Global Warming: What are the KPIs in the fight against this phenomenon?

Question

Much is being said about this issue and yet I see smoke going up everyday, thick black smoke at times. From industrial chimneys, car fumes etc. space crafts even deliver directly into the sky.

Here in Africa there is little concern for global temperature (so it seems).

If the globe is warming because of the various things already sent into the atmosphere, are we working to just stop sending more of such things into the atmosphere or are we also trying to remove what is there already?

Answer 1

Well most African countries contribute relatively very little to the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and thus to global warming, as you can see here:

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/emissions_of_carbon_dioxide_in_africa_and_selected_oecd_countries

For the most part we're working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. There are also efforts to remove CO2 by planting trees and such, but the main priority is to reduce our emissions because they are far too great for any amount of plants to keep up with.

Answer 2

The main KPI is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and this is something that is being adressed by many of the European nations and some other countries around the world. It has met with some success and Europe as a whole has managed to reduce emissions slightly (some countries haven't, others have).

In Africa most countries produce very little GHG emissions. Can't recall the figures off the top of my head but I know that South Africa and Libya are the only two countries that produce more than the global average.

Africa faces a major problem in tackling GHG emissions in that most countries lack the necessary resources to develop alternatives. The west for example is reluctant to provide Africa with nuclear technoilogy preferring instead to push an aggenda of reliance on fossil fuel technology so that coal, oil and gas can be sold to African countries.

Many Africans also lack the will to effect change. I don't know which African country you're in but you are probably only too aware that many problems are exacerbated by people's reluctance to take some simple steps. Malaria and AIDS for example are widespread and despite large publicity campaigns, people are still encouraging the spread of both despite the fact that it's only very simple measures that are needed to help offset them.

In short, many Africans (not all) are unwilling to make simple changes to things that affect their everyday lives and health, things they can physically see. To expect that they would implement changes to something that they can't actually see is perhaps expecting too much.

Last year we were in Africa and planted three forests as part of a 'carbon negative' campaign, the villagers bent over backwards to help and they're doing a fantastic job of looking after the new plantations. We explained one of the advantages to planting the trees was to offset carbon emissions but most didn't understand the concept although they could see the advantages in terms of fruit and nut harvests, firewood, shelter for livestock etc.