HerDithy:A plate of Climate Change and Chips please #4

 A happy Mashujaa Day to you!

Climate change will cost Kenyans 7 trillion shillings in the next ten years. That is not so far away, remembering how `close` we are to actualizing the Vision 2030 goals, we have quite the journey ahead of us. Climate change is the result of the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, primarily from the burning of burning fossil fuels for energy and other human activities. Climate change affects how food is produced, what is consumed and how human beings respond to it.

Climate change has led to more frequent extreme weather events like draughts which last longer than usual, irregular and unpredictable rainfall, flooding and increase in temperatures. These have a long-term effect extending to water and food security. Climate change triggered by global warming poses a major threat to agricultural systems globally. This process is characterized by emergence of pests and diseases, extreme weather events such as prolonged draught, high intensity rains, hailstones and frosts, which are becoming more frequent ultimately impacting negatively to agricultural production. We are on the brink of a dire calamity, but politics in Mount Kenya seems to be what will get us out of poverty. Same old promises, with a tax holiday for the youth and wheelbarrows. Must be nice.

Mitigating climate change would mean that we need to place strategic actions such as climatic smart agriculture, drought management, afforestation and reforestation, as well as geothermal energy production. The conversation goes back to what Kenya can produce sustainably, the workforce behind it and the intentions to create a better future for upcoming generations.

Talk about the famous food joints spread across the CBD, fast food joints have become a sweetheart to Nairobians and their wallets. To afford a plate of fries and a smokie pasua is less than a dollar. A case study, the fried chicken market has become a normalized delicacy you will find it in the suburbs of Spring Valley and the slums of Mukuru kwa Njenga. The economic bit of producing these `basic` foods has created a chain of jobs; right from the chicken farmer, the broker who gets the potatoes from the farm, the `mtu wa mkono` at Muthurwa market. But on the other hand, the consumption of these foods has a longer negative effect if not checked early.

Losing weight in Kenya through eating healthy food is not such a walk in the park. The kind of diet majority of Kenyans are exposed to includes a lot of starch (rice, ugali, potatoes, chapati), a few varieties of greens and vegetables and a sizable hand of proteins. The cuisines we love and celebrate are a result of the geographical settings and even extend to religious settings. Today, we have young people as old as nineteen suffering from acute obesity, diabetes. There is a sharp rise in diet- related non- communicable diseases affecting young people. The consumption of foods low in fiber and high in fats and sugars attributes to cardiovascular, diabetes, cancers, kidney and liver complications.

Physical fitness is increasingly becoming a lifestyle in urban Kenya, due to change in diet and increase of Kenyans who want to look fit and live healthy, better lives. The tourism and hospitality sectors have opened activities that encourage physical exercise such as hikes on mountains, zip lining, just to name a few. Or maybe, try to live in Kanairo: it is already an extreme sport, that’s enough to make one pant and sweat in a day.

Take good care of yourself and those around you. Being more intentional with the food we consume, how we use our time to stretch or take a walk. Driving can be quite the convenience, but at least this week, make a point to take a nice loong walk. The quality of our leaders must greatly improve now more than ever, as we need future- led, progressive leaders. We are that generation to demand better from these democratic processes and power of masses. The change begins with us.


Mwihaki Karanja



 

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