The Green Climate Movement

Durban University of Technology (DUT), Journalism staff and students along with members of the greater Durban community gathered at the Arthur Smith hall at City Campus for a Community Engagement day: Green climate theme.

This community engagement day programme was filled with presentations on how to get and maintain a healthy environment. These presentations were given by different people and organisations like Wildlife Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSSA), Imagine Durban, The Durban Green Corridor, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), KZN Subsistence Fishers Forum, One home one, Democratic Left Front and Green network. Amongst the guests were DUT vice Chancellor Professor Ahemed Bawa, department of Journalism head of department Advocate Robin Sewlal and the Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela.

This community engagement day was a build up function to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as the 17^th Conference of Parties (COP 17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties (CMP 7).Cop 17 will be held at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) and the Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC) on the 28 November to 9 December 2011.

So what does this mean to the average Durban citizen? This means that 194 countries that are members of the UNFCCC will hold talks on the current world climate situation. The talks will arose from those of Cop 16 that took place last year in Cancun, Mexico. The main issues discussed at the conference are climate change and finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenhouse gases (GHG’s) are gases that trap heat it to the atmosphere; they are the main cause of climate change. The primary greenhouse gases are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s). There are many causes to GHG’s emissions in the atmosphere but the main cause is the burning of fossil fuels. Some examples of fossil fuels can be coal and petroleum. The burning of coal release carbon dioxide that gets trapped in the atmosphere, this is called the greenhouse effect.

The presentations contained a lot of information on how to conserve the environment and a number of initiatives dedicated to finding solutions to the climate change crisis. Journalism 2^nd year student Siphelele Bhuthelezi said that she really enjoyed the presentation. “I did not know that my mother’s little garden was playing a role in saving the earth,” she said.

 This was after the mini presentation given by Pastor Mkhize about the one home one garden project. This project was about how Pastor Mkhize and his colleagues use the planted vegetable s to help with the environment crisis and then aided those in poverty with the same vegetables. “Our main focus is in schools,” said Mkhize. “The children are the future, they will be the ones who will continue the seeds of nature conservation that we are sewing in them,” he added.

Imagine Durban, wowed the audience with images of there currently ongoing projects. Imagine Durban is a council led project which aims to create a safer, environmental sustainable, accessible and empowering city that has sustainable livehoods and celebrates our arts, culture and heritage. Amanda Boetus spokes person for Imagine Durban talked about how we all can play a role in helping save our environment. “Every little thing you do is a big thing in saving the environment,” she said

The aim of this function was to inspire students to be part of the solution in saving the earth from GHG’s. It gave ways in which we can play little roles in our everyday lives, like not leaving the tap running when brushing your teeth or throwing down toxic waste down your drains. Everyone can do something you don’t need to come up with big scientific ideas instead try recycling, planting a tree of walking around town then using a car that will emit carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. So do your bit and be part of the green climate movement.