Alleviating Poverty in Africa - a Climate Change Challenge

From: Paula Kahumbu
Length: 03:54

Poor people living in African countries are feeling the brunt of global climate change even though it is believed that most Africans cause hardly any green house gas emissions. To find out more about the average Kenyan carbon footprint I spoke to my neighbor Rhoda, a domestic worker in Nairobi. Read the full description.

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Playing: Alleviating Poverty in Africa - a Climate Change ...
From: Paula Kahumbu

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Poor people living in African countries are feeling the brunt of global climate change even though it is believed that most Africans cause hardly any green house gas emissions. To find out more about the average Kenyan carbon footprint I spoke to my neighbor Rhoda, a domestic worker in Nairobi.

Rhoda’s carbon footprint well below the global average, but THATS not due to any effort on her part to reduce her climate impact. Its what she can afford. Like most Kenyans her main source of energy is Charcoal. And it is the production of charcoal that is destroying Kenyas forests. Her husband cannot plant enough trees to replace those that were turned into the charcoal that they cook with.

Like most Kenyans, if she had more money Rhoda would drive a car, use electrical appliances and buy a butane stove. And so the decision makers at Copenhagen must offer solutions on how to alleviate global poverty without aggravating climate change.

Produced by Paula Kahumbu an ecologist and Director of WildlifeDirect. Visit http://baraza.wildlifedirect.org to learn more about what we are doing to save Africa's wild places

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Piece Description

Poor people living in African countries are feeling the brunt of global climate change even though it is believed that most Africans cause hardly any green house gas emissions. To find out more about the average Kenyan carbon footprint I spoke to my neighbor Rhoda, a domestic worker in Nairobi.

Rhoda’s carbon footprint well below the global average, but THATS not due to any effort on her part to reduce her climate impact. Its what she can afford. Like most Kenyans her main source of energy is Charcoal. And it is the production of charcoal that is destroying Kenyas forests. Her husband cannot plant enough trees to replace those that were turned into the charcoal that they cook with.

Like most Kenyans, if she had more money Rhoda would drive a car, use electrical appliances and buy a butane stove. And so the decision makers at Copenhagen must offer solutions on how to alleviate global poverty without aggravating climate change.

Produced by Paula Kahumbu an ecologist and Director of WildlifeDirect. Visit http://baraza.wildlifedirect.org to learn more about what we are doing to save Africa's wild places