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"id": 179809,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/179809/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Ongeri",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Education",
"speaker": {
"id": 124,
"legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
"slug": "samson-ongeri"
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this Motion. I was involved in the climate change negotiations. The convention that created the framework for the Convention on Climate Change was done when I was Kenya's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). I also rise to support this Motion because I was deeply involved - I became the President of the Multilateral Fund for the Ozone Layer. What we are seeing today are the after-effects of environmental degradation. What we are seeing now is the tail-end of the problem and it requires a deep and concerted emergency approach in order to mitigate against both the effects of climate change, desertification and the handling of hazardous waste which is flown all over the earth with far-reaching consequences. Dr. Otichilo enumerated a catalogue of a series of Acts that are all aimed towards conserving the environment. Matters about the environment are not only a country issue. We must make a fundamental distinction. This is a cross-cutting issue. It cuts across the divide, the geographical landscapes, nations, oceans and seas. It is, therefore, a global issue. It is a matter that this nation, with all the good intentions the Motion is proposing, cannot achieve on its own without incorporating our neighbours. It is the practices perpetuated by the so-called \"developed nations\" that have given rise to the catastrophes that we are witnessing today. Because of the forest cover which was depleted in the north, and which they are now so anxiously trying to replenish, the carbon dioxide exuded in the atmosphere--- Forests act as a perfect carbon zinc. They are not able to do so and that is why, in Europe, if it rains the way it has been doing here, you do not get clean water, rather you get acid rain. Those are the effects of the saturation of the air with pollutants. Unfortunately, it is not only simple pollutants. They could be chemical or particle pollutants which are hazardous to the health and existence of the flora and fauna of this nation. It is also injurious to human beings in terms of health perspective. We are, therefore, dealing with a monster which we want to seize. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the important point I want to raise is: What must we do in this nation? We have slackened in increasing our forest cover. Instead of depleting our forests, we need to replenish them. It was not a pleasant exercise on Sunday when I witnessed a landslide sweeping away young boys and girls who were looking forward to sitting their examinations. This was as a result of human practices that have now ended up as disasters. For example, we should be able to 3400 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 12, 2008 progressively turn areas such as West Pokot, Central Pokot, northern Kenya and other Arid and Semi-Arid zones into productive zones by increasing the forest cover. When it rains, the boulders remain hanging on loose soil and they are then swept away in the rivers. That causes river pollution and what we have is poor quality of water. Water is life. Those of you who do not know, 75 per cent of your body mass is water. Therefore, if you have sludge in your body, then it will not function well physiologically, anatomically, and mentally. We are actually slowly killing ourselves by allowing the pollutants to be part of our lives. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Motion has been brought forth with good intentions. We must, however, realise that we cannot make it on our own. We need to tie in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia and so on. The civil wars in Africa are part and parcel of the problem we are now witnessing in the way of climate change. The Congo Forest is a very rich forest. The tree species in that forest are now being cut away in the name of development, biotechnology, and biodiversity. Yes, it is good to exploit your biodiversity, but why can countries not sign the Kyoto Protocol? Some of the major nations which have reaped from the exploitation of the biodiversity of various continents, including Africa, have refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol. The most important moral lesson for us here is that this business is for all of us in this globe and not Kenya alone. With those few remarks, I support the Motion."
}