The Climate clock is ticking and it is time to Act Now! But our taste for economic benefit also overshadows our environmental well-being due to increasing consumption of resources. As women, we cannot sit idle and do nothing to mitigate the negative impact on the environment. I cannot sit idle!
In my work for 350 Ghana Reducing Our Carbon (350-GROC), I fight for climate justice by sensitizing people about the climate change problem and advocate for renewable energy technologies in Ghana and beyond. My team and I successfully embarked on an Anti-Coal or ‘#CoalKills’ campaign to halt the establishment of a Coal-Fired Power plant in Ghana at Ekumfi. We have proposed an alternative dubbed ‘Renewable Energy For Community (RE4C)’ at the regional level. Through our grassroots community mobilization, we have the power to push our political leaders to act – from the bottom up.
Ghanaians think climate change is far from us, but it is not. Our extensive tree cutting is really spurring and makes us more vulnerable to climate change. If we do not act in time, food insecurity and soil degradation will become the rhythm of our vulnerable earth. In addressing this issue my NGO, Dream Hunt, school garden initiative was started to enable school children to relate to what they learn in school with what they do on their school farms. We have also established an Environmental Girls School Club where students plant a tree on their birthdays.
In such moments, I like to remind myself of who I am – where I stand. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, there is the need to encourage more women to choose renewable energy and equip women in a range of measures that will reduce emissions and increase adaptation efforts in order to #Breakthebias.
Bio: Portia Adu - Mensah is the founder of Dream Hunt, a volunteer at 350 Ghana Reducing Our Carbon and a budding entrepreneur in Ghana. She is a Creative Activist and passionate about grass-root campaigns as well as girl-child education.