Tragedy in our Midst

It is usually the nature of tragedy to strike when we least expect it; yet we always expect it – we always live with it – that is why we must strive to make things better. Always. On the other hand, we always need to avoid tragedy; that is if at all it can be avoided. Nevertheless, oftentimes, tragedy has proved to be beyond human wisdom; beyond all technological predictions – for it strikes even palaces which have maximum security.

Still more, if tragedy can, at all, at least be foretold, we must prepare for its coming. We must put in place precautionary measures of dealing with it because he will be ridiculed if it strikes us after an alarm has already been sounded.

There is some tragedy in our amidst. Our own actions have led to extreme weather conditions which we have never experienced before, and things are fast getting out of hand. The current climate change is not accidental; it was forewarned and all what we needed to do was to avoid all what precipitates it.

Yet, we never did; instead, we cut down trees carelessly and increased green house gas emissions and now things are falling apart. The whole scenario has turned against us now and human wisdom appears to be constantly failing.

Nevertheless, we still have alternatives which can help redress this global tragedy. We can reduce green house gas emissions and plant as many trees as possible. We, as the situation is now, appear to have no choice. In most African countries, the most viable mode of contributing towards the mitigation of climate change is by planting trees, and above all, by avoiding cutting them.

Some experts argue that the most painful thing about climate change is that most areas which are horribly affected are those that contribute the least to it. Some have gone further to point out that the effects of climate change are now coming when most African countries are making great strides in their development, industrial development inclusive. Well, whatever the case, climate change is here with us and we cannot fold our arms and wait for come what may.

We need to do something before things completely get out hand. The fact of who contributes most to climate change might be of little significance now: you don’t fail to take your poisoned child to hospital just because you are not the one who poisoned him. Your priority is to have him saved and you need to do everything within your capacity to ensure he is healed. Thus, it makes little or no sense at all to argue that we should not be concerned about mitigating the impacts of climate change just because we contribute very little to it.

Environmental organizations and, in fact, all of us should take a leading role in conserving the environment – for our own sake and for the sake of our children. Projections of when the real impacts of climate change will be terribly felt by mankind might be placed far from today, but it will still be time when those affected will remain human beings, and they will be our own children, for that matter. In fact, there might be no need to go as far as the future generations because the tragedy of climate change is evidently already here, and is affecting us who live now.

Charcoal and firewood businesses can be given alternatives, thereby curtailing the careless cutting down of trees. Otherwise, the current trend of charcoal and firewood business has gone to horrible levels and needs to be curbed without procrastination.

Another thing which worries most Malawians is that despite the fact that charcoal burning is a criminal offense, you will still find numerous bags of the same perched along the main roads of this country. And you sometimes wonder who is not doing whose job. Where do the sellers find the courage with which to fell numerous trees for charcoal burning if the fear of being found on the wrong side of the law is in them? It is clear that, much as the laws are there in the departments of forestry and wildlife, such laws are seldom put into practice.

Stakeholders can come in and help Malawi return to its roots. They can promote the lives of Malawians in different ways so that the green vegetation that is there in this country should not perish; hope should not be completely mutilated. The little that is there can be sustained.

In other instances, it appears most areas which were supposed to be protected are undergoing constant abuse in terms of cutting down trees and setting them on wild bushfires. Perhaps government, through the relevant ministry or departments, can do something about these areas because it is not always charcoal selling that is diminishing our vegetation.

Tragedy should only strike where it is beyond human wisdom. It is mostly true that on one hand it is not always anticipated. Still more, we live with it and sometimes deliberately choose to embrace it, yet it never comes singing calming songs; rather its main aim is to maim all hope. This tragedy of climate change is something that has been solely initiated by man – and subsequently needs to be redressed by man since it is affecting man himself.