“Human influence accounts for 90 percent of the main factors behind the decrease in the Arctic ice. The recent recording rate of the seas’ level rise had nearly tripled. The past five years have been the hottest recorded since the year 1850. The type of heatwaves that would only occur once every fifty years now occur once every ten years”. These facts and many more were pointed out by a comprehensive report published by The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The UN’s IPCC report and its alarming wealth of information called for a “Code Red for humanity”. It’s a call to take global actions against climate change before it’s too late. If this takes a global effort, how does this affect Guyana? What roles and responsibilities will we have to ensure that the earth’s degree levels stabilize?

For the months; August and July, we’ve received continuous pours of rainfall across the country. These months aren’t usually expected to be the “dry months” of the year. We’ve also been experiencing extreme heat, hotter than the usual heat we’re used to on days when the rain isn’t falling. Due to the heavy rainfall, many villages have been flooded and continues to flood. The “expected” weather and climate conditions are changing and evolving and I’m not sure if I like the directions we’re headed to. In a world that is rapidly changing through technology and industrial advancements; Guyana is only now putting it’s “toes in the water”. These advancements may be economically great for the country but are they sustainable and environmentally friendly?

The majority of the warming our planet faces is a direct result of heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide. The world needs to reduce the number of pollutants and emissions we release into the atmosphere. The United Nations hope that we can avoid crossing a 1.5 degree Celsius warming mark by the 2030s, but that seems very unlikely due to the world’s immense carbon footprint. Our carbon footprint increases through the emissions of burning fossil fuels and natural oil. For Guyana, an indirect impact is still an impact at the end of the day. I would like for all Guyanese to ponder on that thought. Is our planet’s health worth sacrificing for the growth of economies?

Apart from our oil and gas industry threatening our environment, Guyana also has other environmental impacts. From the number of trees we cut down in our richly green forests, to the type of energy our power grids use, the lack of proper garbage disposal facilities/services and even the types of cars and industrial machinery’s import. It is also our responsibility as a nation to do our part in ensuring our planet heals. It is selfish to not think about the future of humanity and the kind of planet we will leave behind for our children and their children. We should plant more trees, use reusable bags, use bicycles instead of cars as much as possible and reduce our energy consumption—or even switch to cleaner energy such as solar or wind. Our country is a small one compared to the industrial giants of the world. Nonetheless, as we head into a future of modernity and an industrial age, let’s skip the part where we contribute to the destruction of planet earth. Let’s turn Code Red to green!