There is warm and then there is too warm. Scientists have discovered that without the atmosphere’s natural insulating blanket of greenhouse gasses ― chiefly water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane, human beings would not be worrying about global warming 
because we would not be on earth to worry.
In other words, without this natural greenhouse effect, the planet would be a huge ice ball. This would have been impossible for human offspring to survive.
It is evidenced that the average temperature of the Earth is rising, but that’s not the only way to tell that the climate is changing.
Scientific observations, measurements and associated climate-related devastations from all over the world provide strong evidence that the climate is not more the same or favorable place to live in.
Yes, the climate has gone through various stages of change.
If you are a Ghanaian and still skeptical about climate change, then look no further, then your energy consumption. Your huge energy bill is not about increased energy tariff; it is that you need more energy to cool your room than before.
Throughout this year, the only times your ceiling or standing fan is not rolling or gone off is when you are leaving the house. Even in the peak of rainy season, Ghanaians still cool their rooms with fans and air conditioners. Scientific finding available shows heatwaves are becoming unbearable; heat stresses, illnesses, and deaths are increasingly being reporters across the country. Human beings are part of the problem of climate change.
Impacts of Anthropogenic Activities on Environment and Health
Anthropogenic activities such as mining, oil drilling, factory heating, production of carbon dioxide and construction are some human activities that contribute to heating up the climate and obstinately lead to environmental degradation.
Heatwaves produce in the process affect human health in many ways—mostly adversely. Heat stress, extreme weather events (drought, flood, erratic rains), and infectious diseases, malnutrition, to the larger extent, food shortages and hunger prevalence would contribute to more deaths and conflicts over resource utilization.
Break Free
Now, that it has been established that largely, climate change is caused by anthropogenic effects, (human activities), the solution to the problem, however, is not farfetched.
Breaking free from such anthropogenic activities such as the reliance on coal and oil energy, and use of fossil fuels, in general, is a sure step to reducing global warming.
The world is moving towards Renewable Energy. Renewable energy is energy that is sourced from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, the wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.
Based on scientific evidence that coal, oil, and gas contribute so much to climate change, there is the need to keep these resources bury underground. Bringing them up rather cause more problems than solving a problem.
Ghana must resist the temptation to allow China to use the country as it dumping site for her coal products she abandoned as part of plans to break free from fossil fuels. China through the Shenzhen Energy Group Co., Ltd. of China (SEC) in partnership with Ghana government intends to develop a supercritical coal-fired generating plant in Ghana.
The project is conceived as a long-term plan by China to make Ghana a dumping site for her coal products. China’s over-reliance on coal energy has thrown smog into the airspace of that country, increasing respirational illness and its associated deaths.
To reduce the pollution level, China is closing down all her major coal-fired plants. Over 300 coal mines have also been earmarked for closure by close of this year 2016.
The closures, according to reports are part of a broader trend in China, which is the world’s biggest carbon emitter. China is facing pressure at home and abroad to cut down pollution prompting policymakers to take action to address the environmental damage caused by coal energy, hence the closures.
Though there is high demand for energy supply in Ghana probably as a result of increased population and the country’s heatwaves (warm), the country does not need coal-fired plants but rather renewable energy which is cost effective. The world is moving away from coal, (energy transition) and Ghana must act the same.
It is about time civil society and Ghanaians at large rise above politics and tribal attributions to stop the government from establishing coal-fired-plant through “civil disobedience”.
This May, civil society, and individuals are taking break free from fossil fuels action. This is an opportunity for Ghanaians to join the fray to stop Shenzhen Energy Group Co. Ltd and the government of Ghana from establishing a coal-fired plant in Ghana.
Join the Break Free campaign, free Ghana from fossil fuels hassles. stay tuned.
voice4environment 