout Out, Kenya Wildlife Service and other stakeholders organized a global march to further mobilize the youth and create awareness on wildlife conservation.
The 2019 Global March for Rhinos, Lions, Elephants and other endangered species was focused on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) policy implementation where it seeks to prioritize the tabling of ivory trade ban by lobbying for the Elephant & Rhino poaching as Appendix 1 and 2 to ensure serious deliberations on closure of the market trade in the upcoming CITES convention slated for 18th May 2018 in Colombo, Sri Lanka; using the hashtag .

The plight of the Kenyan Wildlife is looking bright however as conservation features that were put in place courtesy of the Kenyan National Ivory Action Plan in 2013 have successfully been implemented. This consecutively led to Kenya being removed from the list of countries with a global concern on Wildlife trafficking by the Conference of Parties at the 2018 CITES Convention in Sochi, Russian Federation confirming that the menace of wildlife poaching is being severely addressed.

On April 13 2019 during the global March ceremony at KWS Headquarters in Nairobi; Brig. (Rtd) John M. Waweru; Director General, KWS was quick to confirm that the decline of Elephants emanates from poaching at industrial scale with the poachers use of sophisticated technology such as Night visions, helicopters and automatic weapons making it harder to fight the cause. Additionally, he added that China; the largest Ivory trading market passed a bill to ban ivory trade in the country, which counts as a big step in fighting wildlife poaching.

Dr. Paula Kahumbu; CEO WildlifeDirect urged the ministry to provide avenues for internship and job opportunities for the youth interested in Wildlife conservancy, research and implementation of policies to ensure SDG #15 is achieved.
Mr. Peter Moll ; Chairman Stand Up Shout Out thanked all the parties present for making the march successful ; mobilizing the youth on prioritization of ivory market ban by ensuring Rhinos and elephants top the list on Wildlife conservation talks in the upcoming CITES conference to Appendix 1 and 2 respectively.
Hon. Najib Balala CS Tourism & Wildlife was the Chief Guest of Honor at the 2019 Global March. He confirmed the re-introduction of Mabingwa Youth; a platform for youth inclusion on matters pertaining to Wildlife and environment conservation in a bid to actualize SDG #17. Additionally, The CS proposed stringent measures to curb Ivory transportation at the boarders and even tighter repercussions for wildlife traffickers; confirming the bill passed where Wildlife poachers in Kenya will face a death penalty.
'Out of the 90,000 Giraffe population in the world; 30,000 giraffes are found in Kenya and it is our right to ensure that they are conserved as they are our heritage" he remarked.
The March takes place every year; covering approximately 12 Kilometers with the starting point being National Museums of Kenya to the ending point being KWS Langata.
This year, the march hosted approximately 3000 conservationists and involved stakeholders such as KWS, National Museums of Kenya, WildlifeDirect,Srand Up Shout Out, Safarilink, Wildlife Works, African Wildlife, KWAL, Lewa Conservancy, Mara, EIA, IFAW, Grevys Zebra, African Conservation Centre, Born Free,Save The Elephants amongst others.
View accompanying video at >>>>>>>
https://informationcradle.com/kenya/the-global-march-for-elephants-lions-rhinos-and-other-endangered-species-gmfelr-2019/

08/04/2019

Every passing year,There is an increasing need to create awareness on the decreasing wildlife population. There is an even greater need to create awareness on the crisis facing Elephants, Lions, Rhinos and all endangered wildlife.

The Global March for Elephants and Rhinos (GMFER) is a worldwide call to action to condemn the poaching of Lions, Pangolins, Elephants, Rhinos, Zebras and the trafficking of wildlife trophies and in regards to this, the annual Global March is with us yet again; taking place on Saturday 13th April 2019.
Last year, people from all walks of life, including children and youth from across the country, marched for 15 kilometers to Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters. Lets make this year even bigger and better! Raise your voice against wildlife poaching!

START POINT: National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi
STOP POINT: Kenya Wildlife Service HQ

07/02/2019

For all those people who still think that Climate Change is just a theory

why are you running?