Re-Connecting With the Planet

We've just arrived in Nairobi where the weather is mostly sunny and in the low to mid 20's. The last two weeks in Rumbek we were experiencing low to mid 40's almost every day. What a relief!


Last week I was having a discussion with one of my co-workers talking about the coming of the rainy season. As you can guess from the temperatures reported above, it hasn't really arrived yet though there have been a few small showers. He talked about the need for rains to come soon to avoid crop failure. He also talked of memories of a serious drought many years ago where people were forced to eat cow leather just to survive. The end of the dry season is also the most challenging time for inter-tribal conflict as cattle herders crowd their cows into smaller and smaller spaces searching for any remaining grass.

Dry Season

Rainy Season

This morning around the breakfast table I had a discussion with fellow MCCers working in Kenya, Jacob and Elvira Stern, a couple with a wealth of knowledge in the field of agriculture and passion and energy that is an example for us all. Among the topics discussed this morning were a list of seven drought resistant crops and a recent study done on maize production in Africa analyzing the effect of temperature increase on yields. Simplified conclusion: even a small increase in temperature will have huge negative impacts on overall maize production, especially for days where the temperature is above 30C. Throw in a little bit of drought and the impacts are much larger.


Now let me try to connect these little bits of information in a way that makes as much sense on paper/screen as it does in my head. The people of Sudan feel changing seasons in a way that most North Americans don't. When the temperature is in the mid 40's people slow down, avoid the sun, sleep outside at night etc. When the rain doesn't come, crops don't grow, cows die, and in cases of severe drought, people die too. During the dry season, water sources get contaminated and diarrhea cases rise. During the rainy season, mosquito populations explode and malaria cases surge. In North America when the rains don't come we have to water our lawn more, or maybe watch it turn brown. The price of orange juice or bread might go up slightly. If it gets really hot we pay a bit more for A/C, or for those without A/C we may even have to sweat a little bit while preparing supper or sitting in our office cubicle.

It seems to me that this is the reason why we have a difficult time grabbing on to the issue of climate change. We can read a report on the severe negative impact of even small increases in global temperatures but we can't feel it in our bones because we've done such a good job of insulating ourselves from these impacts.

So what might we do about it? Sending everybody to South Sudan might push the land beyond its carrying capacity, plus it isn't cheap to get there. But I think there are little things that people can do to remind themselves that they are still part of the global ecosystem.

1. Go camping, and not camping in an RV that is basically a copy of your house on wheels. Out in the wilderness you can feel the rain dripping into your tent, you notice that there is very little firewood available around your campsite, and you get to compete with chipmunks and bears for access to your food.
   
2. Turn off your A/C for a day. Your body is actually incredibly well designed to deal with heat so that you can function in temperatures above your own body temperature through the miracle of sweat and evaporation. (Please consult your local physician before trying this at home, I don't want to be responsible for heat stroke or dehydration)
   
3. Grow a garden, or even a few small vegetable plants. I guarantee you'll notice and appreciate rain more if it means that you get a day off from watering.
   

Or do something else that reminds you about the bigger picture. I'd be interested to hear suggestions from others as well.