Citizen Climate is an on-going series about global citizens taking action, big and small, for the sake of a healthier planet for us all.
© Kimani NyoikeThe Citizen: James Wakibia, Kenyan a photojournalist and environmental activist.
The Action: James is in the forefront of the battle line against plastic menace in rivers in Kenya. James actively tries to educate his 24 thousand followers on twitter on the dangers of plastic to the environment and how even by cleaning it up from the rivers like he does is only a temporary solution to the crisis. Single use plastics must be banned.
With the second round of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty underway in Paris, France, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to call for a strong global plastics treaty that will keep oil and gas used to produce plastic in the ground and stop big polluters with their relentless plastic production. A strong plastics treaty will deliver a cleaner, safer planet for us and for future generations.
The future Global Plastic treaty has a huge potential to put the world on a path towards a plastic-free future but it will be up to us to make sure that it delivers on its promises. From Kenya’s parks to its rivers, plastic pollution is everywhere, eaten by livestock, harming animals like turtles and seabirds, it’s in the air we breathe and the food we eat. Plastic isn’t just destroying our natural world, It is driving the planet further into the climate crisis, over 99% of plastic is made from dirty fossil fuels, and we keep making more.
I spoke to James Wakibia, a plastic waste advocate who uses his social media platforms to mobilize netizens on the devastating impact of plastic pollution in Kenya.
How did you get your start in plastic waste advocacy?
The road I used daily to and from school was heavily polluted – it was a mess, filled with garbage and mostly plastic flying out. I started plastic waste advocacy because I was unhappy seeing my environment so polluted with plastic; I thought my efforts would bring some change; The pollution I witnessed irked me so much that I became an activist.
I saw your social media advocacy on the anti-plastic campaign, Why is the movement important to you?
I want to live in a clean environment, just like everybody else and plastic waste keeps accumulating and making once clean places look awful. The movement is important to first raise awareness and to make people see the impact of plastic in the environment, secondly, is pushing for policy change to address these issues. With a more aware citizenry, it is easier for society to change. Sometimes the local leadership enacts punitive laws without first making people aware of the reasons for those laws. It’s critical that we create awareness of the effects of plastics and then enact laws.
© Bedan Mwihia
© Bedan Mwihia” class=”wp-image-60015″/>
