In the Beginning…
Growing up in Nigeria, I remember being taught in Social Studies class that we have two seasons in Nigeria, raining season and dry season. The raining season began in March/April and ended in August/September. These days, the above statement appears to be a fallacy. Rain starts as early as in January and sometimes, there’s hardly rainfall in some months. The raining season has been replaced by extreme heat waves which are killing.
Now…
A few weeks ago, I experienced rashes and boils in unusual parts of my body. It felt like my body was burning and I was under attack from blood-sucking insects/monsters. The pain that came with it was terrible and uncomfortable. I literally spent some nights staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping, due to the pains I felt. After conducting a few tests, the doctor said I was fine and my body was just reacting to the heat wave. Imagine! I felt very uncomfortable during that period. There was no rainfall, electricity supply was poor, just heat everywhere, even at night!
I consumed bottles of water when outdoors and it still felt like I was water-deprived when I got home, because I had to consume even more bottles of water. The doctor recommended some drugs and advised me to wear light outfits, try to stay indoors more, take more showers and use a good anti-rash medicated powder.
When I reflect on the negative effects of climate change, this is one experience that is a direct effect of climate change for me. It’s not an abstract thing someone is saying or a conspiracy theory; it’s as close to a direct effect for me as can be and I never pray for anyone to go through what I had to experience.
Conclusion…
Since then, I have tried reducing my consumption of meat; cattle produce methane which contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer causing climate change. I caution myself not to waste water, food or leave electric appliances unattended to. I do all this in a bid to conserve energy and reduce my carbon footprint.
What steps are you taking today to reduce climate change? The time to take #ClimateAction is now.